Scarlet/Violet Sales Surge Past Red/Green/Blue, Despite Mixed Reviews

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have emerged as some of the best-selling Pokémon games of all time. According to Joe Merrick, the webmaster of Serebii.net, as reported by Eurogamer, the combined sales of these two titles have surpassed 25 million copies. This impressive figure places them just behind the original Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, which sold 31.4 million copies upon its release in 1996 on the Game Boy.

Scarlet and Violet have edged out Pokémon Sword and Shield for second place, with sales reaching 26,790,000 compared to Sword/Shield's 26,720,000 copies. Rounding out the top five best-selling Pokémon games are Gold/Silver with 23.7 million units sold and Diamond/Pearl with 16.7 million units sold.

Despite their commercial success, Scarlet and Violet received a mixed reception at launch, earning mostly average scores. This made them some of the lowest-rated mainline entries in the series. Fans and critics alike pointed out numerous technical issues, performance problems, and bugs. In IGN's review of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the game was rated a 6/10, with the comment: "The open-world gameplay of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is a brilliant direction for the future of the franchise, but this promising shift is sabotaged by the numerous ways in which Scarlet and Violet feel deeply unfinished."

Looking ahead, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is slated for release later this year. Set in Lumiose City, the game will explore an urban redevelopment plan aimed at creating a harmonious environment for both humans and Pokémon. However, excitement around the new title was tempered last October when a leak surfaced, sharing unknown details about several Pokémon games, including Legends Z-A. In response, Nintendo has recently taken legal action by subpoenaing Discord to identify the individual responsible for the "TeraLeak."