With Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s 30th anniversary on the horizon, and Pok\u00e9mon Legends: Z-A just around the corner, I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about the series\u2019 storied history, and our various adventures through the nine distinct regions we\u2019ve visited so far. Of course, many of us started our journey in childhood, collecting games as we aged, but how much would it cost someone to play through all nine generations in 2025?<\/p>\n
When embarking on this thought experiment, it\u2019s important to note that I didn\u2019t just want to work out the cost of playing every Pok\u00e9mon game in order. As a series, Pok\u00e9mon isn\u2019t afraid of a remake or two, so playing each individual game isn\u2019t necessary to get a full picture of the story so far. Instead, I set out to find the cheapest route for a newcomer to visit all nine Pok\u00e9mon regions (and Hisui), including the price of the hardware.<\/p>\n
So, let\u2019s start with the handhelds. To cover the series\u2019 history, you need handhelds from the Game Boy Advance, 3DS, and Switch families of devices. Based on my research, you can nab an original Game Boy Advance for around $70 (or $190 if you want it refurbished with a backlit screen), an original Nintendo 2DS for around $125, and Amazon has a great deal on a turquoise Switch Lite for just under $155. That brings the total hardware cost alone up to $350, but, of course, you\u2019re not limited to just playing Pok\u00e9mon on these devices, so they\u2019re worth it, in my opinion.<\/p>\n