3 Pokemon Games That Failed to Receive the Adoration They Warranted

In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, there's no question that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most ubiquitous video games around. Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The continued excitement around trading card values guarantees almost daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be difficult to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a few million units. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually.

Yet despite that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally overlooked. These represent titles that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed by the hype of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or services, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.

Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, shall we?

Pokémon Ranch: The Relaxed Forerunner

Too many Pokémon games focus on the combat aspect of the series, and far too few of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with owning a pet. Sure, there are small features like these in recent entries—players may play with your monsters in bases. However, I'm dying 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 digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from various titles. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a bad if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to argue against these claims, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.

True to its title, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—get this—just relax with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw 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 small creature. But since The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, I'm guessing we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. I'd say 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.

Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley sparked the lasting craze of cozy games. It was prior to the rise of idle 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 wasn't to hide a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, there's a live stream focused on broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not encountered everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.

Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Gone

Are you aware that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first 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 motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.

All of 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," a YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."

Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was marred by server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people few incentives to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would play out differently. The unusual board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.

Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem

Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise so silly, 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, I'm shocked we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves.

In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the ultimate 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. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, forces the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the fan culture around Magikarp.

This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, 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 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 practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a roster of over a thousand creatures, as Magikarp Jump does... but we can hope.

Magikarp Jump was not a especially sophisticated or profound game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results 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 conversation when 2026 GOTY season rolls around.

Given dozens of core games and derivative titles, chances are that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you totally love but contend that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly despite argu