In the wake of a vision of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching franchise is about as mainstream gaming titles around. Pikachu is just as famous as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The persistent excitement surrounding trading card values ensures near-daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
Yet despite that ubiquity and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed by the hype of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated consoles or services, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received sequels or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, this list will not be just one more recommendation 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 writing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with owning a pet. Sure, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed your monsters in camps. But I am dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon 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 storage system to hold monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a bad 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 come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out 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 battle. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a tiny companion. However, because The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. I'd say 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to observe your creatures as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a live stream focused on running the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest 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 slow progression for new figures.
All of these poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," a user declared. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unique game board made for a great strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a premise so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can jump 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 events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type 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 complex 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 likely be in the running when Game of the Year season arrives.
With numerous core games and derivative titles, it's probable that I didn't mention that one 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 Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
