3 Pokémon Games That Were Denied the Adoration They Warranted

In the wake of a glimpse of global harmony courtesy of Pokémon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting series is about as popular video games around. Pikachu is just as famous as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The ongoing pandemonium around card prices guarantees near-daily Pokemon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral every year.

However in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are titles that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed under the excitement of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or services, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.

Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?

Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor

Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and far too few of them highlight the everyday realities that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, there are small features like these in modern games—players may 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 Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from various titles. Reviews from its launch said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to dispute these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.

As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of living your life with a tiny companion. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its fullest potential. One might cry '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 sim.

Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was before the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never understood that Ranch's concept to observe your critters as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.

Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Gone

Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of freemium mobile gaming. 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.

All of these poor design choices masked a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."

Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unusual board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.

Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment

Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a premise so absurd, it was bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.

Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising 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. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to pause before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got 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 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 variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.

Magikarp Jump was not a especially complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results that forever alter how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.

With dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu