Following a vision of world peace courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting series stands as one of the most ubiquitous gaming titles in existence. Pikachu is just as famous as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The persistent excitement surrounding trading card values ensures near-daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games go viral every year.
However despite that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they had received sequels or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the ordinary aspects that would come with owning a pet. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—players may play with 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 digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to argue against these claims, 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 is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—get this—simply hang out with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into battle. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a small creature. But since The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely 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 just as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a live stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of playing 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 Strategic Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
All of these poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, game design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was marred by server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people few incentives to return. 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 strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Experiment
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax 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 team 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 tasked with raising the ultimate version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's merciless 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 tried out other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have 30 different colorings and patterns for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results 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 conversation when Game of the Year season arrives.
With numerous core games and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
