Following a glimpse of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most mainstream video games around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The continued excitement surrounding trading card values ensures near-daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games go viral every year.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are games that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed platforms or services, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be yet another recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and far too few of them highlight the everyday aspects that would come with living with a companion. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in bases. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a ranch where your Mii avatars—get this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a lot 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 living your life 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 complete potential. I'd say 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was before the proliferation of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's concept to observe your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game 24/7. The individual who operates the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was marred by connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unusual game board made for a fantastic tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly 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 shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan 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 loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the core series 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 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 kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results 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 Game of the Year season rolls around.
With dozens of 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. I know that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
