The save files
that raised us.

Ranked by nostalgia, highest first. Original North American release years shown. Originals and remakes get separate entries; filtered views keep their overall ranks.

4. 04

   The reunion tour

   Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver

   Nintendo DS · 2010 US · Johto + Kanto · 16 badges

   Screen / 04● ●

   

   Your childhood got a beautiful second printing. A Pokémon walking behind you is still one of the series’ simplest, best ideas. Add the Pokéwalker and sixteen badges, and this is the remake that feels like someone kept every good part of the memory.

   The core memory

   The summit of Mt. Silver.

   Walking through the snow to face Red. Very little talking. An awful lot of history. The battle does not need to explain why it matters.

   Gym flashback Morty in Ecruteak: ghost stories, gorgeous atmosphere, and a very real badge to earn.

   Pick your first partner.

   • Chikorita
   • Cyndaquil
   • Totodile

   Choose Chikorita, Cyndaquil or Totodile; your lead Pokémon can follow you.

   Pal’s pick: Totodile. Bring a tiny, enthusiastic menace on the reunion tour.

   The legendary headliners.

   • Ho-Oh
   • Lugia
   • Raikou
   • Entei
   • Suicune

   Ho-Oh and Lugia both appear; the version changes when and how their stories unfold.

   Game notes & screenshot credit

   Gameplay image: Nintendo’s official archive ↗ (a gameplay panel is framed from the original promotional image). HeartGold / SoulSilver · Japanese promotional gameplay detail. The screenshot illustrates the game; the memorable moment is described separately.

   Game references: Game overview ↗ · Additional official archive ↗. Copyright Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. / The Pokémon Company. Editorial commentary and rank: Pallet.Club.

5. 05

   The DS at its moodiest

   Pokémon Platinum

   Nintendo DS · 2009 US · Sinnoh · 8 badges

   Screen / 05● ●

   

   Snowy routes, heavy mythology and a Champion who could make an otherwise confident trainer go very quiet. Platinum turns the DS into a pocket-sized mystery novel. It earns its spot on atmosphere alone; the Distortion World seals it.

   The core memory

   Gravity leaves the conversation.

   Stepping into the Distortion World with Cynthia. Floors stop behaving like floors, the map turns strange, and Giratina suddenly feels like something you should approach carefully.

   Gym flashback Candice in Snowpoint. By then, Sinnoh has made you earn the walk north.

   Pick your first partner.

   • Turtwig
   • Chimchar
   • Piplup

   Choose Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup.

   Pal’s pick: Turtwig. The little tree was always a long-term investment in good vibes.

   The legendary headliners.

   • Giratina
   • Dialga
   • Palkia

   Giratina takes center stage; Dialga and Palkia can also be encountered later.

   Game notes & screenshot credit

   Gameplay image: Nintendo’s official archive ↗ (a gameplay panel is framed from the original promotional image). Platinum · Japanese promotional gameplay detail. The screenshot illustrates the game; the memorable moment is described separately.

   Game references: Game overview ↗ · Additional official archive ↗. Copyright Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. / The Pokémon Company. Editorial commentary and rank: Pallet.Club.

8. 08

   The Wi-Fi sleepover era

   Pokémon Diamond & Pearl

   Nintendo DS · 2007 US · Sinnoh · 8 badges

   Screen / 08● ●

   

   Two screens. The Underground. A world that felt a little larger and a lot more connected. Yes, the pacing asks for patience. Nostalgia is allowed to remember the snowy routes, secret bases and first Sinnoh team more loudly than the loading bars.

   The core memory

   Spear Pillar feels very far from home.

   Reaching the top of Mt. Coronet to confront Team Galactic and your version’s Legendary Pokémon. The kid who started near Lake Verity has come a long way.

   Gym flashback Volkner in Sunyshore: the last badge before the long run at the League.

   Pick your first partner.

   • Turtwig
   • Chimchar
   • Piplup

   Choose Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup.

   Pal’s pick: Piplup. Small penguin, immense confidence.

   The legendary headliners.

   • Dialga · Diamond
   • Palkia · Pearl
   • Uxie
   • Mesprit
   • Azelf

   The cover legend is version-specific; the lake trio appears in both.

   Game notes & screenshot credit

   Gameplay image: Nintendo’s official archive ↗. Diamond / Pearl · Japanese promotional gameplay. The screenshot illustrates the game; the memorable moment is described separately.

   Game references: Game overview ↗ · Additional official archive ↗. Copyright Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. / The Pokémon Company. Editorial commentary and rank: Pallet.Club.

9. 09

   The growing-up chapter

   Pokémon Black & White

   Nintendo DS · 2011 US · Unova · 8 badges

   Screen / 09● ●

   

   The series grew a little older right as its original audience did. Animated sprites, busy city streets and N’s big questions give Unova a different emotional register. It ranks lower for early-childhood nostalgia, not for ambition. The soundtrack has a very persuasive appeal.

   The core memory

   N’s Castle changes the ending.

   A castle rises around the Pokémon League. The familiar road to Champion suddenly becomes a confrontation about what your whole adventure has meant.

   Gym flashback Elesa in Nimbasa. The roller-coaster Gym has style, and the battle knows it.

   Pick your first partner.

   • Snivy
   • Tepig
   • Oshawott

   Choose Snivy, Tepig or Oshawott.

   Pal’s pick: Oshawott. A tiny otter with the confidence to face a philosophical crisis.

   The legendary headliners.

   • Reshiram · Black
   • Zekrom · White
   • Kyurem · both

   The white dragon is in Black; the black dragon is in White. The names really do cross over.

   Game notes & screenshot credit

   Gameplay image: Nintendo’s official archive ↗. Black / White · Japanese promotional gameplay. The screenshot illustrates the game; the memorable moment is described separately.

   Game references: Game overview ↗ · Additional official archive ↗. Copyright Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. / The Pokémon Company. Editorial commentary and rank: Pallet.Club.

10. 10

    The final DS mixtape

    Pokémon Black 2 & White 2

    Nintendo DS · 2012 US · Unova · two years later · 8 badges

    Screen / 10● ●

    

    A proper sequel, not just the same trip with a new coat of paint. Returning to a changed Unova feels especially good when the first save file still means something to you. For late-’90s kids, this one may deserve a much higher number. We will hear your case.

    The core memory

    The World Tournament is a reunion.

    Meeting Gym Leaders and Champions from earlier regions in the Pokémon World Tournament. The old favorites are back—and they have not come to hand you a participation badge.

    Gym flashback Roxie in Virbank: a poison-type badge with its own band rehearsal.

    Pick your first partner.

    • Snivy
    • Tepig
    • Oshawott

    Snivy, Tepig or Oshawott return as your starter choices.

    Pal’s pick: Snivy. Immaculate sequel energy.

    The legendary headliners.

    • Black Kyurem · Black 2
    • White Kyurem · White 2

    These are Kyurem forms, not two separate species. Version-specific fusion is part of the story.

    Game notes & screenshot credit

    Gameplay image: Nintendo’s official archive ↗. Black 2 / White 2 · Japanese promotional gameplay. The screenshot illustrates the game; the memorable moment is described separately.

    Game references: Game overview ↗ · Additional official archive ↗. Copyright Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. / The Pokémon Company. Editorial commentary and rank: Pallet.Club.