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12 best Pokémon clones on Android in 2024
Pokémon isn't the only monster-catching and trading card game on Android
Do you want to transform into the ultimate Pokémon master on your best Android gaming phone? Outside of emulation, the main series is nowhere to be found on Android and iOS. Essentially all the addictive gameplay elements, filling up an entire index/compendium, befriending a diverse cast of creatures, and becoming the world's best tamer/trainer, are all locked inside the Nintendo vault. But thankfully, Pokémon isn't the only IP that shares similar themes by offering deep monster-catching mechanics. So we've rounded up the very best Android games often mistaken for Pokémon clones, so you can finally get a taste of "gotta catch 'em all" without investing in Nintendo hardware.
I tested Pokémon Sleep for a week, here's how it compares to a real sleep tracker
My time spent with Pokémon Sleep was eye-opening
Pokémon Sleep arrived last week, combining the joys of collecting small furry animals with the necessity of sleep. But how does it compare to a dedicated sleep tracker?
Pokémon Sleep is finally here to fulfill your dream of watching small creatures snooze
Track your sleep while catching Pokémon; what more could you want?
The long-awaited Pokémon Sleep is out now on iOS and Android, four years after its announcement. It aims to gamify your sleep, combining the irresistible addiction of catching Pokémon with the basic human need for a good night's rest. Pokémon Sleep arrives alongside the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory (yes, that's pronounced "plus plus"), which works with Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go.
Pokémon TCG Live launches worldwide in June alongside the latest expansion
Its predecessor will shut down at the same time
Pokémon TCG Live, the latest digital adaption of the tabletop card game, will leave beta later this year and launch internationally for all platforms. The full release will coincide with the sunsetting of the previous digital version of the card game, Pokémon TCG Online.
Pokémon wants to gamify sleep tracking with a little help from Snorlax
After a four year wait, The Pokémon Company finally reveals when Pokémon Sleep will launch
Four years ago, at the Pokémon Press Conference, The Pokémon Company announced an odd little game called Pokémon Sleep. While one would suspect this game was completely abandoned, seeing it's been missing since its announcement in 2019, today's Pokémon Presents event revealed that Pokémon Sleep is not only alive and kicking, but it's coming sometime this summer, putting everyone's worries to rest.
Boring ol' Galaxy Buds 2 evolve into hot new Pokémon-themed headphones with Samsung's latest collab
They're coming soon to South Korea
Like everyone else, Samsung can't seem to get over its obsession with Pokémon, and it's not ashamed of who knows it. A couple of weeks after launching a special Galaxy Z Flip3 with swappable cards for Pikachu, Snorlax, and other favorites from the Kanto region, the company's back with another partnership. If you were lucky enough to pick up the South Korea-exclusive phone and you're in desperate need of some matching accessories, Samsung has you covered with some themed earbuds.
Pokémon Home finally supports transfers from Legends: Arceus
You can transfer from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, too
Diehard Pokémon fans should be familiar with Pokémon Home, the online service that lets players transfer their Pokémon between titles (including Pokémon Go) — or just hoard them in the cloud. According to the Home app's Play Store listing, the service now supports transfers to and from the latest Switch games, so you can finally stash your Sinnoh and Hisui collections.
Pokémon Unite brings its free-to-play MOBA gameplay to mobile with full cross-platform support
Too bad the game is pay-to-win
In August, we learned that Pokémon Unite would be making its way from the Nintendo Switch to Android and iOS on September 22nd, which is today. After a brief pre-load period yesterday, Unite's mobile servers are now officially live. This is a free-to-play 5v5 MOBA that offers a slick Pokémon theme, but it's also a Tencent title, and so it's packed with in-app purchases, some of which can be used to gain an advantage over non-paying players, ensuring Pokémon Unite is pay-to-win. Luckily this is a casual MOBA, so the competitive scene is nothing like Dota 2 or League of Legends, dulling the edge of the pay-to-win monetization.
Pokémon GO reverses course: You'll be able to hit that Pokestop from the other block again
The boosted distance for gyms and stops is here to stay
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pokémon GO developer Niantic was met with a conundrum: how do you keep people playing a game that's all about going outside and congregating in specific places when doing so will literally kill people? Among other player-friendly changes, the company boosted the distance it took to activate stops and gyms from 40 meters to 80 meters, making it a lot easier to hit from across the street (or the parking lot).
The Official Pokémon YouTube channel has announced a new Pokémon game for Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch. It's called Pokémon Unite, and it's a MOBA. As you would expect, you'll be tasked with collecting Pokémon as part of the MOBA's team-based online-multiplayer battle arena gameplay. Unsurprisingly, Pokémon Unite is being developed in partnership with Tencent, so I fully expect the game to land as a blatant cash grab, just like Pokémon Café Mix. Clearly, The Pokemon Company is intent on running this franchise through the mud, just so long as it can make a quick buck with lazy clones on mobile. As expected, there is no release date, no talk of target regions, and of course, nobody's mentioned anything about monetization.
Fuji's new Pokémon-themed mobile printer is a nostalgic Nintendo Switch accessory and I love it
It's no Blockbuster Video, but it scratches an itch
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and savvy legacy companies know how to capitalize on it. Nintendo and Fujifilm, two such companies with more than 200 years of combined history, have teamed up to create the ultimate nostalgia trap: an adorable Pokémon-themed instant photo printer. It connects to your phone to pop out tiny prints of your favorite photos — or, using a special app, Nintendo Switch screenshots.Released in conjunction with New Pokémon Snap, this special edition Instax Mini Link is meant to evoke the feeling of printing out your favorite critter snaps at Blockbuster, a millennial rite of passage. It's not cheap, but it's a ton of fun — especially if you've got little ones of your own to share it with.
Pokémon Go plans to keep players around by increasing level cap to 50
Plus leveling up will be easier for newbies
Pokémon Go might not be as popular as it once was, but there are still plenty of trainers out there catching 'em all. Now the game has announced tweaks that should help make the leveling up process more fun than ever, as well as allow for players to reach up to level 50 — although that won't be easy to do.
Pokémon Go now lets you transfer your pocket monsters to other games
Your critters can now be moved to Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Go might not be as popular as it was at launch, but it still has a massive player base across Android and iOS. However, you've never been able to transfer Pokémon caught in Go to other games, even though official transfer tools (starting with Pokémon Bank) have existed for years. Thankfully, that's finally changing.
Pokémon Go removes some temporary bonuses introduced due to COVID-19
But other lockdown changes are sticking around
Remember Pokémon Go? The global phenomenon came to Android in 2016 and was downloaded from the Play Store over a million times in a single month. Players have kept on "catching 'em all" since then, with Niantic making some temporary changes to the game earlier this year due to the pandemic. Now it looks like some of those changes are going permanent — but others are vanishing faster than a wild Rattata.
Match-3 game Pokemon Cafe Mix joins Pokémon Smile on the Play Store
Pokémon Café Mix is here, as promised
The Pokémon Company has had a busy day thanks to a recent live stream, and so a bevy of announcements are currently floating around. First and foremost, the company announced a new match-3 game that will arrive on the Play Store on June 23. It's called Pokémon Café Mix, and you'll get to prepare drinks and dishes for your customers, all by matching Pokémon icons in a simple match-3 game, and it's currently available for pre-registration. Second up is an educational game for children called Pokémon Smile, and it's designed to teach kids how to properly brush their teeth, as well as keep up the habit by collecting Pokémon. Surprisingly, Pokémon Smile is available for download right now.
Returning to Pokémon Go in 2020: What's new, different, and improved
If you gave up in 2016, maybe now is the time to come back
The summer of 2016 was a strange time to be outdoors. Every public space was jam-packed with people playing Pokémon Go. After the initial hype died down, Niantic continued adding new features, and the experience is very different today. With many of us at home and looking for ways to pass the time, there's an understandable desire to return to the familiar. However, it can be daunting to get back into Pokémon Go after four years of changes. There are tons more Pokémon, a completely revamped gym system, and even remote raids. Here's what returning Pokémon Go players can expect in 2020.
Pokémon Rumble Rush hasn't even been available in the US for a year yet (since it was originally released in the West in May 2019), and The Pokémon Company has already announced that it will close the game on July 22nd, 2020. Pokémon Rumble Rush clearly had issues during development, which is why it was originally known as Pokéland back in 2017, promptly falling off the map until 2019 when it reappeared under the new name, but was still under development. Once Pokémon Rumble Rush was officially launched across the globe in May 2019, it was clear the title was released as a cash grab to soak up money before the developer completely abandoned it, which we now know will take place this July.
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Pokémon GO got a little closer to its established universe when Pokémon trading was added to the game, which was soon followed by player versus player (PvP) Trainer Battles. Players are required to be within close physical proximity — or have a certain friendship level for battle — to use either feature. Niantic plans to get rid of this limit, at least for trainer fights, with the upcoming GO Battle League that will pair you with an opponent, regardless of their location
Pokémon has been an international phenomenon ever since it populated the early Game Boys. By now, the franchise has become considerably more cross-platform, with Pokémon GO available on Android and iOS and Pokémon Let's Go on the Nintendo Switch. At a press conference on Tuesday, the company behind the games announced Pokémon Home, the missing link between its games: It allows trainers to bring over their favorite pocket monsters from one platform to another for the first time (well, wirelessly anyway).
The Pokémon GO team has announced today that Pokémon GO will receive an update that brings new Pokémon from the Unova region (Pokémon Black and Pokémon White). This update is not live yet, though it should land sometime today. Along with these new Gen 5 Pokémon, players can expect new hatchlings, additional Pokémon for raids, and unique region-specific Pokémon for Asia, Europe, the US, as well as the Western and Eastern hemispheres. New shinies are also expected, and the Unova Stone makes its first appearance, which will allow specific Pokémon to evolve.