Pokémon's Orre Region Games Are The Series' Best Spinoffs

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There are a lot of Pokémon spin-offs, but the pair of games that take place in the Orre Region are easily the best. They had some distinctive elements that set them apart from the mainline games, and provided some of the series' best challenges. Although only two games have been set in the region, they have left a great impact on players.

Pokémon Colosseum and its sequel, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness are a pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo Gamecube set in the Orre region. A fairly barren land, Orre had no wild Pokémon until XD, where they could be found in a couple of specific locations. Both games revolve around attempting to catch and purify Shadow Pokémon that have been corrupted by an evil corporation known as Cipher. Pokémon Colosseum and XD are hidden gems for the franchise, being two of its most memorable entries. It is a major difference from the main series games that focus on competition and becoming the champion, and it stands out in a good way.

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Not only are the Orre games very distinct, but they are some of the best Pokémon games that one can find. They manage to have solid stories as well as good gameplay to back up their new graphics as the first 3D Pokémon adventures. Both games are looked back on very fondly, and they still hold up very well to this day.

Orre is a very unique region. It does not have gyms or a Pokémon League, and there is no Elite Four or Champion either. Instead, the games focus on Shadow Pokémon, Pokémon that have been conditioned to become thoughtless, heartless fighting machines that will even attack humans.  Among Pokémon's many villainous teams, Cipher stands out for the shocking cruelty of their Shadow Pokémon