In the wake of a glimpse of global harmony courtesy of Pokémon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching series is about as mainstream gaming titles around. Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The ongoing excitement around card prices guarantees near-daily Pokémon news stories. It would be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.
However in spite of that ubiquity and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried by the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games released on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with discerning palates, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday realities that would come with owning a companion. Sure, there are minor mechanics like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in bases. But I am longing 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 precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a poor 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 ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a farm where your personal Miis—get 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 battle. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of living your life with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of cozy games. It was before the proliferation of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never realized 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, a live stream dedicated to running the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of free-to-play mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and features in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was marred by server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people few incentives to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unusual board structure made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd 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 premise so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt 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 breeding the ultimate version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out 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 practical 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 particularly complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that forever alter how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the running when Game of the Year season arrives.
Given numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that not nearly enough people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
