Every Pokémon Game on Game Boy, GBA and DS, and How to Spot a Fake Cartridge
The handheld Pokémon games are the most asked-about games we sell and the most faked games on the market, so this guide does two jobs: it lays out every main-series game from the Game Boy to the DS, and it shows you how to check a cartridge is real.
A quick compatibility map first. Game Boy and Game Boy Color games play on the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and GBA SP. GBA games play on the GBA, GBA SP, Game Boy Micro and the original DS and DS Lite. DS games play on every DS and on the 3DS and 2DS family.
Generation 1: Red, Blue and Yellow (Game Boy)
The games that started it all. Red and Blue differ only in which Pokémon appear; Yellow follows the anime more closely and has Pikachu walking behind you. All three save to memory powered by a battery in the cartridge, so read our save battery guide before you start a long playthrough.
- Pokemon Red: The original, paired with Blue. Trade between the two (with a link cable) to complete the Pokédex.
- Pokemon Blue: Red's partner version, with a slightly different set of Pokémon to catch.
- Pokemon Yellow: The Pikachu edition, with your starter following you around and nods to the TV series.
Generation 2: Gold, Silver and Crystal (Game Boy Color)
Generation 2 added a day-and-night clock, breeding and a second region to visit after the first. Crystal adds animated Pokémon sprites, the Battle Tower and the choice of a female trainer. These cartridges keep both the save and the clock on battery-powered memory: once the battery dies, the save goes with it until it is replaced.
- Pokemon Gold: Johto and then Kanto, with a real-time clock driving events.
- Pokemon Silver: Gold's partner version.
- Pokemon Crystal: The definitive Generation 2 game, with extra story around the legendary Suicune.
Generation 3: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed and LeafGreen (Game Boy Advance)
Generation 3 saves to memory that needs no battery, but Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald have a battery for their in-game clock. When it runs dry the game tells you, keeps saving normally, and simply stops running time-based events like berry growth. FireRed and LeafGreen are remakes of Red and Green and have no clock.
- Pokemon Ruby: The Hoenn region, double battles and abilities.
- Pokemon Sapphire: Ruby's partner version.
- Pokemon Emerald Version: The expanded Hoenn game with the Battle Frontier, and the one most players want.
- Pokemon FireRed: A full remake of the original Kanto adventure, with the new Sevii Islands added.
- Pokemon LeafGreen Version: FireRed's partner version.
Generation 4: Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver (DS)
On the original DS and DS Lite, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver can bring Pokémon forward from a Generation 3 cartridge in the GBA slot (Pal Park). HeartGold and SoulSilver are remakes of Gold and Silver and are many fans' favourite Pokémon games.
- Pokemon Diamond: The Sinnoh region and online trading over Nintendo's old Wi-Fi service, which has since closed.
- Pokemon Pearl: Diamond's partner version.
- Pokemon Platinum: The expanded Sinnoh game with the Distortion World and the Battle Frontier.
- Pokemon HeartGold Version: The Johto remake, with your lead Pokémon following you around.
- Pokemon SoulSilver Version: HeartGold's partner version.
Generation 5: Black, White, Black 2 and White 2 (DS)
Generation 5 starts over with an all-new set of Pokémon in the Unova region. Black 2 and White 2 are direct sequels, set two years later, rather than an expanded edition.
- Pokemon Black: Unova, with a story that takes its antagonists more seriously than earlier games.
- Pokemon White: Black's partner version.
- Pokemon Black Version 2: The sequel, with new areas and the Pokémon World Tournament.
- Pokemon White Version 2: Black 2's partner version.
The spin-offs worth owning
- Pokemon Pinball: Pinball where you catch Pokémon. The cartridge has a built-in rumble motor that runs on its own AAA battery.
- Pokemon Trading Card Game: A faithful video game version of the card game, with the original card sets.
- Pokemon Puzzle Challenge: A fast puzzle game in the Puzzle League style.
- Pokemon Pinball Ruby and Sapphire: The GBA pinball follow-up with Hoenn Pokémon.
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team: A dungeon-crawling RPG where you play as a Pokémon.
How to spot a fake Pokémon cartridge
Pokémon games are copied more than anything else on these systems, and good fakes can look right in a photo. No single sign proves a cartridge is real, but most fakes fail at least one of these checks:
The label. Real labels are sharply printed with the correct colours and a matte or lightly textured finish. Blurry text, washed-out or over-saturated artwork, glossy stickers and labels that sit crooked or peel at the edges are warning signs.
The shell. Compare the plastic's colour, the moulded logo and the shape of the edges with a known real cartridge. Fakes often have a slightly wrong colour, a soft or missing moulded logo, or a seam that does not close cleanly.
The board inside. This is the most reliable check. Real boards carry the Nintendo name and neatly packaged chips; many fakes use a cheap board with chips hidden under black blobs of resin.
The save. A fake that cannot hold a save, or a 20-year-old Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald that has never shown the dead-clock-battery message, deserves a closer look (though a replaced battery explains the second).
The price. A Pokémon game listed far below what the same cartridge usually sells for is the easiest tell of all.
Our general guide to spotting a fake retro game goes into more detail. Note that a listing on our site marked [Homebrew] is a reproduction cartridge carrying a fan translation, and it says so.
Browse every Pokémon game we have in the Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Game Boy and DS collections. Choosing hardware? Read which Game Boy should you buy.
Every game is cleaned and tested and backed by our 1-year warranty, and orders of $50 or more ship free in the US. Prices follow the market, so the listing always shows today's price.
