In the wake of a vision of world peace courtesy of Pokemon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting series stands as one of the most popular video games in existence. Pikachu is just as famous as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The continued pandemonium surrounding card prices guarantees near-daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Even, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
However in spite of that ubiquity and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are titles that failed to receive their proper due, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated consoles or services, or were pioneering attempts 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, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor
Too many Pokémon games focus on the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with owning a companion. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—players may pet, and feed your monsters in camps. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from various titles. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these notions, but it behooves 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 farm where your Mii avatars—get this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful 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 fullest potential. I'd say 'save 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 simulation.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's concept to observe your creatures as much as you interact with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, there's a Twitch stream dedicated to running the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing 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 Tactical Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, game design, and features 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 plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unusual game board made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment
Man, 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 concept so silly, it was verging on internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of ineffective 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 breeding the ultimate version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump 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 community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was just 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 core series 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 permanently influence how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season arrives.
Given numerous core games and derivative titles, it's probable that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly despite argu
