In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most mainstream gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The persistent pandemonium surrounding trading card values ensures almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games go viral every year.
However in spite of that ubiquity and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These represent games that didn't get their fair shake, or were overshadowed under the excitement of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed consoles or services, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they had received sequels or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
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 discerning palates, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday aspects that would come with living with a companion. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in bases. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from different games. Reviews from its release noted Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to dispute these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—get this—simply hang out with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the draw was watching 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 simple pleasures of coexisting with a tiny companion. But since 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 upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough popularization of watching games you aren't playing. Most people never realized that Ranch's concept to observe your creatures as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, a live stream focused on running the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the physical experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "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 superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unusual game board made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a concept so absurd, it was verging 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 win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear 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 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 I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type 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 one can dream.
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 raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the running when Game of the Year season arrives.
Given dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
