Following a glimpse of world peace courtesy of Pokemon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching franchise is about as ubiquitous gaming titles in existence. Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The persistent frenzy around card prices ensures near-daily Pokémon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
However in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These are titles that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried by the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they had received sequels or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Nevertheless, you may already know about 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, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with owning a pet. Admittedly, there are minor mechanics like these in recent entries—players may pet, and feed your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against 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 is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—get this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into battle. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life 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 I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was before the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you interact with them didn't mask a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
All of these questionable mechanics obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was marred by connectivity problems. Bugs, 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, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unique game board made for a fantastic strategic challenge 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 fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a concept so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the infamous 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 phone games, requires the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have 30 different colorings and patterns for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that permanently influence how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
Given dozens of core games and spin-offs, it's probable that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
