<em>Pokémon</em> is one of the most successful franchises of all time. Spawning a massive empire that includes movies, television, trading cards, mobile games, manga, and mountains of merchandise, the series easily dominated most aspects of pop culture. However, it’s arguably strongest in the video game department, where it has been releasing highly successful, borderline addictive games for the last twenty years.

A large reason behind the games’ success is how replayable they are. You can always revisit them as a type specialist or maybe do a speedrun or, if you’re really brave and slightly masochistic, do a Nuzlocke. Countless YouTubers have made entire careers out of replaying Pokémon games with various twists and challenges. But which are the most replayable games in Pokémon? This list will feature the ten entries into the franchise that are the easiest to revisit, whether because of their accessible mechanics, engaging plots, game design, and variety of Pokémon available. Only mainline games will count, so don’t expect to see Mystery Dungeon here.

‘Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen’ (2004)

Generation I of Pokémon will always hold a special place in fans’ hearts. It’s the one that started it all, and it’s also absurdly favored by The Pokémon Company: it has the most remakes, its Pokémon have the most appearances in future gens, and the original 151 are the ones with the largest pop culture footprint. That said, playing the original Red and Blue versions is a quaint experience, to put it kindly. The graphics show their age, and the rather simplified plot feels overly familiar and even anticlimactic.

Luckily, as previously mentioned, Gen I has multiple remakes, and the best are undoubtedly the first, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Although they’re still twenty-year-old games, the graphics are quite solid, and this enhanced version of Kanto can surely satisfy anyone, from hardcore fans to casuals. The games also introduce the Sevii Islands, a post-game location that basically offers another storyline and Gen II Pokémon. If you want to revisit Kanto, then FireRed and LeafGreen are the way to go. Yes, they were initially made for the now obsolete Game Boy Advance, but Game Freak recently released them digitally for the Nintendo Switch, proving their status as timeless gems in the franchise.

‘Pokémon Emerald’ (2004)

The Pokémon series has always had a dynamic where it releases two games to introduce a new generation, followed by a third, “enhanced” version that improves the story and technical aspects while introducing a new box-art Legendary Pokémon. For Generation III, <em>Pokémon Emerald</em> was the enhanced version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and it’s now widely considered the best and most complete Hoenn experience.

Players control Brendan or May, a young trainer who embarks on a journey across the Hoenn region to become the champion by challenging all eight gyms, the Elite Four, and the Champion. Along the way, they must fight Teams Magma and Plasma, who seek to expand the land and the sea with the help of the Legendary Pokémon Groudon or Kyogre, respectively. A large portion of the early fandom considers Emerald among the best Pokémon games, and for good reason. The Battle Frontier alone makes it the superior Gen III title, but it also improves several aspects of the playthrough, like allowing you to rematch Trainers for extra XP and money. Facing both Team Aqua and Magma is also a far more logical choice that leads to Rayquaza having a bigger role.

‘Pokémon Platinum’ (2008)