🔗 Share this article

Following a glimpse of global harmony courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting series is about as popular gaming titles around. Pikachu is just as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The persistent pandemonium around card prices guarantees near-daily Pokémon news stories. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a couple million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.

However despite that ubiquity and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These are games that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated consoles or services, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, this list will not be yet another reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.

Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, shall we?

Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor

Too many Pokémon games emphasize the combat element of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary realities that would come with owning a pet. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—players may play with your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.

My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from various titles. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.

As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your 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 cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of living your life with a tiny companion. 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 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.

Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was prior to the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized 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 live stream focused on running the game continuously. The streamer who runs the channel states that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.

Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone

Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the physical experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium 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.

All of these questionable mechanics obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, game design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."

Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unusual board structure made for a great tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating eyesore.

Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment

Man, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a concept so silly, it was bordering on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out 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 charged with raising the ultimate version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.

Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond 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. I know 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 we can hope.

Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results that forever alter how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season arrives.

---

Given numerous mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu