In the wake of a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting series is about as ubiquitous gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The continued excitement surrounding trading card values guarantees near-daily Pokemon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried under the hype of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. Considering these factors, this list will not be yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the battling aspect of the series, and far too few of them highlight the everyday realities that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in recent entries—players may play with your monsters in bases. However, I'm dying 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 best seen as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its release said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to dispute 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 takes place on a ranch where your Mii avatars—get this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not 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 small creature. However, because 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 fullest potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of cozy games. It was prior to the rise of passive games, and the Let's Play normalization of watching games you aren't playing. Most people never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you interact with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
These questionable mechanics obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, 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 features in general," another commenter declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unique game board made for a great strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a premise so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt 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 breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal 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 tried out 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 colorings and patterns for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly 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 likely be in the conversation when Game of the Year season rolls around.
With numerous core games and derivative titles, 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 remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
