{"id":21193,"date":"2021-04-30T00:01:11","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T00:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=21193"},"modified":"2021-04-10T12:27:07","modified_gmt":"2021-04-10T12:27:07","slug":"carys-favorite-pokemon-spin-off-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2021\/04\/30\/carys-favorite-pokemon-spin-off-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Cary\u2019s Favorite Pok\u00e9mon Spin-Off Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I\u2019m really excited about the upcoming release of New Pok\u00e9mon Snap.\u00a0 The original was a special game to me, and I\u2019ll explain why in this blog.\u00a0 The mainline Pok\u00e9mon games are great, but I haven\u2019t played any of the more recent ones because I feel they are all pretty much the same game.\u00a0 Now, that\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing.\u00a0 Why fix what isn\u2019t broken?\u00a0 And with every new generation of Pok\u00e9mon game comes a new generation of kids to enjoy them, and while they may be the same game to me, it\u2019s new to them. \u00a0While I haven\u2019t played a new mainline Pok\u00e9mon game since Black & White, I still like the Pok\u00e9mon settings and characters and do enjoy a lot of the spin-off games.\u00a0 So in this blog we\u2019re going to take a look at some of my favorite Pok\u00e9mon spin-off games in honor of the upcoming release of New Pok\u00e9mon Snap!<\/p>\n

But first, I\u2019ll explain a little bit about my background with Pok\u00e9mon.\u00a0 Many people talk and write about their fond childhood memories of the game, but since I was born in the mid to late 70\u2019s and was an 80\u2019s kid, Pok\u00e9mon wasn\u2019t a part of my childhood.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t come out until I was already in college!\u00a0 But by then, I was already writing game reviews for The Dallas Morning News.\u00a0 The first E3 I went to after getting that gig, that was the E3 that Nintendo was first showing off them bringing Pok\u00e9mon to the US. I remember reading about the game a year before in Nintendo Power, when it was quietly released in Japan as Pocket Monsters.\u00a0 I saw how Nintendo was going to market Pok\u00e9mon in the US, and I knew it would be big.\u00a0 I immediately called my editor and requested that I cover everything Pok\u00e9mon related when it came out.\u00a0 He said, \u201cyeah sure, whatever\u201d but stayed true to his word.\u00a0 So for the next few years, I was reviewing Pok\u00e9mon games and writing Pok\u00e9mon articles left and right.\u00a0 I even did things like watch the cartoon and familiarized myself with the card game!\u00a0 Pok\u00e9mon really helped my game reviewing career take off, and I was making a lot more money because of it.\u00a0 I like to say that Pok\u00e9mon helped pay my way through college!\u00a0 Of course, a little while after I graduated, one of the editor\u2019s sons was old enough to write, and they had him write all the Pok\u00e9mon game reviews after that.\u00a0 Yay nepotism!\u00a0 Part of the reason why I don\u2019t play the mainline Pok\u00e9mon games now is because I kind of OD\u2019ed on the original game since I was getting paid to know everything about it.\u00a0 So that\u2019s not entirely the series\u2019 fault either.\u00a0 So that\u2019s my history with Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s take a look at my favorite Pok\u00e9mon spin-off games, since I\u2019ll still play most of those.\u00a0 Keep in mind that these aren\u2019t in any particular order of favorites.\u00a0 Just ones that came to mind that stuck out to me.\u00a0 OK, let\u2019s begin!<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Snap<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was an on rails N64 game where you took photos of Pok\u00e9mon.\u00a0 It was such a good idea, and I consider it somewhat educational because you were graded on if the Pok\u00e9mon was in the center of the frame, if it was facing you, etc.\u00a0 So some photography basics, I think.\u00a0 This was a special game to me because it was one of the only reviews I got a front page tagline for when I was writing for the newspaper.\u00a0 I even remember what I wrote for that tagline: \u201cSmile and Say Pikachu!\u201d\u00a0 Back then, you could also take your N64 memory card to BlockBuster Video and print your photos out on tiny little stickers.\u00a0 My brother Jeff was really excited to do that!\u00a0 Many years later I saw one of those printing stations at a used game market and you could buy it!\u00a0 It was too expensive and way too big, but wouldn\u2019t it be funny to have one of those in your house?\u00a0 I also think it\u2019s cool that the original Pok\u00e9mon Snap was made by HAL Laboratory.\u00a0 A lot of people are worried about New Pok\u00e9mon Snap because it\u2019s not made by HAL.\u00a0 But my favorite video game company, Namco, is making New Pok\u00e9mon Snap, and if anyone can do it, they can!\u00a0 Besides, Namco has had previous experience with Pok\u00e9mon games, which we\u2019ll get to in a bit.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon puzzle games<\/strong><\/p>\n

OK I know this is just a catch all category that covers many games, but it\u2019s my list so I\u2019ll do what I want.\u00a0 Anyway, I love puzzle games so I\u2019ll play most of the ones they slap Pok\u00e9mon on.\u00a0 Pok\u00e9mon Puzzle League for N64 is the same game as Tetris Attack\/Panel de Pon\/Puzzle League, but they used the anime license very well.\u00a0 And there was a neat 3-D mode where the playfield was around a cylinder, and they haven\u2019t had a mode like that in a Puzzle League game since!\u00a0 Pok\u00e9mon Trozei played a lot like Yoshi\u2019s Cookie with Pok\u00e9mon heads.\u00a0 I\u2019d like for them to revisit that one sometime.\u00a0 Even though Pok\u00e9mon Shuffle was just a free-to-play match-three puzzler on the 3DS, it held my interest longer than what I thought it would.\u00a0 And there was also a Pok\u00e9mon Picross game on the 3DS as well.\u00a0 I wish Nintendo would make more video game themed Picross titles!<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Pinball<\/strong><\/p>\n

I also love video pinball, so this was a no-brainer as well.\u00a0 There are actually two games in this series.\u00a0 The first was on the Game Boy Color and the cartridge even had a rumble pak with a battery you\u2019d put in to make it work!\u00a0 This first game was made by HAL.\u00a0 They\u2019ve had previous experience with video pinball games like NES Pinball, Rollerball, Revenge of the Gator, and Kirby\u2019s Pinball Land.\u00a0 So this one\u2019s good, too.\u00a0 The next game was made on the GBA and was done by Intelligent Systems, but they did a good job also.\u00a0 I love how they implemented catching Pok\u00e9mon into the pinball gameplay, and you could play for a really long time, too!\u00a0 I remember one game on the GBA version took me over an hour!\u00a0 These are some of the best video pinball games around!<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Channel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whenever people make \u201cWorst Pok\u00e9mon Spinoff\u201d lists, they always feature this one.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t know why!\u00a0 Because aside from Pok\u00e9mon Snap, Channel is probably my other favorite Pok\u00e9mon spinoff game because it\u2019s just so weird!\u00a0 You\u2019re tasked with watching special Pok\u00e9mon related TV channels with your pal Pikachu.\u00a0 As if the game about watching TV isn\u2019t weird enough, the channels are like those old kids\u2019 activity center play games you could get on the PC a long time ago.\u00a0 You could color pictures of Pok\u00e9mon and have Smeargle show them off in the Art Channel for instance.\u00a0 Nintendo even marketed this game towards a younger audience, with ads running in magazines like Nick Jr. and Parents.\u00a0 There was also a game show channel where you answered trivia questions about Pok\u00e9mon, and you could use your winnings in the shopping channel to order Pok\u00e9mon themed furniture for your room, so it kind of had a slight Animal Crossing vibe to it as well.\u00a0 One of your \u2018goals\u2019 is to collect parts of a disc so you could watch a game exclusive episode of the Pok\u00e9mon anime called \u201cMeowth\u2019s Party.\u201d\u00a0 If that sounds familiar, it\u2019s because when the GameCube first came out, they had a tech demo at shows called \u201cMeowth\u2019s Party\u201d that showed off how many 3-D Pok\u00e9mon could be together at once.\u00a0 So yeah, they built this game out of a minute-long tech demo!\u00a0 I love how weird this game gets!\u00a0 You could also collect trading cards as well as \u201cPok\u00e9mon Mini\u201d games.\u00a0 Back in the day, Nintendo released a keychain sized game machine where you could buy separate cartridges to play Pok\u00e9mon themed mini games.\u00a0 But they were REALLY hard to find!\u00a0 So hard that I couldn\u2019t even get review copies for the newspaper!\u00a0 But Pok\u00e9mon Channel let you collect and play all of them, and then some, so it was like a classic game collection as well!\u00a0 So yeah, when you hear people say Pok\u00e9mon Channel is bad, don\u2019t believe them right away.\u00a0 Try it for yourself if you can, and then make that decision.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Stadium<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being able to battle Pok\u00e9mon in 3-D was a big deal back then, and the Mario Party style mini-games were fun and later ones like Colisseum and XD had neat little single player story modes.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s really cool that Satoru Iwata himself helped program the first one.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the first time that he helped with Pok\u00e9mon games either.\u00a0 When GameFreak was struggling with programming Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Silver, Iwata stepped in and his programming prowess was so good that they were able to fit the region from the first game!\u00a0 But it\u2019s the special memory I have with Pok\u00e9mon Stadium that I like the best.\u00a0 You see, back when I wrote for the newspaper, I covered everything Pok\u00e9mon related.\u00a0 This included card game competitions at shopping malls and such!\u00a0 One time Nintendo was hosting one such event at a mall and they were giving out Mew and showcasing the upcoming Pok\u00e9mon Stadium up on a stage.\u00a0 Since I was considered a \u201cspecial press guest\u201d I got to go up on stage with my little brother Jeff and we used our Pok\u00e9mon games to play Stadium in 3-D!\u00a0 I chose Snorlax because I wanted to see what he looked like in 3-D, and Jeff chose Mewtwo because he wanted to win!\u00a0 What\u2019s funny is that the whole time we were up there, the kids in the audience were actually cheering for our Pok\u00e9mon!\u00a0 I heard stuff from the audience like, \u201cGo Snorlax, go!\u201d and \u201cOh wow, Mewtwo used Swift!\u201d\u00a0 I wanted turn around and say, \u201cGuys, it\u2019s just a game!\u201d\u00a0 The whole time we were doing this, little six year old Jeff was just grinning ear to ear!<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Ranger<\/strong><\/p>\n

These were neat little overhead viewed action puzzle games where you\u2019d befriend Pok\u00e9mon and use their skills temporarily to help others, solve problems, and bypass obstacles.\u00a0 And how did you befriend them?\u00a0 By drawing circles around them on the DS touchscreen!\u00a0 HAL made the first game, but I think Intelligent Systems did the other two.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t play them all, but I enjoyed what I did play.<\/p>\n

PokePark<\/strong><\/p>\n

There were two of these on the Wii.\u00a0 They were 3-D action games where you played as (mostly) Pikachu and did a lot of fetch quests.\u00a0 But sometimes you got to battle Pok\u00e9mon in real time with action moves, or play chase with them.\u00a0 They skewed toward the younger side, but they were still fun games for Pok\u00e9mon fans who are young at heart.<\/p>\n

Pokken Tournament<\/strong><\/p>\n

Remember how I said Namco has had experience with Pok\u00e9mon games?\u00a0 Well this was the other game they made.\u00a0 It\u2019s a 3-D fighting game featuring Pok\u00e9mon, and Namco is known for their 3-D fighters like Tekken (which is why this is called Pokken).\u00a0 I really liked this fighting game.\u00a0 Not enough to get the deluxe Switch port, but I enjoyed it a lot on the Wii U.\u00a0 It was one of the last great games for that console.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Conquest<\/strong><\/p>\n

When people make lists of weird crossover games, this one usually makes the list.\u00a0 It\u2019s a crossover of Pok\u00e9mon and a NES era strategy series called Nobunaga\u2019s Ambition!\u00a0 It\u2019s just so weird seeing historical Japanese warlords being paired up with cute Pok\u00e9mon!\u00a0 Gameplay is a lot like Final Fantasy Tactics, and it\u2019s good for SRPG beginners.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Art Academy<\/strong><\/p>\n

I loved the Art Academy games.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the same as drawing or painting on an actual piece of paper, but you still learn a lot of artist techniques.\u00a0 This one focuses more on cartooning skills.<\/p>\n

Detective Pikachu<\/strong><\/p>\n

This point and click adventure game was so charming!\u00a0 They even made a movie about it!\u00a0 And it was actually pretty good, too!\u00a0 The game and movie have pretty much the same plot, it\u2019s just the characters are slightly different and the game has more areas that wouldn\u2019t translate as well to an action packed film.\u00a0 Like a Pok\u00e9mon science lab, for instance.\u00a0 Anyway, best way to describe the game is that it\u2019s Phoenix Wright for kids.\u00a0 I wish they\u2019d make another one!<\/p>\n

And those are all the Pok\u00e9mon spinoff games that I can think of that I really liked.\u00a0 In the comments section, let me know what YOUR favorite Pok\u00e9mon spinoff games are.\u00a0 And tell me your favorite Pok\u00e9mon as well.\u00a0 Mine are Snorlax, Wobuffet, Delibird, and Meowth.\u00a0 Later!\u00a0 –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m really excited about the upcoming release of New Pok\u00e9mon Snap.\u00a0 The original was a special game to me, and I\u2019ll explain why in this blog.\u00a0 The mainline Pok\u00e9mon games are great, but I haven\u2019t played any of the more recent ones because I feel they are all pretty much the same game.\u00a0 Now, that\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":21185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movie-reviews","category-television"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21193"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21195,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21193\/revisions\/21195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}