OPINION: The best games for Pokémon fans

The next Pokémon game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, is still a few months from releasing on the Switch and Switch 2, and as the biggest media franchise in the world, fans are very excited for its release.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set to bring big changes for the series, including real-time battles for the first time, a greatly expanded version of Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, and the return of Mega Evolution, a fan favorite mechanic that’s been absent for almost a decade. But Pokémon isn’t the only creature-collection series in town, and decades of game development has seen quite a few worthy competitors.

While you wait for the release date of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, we put together a list of the best games for Pokémon fans. All of these games involve catching, taming, and raising creatures of some kind, although the gameplay itself is a lot more varied than you might think.

World of Final Fantasy

Of course Final Fantasy has a creature catcher spinoff game. The series is packed with a wide range of strange and wonderful creatures, so it was really only a matter of time before something like this popped up. World of Final Fantasy is a bit of a strange game, where captured monsters come in three different sizes, with smaller sizes being able to be stacked atop larger ones. There’s a surprisingly deep layer of strategy to your stacks, and almost 250 creatures to tame and battle alongside. Throw in a cute story and some familiar characters, and you’ve got a pretty great game overall.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth

Digimon has always been positioned as somewhat of a Pokémon competitor, but the two series are actually pretty different. The Digimon video game series is split up into multiple subseries, and one of those is the Digimon Story series, which as the name suggests, is much more focused on storytelling. It’s much easier to wrap your head around than the World series, and Cyber Sleuth (plus its sequel Hacker’s Memory) is the best of the bunch. There are some noticeable localization issues, but it’s an absolute blast with heaps of monsters to collect and an absolutely wild story.

Monster Hunter Stories 2

Monster Hunter is filled with big, ferocious beasties, so a game turning those into adorable little monsters sounds quite odd on the surface. But somehow, against all odds, Capcom and Marvelous pulled it off, not just once but twice. Monster Hunter Stories 2 is definitely one of the more traditional games on the list, but it’s a very polished experience that’s appropriate for all ages. Give it a chance, you’re in for a treat.

Cassette Beasts

One of the more recent games on this list, Cassette Beasts is an indie game that takes everything you know and love about Pokémon and dials it all up to 11. It’s got some gorgeous pixel art, retro aesthetics that are to die for, and some of the most bonkers move interactions you’ve ever seen in any game of this type. If you’re looking for a creature catcher game that won’t break the bank, Cassette Beasts is absolutely one to check out.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince

Gosh I love Dragon Quest, and the Monsters subseries has consistently been some of the best creature catcher games on the market. The Dark Prince is the most recent game in the series, and the most recent game on this list, and has you collecting and fusing monsters together to create amazing creations. Want a slime made out of an onion? You can do that, and it’s amazing. The Dark Prince is also a companion game to Dragon Quest 4, and has connections to Dragon Quest 6, two of the best games in the series. It’s a must-play for any Dragon Quest fan.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a game that was developed by legendary developer Level-5 with art and character design from the most prolific anime studio on earth, Studio Ghibli. Ultimately, the game is mostly about a young boy who isekais into a fantasy land and starts collecting silly little guys to battle with and alongside. The monsters in this game are honestly kind of ridiculous, but they have that Dragon Quest vibe that makes them adorable and ever so collectible. Plus, with art and character designs that look as good as this, you’re in for a good time.

Monster Sanctuary

Up until this point, all of the games in this list have been fairly straightforward turn-based RPGs. Monster Sanctuary takes a wild divergence from this trend, offering not only turn-based RPG combat, but a full 2D metroidvania game on top of it. Imagine Super Metroid but instead of firing laser beams and ice missiles, when you run into an enemy, you start a three-on-three monster battle. It’s a delightful idea and one that’s executed tremendously well. It also does interesting things with evolutions, with monsters changing their fortes in battle rather than getting outright stronger like in most games. Buy it, play it, thank us later.

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance

Okay, look, hear me out. Yes, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, like most games in the series, is an action RPG, but it is, in the very strictest definition of the term, a creature catcher game. You collect creature parts by defeating them in combat, then use those parts to create monsters of your own, which then act as additional party members. Raising these monsters gives you access to new abilities, and makes them stronger allies too, so it’s a net benefit for everyone. Dream Drop Distance – which is included int he Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue package – is also the best Kingdom Hearts game, but it might not be the best game to start with. You’d better play the whole series, just to be safe.