Following a taste of global harmony courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting franchise stands as one of the most ubiquitous gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is just as recognizable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The continued frenzy surrounding card prices guarantees almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent games that didn't get their proper due, or were buried by the excitement of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed platforms or services, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got sequels or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be just one more reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
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 those possessing discerning palates, agreed?
Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday 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 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 downloadable-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a ranch where your personal Miis—imagine this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its fullest potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the proliferation of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never understood that Ranch's concept to watch your critters as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, a Twitch stream focused on running the game continuously. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Gone
Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha title where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.
All of these questionable mechanics obfuscated 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, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, 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 combined."
Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was marred by server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, 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 fantastic strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem
Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a concept so absurd, it was bordering on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of useless monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising 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. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that Select Button loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.
This was most apparent than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might wish the mainline games would do, like offering a diverse range of the same species of monster. I know 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 one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with outrageous outcomes that permanently influence 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 rolls around.
Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are 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 Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
