There is a vibrant community of fan-made Pokémon MMOs. For those disappointed that Pokémon UNITE turned out to be a MOBA, here are some charming RPGs.

Pokémon UNITE marks the Pokémon Company's first foray into the ever-growing world of MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) outside of Pokémon GO. Despite this, Pokémon fans having been making and playing unofficial MMOs for the last decade. When the internet is allowed to run wild, bizarre occurrences like TwitchPlaysPokemon are often the result. But with a fanbase as devoted as Pokémon's, the resultant games are often charming love letters to the series.

These MMOs exist to make manifest a major wishlist item among a subsection of the Pokémon fanbase: a Pokémon RPG where players can run into and interact with each other in real time. In fact, fans were disappointed when Pokémon UNITE was initially announced, because they had expected the title to be a classic RPG-style MMO, not a MOBA. The longer-running fan-made MMO RPGs have a massive audience, proving there's certainly enough demand for a Pokémon RPG in this style.

The typical fan-made Pokémon MMO plays similarly to a standard Pokémon RPG game, but has features like a chat box, fights against live players, and expanded trading and auction capabilities. While Nintendo tried making a Pokémon MMO for the Game Boy Advance, neither Nintendo nor the Pokémon Company have given any signs they'll make another attempt at a MMORPG anytime soon. Here are the most charming unofficial Pokémon MMOs to tide fans over, all of which are free to play.

Most Charming Unofficial Pokémon MMOs: PokéMMO

The title PokéMMO is the arguably biggest game on this list, both in terms of size and audience. The game is so large and well-established, it has its own wiki. PokéMMO includes four Pokémon regions - Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova - and Pokémon from generations one through five. Players can build bases, enjoy tons of character customization, and wander about during changing seasons. The graphics are beautiful as well. The only downside to PokéMMO is that it requires a ROM of Pokémon Black or White to run, with additional ROMs required for optional content.

Most Charming Unofficial Pokémon MMOs: Pokémon Revolution Online

The MMO Pokémon Revolution Online is the other massive, popular Pokémon unofficial game. With over 10,000 daily players, the game is also big enough to have its own wiki. PRO features the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions and their corresponding Pokémon. Unlike PokéMMO, PRO also has its own custom maps. Both the game's graphics and music are impeccable, and its emphasis on player-versus-player battles are an exciting feature for those wanting a true MMO experience.

Most Charming Unofficial Pokémon MMOs: Pokémon MMO 3D

As a fan-made endeavor, the animation of Pokémon MMO 3D is flat-out impressive. As the title suggests, the entire game features 3D animation, as opposed to the top-down, pixelated styles of all other fan-made Pokémon MMOs. The game even pre-dated the 3D animations of Pokémon Sword and Shield. The developers focused their energies on Pokémon animations and battles, and the game offers a lot of unique features as a consequence. Players can play as both their trainer and their Pokémon, with a real-time combat system which requires Pokémon to target their abilities.

Most Charming Unofficial Pokémon MMOs: Pokémon Pets

The game Pokémon Pets boasts the largest library of Pokémon of any fan MMO, with a whopping 2,500 catchable creatures. Considering there are only 898 official Pokémon, but Pokémon Pets fills in the gaps with "Fakemon" made by the game's developers and community. The large maps are arranged in "zones" based on Pokémon type. Contrary to what the title might suggest, the goal of Pokémon Pets is to become the strongest trainer on the server. Players can engage in PvP battles, in addition to a daily boss battle.

Until the day Nintendo releases an official Pokémon RPG-style MMO, these and countless other fan-made MMOs do an excellent job of entertaining fans. The official MOBA Pokémon UNITE releases on Nintendo Switch in July and mobile in September.

Next: How Pokémon UNITE Looks Different From Other Pokémon Spin-Offs