Following a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most popular video games in existence. Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The ongoing pandemonium around trading card values ensures almost daily Pokémon headlines. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
However in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are titles that didn't get their fair shake, or were buried by the excitement of the core series. These are Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or services, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with living with a pet. Sure, there are minor mechanics like these in modern games—players may pet, and feed your monsters in bases. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its release said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to argue against these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a farm where your personal Miis—imagine this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The activities 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 wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a small creature. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized 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 attention to detail was so remarkable, a Twitch stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, 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 board is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment
Man, 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 concept so absurd, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt 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 charged with breeding the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp 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 pause before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the mainline games would do, like offering a diverse range of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations 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 outrageous outcomes that forever alter 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.
Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
