Following a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching franchise stands as one of the most ubiquitous video games around. Pikachu is just as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The continued excitement surrounding card prices ensures near-daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.
However in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent games that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried by the hype of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the combat aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the ordinary aspects that would come with living with a pet. Sure, modern titles include small features like these in recent entries—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 is not that game. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these notions, 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 takes place on a ranch where your Mii avatars—get 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 they're not being forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful 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, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of cozy games. It was before the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never understood that Ranch's concept to watch your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a live stream dedicated to running the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. 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 pay to win—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, design, and features in general," another commenter declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people few incentives 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 game board made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Gem
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise so absurd, it was verging on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the ultimate version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp 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 the developers loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the core series 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 colorings and patterns for a compendium 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 kernels of genius were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that forever alter how you can raise a pet 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 numerous core games and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue 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
