In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series is about as popular gaming titles around. Pikachu is just as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The persistent pandemonium surrounding card prices guarantees almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a couple million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral every year.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed under the hype of the core series. These are Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they ever got follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, this list will not be just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with owning a pet. 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 style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch noted Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its fullest potential. One might cry 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of cozy games. It was before the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel states that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he still has not encountered all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Did you know that Pokemon once had an official board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
All of these questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and content in general," a user wrote. "I truly believe if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unusual game board made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Experiment
Man, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? 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. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of useless monsters who simply cannot 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 breeding the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces the player to pause before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type of monster. I know it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have 30 different 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 unpredictable results that forever alter how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the running when Game of the Year season arrives.
With dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu
