In the wake of a glimpse of global harmony courtesy of Pokemon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most popular gaming titles around. Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent pandemonium around trading card values ensures near-daily Pokémon headlines. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
However in spite of that ubiquity and fame, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games released on doomed consoles or services, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they had received sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, this list will not be yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with living with a companion. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to dispute these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—imagine this—simply hang out with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the draw 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 tiny companion. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. I'd say 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never understood that Ranch's concept to observe your creatures as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a Twitch stream focused on running the game 24/7. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
All of these questionable mechanics obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, game design, and features in general," a user declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unique game board made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment
Man, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a concept so absurd, it was verging on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of useless monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising 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 infamous 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 mobile games, requires the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that Select Button loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type of monster. I know it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a compendium 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 outrageous outcomes that forever alter how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the running when Game of the Year season rolls around.
Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, it's probable that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you totally love but contend that too few people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu
