3 Pokémon Games That Didn't Get the Adoration They Deserved
Following a taste of global harmony thanks to Pokemon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching franchise is about as mainstream video games in existence. Pikachu is every bit as famous as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The ongoing pandemonium surrounding card prices guarantees almost daily Pokemon headlines. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
However despite that ubiquity and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These represent titles that didn't get their fair shake, or were buried under the excitement of the core series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed platforms or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with discerning palates, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Forerunner
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and far too few of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with owning a companion. Sure, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed 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 Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a farm where your personal Miis—imagine this—just relax with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of living your life 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 complete potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to watch your critters as much as you interact with them didn't mask a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a Twitch stream focused on running the game 24/7. The streamer who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Lost
Did you know that Pokémon once had an official board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression 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 reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced 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 server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unique game board made for a great strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a concept so absurd, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the best possible version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking 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 evident throughout the experience that Select Button loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just 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 species of monster. It's understood it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with outrageous outcomes that permanently influence how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
With numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
