In the wake of a glimpse of world peace courtesy of Pokémon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching franchise stands as one of the most mainstream video games in existence. Pikachu is just as recognizable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The continued excitement around card prices ensures almost daily Pokemon headlines. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games go viral every year.
Yet in spite of that ubiquity and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be yet another reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?
Pokémon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and far too few of them highlight the ordinary aspects that would come with owning a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can play with your monsters in bases. But I am dying 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 Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from various titles. Reviews from its release said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal 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 Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the appeal was watching what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life 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. I'd say 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is just as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, there's a live stream dedicated to running the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he still has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
All of these questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, design, and content in general," a user declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unusual board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment
Wow, 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 giving its blessing a game with a concept so silly, it was verging on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the ultimate version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal 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 great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type of monster. I know it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have 30 different 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 complex 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. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season arrives.
Given numerous mainline entries and derivative titles, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu
