Following a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching franchise stands as one of the most ubiquitous gaming titles around. Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent frenzy surrounding trading card values ensures almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
Yet in spite of that ubiquity and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These represent games that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried under the excitement of the core 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 flourished if they ever got follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in modern games—you can 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 Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute 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—get this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. In a just world, 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 charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is just as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't playing. Most people never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a Twitch stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he even now has not encountered all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of free-to-play 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 slow progression for new figures.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was marred by server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unusual board structure made for a great tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games relax 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 absurd, it was verging on shitpost. 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.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to pause before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the fan culture 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 eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. I know it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have 30 different 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 deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written 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 Game of the Year season rolls around.
Given numerous core games and derivative titles, it's probable that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
