| JP GB+GBC | Arle no Bouken: Mahou no Jewel | 2000 | Compile | A monster-training game; monster-summoning cards can be enhanced |
| GB+GBC | Azure Dreams | 2000 | KCEN | More dungeons, less town-building and dating than the PSX version |
| PS4 | Beastie Bay DX (DL only) | 2022 | Kairosoft | See Switch |
| Switch | Beastie Bay DX (DL only) | 2021 | Kairosoft | An island conquering/development sim with beastly allies to recruit and train |
| GBA | DemiKids: Light/Dark | 2003 | Multimedia Intelligence Transfer | Pokemon-like demon collecting and fusion, but each version has a separate plot/protagonist! |
| JP Wonderswan | Digimon Adventure 02: D1 Tamers | 2000 | SIMS/Bandai | Direct sequel to Tag Tamers, mostly the same, but utilizes the Wonderswan Color's palette |
| JP Wonderswan | Digimon Adventure 02: Tag Tamers | 2000 | SIMS/Bandai | Turn-based digital monster collecting, fighting, and fusing gameplay, elaborates on a very important plot point in the anime |
| PSX | Digimon World | 2000 | Flying Tiger Development | Monster-collecting and raising game |
| PSX | Digimon World 2 | 2001 | BEC | More emphasis on dungeon crawling and monster battling than the first |
| PSX | Digimon World 3 | 2002 | BEC/Boom Corp | More of the same |
| DS | Digimon World Championship | 2008 | Epics | All the perils of raising monsters without any of the storyline or ability to control them in combat (which happens via AI)! |
| DS | Digimon World DS | 2006 | BEC | Technically the first game in the Digimon Story series rather than a Digimon World game, very Pokemon-esque in gameplay |
| DS | Dinosaur King | 2008 | Climax Entertainment | It's Pokemon, but with dinosaurs instead! Combat is literally in a rock-paper-scissors format |
| GBA | Dokapon: Monster Hunter | 2001 | Tycoon/Asmik Ace Entertainment | Battle system is literally rock-paper-scissors, also contains monster collecting elements |
| JP GBA | Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart | 2003 | Tose | Stars a young Prince Keifer from DQVII, where you recruit humans and monsters for your growing caravan |
| DS | Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker | 2007 | Tose | More Dragon Quest-themed monster collection and synthesis! Also features a DQ VIII- like skill system |
| DS | Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 | 2011 | Tose | Not a direct sequel to Joker, adds monsters of varying sizes but otherwise plays the same |
| JP 3DS | Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 | 2016 | Square Enix | More monsters to scout, synthesize, and ride around the various worlds; turn-based combat with in-depth skill trees.
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| JP 3DS | Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D | 2012 | Square Enix | A remake of Dragon Warrior Monsters, with more monsters to train/breed, a larger party size, and a 3D world to explore |
| Switch | Dragon Quest Treasures | 2022 | Square Enix | A prequel of sorts to DQXI where treasure hunting with your merry monster band is the name of the game |
| GB+GBC | Dragon Warrior Monsters | 2000 | Tose | Sort of Dragon Quest's answer to Pokemon, but with fusion as well |
| GB+GBC | Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey/Tara's Adventure | 2001 | Tose | Leans harder into the Pokemon slant with 2 different versions |
| DS | Fossil Fighters | 2009 | RED Entertainment/M2/Artdink/Nintendo | Dig up fossils, combine them, revive them, and pit them against each other in Pokemon-like combat! |
| 3DS | Fossil Fighters: Frontier | 2015 | Spike Chunsoft | Adds a buggy for transportation in the open world, changes battles to make them 3 person teams, allows for regional variants in Vivosaurs, other battle tweaks |
| DS | Fossil Fighters Champions | 2011 | RED Entertainment/M2/Artdink/Nintendo | More dinosaur-like creatures to unearth, train, and fight! |
| DS | Fossil League: Dino Tournament Championship | 2007 | MTO | Another dinosaur-themed Pokemon clone, but uses actual dinosaurs rather than made-up creatures |
| DS | Foto Showdown (DSi and up only) | 2010 | Alpha-Unit | Another monster collector/battler where you gain creatures to fight by taking pictures with your DSi/3DS camera |
| JP GBA | Keitai Denjuu Telefang 2: Power | 2002 | Smilesoft | One version of a Pokemon-like clone that features sharing your phone number with monsters to befriend them |
| 3DS | Kemonomix+ (DL only, delisted) | 2014 | Rocket Studio | A simplistic monster-raiser where you find, train, and mix creatures in order to help you escape from the planet you're stranded on |
| GB+GBC | Lil' Monster | 2000 | Kid Corp | Another of the many Poke-clones |
| JP Mega Drive | Madou Monogatari I | 1996 | Compile | ADORABLE AF, monster capturing mechanic, non-traditional stats/xp gain |
| PS2 | Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color | 2003 | Garakuta Studio/Taito | Think Pokemon, but if you as the player drew them instead to bring them to life |
| JP Game Gear | Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible | 1994 | Multimedia Intelligence Transfer | Monster collecting with a bit of kiddie MegaTen flair |
| GB+GBC | Metal Walker | 2001 | Capcom | Pokemon + robots + billiards = Metal Walker |
| 3DS | Moco Moco Friends | 2015 | Racjin | A saccharine-sweet creature-collecting/raising game with a bunch of magical girls raising and evolving plushies |
| Switch | Monmusu Gladiator (DL only) | 2022 | ZephyrStudio | Raise monster girls in a roguelite with card-based mechanics (thankfully not lewd) |
| Switch | Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin | 2021 | Capcom | Same fun monster hatching and turn-based training gameplay loop as its predecessor, improved battle mechanics and lots of open areas to explore |
| PSP | Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner | 2007 | Gaia | A monster collector/battler game made by the co-creator of the SMT series, item fusion can influence the monsters' stats |
| PSX | Monster Rancher | 1997 | Tecmo | Use CDs to unlock monsters that you train and fight! |
| Switch | Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX (DL only) | 2021 | Koei Tecmo | Bundled QoL-polished versions of the monster breeder, with turbo functions, added monsters to the second game, and an in-game CD database |
| PSX | Monster Rancher 2 | 1999 | Tecmo | Use CDs to unlock more monsters that you train and fight! |
| PS2 | Monster Rancher 3 | 2001 | Tecmo | More monster raising, but now you can trade monsters with friends/can use past data rather than disc-digging for old monsters! |
| PS2 | Monster Rancher 4 | 2003 | Tecmo | Allows for more customization of your training facilities and adds a major exploration/adventure mode |
| GBA | Monster Rancher Advance | 2001 | Tecmo | Similar to the PSX games, but using words to summon monsters rather than CDs |
| GBA | Monster Rancher Advance 2 | 2002 | Tecmo/Graphic Research | See above! |
| PS2 | Monster Rancher EVO | 2006 | Tecmo | Leans more into traditional RPG mechanics than the rest of the series, dumbs some regular Monster Rancher ones down in the process |
| Switch | Monster Viator (DL only) | 2020 | Hit-Point | See XBO |
| PS4 | Monster Viator (DL only) | 2020 | Hit-Point | See XBO |
| Xbox One | Monster Viator (DL only) | 2020 | Hit-Point | Kemco comes through with a monster collector with a lot of exposition and a high encounter rate |
| JP GB+GBC | Pocket Monsters: Green Version | 1996 | Game Freak | If you've played Red/Blue, do you really need this one? |
| 3DS | Pokemon Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby | 2014 | Game Freak | Remakes of the Gen III Pokemon games incorporating creatures and mechanics from later generations |
| DS | Pokemon Black/White | 2011 | Game Freak | Incredible animated spritework and perhaps the best storyline in the franchise |
| DS | Pokemon Black 2/White 2 | 2012 | Game Freak | Regarded by many as the peak of the franchise; a continuation of Gen 5's story |
| Switch | Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl | 2021 | ILCA | Remakes of the Gen 4 Pokemon games, with a cute but divisive art style and adding QoLs from later games |
| GB+GBC | Pokemon Crystal | 2001 | Game Freak | An attempt to add story to Gold/Silver, but does add a female protagonist! |
| DS | Pokemon Diamond/Pearl | 2007 | Game Freak | Less water than Gen 3 Pokemon games, but with an obnoxious mountain to frequently travel through |
| GBA | Pokemon Emerald | 2005 | Game Freak | Superior third version of Pokemon Gen 3 |
| GBA | Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen | 2004 | Game Freak | Remakes of Red/Green versions |
| GB+GBC | Pokemon Gold/Silver | 2000 | Game Freak | More mons, a day/night system, and the ability to revisit the entire previous region |
| 3DS | Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal (VC) | 2017 | Game Freak | See GBC |
| DS | Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver | 2010 | Game Freak | Remakes of the Gen 2 Pokemon games, with the storyline from Crystal attached, can also make use of the Pokewalker accessory |
| Switch | Pokemon Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Game Freak | A more dynamic Pokemon-catching experience than anything previously, open-world exploration against a feudal backdrop |
| Switch | Pokemon Let's Go Eevee/Pikachu | 2018 | Game Freak | Full 3D remakes of Red/Blue versions but with Pokemon Go-like mechanics of catching new mons |
| 3DS | Pokemon Moon/Sun | 2016 | Game Freak | Does away with the traditional gym battle format in favor of puzzles scattered throughout not-Hawaii, adds Ultra Beasts (which look suspiciously Digimon-like…) |
| DS | Pokemon Platinum | 2009 | Game Freak | Last of the "combined third versions" of Pokemon games, this one the arguably ultimate version of Gen 4 |
| Switch | Pokemon Quest (DL only) | 2018 | Game Freak | Send voxel-styled Pokemon out to explore an island for you, then take the stones they find to level them up further; relies on free-to-play mechanics |
| GB+GBC | Pokemon Red/Blue | 1998 | Game Freak | Called Red/Green versions in Japan, definitely the origin of the popularity of monster-collecting video games |
| 3DS | Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow (VC) | 2016 | Game Freak | See GB |
| GBA | Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire | 2003 | Game Freak | 7/10, too much water; not possible to collect all Pokemon in these versions |
| Switch | Pokemon Scarlet/Violet | 2022 | Game Freak | More free-form/open-world in path-taking than any prior mainline entry, but marred with technical hiccups |
| Switch | Pokemon Sword/Shield | 2019 | Game Freak | First-ever mainline console Pokemon game; not all Pokemon can be caught/are featured in the National Pokedex; regional theme is British |
| 3DS | Pokemon Ultra Sun/Moon | 2017 | Game Freak | Alternate universe story in the same region as Sun/Moon; adds more Ultra Beasts, activities, and ways to catch Pokemon from older games |
| 3DS | Pokemon X/Y | 2013 | Game Freak | Pokemon brought into the 3D realm of not-France, statistics of 'mons can be further raised and refined via minigames |
| GameCube | Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness | 2005 | Genius Sonority | You're a trainer, go purify more Shadow Pokemon! |
| GB+GBC | Pokemon Yellow | 1999 | Game Freak | More of the same, with bonus Pikachu following you |
| GB+GBC | Revelations: The Demon Slayer/Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible | 1999 | Multimedia Intelligence Transfer | Megami Tensei for kids, more medieval-themed than its mother series |
| GBA | Robopon 2: Cross/Ring Version | 2002 | RED Entertainment | Introduces 4-on-4 battles, but otherwise is more of the same robot collecting and customizing |
| GB+GBC | Robopon: Sun Version | 2000 | Hudson Soft/Red Company Corporation | A robot-making and collecting Poke-clone, only one of the three versions was released in the Americas |
| GBA | Shaman King: Legacy of the Spirits Soaring Hawk/Sprinting Wolf | 2002 | KCEJ | Based on the manga, basically Pokemon-type battles with spirits |
| JP GB+GBC | Shin Megami Tensei Devil Children: Kuro no Sho | 2000 | Multimedia Intelligence Transfer | First game in the Devil Children series (the accompanying other version is untranslated), a monster-collector where demon partners can be used to help traverse the overworld |
| Wii | Spectrobes: Origins | 2009 | Genki | ARPG/monster collector with utilization of motion controls to switch between Spectrobes in combat |
| Switch | Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher (DL/Asia English) | 2022 | Koei Tecmo | An Ultraman-Monster Rancher crossover that maybe nobody asked for, but everyone needed (same gameplay as older titles, but kaiju-sized!) |
| PS4 | World of Final Fantasy | 2016 | Square Enix | See Vita |
| Vita | World of Final Fantasy | 2016 | Square Enix | Chibified/simplified return to turn-based FF combat, where stacking characters confers stronger attacks |
| PS4 | World of Final Fantasy Maxima | 2018 | Square Enix | See XBO |
| Switch | World of Final Fantasy Maxima | 2018 | Square Enix | See XBO |
| 3DS | Yo-kai Watch | 2015 | Level-5 | Level-5's charming Pokemon-like franchise; demons are discovered in the "real" world, befriended, collected, and used in battle, combat occasionally involves minigames |
| 3DS | Yo-kai Watch 2: Fleshy Souls/Bony Spirits | 2016 | Level-5 | Frequently retreads the same ground as the first game, with Pokemon-styled version splitting to collect all the Yo-kai |
| 3DS | Yo-kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters | 2017 | Level-5 | The all-encompassing third version of Yo-kai Watch 2, adds an additional questing area and a whole new tribe of demons to befriend |
| 3DS | Yo-kai Watch 3 | 2019 | Level-5 | Changes setting to a more Western-themed one, combat is affected by team positioning on a grid, the two protagonists can be switched between at almost any time |
