Want to discover how to play Pokémon from your Windows PC? In this post we’ll show you the different options available to you, including some that you wouldn’t even be able to enjoy on a Nintendo console.
Best Pokémon Fan-Made Games for PC
Pokémon is one of Nintendo’s exclusive sagas, which means that its games are only available for Nintendo consoles (except for some mobile titles, such as Pokémon GO). However, and thanks to the community that surrounds it, today there are a lot of “fan-made” games that have nothing to envy to the original games. In our opinion, this is the most interesting option today, since in addition to being able to enjoy Pokémon on PC, you can enjoy new details and mechanics within the game.
1.- Pokémon Fire Ash
The most complete Pokémon fan-game to date, in which you can go through the whole story of Ash in the Pokémon Anime. It uses the graphics of the third generation, and has 8 generations of Pokémon (more than 900), 9 regions, mega-evolutions and more than 50 gyms.
2.- Pokémon Phoenix Rising
The most ambitious Pokémon fan-game project to date (and perhaps the reason why it’s still a project after so long). It features unparalleled graphics and an overwhelming amount of new features (new map, new gameplay, new story…). For now (and for quite some time now) only the DEMO is available, which can be downloaded for free to test what this fan-game will be in the future if it is finally released.
3. – Pokémon Infinite Fusion
Quite a revolution for the Pokémon universe, thanks to its new mechanics, with which you can fuse Pokémons with each other (resulting in more than 176,000 possible combinations). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, since it has 2 regions, 16 medals and more than 2 complete generations of Pokémon (not counting the end-game zones and other new features). Undoubtedly, one of the most recommended options today.
4.- PokéMMO
The best unofficial Pokémon multiplayer online game to date, which combines 5 complete regions (and their 5 generations of Pokémon) with different very interesting MMO mechanics, such as the market, where you can buy and sell Pokémon of all kinds to other players Online. You can also participate in battles against other players, as well as tournaments, special events and qualifying games. It was recently updated with a complete new region (Johto).
5.- Pokémon Pathways
A fangame that adds a completely new concept to the Pokémon saga, in which every decision we make will influence the outcome of the game. It is one of the most innovative and different, since a lot of work has been done on the new concept and new mechanics, resulting in a totally different experience from that offered by other fan-made games.
6.- Pokémon Showdown
For lovers of competitive Pokémon, Pokémon Showdown is a fan-made game focused on Online battles against other players. It can be played both from the browser, as well as from its PC version, and is one of the best options to improve our skills in Pokémon battles.
7.- Pokémon Indigo
A beastly remake of Kanto, in which we will be able to enjoy totally renewed graphics and the possibility of playing with all the available Pokémon, including the ninth generation. Created by EricLostie, one of the most popular Pokémon Fan-Games creators (as he has created several of the most popular titles so far.
8.- Pokémon Uranium
With more than 150 new Pokémon, a new tropical region to explore, a very neat graphics, and many more new features, the Uranium edition is the most popular (and complete) Pokémon fan made game to date. Nintendo itself put its efforts to make this game disappear, but we know how difficult that is on the Internet.
9.- Pokémon Opal
From the same creator as Pokémon Indigo, Pokémon Opal is a title that focuses on introducing us to a Western-themed story. It features a graphical revamp (which falls between GBA and NDS graphics), 2 complete regions, 16 gyms and many other new features.
10.- Pokémon Iberia
A game completely focused on humor and parody of Spanish society, but maintaining the essence of capturing Pokémon and overcoming the different gyms. Although it is a much less serious game than Uranium, it is a delight for those who enjoy humor (and I think it would be the first time someone reads the Pokémon dialogues with interest, since almost any dialogue has a joke in one way or another).
Play Pokémon on PC using an Emulator
Pokémon is one of those Nintendo classics that can be played on PC following the right steps. Also, given the graphical simplicity of Pokémon titles, any Windows PC will be able to process the game without any problem, so the experience will be almost identical to playing on a Nintendo console. On the plus side, it’s also worth noting that it’s totally free, which will be a joy for some.
Although Nintendo preserves the exclusivity of Pokémon only for its own consoles, the truth is that PC users have it very easy to skip this exclusivity. It is as simple as using Nintendo emulators for PC. Depending on the Pokémon title you want to play, you will have to download a different emulator, to suit the console for which it was designed.
How to play Pokémon on PC – Best Nintendo emulators for PC
As you might imagine, the older the console, the simpler it is to emulate. While Nintendo GBA emulators go flawlessly, the Nintendo Switch emulator has various issues, and is not as accessible in terms of requirements for all PCs. Luckily, and as we have already mentioned, Pokémon games do not usually stand out for their graphic part, so in this case we will be able to emulate any Pokémon game.
The first thing is to install the emulator you need for the Pokémon game you want to play (If not Google the title of the game and look at the cover, to know which console it belongs to.
- Nintendo GBA emulator – VisualBoyAdvance for PC
- Nintendo 3DS emulator – Citra for PC
- Nintendo GameCube / Wii emulator – Dolphin for PC
- Nintendo Switch emulator – Yuzu for PC
You’ll find more information about each of the emulators in the links we’ve left for you, including how to install the games on the emulator. In all cases, you will need to find the ROM or XCi file of the game in question, and insert it in the folder where the emulator stores the games.
Best Original Pokémon games
There are numerous editions of Pokémon that can be emulated from PC easily (not to say all), so we leave you with some of what are considered to be the best Pokémon games to date. Thus, by focusing on choosing the best titles, you will be able to save playing time on some edition that you do not end up liking so much.
Here are some of the most recommended Pokémon games for PC (using an emulator):
- Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal – Nintendo DS: Considered by many 3 of the most powerful titles of the saga, both for the new features they included, as for the overall quality of the final product. If you don’t know which Pokémon game to start with, any of these 3 will be a good choice (maybe the Crystal edition is a little better than Gold and Silver, but for obvious reasons)
- Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver – Nintendo DS: These are the official remakes of the 3 games mentioned above, with new improvements and the inclusion of the story part that was only available in Pokémon Crystal. Therefore, and being improved versions of the 3 games considered the best, HeartGold and SoulSilver are arguably at the top of the Pokémon game ranking.
- Pokémon Crystal.
- Pokémon Black and White (1 and 2) – Nintendo DS
- Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby – Nintendo 3DS – Powerful remakes of the older Sapphire and Ruby, with new features such as mega-evolutions.
- Pokémon X and Y
- Pokémon Emerald
PS: Keep in mind that the older the console that corresponds to a Pokémon edition, the less requirements our PC will need to play it correctly.