In the wake of a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching franchise stands as one of the most mainstream gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is just as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The ongoing frenzy around trading card values guarantees almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Even, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These are games that failed to receive their proper due, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or services, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, this list will not be just one more reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with owning a pet. Sure, there are minor mechanics 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 is not that game. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to argue against these claims, 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 is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—just relax with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a tiny companion. However, because The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing 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 just as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. 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 interact with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, a Twitch stream dedicated to running the game 24/7. The individual who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium 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 lengthy grind for new figures.
These questionable mechanics masked 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," a YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people few incentives 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 few folks 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 giving its blessing a game with a premise so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team 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 raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan 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 appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same species of monster. I know it's not feasible 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 especially complex or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that forever alter how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season arrives.
Given dozens of core games and spin-offs, it's probable that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but contend that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu
