In the wake of a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching franchise is about as ubiquitous video games around. Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The continued excitement surrounding trading card values guarantees near-daily Pokemon news stories. It would be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are titles that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried under the excitement of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or services, or were early forays onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got sequels or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be just one more recommendation 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 typing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with living with a companion. Admittedly, there are small features like these in modern games—players may play with your monsters in camps. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous 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.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a ranch where your personal Miis—imagine this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. One might cry 'save 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 simulation.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off 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. Most people never understood that Ranch's concept to watch your critters as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, there's a live stream focused on broadcasting the game 24/7. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, design, and features in general," a user declared. "I truly believe if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unusual board structure made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment
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 silly, it was verging 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.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't 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 wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type of monster. It's understood it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have dozens of 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 complex or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes 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 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, it's probable that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
