Following a taste of global harmony thanks to Pokemon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching franchise is about as mainstream gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as famous as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The persistent pandemonium around card prices guarantees near-daily Pokemon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a couple million units. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are games that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried by the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or services, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in modern games—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 Nintendo Wii is not that game. 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 bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to argue against these claims, 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 ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life 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 complete potential. I'd say 'save 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 was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the video playthrough popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's proposal 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 Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of freemium 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 lengthy grind for new figures.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: 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 shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. 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 play out differently. The unique game board made for a great strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a concept so silly, it was verging on internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of useless 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 breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to pause before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not practical 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 complex or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that permanently influence how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season arrives.
With numerous core games and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
