The website HowLongToBeat.com is a convenient resource that allows people to check how long a certain game takes to finish. It also provides an interesting look at the history of Pokémon games and how they compare lengthwise.
The mainline games have only recently made the switch to a home console of sorts, with the Let's Go games, Sword and Shield, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus releasing on the Switch. Traditional Pokémon games are typically lengthy affairs, making them a great fit for handhelds. Many a long car ride has surely been spent catching and training Pokémon.
Updated on April 20, 2023, by Tom Steel: Since 1996, with the releases of Pokémon Green, Red, and Blue, fans have enjoyed exploring new regions and catching new Pokémon in additional parts of the world. These adventures take time, and that time can vary depending on how long a trainer wants to power up their team and how much of the world they want to explore. Scarlet and Violet, released in November 2022, are among the biggest Pokémon games of all time, but how do they compare to the others in terms of overall length? We've updated this list to see where they rank in the series.
10 Emerald
Main: 30.5 Hours, Main + Sides: 65.5 Hours, Completionist: 205 Hours
The final Pokémon game to be released on the Game Boy Advance, Emerald takes 30.5 hours to finish. Despite being on the shorter side for completing the main game, the title is loaded with endgame content. It takes 65.5 hours to finish the main story and extras and 205 hours to complete everything in the game.
Releasing later in the GBA's lifespan meant Emerald featured great graphics for the system. As an intriguing subplot, it also included a huge selection of Pokémon and several optional areas to explore.
9 Scarlet & Violet
Main: 31.5 Hours, Main + Sides: 46 Hours, Completionist: 77.5 Hours
The most recent Pokémon games, Scarlet and Violet, have ushered in the ninth generation of this storied franchise, as the total number of species has finally surpassed 1,000. Modern Pokémon games are much more accessible than they once were, meaning that completionist times are much shorter than Pokémon fans may be used to.
However, Scarlet and Violet have delivered one of the best stories of the entire Pokémon series, which clocks in at a more familiar 31.5 hours. Scarlet and Violet also have replayability to them, with the competitive scene still thriving and Tera Raids encouraging players to keep coming back for more.
8 X & Y
Main: 31.5 Hours, Main + Sides: 71 Hours, Completionist: 203 Hours
Overcoming the Elite Four and the Pokémon League Champion in X and Y takes an average of 31.5 hours. The first outing for Pokémon on the 3DS was well-received, earning positive reviews from fans and critics alike. With the upgrade in hardware came the ability to bring new features to the franchise, the main one being that the games were in full 3D.
X and Y also became the first game in the Pokémon series where players could customize their Trainer's appearance. It took 71 hours to complete the main game and the side quests, with 206 hours needed to accomplish everything in the game.
7 Black & White
Main: 32 Hours, Main + Sides: 62.5 Hours, Completionist: 163 Hours
It takes the average player 32 hours to become the Pokémon Champion in Black and White. The story takes place in the Unova region, which is modeled after New York City. These games boasted several new features, including improved graphics, fully animated sprites during battle, and the introduction of a seasonal cycle.
Black and White's story felt edgier than previous games. Team Plasma wanted to liberate Pokémon from their Trainers, making players consider the morality of pitting Pokémon against each other. 62.5 hours were required to conquer the Pokémon League and finish all the side quests, while those who enjoyed completing the Pokédex needed 162 hours.
6 Sun & Moon
Main: 33 Hours, Main + Sides: 58.5 Hours, Completionist: 139 Hours
At 33.5 hours, Sun and Moon take half an hour less to complete than the enhanced versions. Strangely, however, it takes 1.5 hours longer to finish the main game plus extras in the originals compared to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, which require 58.5 hours.
Despite being a good entry in the Pokémon series, some criticize Sun and Moon for lack of content besides the main story. Despite the addition of new features such as new Ultra Beasts, the Ultra Warp Ride, Alolan forms, and Z-moves, it takes only 140 hours to do everything in the game.
5 Black 2 & White 2
Main: 34.5 Hours, Main + Sides: 64.5 Hours, Completionist: 190 Hours
The main story of the final Nintendo DS outing for Pokémon, Black 2 and White 2, takes 34.5 hours to beat. New content for the sequel includes a side game, PokéStar Studios, and the Pokémon World Tournament, where players battle trainers from previous games.
After beating Black 2 and White 2, the player can unlock new areas and chambers for catching new Pokémon, such as the Regi trio. In all, there are 300 unique creatures to catch from the beginning of the game. For those who like to complete the extras, it takes 65.5 hours. For completionists, players need 190 hours to finish the game.
4 Platinum
Main: 35 Hours, Main + Sides: 70 Hours, Completionist: 235 Hours
Pokémon Platinum came out two years after Pearl and Diamond's release. It takes 35 hours to complete the main game and double that to conquer the main game, side quests, and other extras. It takes a whopping 237 to complete the game, boasting the fourth-longest total completion time of all the Pokémon games.
Enhancements over Pearl and Diamond include Giratina getting a new form and a new area, Distortion World. Legendaries such as Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno were added to the game as well.
3 Ruby & Sapphire
Main: 35 Hours, Main + Sides: 75 Hours, Completionist: 202 Hours
Ruby and Sapphire came out in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance and introduced the third generation of Pokémon. The games became notable for introducing double battles, a revolutionary feature at the time.
While it took the same amount of time to finish Ruby and Sapphire as it did Platinum, it took slightly longer to complete the extra stuff in the game at 76.5 hours compared to Platinum's 70.5. For completionists, Ruby and Sapphire sit at 202 hours. The enhanced remakes for the 3DS clock in at just under 10 hours shorter, at 25.5 hours. Combined, the games sell more than any other GBA game.
2 HeartGold & SoulSilver
Main: 37.5 Hours, Main + Sides: 72.5 Hours, Completionist: 217 Hours
The remakes of the Heart and Gold games take an extra 7.5 hours to complete, at 37.5 hours. Released 10 years after the originals, the games introduce the feature of having the first Pokémon in the player's party follow them in the overworld.
HeartGold and SoulSilver also took advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware by using the touchscreen as the basis of a new minigame, Pokéathlon. Finishing the main game and its extras required 73.5 hours, while completionists needed to spend 219 hours finding and catching all the Pokémon.
1 Diamond & Pearl
Main: 40.5 Hours, Main + Sides: 91 Hours, Completionist: 258 Hours
The longest Pokémon game to date is the 2006 release, Diamond and Pearl, for the Nintendo DS. It clocks in at 40.5 hours, with 93 hours required to beat the main game plus extras, and 260 hours to complete. The Switch remakes are shorter, coming in at 26.5 hours.
Diamond and Pearl profoundly changed the mechanics of Pokémon by introducing the physical/special split. Themed around space and other dimensions, the story took place in Sinnoh and depicted the protagonist taking on Team Galactic. With over 17 million sales, Diamond and Pearl established itself among the most successful Pokémon games.