Following a glimpse of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series is about as ubiquitous gaming titles around. Pikachu is just as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The ongoing excitement surrounding card prices guarantees almost daily Pokemon headlines. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a few million units. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year.
However in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, some Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were buried under the excitement of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed consoles or services, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got follow-ups or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon 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 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the everyday realities that would come with owning a pet. Admittedly, modern titles include small features like these in recent entries—players may play with your monsters in bases. But I am dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—imagine this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the appeal was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures 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 not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never understood that Ranch's concept to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game 24/7. The streamer who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of free-to-play mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, design, and features in general," a user wrote. "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 few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unusual game board made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Gem
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 premise so silly, it was verging 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 laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with breeding the best possible version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got the community love around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range 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 we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that permanently influence how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the running when Game of the Year season arrives.
With dozens of core games and derivative titles, it's probable that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly despite argu
