5 Best Game Freak Games That Aren’t Pokémon

Game Freak is well-known for its incredibly popular Pokémon series. The developer has been working on that series since 1996, and hasn’t been given too many opportunities, given that every Pokémon game does gangbusters for the team. That said, Game Freak has had a few other great games over the years, both pre- and post-Pokémon‘s launch. The good news is that Game Freak has started to have more chances to make non-Pokémon games over the last decade, so hopefully these games are only the start of the company starting to stretch its creative muscles.

Here are the best Game Freak games that aren’t Pokémon.

5) Tembo the Badass Elephant

Tembo was a bit of a shock to Game Freak fans thanks to its title. The family-friendly company adding a curse word into the mix was a surprise, but the 2015 game let players jump into the shoes of an elephant trying to live out its dreams of being a Rambo-like fighter.

It’s not a great game from Game Freak and Sega, but Tembo‘s side-scrolling, platform action isn’t bad either. Levels are relatively open-ended, giving players plenty of opportunities to use Tembo‘s innate elephant ability to smash through objects. Toss in some cute visuals and light puzzle-solving, and you have a good, not great platformer.

4) HarmoKnight

HarmoKnight is another platformer from Game Freak, but this one mixes in rhythm elements. This time, you play as Tempo, so there’s some fun naming connectivity between HarmoKnight and Tembo. That said, the star of the show here is rhythm action.

Players dive into auto-scrolling levels and can only jump or swing Tempo’s staff. Using these limited abilities, you’ll need to match up with the music to get through each level. And for Pokémon fans, there are a few bonus levels at the end featuring music from that series. Some players found the rhythm action a little too forgiving, but if you’re looking for a breezy Nintendo 3DS game, HarmoKnight isn’t a bad pick.

3) Pulseman

Two years before finding international success with Pokémon, Game Freak teamed with Sega to make Pulseman. In fact, most of the core developers from those early Pokémon games also worked on Pulseman, including designer Satoshi Tajiri, artist Atsuko Nishida, and composer Junichi Masuda.

The Mega Drive game featured gorgeous, platform action. There’s also a thrilling story about a half-human, half-AI boy having to take down his father to stop his reign of cyber-terror. Fortunately, you can still play the 1994 game relatively easily, as Nintendo added it to the Nintendo Classics service in 2023. You’ll need the Expansion Pack, but that’ll be much cheaper than digging out an old system.

2) Drill Dozer

In the early 2000s, Game Freak co-founder and Pokémon‘s primary character designer Ken Sugimori decided he wanted to work on something new. He took a team and began working on a new action game for the Game Boy Advance that would feature non-traditional combat.

The result is Drill Dozer, which was an instant hit when it launched in 2005. Places like Nintendo Power and GameSpot recognized it with high placement in their end-of-the-year lists, and while fans didn’t flock to it, Drill Dozer has become a cult classic. The gameplay is clever, forcing you to really learn its ins and outs if you want to have success.

Despite the popularity, we’ve never seen a follow-up. That’s a shame, considering Drill Dozer seemingly had plenty of runway for further innovation. Some have called Game Freak’s Giga Wrecker a spiritual sequel, but it never quite hit the same as Drill Dozer.

1) Pocket Card Jockey

If you’re a Game Freak fan, I’m sure you saw this coming. Pocket Card Jockey is by far the studio’s best non-Pokemon game, and even challenges some of the core series’ best games. Players control a horse jockey as they try to become the best racer in the world.

However, you’re not engaging in normal racing. Instead, you’re playing golf to decide which horse wins the race. Not golf as in the game where you hit a small ball with a club, but the card game, which is an offshoot of solitaire. If it sounds like a weird combination, that’s by design.

Pocket Card Jockey isn’t interested in being normal. Game Freak wanted to make a surprising combination and pulled it off perfectly. The randomness of the cards and stats of enemy horses keeps the action consistently fresh, which means you’ll be engaged throughout.

Sadly, Pocket Card Jockey was stuck on the 3DS for several years, but a 2024 remake called Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! brought it to modern iOS devices and the Switch. Hopefully, Game Freak goes back to it with a sequel at some point.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Every Pokemon Mobile Game, Ranked Worst to Best