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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesPokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver take the top spot in this ranking for making the most complete-feeling return to their region, while Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl sit last because their faithful approach leaves less room for the improvements some players expect from a remake. That verdict is subjective: the right choice depends on whether you value added content, original-region feel, modernized mechanics, or a particular style of catching and battling.
How this ranking works
This list compares the five core-series remake pairs: FireRed and LeafGreen, HeartGold and SoulSilver, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Each pair counts as one entry; their versions are not separate ranking candidates.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Pokémon Pokopia - Nintendo Switch 2 | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Pokémon Legends: Arceus - US Version | $54.26 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Pokémon Violet - US Version | $51.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Pokémon Sword - Nintendo Switch | $54.93 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Pokémon™ Legends: Z-A - Nintendo Switch | Buy on Amazon |
The order weighs five things: how well each game preserves its region while improving playability; how useful its release-era mechanics are; the quality of its additions and postgame; how well its battle and catching systems suit traditional Pokémon play; and how practical it is as a way to revisit the region. A player who prefers conventional battles to Let’s Go’s more accessible catching approach could reasonably place that game lower.
Remakes are more than visual updates. They can add types and mechanics introduced after the original, or incorporate selected features from another game in the same region’s generation. The series’ remake history and distinctions are summarized by Bulbapedia; Serebii’s main-series guide describes the general approach of updating older entries to the standards of the release generation.
#1 Best Overall
- Shape the world and build a cozy new life with Pokémon as a Ditto transformed to look like a human.
- Use other Pokémon’s moves, like Bulbasaur’s Leafage, to revitalize and navigate the world around you.
- Meet and befriend more Pokémon as you help nature flourish.
- Gather materials to create items and furniture, till the fields to grow delicious crops, build homes for the Pokémon you meet, and more—there’s so much to do!
- Experience a world with varied weather, real-time days and nights, and other surprises.
5. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
What they update
Released for Nintendo Switch in 2021, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl revisit Sinnoh, first introduced in the Nintendo DS era. They bring the original Diamond and Pearl’s region and story to a newer platform, while incorporating selected features associated with Pokémon Platinum. They also retain a relatively faithful structure rather than reimagining the region wholesale. Game Informer lists both games’ Switch release date as November 19, 2021.
Why they rank last
Faithfulness is their central strength, but it is also the trade-off: players hoping for a remake that substantially reshapes Sinnoh may find the changes limited. ILCA, rather than Game Freak, developed these core-series remakes, a distinction noted in Bulbapedia’s remake overview. That fact alone does not determine quality, but it is useful context for a pair that takes a notably preservation-minded approach.
Play them if: you want a straightforward Switch route back to Sinnoh and prefer a close revisit over a radical redesign. They rank below the other entries here on the balance of freshness and improvement, not because a universal consensus identifies them as the worst.
Rank #2
- Action meets RPG in this new take on the Pokémon series
- Study Pokémon behaviors, sneak up on them, and toss a well-aimed Poké Ball to catch them
- Unleash moves in the speedy agile style or the powerful strong style in battles
- Travel to the Hisui region—the Sinnoh of old—and build the region’s first Pokédex
- Learn about the Mythical Pokémon Arceus, the key to this mysterious tale
4. Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!
A Yellow-based return to Kanto
The 2018 Switch pair revisits Kanto through the lens of Pokémon Yellow, rather than remaking the original Red and Green in the same way FireRed and LeafGreen do. Let’s Go adds new Pokémon and gives its catching and battle flow a distinct identity. Serebii describes it as a more casual offshoot that blends traditional series play with Pokémon GO-inspired gameplay: Serebii’s main-series guide.
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Its accessible catching design is a genuine alternative, not simply a lesser version of the standard formula. But players seeking the traditional rhythm of weakening wild Pokémon and battling before catching them may not find it a satisfying substitute. Its place depends heavily on how much that change matters to you.
Play them if: you want an approachable Kanto adventure, enjoy Pokémon GO-style catching, or are curious about a Yellow-inspired version of the region. Choose another remake if conventional wild battles are a must.
Rank #3
- Embark on a new Pokémon adventure
- Catch, battle, and train Pokémon in the Paldea Region, a vast land filled with lakes, towering peaks, wastelands, small towns, and sprawling cities.
- Choose either Sprigatito, Fuecoco, or Quaxly, to be your first partner Pokémon before setting off on your journey through Paldea.
- Embark on an independent study called the Treasure Hunt to gain new experiences, meet new people, and find your very own treasure.
3. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
The classic Kanto remade
First released for Game Boy Advance in 2004, FireRed and LeafGreen revisit the original Red and Green games. They add later-generation changes to the original Kanto adventure, including the Dark and Steel types, which were absent from Generation I. They are a more traditional remake than Let’s Go, with the familiar battle-and-catch structure intact. The dates, platforms, and remake traits are covered in Serebii’s main-series guide and Bulbapedia’s overview.
Why it ranks in the middle
These games make a strong case for the original Kanto journey, but their appeal is chiefly in a clean, playable modernization rather than a radical new interpretation. The 2026 Switch release is a rerelease of the existing Game Boy Advance remake, not a newly developed remake or a sixth remake pair. TechRadar’s review of the Switch rerelease notes that the National Pokédex cannot be completed using those two games alone; that limitation applies to the rerelease as discussed in that review. TechRadar’s review also records reviewer Heather Wald’s personal response to LeafGreen: “It’s everything I remember it being.”
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Play them if: you want a familiar, traditional Kanto adventure updated from the original Red and Green, rather than the Yellow-based design of Let’s Go.
Rank #4
- Catch, battle, and trade Pokémon on an all-new adventure in the Galar region
- Choose from three new partner Pokémon and encounter never-before-seen Pokémon
- Unravel the mystery behind the Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta!
- Team up with other Trainers to participate in Max Raid Battles***!
- Battle wild Dynamax Pokémon in Max Raid Battles and try catching them***
2. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Hoenn with later-generation features
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire brought Hoenn to Nintendo 3DS in 2014, revisiting the Game Boy Advance Ruby and Sapphire era. They update the region for their release generation and incorporate selected features associated with Pokémon Emerald. Bulbapedia’s remake overview documents those distinctions, while Serebii lists their platform and release context.
Why they nearly take the top spot
The pair offers a modernized return to Hoenn with more than a visual refresh, while retaining the region’s recognizable identity. Its main compromise is that incorporating selected Emerald features is not the same as simply replacing Emerald: players should approach it as a remake of Ruby and Sapphire with additions, not assume every element of Emerald is present. That makes it a compelling revisit, though one with a more specific relationship to its source games than a definitive bundle of every Hoenn version.
Play them if: you want a later-generation take on Hoenn and value a remake that layers new-era features onto the original pair.
Best Value
- Live the life of a Pokémon Trainer in the streets of Lumiose City!
- For the first time in the Pokémon RPG series, command your Pokémon in real-time battles
- Use the power of Mega Evolution in battle and take on rampaging Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon
- Compete in the Z-A Royale each night to test your skills and try to become the strongest Pokémon Trainer
- Visit shops, restaurants, and places called wild zones—where Pokémon roam free—all centered around Prism Tower
1. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Johto expanded for Nintendo DS
First released in Japan in 2009 and in North America in 2010, HeartGold and SoulSilver bring the Game Boy Color’s Johto adventures to Nintendo DS. They update the games for their release generation and incorporate selected features associated with Pokémon Crystal. Their region, dates, and remake distinctions are detailed by Serebii and Bulbapedia.
Why they rank first
This ranking puts them first because they make the strongest overall case as a return to their region: they preserve Johto’s identity while offering a more developed revisit than a bare presentation update. Their use of Crystal-associated elements adds context to the remake without changing the fact that they are principally a return to Gold and Silver. The result is the best balance here of recognizable original adventure and meaningful release-era updating.
Play them if: you want a substantial Johto revisit and value a remake that feels like an expanded version of its source-era experience. This is an editorial judgment, not a claim that players or critics universally rank them first.
What about Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX?
Rescue Team DX is also a remake, but it revisits the Mystery Dungeon spin-off games rather than a main-series region RPG. Its genre and play structure make a direct place in the ranking above unfair. Bulbapedia’s overview of remakes distinguishes spin-off remakes from the core-series families covered here.
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Choose by what you value
- For a traditional Kanto replay: FireRed and LeafGreen; for a Yellow-inspired Kanto with a different catching style, choose Let’s Go.
- For a close, updated Sinnoh revisit on Switch: Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl.
- For a later-generation Hoenn remake: Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire.
- For this ranking’s strongest all-around regional revisit: HeartGold or SoulSilver.
Original-era platforms were Game Boy Advance for FireRed and LeafGreen, Nintendo DS for HeartGold and SoulSilver, Nintendo 3DS for Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Nintendo Switch for both Let’s Go and Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl. The 2026 Switch availability of FireRed and LeafGreen is a rerelease of the GBA games, distinct from their original 2004 launch; see TechRadar’s rerelease review.
Quick Recap
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