by RootSec
Published long ago in 1996 on a Game Boy, without color, with what now would be considered archaic graphics, the first Pokemon game was a massive critical and commercial success which led to the creation of the best media franchise on the planet, that consists of anime series, movies, and various merchandise, such as toys, trading card game, and manga.
The franchise features numerous games and the most recent game in the series is Pokemon Sword and Shield published on Nintendo Switch. Pokemon is the second bestselling video game franchise after Nintendo’s Super Mario. To this day more than 300 million Pokemon games have been sold worldwide, across 76 titles including spin-offs, and below is the list of the fifteen best-selling games in the franchise.
Nintendo.co.jp and Vgsales have been used as sources.
Updated May 18th, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: The Pokemon franchise is easily one of the biggest and most prominent gaming franchises around, and one need only look at its gargantuan sales numbers to understand why this is the case. The franchise has been a prominent figure in the lives of most gamers since time immemorial, aka 1996, and the series has established itself as one of the biggest IPs of all time. Let’s take a look at the sales numbers of some of the most successful titles in the franchise.
15 Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 – 8.52 Million
Most people consider Pokemon Black & White to be some of the greatest games of all time. Consequently, it goes without saying that the announcement of sequels to these games was met with positive reception across the board, turning Black 2 & White 2 into the 15th highest-selling titles in the series.
Being the last 2D entries in the series — with the 3D era of Pokemon games being widely polarizing with many hardcore fans — these games are must-plays for any fan.
14 Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon – 8.98 Million
While Pokemon Sun & Moon have their fair share of detractors, the core gameplay loop was still quite sound and enjoyable. So, it only goes without saying that fans of these titles would be more than pleased with an updated version that improves on most facets of this title.
This is exactly what Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon aimed to accomplish, with the end result being quite satisfactory for many Pokemon fans. While the games might still seem too similar to Sun & Moon at times, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon are still great titles that feature notable improvements over its predecessor.
13 Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen – 12.00 Million
The original Pokemon titles are definitely legendary in their own right, but there’s no denying the fact that the games have aged quite a bit and can be quite challenging to enjoy in modern times.
Thankfully, with the advent of Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen, this problem became a thing of the past. Now, gamers could enjoy the magic of the original games with all the modern nuances they’ve come to expect from a Pokemon title.
12 Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver – 12.72 Million
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions are the remakes of the Gold and Silver Pokemon games published in 1999. The starting Pokemon to chose from are Chikorita, Cyndiquil, and Totodaille.
Like in the original versions, the story takes place in Kanto and Johto regions where the player catches Pokemon and fights the gym leaders with an occasional battle against the well-known Team Rocket. The ultimate battle is against Red, the games’ final boss. The games received positive reviews and sold 12.72 million copies on Nintendo DS.
11 Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu & Let’s Go Eevee – 13.28 Million
While the Pokemon games on the Switch haven’t exactly received the love and adoration that fans have given to other games in the series, these games still have something special about them. They allow millions of gamers to connect with the pocket monsters they obtain on their adventure.
This is precisely why Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Let’s Go, Eevee! were such massive successes — the remakes of Pokemon Yellow were widely purchased and played by fans all over the world, showing just how beloved the franchise really is.
10 Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire – 14.39 Million
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire are the remakes of the original Ruby and Sapphire Pokemon games. The setting and the story are pretty much the same as in the original games and follow a player on an adventure in the Hoenn region where he needs to catch various Pokemon and defeat eight Gym Leaders.
However, the games were published on Nintendo 3DS, which means 3D polygonal graphics are present, while the Mega Evolution and Super Training options from X and Y are also present. The two versions of the game sold 14.23 million copies.
9 Pokemon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition – 14.64 Million
Pokemon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition is a 1998 enchanted Pokemon game of the original title loosely based on an animated series of the same name. In this game, the only available Pokemon at the start is Pikachu. Additionally, he is given a voice and personality and follows the player through the whole adventure.
The game also features slightly improved graphics and can print Pokedex entries. The game received favorable reviews and sold 14.64 million copies, ultimately helping in boosting the sales of Game Boy.
8 Pokemon Black & White – 15.64 Million
Published in 2010 for Nintendo DS, Pokemon Black and White introduced Generation 5 to audiences. The games are set in the Unova region, which resembles the area of New York City. So, fittingly enough, the landscape features an urban environment with big bridges and skyscrapers.
Like the previous entries, the games have a linear storyline where a player in the role of a teenager must collect eight Gym Badges, challenge the Elite Four of the Pokemon League, and defeat the region’s Champion. The games sold 15.64 million copies.
7 Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire – 16.22 Million
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire were published in 2002 and introduced the third generation of Pokemon, also known as an advanced generation. The games are set in Hoenn and unlike all other entries before them, Ruby and Sapphire do not feature all the Pokemon from the previous generations.
With the popularity of the Pokemon franchise waning at the time, the games sold less than the two previous entries in the series. Nevertheless, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire still managed to become the bestselling games for the Game Boy Advance with 16.22 million units sold.
6 Pokemon Sun & Moon – 16.25 Million
Pokemon Sun and Moon were published in 2016 for the Nintendo 3DS, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the franchise. The games take place on a group of islands known as Alola, a region heavily inspired by Hawaii. The developer’s studio staff actually visited them to conduct research for the game.
These games introduced 81 new Pokemon to catch, as well as the new powerful moves known as Z-moves. The games sold 16.25 million copies, slightly less than Pokemon X and Y versions also published on Nintendo 3DS.
5 Pokemon X & Y – 16.53 Million
Pokemon X and Y were the first Pokemon games published on Nintendo 3DS, therefore featuring Pokemon in fully 3D polygonal graphics, which was, speaking of it, very well received. Aside from that, the two versions of the game feature 72 new Pokemon as well 30 Mega Evolutions for already fully evolved Pokemon such as Charizard and Blastoise.
The two games managed to sell 16.53 million copies, which is impressive considering X and Y were published on the Nintendo 3DS. The commercial success followed the critical and the game won the Golden Joystick Award for the Best Handheld Game of the Year.
4 Pokemon Diamond & Pearl – 17.67 Million
The Nintendo DS Pokemon game from 2006 came in two versions, Diamond and Pearl. With combined sales of 17.67 units, these entries are the fourth-bestselling Pokemon games. these games are set in a fictional region of Sinnoh and follow a new trainer who wants to become the Pokemon League Champion.
The gameplay is largely the same as with the previous entries but Diamond and Pearl do add a multiplayer option where players can battle against other trainers. The games received favorable reviews and won an award for the Best Handheld Game at G-Phoria 2007.
3 Pokemon Sword & Shield – 21.10 Million
The most recent games in the mainline Pokemon franchise might’ve not enjoyed the greatest reception from the series’ fans, but Pokemon Sword & Shield are still highly recommendable games for people who love the IP.
The advancements made in Pokemon Sword & Shield are a testament to the future of the series. It’s clear to see the influence these games are already having on the franchise, with Pokemon Legends: Arceus set to incorporate and build upon a host of major technical advancements that were present in Sword & Shield.
2 Pokemon Gold & Silver – 23.73 Million
Considered to be some of the best games in the series, Pokemon Gold and Silver were published in 1999 for Game Boy Color and managed to sell 23.1 million copies.
The games include 100 new Pokemon to collect and fresh additions like choosing the created character’s gender and Pokemon breeding. Gold and Silver also added some new classes of Pokemon and a new item called Pokegear. Unlike the previous games, which were based in the Kanto region, Gold and Silver are based in Johto.
1 Pokemon Red, Green, & Blue – 31.05 Million
These games started a multibillion-dollar franchise. The original Pokemon games were published in 1996 for Game Boy and came in three versions: Red, Green, and Blue. Conceived by Satoshi Tajiri who, as a kid, had a hobby of collecting insects and on that basis created a world where players could collect, train and battle with their miniature creatures – which resulted in creating the first 151 Pokemon.
After their releases, the games became massive hits, both commercial and critical. Today, Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue are considered classics.
