Following a vision of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most mainstream gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as famous as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The continued excitement around card prices ensures near-daily Pokemon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
However despite that ubiquity and fame, some Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are games that didn't get their fair shake, or were overshadowed under the excitement of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor
Too many Pokémon games focus on the combat element of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with owning a pet. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can pet, and feed your monsters in bases. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon 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 storage system to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to argue against these claims, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a farm where your Mii avatars—get this—simply hang out with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized 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 sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was before the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Many never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, a Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he still has not seen everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed tabletop game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest 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 incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
These questionable mechanics obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I truly believe if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unusual board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Experiment
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise so silly, it was bordering on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with breeding the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter contests 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 community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have 30 different 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 deep 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. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the running when Game of the Year season arrives.
Given numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
