Following a vision of global harmony courtesy of Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting series is about as ubiquitous video games around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as famous as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent excitement around card prices ensures almost 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 achieve popularity annually.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These represent titles that didn't get their proper due, or were buried by the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they ever got follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and typing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with discerning palates, 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 everyday realities that would come with owning a companion. Sure, modern titles include small features like these in recent entries—players may pet, and feed your monsters in camps. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly 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 everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game takes place on a ranch where your Mii avatars—get this—simply hang out with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting 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 fullest potential. One might cry 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzle game as it is a life sim.
Ranch was released long before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough popularization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, a live stream dedicated to running the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Gone
Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
These questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and features in general," a user declared. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unique board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise so absurd, it was verging on internet meme. 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.
Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. One drawback 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 the developers loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random events, 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 experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a diverse range of the same type of monster. It's understood it's not feasible 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 especially sophisticated or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results that permanently influence how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when Game of the Year season rolls around.
With 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. It's acknowledged that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
