Following a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most ubiquitous video games in existence. Pikachu is just as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent excitement surrounding trading card values ensures near-daily Pokémon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a few million units. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were buried under the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokémon 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 writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner
Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with living with a companion. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in bases. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its release 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 everyday 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 simple, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its fullest potential. I'd say 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of cozy games. It was before the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough popularization of watching games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's concept to observe your critters as much as you play with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, a live stream focused on running the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he still has not encountered all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed tabletop game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy 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 tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case 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 full belt of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can flop the highest. One drawback 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.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, 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 practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that permanently influence how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the running when 2026 GOTY season arrives.
Given numerous core games and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly despite argu
