3 Pokemon Games That Didn't Get the Adoration They Earned

Following a vision of global harmony thanks to Pokémon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching series is about as popular gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The continued frenzy around card prices guarantees almost daily Pokemon news stories. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a few million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.

However in spite of that ubiquity and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These are titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games released on ill-fated consoles or services, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they ever got follow-ups or contemporary re-releases. 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 digging deep.

Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, agreed?

Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Forerunner

Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with living with a pet. Sure, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in modern games—players may play with your monsters in bases. However, I'm 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 downloadable-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from various titles. Reviews from its release said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to argue against these claims, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.

As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your personal Miis—get this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of living your life with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its complete potential. I'd say 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.

Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never understood that Ranch's concept to watch your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a Twitch stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he even now has not encountered all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.

Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Gone

Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official tabletop game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of freemium phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the slow progression for new figures.

These questionable mechanics obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel anymore. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, design, and features in general," another commenter declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."

Unfortunately, Duel's initial launch was marred by connectivity problems. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unique game board made for a great strategic challenge for the few folks who played Duel, but that board is also a intimidating eyesore.

Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment

Wow, why don't more Pokémon games relax 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 go out with a team of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that poke fun at themselves.

Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the notorious fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that Select Button 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 raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from 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 type of monster. I know it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of colorings and patterns for a compendium 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 forever alter how you can raise a pet 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, it's probable that I omitted that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but argue that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu