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 ubiquitous gaming titles in existence. Pikachu is just as famous as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent frenzy surrounding trading card values guarantees near-daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These represent titles that failed to receive their proper due, or were overshadowed by the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or services, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also 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 yet another reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the everyday aspects that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—players may pet, and feed your monsters in camps. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from different games. Reviews from its release noted Ranch was a poor 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 closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a farm where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. One might cry 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of cozy games. It was prior to the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough popularization of watching games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a live stream dedicated to running the game continuously. The streamer who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, game design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unique board structure made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical 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 concept so silly, it was verging on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the ultimate version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces 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 fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, 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 dozens of variations for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or profound 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. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season arrives.
With numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you totally love but contend that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection despite argu
