In the wake of a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokemon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching series is about as ubiquitous video games in existence. Pikachu is just as famous as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The persistent excitement surrounding card prices guarantees near-daily Pokemon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million copies. Even, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
However 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 excitement of the mainline 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 probably would have blossomed if they had received sequels or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and far too few of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, there are small features like these in modern games—players may pet, and feed your monsters in bases. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its release noted 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 closest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—get this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys 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 not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the rise of passive games, and the Let's Play normalization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to observe your critters as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a live stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
These questionable mechanics obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I loved 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 complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unique board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment
Man, why don't more Pokémon games relax 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 bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
In 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 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to pause before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is evident 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 as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not feasible 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 particularly complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written 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 likely be in the running when Game of the Year season rolls around.
With numerous mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
