In the wake of a vision of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series is about as mainstream video games around. Pikachu is just as recognizable as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The continued frenzy around card prices ensures near-daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These are games that didn't get their fair shake, or were buried under the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or services, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with owning a pet. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in bases. But I am dying for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to dispute 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 farm where your personal Miis—imagine this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a small creature. But since 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 it's also known that the upcoming Switch 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 prior to the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you interact with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, there's a live stream dedicated to running the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not seen everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, unfortunately, 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 slow progression for new pieces.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I am convinced if it launched 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 decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unique board structure made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. 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, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got the community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get snatched 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. I know it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have dozens of colorings and patterns for a roster 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 seeds of brilliance were there. Witty 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 almost certainly be in the running when Game of the Year season rolls around.
With dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu
