Following a glimpse of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most ubiquitous gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is just as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The ongoing pandemonium around card prices ensures almost daily Pokémon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.
Yet in spite of that ubiquity and fame, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent games that didn't get their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or services, or were early forays onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that might have flourished if they ever got follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with discerning palates, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, there are minor mechanics like these in modern games—players may 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 Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its launch noted Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these claims, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the draw 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 beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a small creature. 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 Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your critters as much as you interact with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, there's a live stream focused on broadcasting the game 24/7. 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.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the trappings 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 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," one YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, game design, and features in general," another commenter declared. "I truly believe 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 server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unique game board made for a fantastic tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise so absurd, it was bordering on internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of useless monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button 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 eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out 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 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 especially complex or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that forever alter how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
With dozens of core games and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore 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 despite argu
