In the wake of a vision of world peace courtesy of Pokemon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching franchise is about as popular video games around. The iconic Pikachu is just as famous as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The continued excitement surrounding card prices guarantees near-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. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year.
However despite that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are titles that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed under the hype of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got sequels or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner
Too many Pokémon games focus on the combat aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the everyday aspects that would come with owning a companion. Sure, there are small features like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed your monsters in camps. But I am dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The downloadable-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 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 come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a farm where your personal Miis—get this—simply hang out 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. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete 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 simulation.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, there's a Twitch stream dedicated to running the game continuously. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one 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 miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the physical experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
These poor design choices obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy 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. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I truly believe 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. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unusual game board made for a great strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Experiment
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a concept so silly, it was bordering on internet meme. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of ineffective monsters who simply cannot 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 best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp 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 pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got 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. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species 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 one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written 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 likely be in the running when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
With numerous mainline entries and spin-offs, it's probable that I omitted that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu
