Although the franchise as a whole is phenomenally successful, somePokémongames have still sold better than others, and those that rank as the best-selling titles of all may come as a surprise. Of course,Pokémonhas produced some of the most popular video games in the world, with any new title all but guaranteed to sell extremely well. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons, not everyPokémongame is equally successful, and the sales figures of some titles are undoubtedly a cut above the rest.
Although there is a discernibleorder to thePokémongamesas a whole, perhaps one of the franchise’s most enduring advantages is that it can be entered at any point with little difficulty. With few story ties between games, they are all equally accessible from that perspective, although more recent titles do naturally include more modern conveniences. However, modernity alone is not the only factor in determiningwhat the bestPokémongames are. Moreover, the actual sales for each title cannot be expected to follow a simple upward trajectory over time, with a multitude of factors affecting these figures.
Pokémon Red/Blue/Green Is The Best-Selling Pokémon Game Of All Time
Pokémon’s Greatest Success Is Also Its Origin
DespitePokémon’s reach only growing over time, its best-selling titles are also the originals. According to numbers published byStatista,Pokémon Red, Blue, and Greenhave sold a combined total of more than 31.38 million units. Technically, this means thatPokémonhas never managed to equal its original success with any given release, although in practice, this means little given how much the franchise has grown. Regardless, this fact may still come as a surprise to some, who may understandably assume the most recent games to have enjoyed the greatest success.
10 Best Pokémon Spin-Off Games That Deserve More Credit
There are so many great Pokemon spin-off games that have either flown under the radar or have been lost to time, with people rarely mentioning them.
It is worth noting that the originalPokémontitles had a remarkably complex release history. Japan’sPokémon Red and Greenreleased in 1996, and then an updated version,Pokémon Blue, was released in three separate waves; two mail order distributions in 1996 and 1997, and then commercially in 1999. This updated version also formed the basis ofthe U.S.’s own originalPokémonrelease, the iconicRed and Blueversions, which arrived in 1998. With so many different incarnations of the same games, it is easy to see how so many copies could have been sold over the years.
Which Best-Selling Pokémon Games Come In At Second & Third
The Next Most Popular Games Are Among The Most Recent Releases
On the other hand, in stark contrast to the superior sales figures of the firstPokémongames, the second and third best-selling releases are far more modern.Pokémon Sword and Shieldhave sold 26.6 million units, and the most recent entry core titles,Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, have sold 26.38 million units. Naturally, these figures can and likely will still rise, given that they are ultimately far easier to purchase and play thanthe classic Game BoyPokémontitles, but the vast majority of their lifetime sales are presumably already accounted for.
The fact thatPokémon Scarlet and Violet’s sales place third may again be a surprise, given their recency in the ever-growing franchise, but it is worth considering that their infamous technical issues likely had a negative impact here. Moreover, compared to the gap between first and second place in the sales rankings, second and third place are very close. As such, especially with the advent of the more powerful Switch 2, it is far from inconceivable that future games will grow closer to eclipsing the franchise’s current sales record.
As more languages become supported byPokémongames, with the most recent example beingPokémon Legends: Z-Asupporting Latin American Spanish, more people around the world will find them accessible, something that will also likely increase overall sales.
Collectively, the originalPokémon Red, Blue, and Greenversions sparked a worldwide craze and spawned one of the largest entertainment franchises ever. With that in mind, it is understandable that they have also been able to maintain a significant lead in sales over any of their successors. While this may not last forever, there is no denying that reaching over 31 million sales is an incredible feat, and a true testament to the impact that thePokémongames have had on the world.
