Following a taste of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most mainstream video games around. Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent excitement surrounding card prices guarantees near-daily Pokemon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year.
Yet despite that ubiquity and fame, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These represent games that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried by the hype of the core series. These are Pokémon games stuck on doomed platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they had received sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, this list will not be yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with living with a companion. Admittedly, there are small features like these in modern games—players may pet, and feed your monsters in bases. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its release noted Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, 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. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of passive games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your creatures as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, a live stream focused on running the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. 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 game where players could pay to win—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
These questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, 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 together."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unusual game board made for a great tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting eyesore.
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 giving its blessing a game with a premise so absurd, it was bordering on internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type of monster. I know it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have 30 different variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written 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 conversation when Game of the Year season rolls around.
With numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you totally love but argue that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
