Following a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting franchise is about as mainstream gaming titles in existence. Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The ongoing pandemonium surrounding trading card values guarantees almost daily Pokémon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
However in spite of that ubiquity and popularity, some Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed under the excitement of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the combat element of the series, and far too few of them focus on the everyday aspects that would come with living with a companion. Admittedly, there are minor mechanics like these in modern games—you can play with your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release noted Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to dispute these claims, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when they're not being 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. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. One might cry 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough popularization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to watch your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, there's a live stream focused on running the game 24/7. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he still has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
All of these poor design choices masked a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," a 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, design, and features in general," a user declared. "I truly believe if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to return. If, by some miracle, 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 handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance 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 full belt of useless monsters who simply cannot do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got the community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range 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 we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or deep game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that forever alter 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 2026 GOTY season arrives.
Given numerous core games and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection despite argu
