In the wake of a glimpse of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most ubiquitous gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The persistent frenzy surrounding card prices ensures near-daily Pokémon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
However in spite of that ubiquity and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were buried by the hype of the core series. They're Pokémon games released on ill-fated consoles or services, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. 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 recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with discerning palates, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the ordinary aspects that would come with owning a companion. Sure, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can play with your monsters in camps. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. I'm not here 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 takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your 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 wonderful 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 realized to its complete potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the rise of passive games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Many never understood that Ranch's concept 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, there's a Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years 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 Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Did you know 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 accessible form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of freemium 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 lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and content in general," a user wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was marred by server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unusual game board made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly 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 concept so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with breeding the ultimate version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear 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 as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the mainline games would do, like offering a diverse range of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that permanently influence how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the running when Game of the Year season rolls around.
With dozens of core games and spin-offs, it's probable that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you totally love but contend that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection despite argu
