In the wake of a taste of world peace courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching franchise is about as mainstream video games around. Pikachu is every bit as famous as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The persistent frenzy around trading card values ensures almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.
However despite that ubiquity and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These represent games that didn't get their proper due, or were buried under the hype of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck 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, this list will not be yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and typing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with owning 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 vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, 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 takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the appeal was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just 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 idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to watch your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, there's a Twitch stream dedicated to running the game 24/7. The streamer who runs the channel states that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, design, and features in general," a user declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear 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 intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment
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 approving a game with a concept so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the best possible version of the infamous 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 phone games, requires the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear 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 events, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might wish the mainline games 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 dozens of variations for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly complex or deep game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that permanently influence how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the running when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
With dozens of core games and derivative titles, it's probable that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly despite argu
