Three Pokemon Games That Were Denied the Love They Earned
Following a vision of world peace courtesy of Pokemon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching franchise stands as one of the most mainstream video games around. Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent frenzy surrounding trading card values guarantees near-daily Pokemon headlines. It would be difficult to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million units. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral annually.
However in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed under the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or services, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, this list will not be yet another recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Relaxed Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and far too few of them highlight the everyday realities that would come with owning a pet. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can pet, and feed your monsters in bases. However, I'm 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 antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its release noted Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a farm where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a small creature. 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 fullest potential. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to observe your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, there's a Twitch stream focused on running the game 24/7. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he still has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Lost
Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop 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 hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
These questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, design, and features in general," another commenter wrote. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unique board structure made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd 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 concept so absurd, it was verging on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible 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 flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces the player to pause 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.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the mainline games 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 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 particularly sophisticated or deep game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results that forever alter how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
With dozens of core games and derivative titles, 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 remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly despite argu
