In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching franchise is about as popular gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is just as famous as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The persistent pandemonium surrounding card prices guarantees almost daily Pokémon headlines. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are titles that didn't get their fair shake, or were buried under the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games released on doomed platforms or services, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with owning a companion. Sure, modern titles include 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 vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to argue against these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—get this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a tiny companion. But since 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 Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a Twitch stream dedicated to broadcasting the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt 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 title where players could pay to win—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," one 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 depth, accessibility, design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I truly believe if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was marred by server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unique board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment
Wow, 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 internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of useless 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 best possible version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. One drawback 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 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 tried out other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type of monster. I know 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 especially complex or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty 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 running when Game of the Year season rolls around.
Given numerous core games and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you totally love but argue that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
