Pokémon game abbreviations

What RBY, GSC, RSE, FRLG, DPPt, HGSS, BW, B2W2, XY, ORAS, SM, USUM, LGPE, SwSh, BDSP, PLA, SV and PLZA stand for — every mainline Pokémon game abbreviation and the games it stands for, plus the short code PokéMaps uses in its own map addresses.

Generation 1

• RBY — Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow. Kanto map. PokéMaps URL code: rby.

Generation 2

• GSC — Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal. Johto & Kanto map. PokéMaps URL code: gsc.

Generation 3

• RSE — Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. Hoenn map. PokéMaps URL code: rse.
• FRLG — Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Kanto map, Sevii Islands map. PokéMaps URL code: frlg.

Generation 4

• DPPt (also DPP) — Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum. Sinnoh. PokéMaps URL code: dpp. We use the shorter dpp: the trailing t in DPPt is a Bulbapedia convention rather than how the games are spoken about.
• HGSS — Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Johto & Kanto. PokéMaps URL code: hgss.

Generation 5

• BW — Pokémon Black and White. Unova. PokéMaps URL code: bw.
• B2W2 — Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. Unova. PokéMaps URL code: b2w2. Kept separate from bw even though both are Unova: Black 2 and White 2 genuinely changed the map — Aspertia, Floccesy and Virbank were added in the west, Route 10, Cold Storage and Black City / White Forest are gone.

Generation 6

• XY — Pokémon X and Y. Kalos. PokéMaps URL code: xy.
• ORAS (also ΩRαS) — Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Hoenn. PokéMaps URL code: oras.

Generation 7

• SM — Pokémon Sun and Moon. Alola. PokéMaps URL code: sm.
• USUM — Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Alola. PokéMaps URL code: sm. Folded into sm: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon share Alola’s geography with Sun and Moon — same islands, same routes — so one map serves all four, with version notes for what the Ultra games add.
• LGPE — Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!. Kanto. PokéMaps URL code: lgpe.

Generation 8

• SwSh — Pokémon Sword and Shield. Galar. PokéMaps URL code: swsh.
• BDSP — Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Sinnoh. PokéMaps URL code: bdsp.
• PLA — Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Hisui. PokéMaps URL code: la. We drop the P: l stands for Legends throughout our addresses, so Legends: Arceus is la and Legends: Z-A is lza.

Generation 9

• SV — Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Paldea map, Kitakami map, Blueberry Academy map. PokéMaps URL code: sv.
• PLZA — Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Lumiose City map. PokéMaps URL code: lza. Same rule as PLA: l is Legends, so Legends: Z-A is lza.

Generation 10

Pokémon Winds & Waves has no settled abbreviation yet — even Bulbapedia writes the full title. See everything known about Winds & Waves.