In the wake of a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching series is about as mainstream gaming titles around. Pikachu is just as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The continued frenzy surrounding card prices guarantees near-daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games go viral every year.
However despite that ubiquity and fame, there are still Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent games that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that might have flourished if they ever got follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, this list will not be yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with discerning palates, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in recent entries—players may pet, and feed your monsters in bases. However, I'm longing 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 downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release noted Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to dispute these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a farm where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a lot 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 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, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. I'd say 'save 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 sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your critters as much as you play with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design 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 experiencing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Justice 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 miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
All of these questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, design, and features in general," a user declared. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unusual board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up 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 absurd, it was verging on internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the ultimate version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions 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 the developers appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type of monster. It's understood 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 one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially complex or deep game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that forever alter how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the running when Game of the Year season rolls around.
Given dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but contend that too few people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
