In the wake of a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching franchise stands as one of the most mainstream video games in existence. Pikachu is just as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent excitement around trading card values ensures near-daily Pokémon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried under the excitement of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or services, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, this list will not be just one more reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Nevertheless, 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 Cozy Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the everyday aspects that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in recent entries—players may pet, and feed your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon 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 repository to store monsters from various titles. Reviews from its release noted Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the appeal was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start 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 never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. I'd say 'save 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 simulation.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game 24/7. The streamer who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of playing 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 Gone
Did you know that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "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 depth, approachability, design, and features in general," a user declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, it's unclear 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 intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem
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 approving a game with a concept so absurd, it was bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. 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 evident throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got the community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was 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 one might wish the core series 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 roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that permanently influence how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the running when Game of the Year season rolls around.
Given numerous mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
