- Core games (Diamond/Pearl, X/Y, Ruby/Sapphire) are judged as though they just came out today and have no 3rd version (see below) or remake to compare them to. They also can't be compared to games that hadn't come out yet, because that would be unfair. They can, however, be compared to prior entries. The only exception to this rule is Gen I, because there were no other Pokémon games to compare them to. Using that criteria, I've put them smack dab in the middle, as they're fundamentally the core of the series and the perfect middle ground.

- 3rd versions are judged by how much they improved upon the games they were based on. They won't have points taken away from them if they didn't improve on the originals in any significant way, they'll just be put on the same tier, considering that they're A.) literally as good as those games, and B.) by-and-large novelty purchases for completionists or excuses to revisit those games. Considering 3rd versions of Pokémon games hardly improve on the originals, most will just be on the same tier. The only exception ended up being Platinum, which improved on a few key issues of Diamond and Pearl, most notably pacing and the originals' dismal regional Pokédex.

- Remakes are a bit tricky. I decided to compare them both to the games they were based off of AND how much they stand on their own, considering these are effectively meant to replace the originals and offer the quintessential experience for younger fans. However, this criteria is waited heavily in favor of improving the originals, since I'm not going to larp that emulation isn't a thing and that you can't just seek out GB-DS software quite easily. If this weren't the case, I might not have put ORAS bottom-tier, but that's neither here nor there.