Every Pokemon Game Playable On The Nintendo Wii, Ranked

Highlights

• Here are some additional Pokémon games fans can enjoy on their Nintendo Wii, even though they weren’t originally released for the motion control-focused console:
• My Pokémon Ranch: A WiiWare title that allowed players to deposit up to 1,000 different Pokémon from their Pokémon Diamond & Pearl games. Players could watch their Miis and Pokémon interact and take pictures of their beloved creatures as they roamed around the ranch.
• Pokémon Channel: A GameCube game where players flipped through channels on Professor Oak’s TV, completing the game by sitting through certain programs. It’s entertaining for Pokémon fans but may be boring or gimmicky for others.

The Nintendo Wii is one of the most popular video game consoles of all time. Nintendo’s console had many features that have now become cherished among those who still own or are looking to own one of these elusive consoles, such as motion controls, the Mii Maker, and compatibility with games once exclusively for the GameCube.

Despite the popularity of the Nintendo Wii, there was never a mainline Pokemon game released for the console. Various Pokemon games were released for the Wii, but none ever took off the way that any of the mainline games did. That said, over the years the Pokemon Wii games have garnered a cult following, with many players who played these games as kids retaining a strong nostalgia for them.

Updated by Blaise Santi on July 4, 2024: There wasn’t a mainline Pokemon game released for a Nintendo home console until Pokemon Sword & Shield for the Nintendo Switch, so sadly, the library of Pokemon games for the Wii was sparse. However, the Nintendo Wii had a function that’s largely obsolete in modern gaming consoles: backward compatibility. Owners of the Wii were able to not only play their GameCube games on Nintendo Wii, but there were even ports to utilize their favorite GameCube controllers as well. With that in mind, here are some additional Pokemon games fans can bust out their Nintendo Wii for, even though they weren’t originally released for the motion control-focused console.

11 My Pokemon Ranch

At Least There’s More To It Than Pokemon HOME

My Pokemon Ranch was a WiiWare title that, much like Pokemon Box, was essentially a glorified Pokemon storage system, giving players the ability to deposit up to 1,000 different Pokemon from their Pokemon Diamond & Pearl games. Once there, players could watch their Miis and Pokemon interact and take pictures of their beloved creatures as they roam around the ranch.

Given the description, there isn’t much there for players to actually do. Many critics argued that the purpose of this virtual title didn’t contain enough extra content to be worth any money at all, as well as My Pokemon Ranch being virtually useless for players that didn’t own a Nintendo DS or Pokemon Diamond & Pearl.

10 Pokemon Channel

You Can Put The Controller Down For This Game

Speaking of games where there isn’t much to actually do, Pokemon Channel is at least nostalgic for older fans of the franchise. The GameCube game revolves around players flipping through channels on Professor Oak’s TV, only completing the game by sitting through certain programs, such as the anime series Pichu Bros. or the shopping channel Shop n’ Squirtle.

While the game is certainly entertaining for those who like Pokemon, it can be somewhat boring or gimmicky for the less acquainted. That being said, there are a lot of collectibles for players to accumulate over the course of the incredibly sparse game, so perhaps it’s just an idea that would be better executed on a mobile app and not a full-priced console game.

9 Pokemon Battle Revolution

Pokemon Battles Have Never Looked This Stylish

Pokemon Battle Revolution is similar in concept to Pokemon Stadium, involving players battling their way through various cups and tournaments, recruiting new trainers with their own Pokemon teams. Similar to Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Battle Revolution included a feature that allowed players to use the Pokemon they’d caught in Diamond & Pearl.

Although the game’s graphics, lighting, and battle animations are stellar, given the console and technology at the time, both critics and fans alike found a mutual dislike for the game’s lack of plot and difficulty. Unlike previous battle-centric games, Pokemon Battle Revolution is basically just an over-glorified battle simulator.

8 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad

Even Mystery Dungeon Made Its Way To Consoles

There’s a trio of Mystery Dungeon games released for WiiWare in 2009. However, they were released exclusively in Japan, so many players all over the world might not be familiar with them. Unlike other Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, this trio is not heavy on plot but rather focuses on 15 dungeons that the player has to complete.

In Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad (also called Wildfire Adventure Squad), the focus is on Fire-type Pokemon, and the player’s home is Pokemon Village. The player can choose two Pokemon to be part of their squad to enter a dungeon; in the Blazing version of the game, these include fire-types like Charmander, Chimchar, and Cyndaquil.

7 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Let’s Go! Stormy Adventure Squad!

This One’s For The Water-Type Fans

The Water-type version of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon trio for Nintendo Wii is called Let’s Go! Stormy (or Tempest) Adventure Squad. Unsurprisingly, the player’s home is Pokemon Beach, where they can choose from Water-type Pokemon from various generations, like Squirtle, Piplup, Mudkip, and Wooper, to take with them into the dungeons.

Interestingly, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon for Wii are the only Mystery Dungeon games in the franchise where the player remains a human and does not turn into a Pokemon in the beginning of the game. Although never leaving Japan, this trio of Pokemon games are listed as some of the best Pokemon games ever released for Wii.

6 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Light Adventure Squad

Sorry, Grass Users, But Electric Gets The Special Treatment

The final game in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon trio for Nintendo Wii features predominantly Electric-type Pokemon, such as Pikachu, Pichu, Shinx and Mareep. The player returns to their home in Pokemon Garden in this version of the game, which is set in a forest.

In total, the player battles in 15 unique mystery dungeons per Mystery Dungeon game. Unique to other Pokemon games on the Nintendo Wii, the Mystery Dungeon games allows four save slots, so more than one player can play on one copy of the game. With its various unique features, this trio of games is a great entry for the Wii console, albeit only for those playing in Japan.

5 Pokemon Rumble

Pokemon Goes Beyblade

Pokemon Rumble was a WiiWare title that had such a positive fan response that it became the first in a long-running series. The concept and plot are unique, turning fearsome and tough Pokemon into wind-up toys that battle others. Along the way, players can befriend certain Pokemon to add to their arsenal of wind-up toys to help them beat each level of the game.

The gameplay is engaging – albeit repetitive after a while – but most critics knocked the fact that the game didn’t have enough depth to have been worth 1,500 Wii Points on the WiiWare. That said, many critics viewed this through the lens of an adult player finding the mechanics of the game repetitive and shallow, neglecting the fun that a younger player could get out of Pokemon Rumble.

4 PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure

Pikachu Takes Center Stage In This 3D Adventure

PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure is a cute, immersive tale that follows the beloved yellow, electric mouse after he loses his friends when entering PokePark. He’s visited in a vision by Mew, who tells him to collect all the prism pieces around the PokePark in order to restore peace. So, Pikachu goes on a quest to reunite himself with his lost friends and together save the PokePark.

Many critics found it boring that the game only allows players to play as Pikachu. Despite that, the graphics are stunning, and the plot is strong, so for those looking for a relaxing experience getting to control Pikachu and solve problems, play mini-games, and battle throughout the PokePark, this game is a perfect use of time.

3 PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond

Gen 5 Starters Join Pikachu’s Squad

PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond was the sequel to the original 2010 spin-off,PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure. Much like the first game, PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond has an incredibly strong story that follows Pikachu as he befriends other creatures throughout the park, helping to defeat the evil force that threatens the peace and tranquility of the PokePark.

All that said, many critics found the gameplay repetitive for older players. Most of the game is spent playing various mini-games with other Pokemon, such as chase, hide ‘n seek, and battling. While some of these challenges can be difficult for younger players, some older players may find it easy to befriend these Pokemon and breeze through the story.

2 Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness

This Sequel To A Beloved Game Is More Of A Challenge

One of the most memorable Pokemon spin-offs on the GameCube was Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, which was perhaps the closest thing to a proper Pokemon game on a console until Sword & Shield. Like its predecessor, Pokemon Colosseum, the game revolves around players capturing Shadow Pokemon to purify them, battling the evil Team Cipher along the way.

There’s a lot to love about Gale of Darkness, from its rather complex and dark storyline to gameplay modes like Mt. Battle, in which players can battle their way through 100 trainer matches of increasing difficulty. However, a lot of critics felt the game re-used too many assets from Pokemon Colosseum, which they felt was the superior game.

1 Pokemon Colosseum

The Shadowy Side Of The Pokemon Franchise

Speaking of, there are few Pokemon spin-off games as beloved as Pokemon Colosseum. The GameCube title was originally released in 2003, where players control a former member of the evil Team Snagem, rescuing Shadow Pokemon from the cruel ownership of Team Cipher. Like a more traditional RPG, the game revolves around completing quests while catching ’em all.

As far as critic reviews go, Pokemon Colosseum garnered a lot of praise for its plot, gameplay, and darker tone compared to the rest of the franchise. While some felt the game could’ve used more attention to detail, such as not re-using battle cries from the original games, others find it a diamond in the rough in the world of primitive Pokemon spin-off titles.