In the wake of a vision of world peace courtesy of Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching franchise is about as popular gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as famous as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The continued excitement surrounding trading card values guarantees almost daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
However in spite of that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or services, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and typing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday aspects that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its release said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to dispute these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—get this—simply hang out with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a small creature. But since The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of cozy games. It was before the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a Twitch stream dedicated to running the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of free-to-play mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
All of these questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, game design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I truly believe if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unique board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up 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 absurd, it was bordering on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. I know it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have dozens of colorings and patterns for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written 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 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
Given numerous core games and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
