5 MMOs for Pokémon Enthusiasts

The essence of a massive multiplayer experience might as well be described by the Pokémon series. They offer a sprawling world to traverse and adventures to embark on. Players improve their skills and acquire knowledge as their journey progresses. Interactions with friendly NPCs and combatting villainous ones is part of the experience. With other Pokémon trainers dispersed around the world, the setting readily exudes an MMO-like feel where everyone could potentially be a Pokémon trainer rather than a select chosen one.

These characteristics make the idea of a Pokémon MMO deeply appealing to players. Despite not being Pokémon-related, the handful of games that developers have produced, utilizing a similar formula, have managed to garner a substantial amount of popularity. Some die-hard Pokémon fans have even taken things into their own hands, creating their own Pokémon-themed MMO games.

With that in mind, we have compiled a list of MMOs that cater to enthusiasts of Pokémon-styled gameplay. It is a fairly small list, with some of the games being fan-made creations. Thus, we cannot guarantee that they won’t evoke the wrath of Nintendo at some point, although, they have managed to steer clear so far.

Palworld

This inclusion is somewhat mandatory. Palworld is a favored choice that gives players the opportunity to capture creatures and engage them in battles. The game offers a lot more than just that, but currently the developers are wrestling with an infuriated Nintendo over it, which makes the game’s future a bit uncertain.

Temtem

Temtem, developed by Crema, is one of the few Pokémon-like MMOs with an emphasis on creature collection that isn’t a fan-made Pokémon game. Players are introduced as fledgling Temtem tamers. They are then thrust upon seven islands in the Airborne Archipelago to catch, tame, and train 165 unique creatures. The game features a story campaign set in an online world, character customization, and housing. And for the competitive out there, yes, there are player vs player battles.

PokéMMO

PokéMMO is a fan-made MMO boasting a sizable community. It showcases several recognizable Pokémon regions and numerous familiar Pokémon. While it has a retro ambiance, it doesn’t hue back on MMO aspects like character customization. That being said, to function, it does require ROMs, specifically a ROM of Black or White.

Pokémon Pets

Those not keen on dealing with the ROM requirements and more interested in collection and PvP, may find Pokémon Pets a suitable browser-based alternative. It provides live PvP battles, interactions with NPC trainers, a whopping 520 maps, private messaging, and more.

Pokémon MMO 3D

Distinctive from the others on this list, Pokémon MMO 3D trades the retro, top-down visuals for a modern, third-person perspective. An interesting feature allows players to switch between their trainer’s and Pokémon’s perspective, particularly in combat. Regular updating from the developers ensures a constant inflow of content to keep players engaged.

There you have it, a quintet of MMOs that satiate your creature-catching and training desires. Granted, most are fan creations, which could introduce some uncertainty. However, considering some have endured for quite some time, it appears they are here to stay.