3 Pokemon Titles That Failed to Receive the Love They Deserved
Following a taste of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most popular gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as famous as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The continued excitement around trading card values guarantees almost daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a few million copies. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral annually.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These are games that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried by the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they had received follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another reminder for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Nevertheless, these might be 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, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
Too many Pokémon games focus on the combat element of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with owning a pet. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—players may play with your monsters in bases. But I am dying for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.
My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from various titles. Reviews from its launch said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to argue against these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into battle. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a small creature. 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 complete potential. One might cry 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the proliferation of passive games, and the video playthrough popularization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your creatures as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a live stream dedicated to running the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone
Did you know that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could pay to win—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
All of these poor design choices obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, design, and content in general," a user wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy 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 game board made for a great tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical Gem
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 giving its blessing a game with a concept so absurd, it was verging on shitpost. 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 poke fun at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the ultimate version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.
Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the core series 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 colorings and patterns for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or deep 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. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the running when 2026 GOTY season arrives.
Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you totally love but contend that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly despite argu
