In the wake of a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokemon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series is about as mainstream video games around. The iconic Pikachu is just as famous as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The ongoing frenzy around card prices ensures almost daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Even, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed under the excitement of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or services, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, there are small features like these in modern games—players may play with your monsters in camps. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to dispute these claims, 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—simply hang out with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part 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 beautiful 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 never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. One might cry 'help 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 sim.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was prior to the rise of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a live stream dedicated to running the game 24/7. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he still has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of free-to-play 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 lengthy grind for new pieces.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel anymore. "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 complexity, approachability, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive 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 Absurd Experiment
Man, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some enjoyment? 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 venture forth with a full belt 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 breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that Select Button loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type of monster. I know it's not feasible 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 seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that forever alter how you can raise a pet 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.
Given numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that one 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 Pokemon Pinball with affection despite argu
