Three Pokemon Games That Failed to Receive the Love They Earned

Following a glimpse of world peace courtesy of Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the monster collecting series stands as one of the most popular video games around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as identifiable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The continued pandemonium surrounding card prices guarantees almost daily Pokemon headlines. It would be difficult to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million copies. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year.

However in spite of that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These represent titles that failed to receive their proper due, or were overshadowed by the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or services, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.

Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed?

Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor

Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the everyday realities that would come with owning a pet. Sure, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed your monsters in camps. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.

My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch said 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 ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.

As the name suggests, the game takes place on a farm where your Mii avatars—imagine this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful 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, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. I'd say 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.

Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was before the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, there's a Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game 24/7. The individual who runs the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.

Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Gone

Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first ventures 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 motivation to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.

All of these poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, design, and content in general," a user declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."

Regrettably, Duel's early release was marred by server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people little reason to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unique board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting eyesore.

Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem

Man, 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 silly, it was bordering on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt of ineffective monsters who literally can't 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 raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to pause 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.

This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same species of monster. It's understood 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 especially complex or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty 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 running when Game of the Year 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 look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection despite argu