In the wake of a glimpse of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching series is about as mainstream video games in existence. Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The continued pandemonium surrounding card prices ensures almost daily Pokémon news stories. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
However despite that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their fair shake, or were buried by the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed platforms or services, or were early forays onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and typing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed your monsters in bases. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. 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. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your personal Miis—imagine this—simply hang out with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the appeal was observing 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. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. One might cry '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 sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was before the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your creatures as much as you interact with them didn't mask a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, there's a Twitch stream focused on running the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he still has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone
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 freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks 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 sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was marred by server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect 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 playing field is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment
Wow, 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 concept so silly, it was verging on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless 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 tried out other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type of monster. I know it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have 30 different variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially complex or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written events with outrageous outcomes that permanently influence how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY 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 too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
