Following a vision of world peace courtesy of Pokemon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most ubiquitous video games around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The persistent frenzy surrounding trading card values ensures almost daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a couple million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.
Yet despite that ubiquity and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are games that didn't get their fair shake, or were buried by the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed consoles or services, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. 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 going beneath the surface.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, modern titles include small features like these in recent entries—you can play with 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 Nintendo Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part 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 wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a tiny companion. 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 fullest potential. One might cry 'help 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 sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the proliferation of passive games, and the video playthrough popularization of viewing games you aren't playing. Most people never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, there's a Twitch stream focused on running the game continuously. The individual who runs the channel states that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
All of these poor design choices masked a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, design, and features in general," another commenter 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 marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unique board structure made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem
Man, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise so silly, it was bordering on internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the ultimate version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, 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 species of monster. I know it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of colorings and patterns for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
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 train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
With dozens of core games and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection despite argu
