In the wake of a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most ubiquitous gaming titles in existence. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The continued excitement surrounding card prices ensures near-daily Pokemon news stories. It would be difficult to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year.
Yet in spite of that ubiquity and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent games that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried under the excitement of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.
Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for people with discerning palates, shall we?
Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Forerunner
An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them highlight the everyday aspects that would come with owning a pet. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can play with your monsters in bases. But I am longing 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 antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from various titles. Reviews from its release said Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game.
True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a significant part of the appeal was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a small creature. However, because The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its fullest potential. One might cry '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 sim.
Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was prior to the rise of idle games, and the Let's Play normalization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never understood that Ranch's proposal to watch your creatures as much as you interact with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, a Twitch stream focused on running the game continuously. The streamer who operates 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: nobody knew what to do with you in 2008.
Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Lost
Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.
These poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."
Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unique board structure made for a fantastic strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment
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 concept so absurd, it was verging on internet meme. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of ineffective 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 tasked with breeding the ultimate version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to pause before they can improve 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 merciless random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things I 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 colorings and patterns for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.
Magikarp Jump was not a particularly complex or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results that forever alter 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 numerous mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I omitted 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 with affection despite argu
