3 Pokémon Titles That Failed to Receive the Appreciation They Deserved
In the wake of a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokémon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting series stands as one of the most ubiquitous gaming titles around. Pikachu is just as identifiable as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The ongoing frenzy around card prices ensures near-daily Pokémon headlines. It would be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Even, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.
Yet despite that ubiquity and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are titles that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed under the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on doomed platforms or online offerings, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have blossomed if they ever got sequels or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.
Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, shall we?
Pokémon Ranch: The Chill Precursor
Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the ordinary aspects that would come with living with a pet. Sure, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can play with 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 digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system to store monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its launch noted Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.
As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your personal Miis—imagine this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a lot of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of living your life with a tiny companion. However, because The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.
Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of cozy games. It was before the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, a live stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.
Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone
Did you know that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the physical experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of freemium mobile gaming. 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 pieces.
These poor design choices obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, game design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "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. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy business 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 unusual board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating visual mess.
Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical 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 approving a game with a concept 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 useless 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 tasked with raising the ultimate version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces 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.
Nowhere was this more evident 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 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 type of monster. I know it's not practical 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 especially sophisticated or deep game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that forever alter 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 2026 GOTY season arrives.
Given dozens of core games and spin-offs, it's probable that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. It's acknowledged that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu
