3 Pokemon Games That Were Denied the Love They Earned
In the wake of a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's beyond doubt that the monster collecting series stands as one of the most mainstream video games in existence. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as famous as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The persistent pandemonium surrounding trading card values ensures almost daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Even, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.
Yet despite that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These represent games that didn't get their fair shake, or were buried under the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated platforms or services, or were early forays onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, this list will not be just one more reminder for Pokemon 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 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with living with a companion. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can play with 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 repository to hold 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 compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game takes place on a farm where your Mii avatars—get this—just relax with your pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the simple pleasures of living your life with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its fullest potential. I'd say '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 simulation.
Ranch was released well 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 watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In truth, 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 playing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Gone
Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," one 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 depth, approachability, game design, and features in general," another commenter wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unique board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting eyesore.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment
Man, why don't more Pokémon games relax 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 silly, it was verging on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.
In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to pause before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is evident 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 occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from the clever dialogue, 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 30 different variations for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly sophisticated or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written 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 likely be in the running when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.
With dozens of core games and derivative titles, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu
