Following a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting series stands as one of the most mainstream gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The ongoing frenzy surrounding trading card values ensures almost daily Pokémon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
However in spite of that ubiquity and fame, some Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed platforms or online offerings, or were early forays onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they had received sequels or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and far too few of them highlight the ordinary aspects that would come with living with a companion. Sure, there are small features like these in modern games—players may pet, and feed your monsters in camps. But I am dying for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo 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 launch noted Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—imagine this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of cozy games. It was before the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never realized that Ranch's proposal to watch your creatures as much as you interact with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, there's a Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unusual game board made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Experiment
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company approving 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, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not feasible 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 sophisticated or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with outrageous outcomes that forever alter 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 arrives.
Given numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, it's probable that I omitted 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 with affection notwithstanding argu
