In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching franchise is about as mainstream video games around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent pandemonium surrounding card prices ensures near-daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or services, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and typing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary 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. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from various titles. Reviews from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to dispute these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a ranch where your personal Miis—get 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 cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. One might cry 'help 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 kicked off the lasting craze of cozy games. It was before the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's concept to observe your critters as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a Twitch stream dedicated to running the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of free-to-play mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
These questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: 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, 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 came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with 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 board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment
Wow, 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 shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising 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. 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 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 improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type of monster. It's understood it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or profound game, but the kernels of genius 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 rolls around.
With dozens of core games and spin-offs, it's probable that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore 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
