Since 1997,Pokemonhas served as a staple on handheld-gaming devices for millions of players worldwide. FromPokemon Red and Blueto the current line of games such asPokemon Legends: Arceus, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company have provided fans with over two decades of content.
When it comes to the court of public opinion, everyone has their favoritePokemongame. Over two decades will serve many generations of gamers, adding to the debate of which generation held the best Pokedex lineup, storyline, and character arcs.
RELATED:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Fan Designs Their Own Final Evolution for Sprigatito
Reddit user RoboDataOfficial provided a graphical chart in video format which highlights every main-series game released from 1997 until 2022. The games span from the original release ofPokemon Red and GreentoPokemon Sword and Shieldbut exclude off-series games likePokemon Trading Card GameandPokemon Legends: Arceus. The chart takes onlookers on the journey through the 25 years of Pokemon gaming, showing the number of copies sold and where they land in terms of popularity. RoboDataOfficial is also well known in the YouTube community, where gaming fans can find condensed versions of his graphs through YouTube Shorts.
The one game that remains constant from start to finish isPokemon Red and Green(orPokemon Bluefor players outside of Japan), ending the video with 31 million sales. The introductory installment to thePokemonfranchise, released in 1997, opened the door to gaming fans with an enjoyable RPG style that was easy to pick up and learn. The second generation, known asPokemon Gold and Silver, falls far behind in second place with 23.7 million copies sold, withPokemon Sword and Shieldnot far behind with 23.6 million copies sold.Pokemon Yellow, which followed the first generation as an addition to the story and tweaks to the mechanics, sold 14.4 million copies, making it the ninth-best-selling Pokemon game.
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, released in 2006, sold 17.3 million copies and is one of the most beloved generations of any Pokemon game. Its popularity made it the fastest-selling Pokemon game at the time, selling three million units in the first 46 days. The subtle changes and new additions to the Pokedex impressed Pokemon fans to the point that 16 years later, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company released remakes of the generation and released it on the Nintendo Switch. While the remakes of each available generation didn’t do as well on the sales charts as their original forms,Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphiremanaged to sneak into the top five with just under 14 million. The original run ofPokemon Ruby and Sapphire, released in 2002, sold 16 million copies, as didPokemon X and Y.
