In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the monster collecting franchise is about as mainstream gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is just as famous as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The continued excitement surrounding trading card values ensures near-daily Pokemon headlines. It would be difficult to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet in spite of that ubiquity and fame, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent games that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried by the hype of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
Too many Pokémon games focus on the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the everyday aspects that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, there are minor mechanics like these in recent entries—players may pet, and feed your monsters in bases. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—get 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 they're not being 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 small creature. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely 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 puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of cozy games. It was prior to the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough popularization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you interact with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a live stream focused on running the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Lost
Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of free-to-play mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
These questionable mechanics obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and features in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was marred by connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unique board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd 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. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth 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.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible 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 mobile games, forces 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 occurrences, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood 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 we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written 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 conversation when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
With dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
