Pokemon is one of the most well-known franchises in history, with trading cards, anime, manga, and basically every form of media you can think of to a massive success. However, as one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises, its roots can be found in the world of video games. There have been numerous spin-off titles, such as the critically acclaimed Pokemon Stadium, but the core games stay true to themselves and their origins, with each following a pretty standard path.
Somehow, though, the games never get old, and maybe that’s because so many new features are added with each new title. Have you ever wondered exactly? How much is added between titles? We can help clear that up for you – at least in terms of file sizes.
11 Red, Blue and Yellow (10 MB)
Red, Green and Special Edition Blue were launched in Japan in 1996. In 1998 they came to North America and Australia and merged into Red and Blue. Later, an improved version called Pokemon Yellow was launched. This version gave you a Pikachu instead of a choice of the traditional appetizers.
These impressively small games were all about 10MB each.
10 Gold, silver and crystal (11 MB)
Created for the GameBoy Color, Gold and Silver were the first games to feature the second-generation Pokemon, introducing about 100 new species. To this day, they are considered the best games in the franchise, if not two of the best RPG games of all time. Crystal was launched about a year later as an improved edition of Gold and Silver. It introduced a brand new feature that quickly became a standard: the ability to turn your character into a girl.
These games are quite small at 11 MB each, only 1 MB larger than their predecessors. For their tenth anniversary, the HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes were released on the Nintendo DS. They come with a significantly larger file size – 128 MB each.
9 Ruby, sapphire and emerald (16 MB)
Ruby and Sapphire were launched in November 2002, followed two years later by Emerald. They introduced the Hoenn region, which was inspired by one of the real Japanese islands, Kyushu. Together, Ruby and Sapphire are the best-selling title for the Game Boy Advance, while Emerald takes third place. It fell just short of the success of FireRed and LeafGreen, the very first remakes in the series.
On November 21, 2014, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were launched for the Nintendo 3DS. These titles include several new features such as unlimited TMs and Mega Evolutions, which are still widely used in the series. The 2014 remakes are 1.8 GB, much larger than the original 16 MB games.
8 Diamond and Pearl (64 MB) / Platinum (128 MB)
Diamond and Pearl introduced a plethora of new features to the Pokemon video game series, such as an expanded day-night cycle. Platinum was launched in 2008 as a stronger version of the two.
In 2021, two 6.9GB remakes – Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl – launched for the Nintendo Switch, bringing back some fan-favorite Pokemon that hadn’t been seen in the game for years.
7 Black & White (256MB)
Black and White is set in the first non-Japan core region! The Unova region takes inspiration from New York City and New York State as a whole, encompassing rural, urban and industrial areas to create a diverse backdrop.
Instead of a third version, Black 2 and White 2 came two years after their launch. The game’s timeline in the universe also progressed for two years, which made for some interesting changes in the sequels. The rival characters from Black and White have come of age – Bianca is now an Assistant Pokemon Professor in Nuvema Town and Cheren is the Normal-type Gym Leader in Aspertia City.
These developments pack in an additional 256MB for Black 2 and White 2, making them weigh 512MB – about twice the size of Black and White!
6 X and Y (256MB)
In October 2013, X and Y were launched worldwide. Fairy-type Pokemon were introduced as a hard counterpart to Dragon-types, and was something that eventually allowed species like Jigglypuff and Clefairy to escape as Normal-types. Pure Fairy-type Pokemon are unusual – even Jigglypuff is a dual-type Fairy and Normal!
Anyway, both games had a similar file size to predecessors Black And White, a rather hefty 256MB.
5 Sun and Moon (3.2 GB)
The Sun and Moon announcement came on the 20th anniversary of Red and Green, which launched in November 2016. These 3.2 GB titles were the first in the series to exceed 1 GB file size. About a year later, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were launched for the Nintendo 3DS, with just 0.2 GB for a total of 3.4 GB each.
In these games, regional variations of Pokemon were first introduced. Due to the tropical climate of the Alola region, some species have adapted to take on new shapes, abilities, and types. Each subsequent region has had its own regional variants – even the prehistoric Hisui region of Arceus: Legends.
4 Let’s go, Pikachu! And let’s go, Eevee! (4.1GB)
About a whole gigabyte larger than their predecessors, each Pokemon: Let’s Go title clocks in at 4.1GB. These games are remakes of Pokemon Yellow and were launched for the Nintendo Switch about twenty years later. Depending on the version you have, Eevee or Pikachu will be your starter, riding on your shoulder.
Both games can be connected to Pokemon Go, allowing you to transfer any Pokemon from the first generation to the game. You’ll be able to find them in GO Park, and have a chance to catch them – although their catch rates are lower than their level and CP, meaning it can be tricky.
3 Sword and Shield (12.4 GB)
Prior to their 2019 launch, Sword and Shield would have the largest file sizes of any Pokemon game to date. At a whopping 12.4GB, that rating wasn’t wrong – and that’s without even adding the DLC, which featured plenty of Pokemon of its own. Numerous new features have been added, most notably the Dynamax and Gigantamax system and the introduction of The Wild Area – a completely open world for other players to join in.
You can even take the Pokemon in your party on a camping trip and prepare some special meals for all of you to share, with different boosts from each. Perhaps cataloging all those ingredients is what made things so big.
2 Legends: Arceus (6GB)
At 6GB, Legends: Arceus is about half the size of its predecessor, but that doesn’t mean it only has half the content. It is a prequel set in the region of Hisui, which will later become the region of Sinnoh. Your main goal is to create the very first Pokedex, with the information you can collect through Survey Outings.
This is the first game that allows you to catch Pokemon without fighting them. You can sneak up on and catch them after a period of observation. Combat in this game is also completely different from previous titles, so it’s important to make sure you’re prepared to get started.
1 scarlet and violet (10GB)
Scarlet and Violet are the first games in the Pokemon series to offer a completely open world, seemingly inspired by the much-loved Wild Area from Sword and Shield. There will of course still be plenty of stories to experience, but you’ll be able to take Pokemon training in complete freedom – so your adventure is all yours.
New multiplayer gameplay that lets you invite up to four other people to join you along the way. Despite this, the official Nintendo website says that Scarlet and Violet will only have 10 GB each.
0 Comments