In the wake of a taste of world peace courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series is about as ubiquitous gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is just as famous as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The ongoing excitement surrounding card prices guarantees almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral annually.
However despite that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their fair shake, or were overshadowed under the excitement of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be 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. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them highlight the everyday aspects that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed your monsters in bases. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. 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 release said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the appeal was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. Ideally, 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 collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you interact with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
These questionable mechanics 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, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was marred by connectivity problems. Bugs, 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, it's unclear things would end better. The unique board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting 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 concept so absurd, it was bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of useless monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type of monster. It's understood it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have 30 different variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results 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.
Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, it's probable that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection despite argu
