Following a taste of world peace courtesy of Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series is about as popular video games around. The iconic Pikachu is just as famous as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The continued frenzy surrounding card prices guarantees almost daily Pokémon headlines. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a few million units. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are titles that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried by the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also 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 recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with owning a companion. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—players may play with your monsters in camps. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch noted Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—get this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a tiny companion. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is just 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 prior to the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to watch your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, there's a live stream focused on running the game continuously. The individual who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt 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 mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical 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 pulled. "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 truly believe if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, 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 tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem
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 concept so absurd, it was verging on internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of useless monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising 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 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 wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear 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 snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might 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 30 different variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly complex or deep 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 conversation when Game of the Year season arrives.
With dozens of core games and spin-offs, it's probable that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
