In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching franchise is about as mainstream gaming titles around. Pikachu is every bit as famous as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The persistent excitement around card prices guarantees near-daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they ever got sequels or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Nevertheless, these might be 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?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, there are minor mechanics like these in recent entries—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 Nintendo Wii is not that game. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to dispute 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 personal Miis—imagine this—simply hang out with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw was watching 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. 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. One might cry 'help 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 simulation.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to observe your creatures as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of free-to-play mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
These questionable mechanics obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, design, and features in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives 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 great tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokémon: 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 rare instance of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a concept so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding 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 flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to pause before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range 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 compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty 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 Game of the Year season rolls around.
With numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you totally love but contend that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
