Following a vision of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching series is about as mainstream video games in existence. The iconic Pikachu is just as identifiable as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The continued excitement surrounding trading card values ensures almost daily Pokemon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are titles that didn't get their fair shake, or were overshadowed under the hype of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got sequels or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with living with a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include small features like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to dispute these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—get this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. One might cry 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of cozy games. It was before the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to watch your creatures as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a live stream focused on running the game 24/7. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokémon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
All of these poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, design, and features in general," a user declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people few incentives to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unusual game board made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a premise so silly, it was verging on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of useless monsters who simply cannot do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the ultimate version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got the community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type of monster. I know it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly complex or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that forever alter how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when Game of the Year season arrives.
Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that too few people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
