Following a taste of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting series is about as mainstream video games in existence. Pikachu is just as famous as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The ongoing excitement surrounding trading card values guarantees almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are titles that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried under the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got follow-ups or modern remakes. Considering these factors, this list will not be yet another reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
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, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the ordinary aspects that would come with owning a pet. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in modern games—you can 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 is not that game. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to dispute these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—imagine this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. Ideally, 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 collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the proliferation of idle games, and the video playthrough popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a Twitch stream focused on running the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could pay to win—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "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 marred by connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unusual board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment
Wow, 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 approving a game with a concept so absurd, it was verging on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a diverse range of the same species of monster. I know it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly complex or deep 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 running when Game of the Year season rolls around.
Given dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
