Top 5 Pokemon games to speedrun

Speedrunning is a form of esports unlike any other and attributes itself to Pokemon quite well.

The main series Pokemon games can have hundreds of hours poured into them by players. Speedrunning defeats that purpose and flips it on its head.

A speedrunner will take the game and beat it as quickly as possible. For Pokemon, that means buckling down for a couple of hours to zoom through some classics.

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Top 5 Pokemon games to speedrun

#5 - Pokemon Stadium

Image via Nintendo

Before the 3D graphics of Pokemon games, the only way to get those types of battles were in the Pokemon Stadium games. The original has an amazing story mode full of beautiful battling and nostalgia. Several speedrun records have been completed for the entire game, complete Round 1, and the Gym Leader Castle rounds.

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#4 - Pokemon Trading Card Game

Image via Nintendo

The Pokemon Trading Card Game for the Game Boy Color is one of the most underrated Pokemon games available. Years later, this game is one of the most popular Pokemon speedrunning games. A variety of categories are available to attempt. It is incredible to put the TCG to the test in the old, sometimes unheard of, game.

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#3 - Pokemon Snap

Image via Nintendo

A New Pokemon Snap is on the way to the Nintendo Switch, but that will never take away the feeling of the first game. It was a huge success and dominated the "on rails" genre for that generation of consoles. The top records for Pokemon Snap are super competitive, being calculated down to the millisecond. Taking pictures of these beloved creatures at rapid speeds is just fun.

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#2 - Pokemon Yellow

Image via Game Freak

Pokemon Yellow is the first Pokemon game a lot of players got their hands on. Many feel this game started the wonderful trend of third versions, such as Crystal, Emerald, and Platinum. With the extra content added, only a handful of minutes actually separate it from the speedrunning record of Pokemon Red and Blue.

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#1 - Pokemon Red and Blue

Image via Game Freak

The older games are the best to speedrun, hands down. The later games provide mobility such as bikes, surfing, or regional taxis far too early in often. In the original games, players had to wait to get shoes to run, wait to get a bicycle, and battle it out with just about every trainer. These versions have the most speedrun attempts out of any Pokemon game and for a good reason.