In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most popular video games in existence. Pikachu is every bit as famous as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The ongoing excitement surrounding trading card values guarantees near-daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are titles that didn't get their fair shake, or were buried by the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games released on doomed consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, this list will not be just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in recent entries—you can pet, and feed your monsters in bases. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein 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 Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from different games. Critical reception from its launch said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to argue against these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the appeal was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a tiny companion. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its fullest potential. One might cry 'save 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 lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never understood that Ranch's concept to watch your creatures as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."
Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was marred by connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unusual board structure made for a great tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd 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 premise so absurd, it was verging on shitpost. Considering 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.
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 win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests 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 appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not feasible 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 especially sophisticated or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty events with outrageous outcomes that permanently influence how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the running when 2026 GOTY season arrives.
Given dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, chances are that I omitted that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that too few people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection despite argu
