Considering its humble origins on the Game Boy, the Pokemon series is not often thought of for its soundtrack. To disregard this would be doing it a disservice, however, because ever since the days of Red and Blue, the team at Game Freak have been pumping out some pretty memorable jams, despite the hardware limitations. Now, more than twenty years later, and with a wider range of instruments than beep and boop at their disposal, the series has had some absolute bangers.
But which amongst them stand supreme? It’s a (Pokemon Puzzle) challenge to be sure, because some of them are in a (Pokemon Puzzle) league of their own. We’ve done our very best to narrow them down to 15, with only one caveat: the Jigglypuff song, tragically, is disqualified from contention. Alas.
Title Screen (Pokemon Red/Blue)
Where else could we possibly start than with the tune that began the adventure of our childhood? This iconic track is inexorably linked to the Pokemon franchise, resonating in a way that is hard to quantify. The logo lands with a crash, and there stands the trainer who will soon become legend throughout Kanto and beyond, casually tossing his Poke Ball into the air while an endless array of Pokemon cycle across the screen.
There are countless versions to select from if you’re after something more grandiose, from the symphonic arrangements of the Smash Bros series to any number of fan interpretations on YouTube (including a Trap Remix that is simultaneously bizarre and amazing), but you can’t go past the elegant simplicity of the original. Welcome to the world of Pokemon!
