I know you are wondering what the mafia-themed Yakuza series has at all in common with our perfect, perky Pokémon, but the answer is: more than you would think. It has one, and it’s not half bad either. The major positive that Digimon has over Pokémon is the story. Digimon also don’t only evolve, but they must devolve too in order to reach their best forms. Battling all sees three mons sent out at a time. While the two series are commonly compared, they have very little in common besides the monsters. You can’t mention Pokémon games without its sister series Digimon, and Digimon: Cyber Sleuth Hacker’s Memory is not just a great Pokémon-like, but it is also a great JRPG.
Based on the tale of the Futakuchi-onna, or two-mouthed woman, where in some versions the second mouth is formed by the spirit of a child the woman starved to death. If that seems dark for a Pokémon-like, then consider Mawile. Nekomata live deep in the mountains and bring fire and misfortune to all who cross its path. The series mascot, Jibanyan, is based on the tale of the nekomata, or split-tailed cat. The series is based on Japan’s infamous ghost stories, with the demons known as yokai. The Yo-Kai Watch games are prolific in Japan with 19 games coming out within seven years.
Whether you are into the collecting, the battles, or the ruthless shiny hunting, the games below should have you covered. You see, Pokémon isn’t all about its admittedly adorable collection of cute critters, but also for its strategy-based, team-building gameplay. The games included below are not only chosen for how close they resemble Nintendo’s ball bound beasties, but also how good they are as a game. Yet there are still the fans who devour every single thing the franchise puts out and are hungry for more. The Pokémon franchise is one of the most popular on Earth, selling millions of copies of both its mainline RPG series titles and its plethora of spin-offs every single year.