Following a glimpse of world peace courtesy of Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series is about as ubiquitous gaming titles in existence. Pikachu is just as identifiable as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The persistent excitement around card prices ensures almost daily Pokemon headlines. It would be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year.
However despite that ubiquity and fame, some Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried by the excitement of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released 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 follow-ups or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon 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 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and far too few of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in recent entries—players may 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 Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release noted Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a farm where your Mii avatars—imagine this—just relax with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, 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 simple pleasures of coexisting with a small creature. However, because 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 complete potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of cozy games. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to watch your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, there's a live stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—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, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unusual board structure made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem
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 giving its blessing a game with a concept so absurd, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of useless monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with breeding the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can flop 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 evident throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got 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 snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety 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 sophisticated or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with outrageous outcomes that forever alter how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when Game of the Year season arrives.
With numerous core games and derivative titles, it's probable that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu
