3 Pokémon Titles That Didn't Get the Adoration They Earned

In the wake of a taste of global harmony courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series is about as popular video games around. The iconic Pikachu is just as famous as Disney's mascot, perhaps even more. The continued pandemonium surrounding trading card values guarantees near-daily Pokemon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a couple million units. Remarkably, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.

Yet in spite of that ubiquity and fame, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are games that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried under the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on doomed consoles or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received sequels or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be just one more reminder for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.

Nevertheless, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, agreed?

Pokémon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner

Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and far too few of them highlight the everyday aspects that would come with owning a pet. Admittedly, there are minor mechanics like these in recent entries—you can pet, and feed your monsters in camps. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims.

My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The downloadable-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 poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to dispute these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.

True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your personal Miis—imagine this—simply hang out with your pals. The activities 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 start of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is just as much a puzzle game as it is a life simulation.

Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the rise of idle games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to observe your critters as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, a Twitch stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he even now has not encountered everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.

Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Lost

Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize 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 mobile gaming. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression 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 states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, game design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together."

Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unique board structure made for a fantastic tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting eyesore.

Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical 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 approving a game with a premise so absurd, it was verging on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a team of ineffective monsters who literally can't do anything, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.

Within Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'karp raised to enter contests 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 appreciated and got the community love 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. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have 30 different variations for a compendium of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but one can dream.

Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Witty 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 almost certainly be in the conversation when Game of the Year season rolls around.

Given dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I omitted that particular Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection despite argu