Following a glimpse of global harmony courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching franchise is about as ubiquitous gaming titles around. Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The continued pandemonium around card prices guarantees near-daily Pokémon news stories. You'd be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year.
Yet in spite of that ubiquity and fame, there are still Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried by the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with discerning palates, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and far too few of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with owning a pet. Sure, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in recent entries—players may pet, and feed your monsters in bases. 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 is not that game. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from various titles. Reviews from its launch said Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to dispute these notions, 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 is set on a farm where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of cozy games. It was before the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Many never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a live stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone
Did you know that Pokémon once had an official board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could pay to win—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
These poor design choices obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, design, and features in general," a user declared. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory business 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 game board made for a fantastic tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment
Wow, 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 approving a game with a concept so silly, it was verging on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of useless monsters who simply cannot do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with breeding 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 competitions to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type 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 sophisticated or deep game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that permanently influence how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the running when Game of the Year season arrives.
Given numerous 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. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
