In the wake of a glimpse of global harmony thanks to Pokemon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most popular gaming titles around. Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The ongoing excitement around card prices guarantees almost daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
However despite that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed under the hype of the core series. These are Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or services, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they had received sequels or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor
Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch noted Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the appeal was observing 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 coexisting with a tiny companion. But since 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. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known 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 lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a live stream dedicated to running the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official 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 first forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, game 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 combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy monetization 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 handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokemon: 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 rare instance of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a concept so absurd, it was bordering on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of ineffective monsters who simply cannot 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 breeding the ultimate version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan 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 loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal 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 tried out other things one might 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 30 different colorings and patterns for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or deep 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 Game of the Year season arrives.
Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you totally love but contend that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
