Following a taste of global harmony courtesy of Pokémon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting franchise is about as popular video games around. Pikachu is just as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The persistent frenzy around trading card values guarantees almost daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a couple million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.
However in spite of that ubiquity and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These represent titles that didn't get their proper due, or were buried under the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games released on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they ever got follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and typing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
Too many Pokémon games focus on the combat aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday aspects that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—players may play with your monsters in camps. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—imagine this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The interactions 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 beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a small creature. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. One might cry 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was prior to the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to watch your critters as much as you interact with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, there's a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not seen everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the tabletop experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated 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," one YouTube comment reads, 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 content in general," a user declared. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, it's unclear 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 intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem
Wow, 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 premise so absurd, it was bordering on internet meme. 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.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile 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 community love around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type of monster. It's understood it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have 30 different variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or profound game, but the kernels of genius 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 running when Game of the Year season arrives.
Given numerous mainline entries and derivative titles, chances are that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you totally love but contend that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu
