3 Pokemon Titles That Were Denied the Love They Earned

In the wake of a vision of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting franchise is about as ubiquitous video games around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The ongoing pandemonium around trading card values guarantees near-daily Pokemon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a few million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.

However despite that ubiquity and popularity, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These are games that failed to receive their fair shake, or were overshadowed by the hype of the core series. These are Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got follow-ups or modern remakes. Considering these factors, we won't be offering yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.

Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Well,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?

Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Forerunner

An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the combat aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the everyday realities that would come with living with a companion. Admittedly, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed your monsters in bases. But I am dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.

My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is best seen as the precursor 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 argue against these claims, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've ever gotten to a everyday life Pokémon game.

As the name suggests, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—imagine this—just relax with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into battle. In a just world, 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 collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. One might cry 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is as much a puzzler as it is a life sim.

Ranch was released well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was before the proliferation of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never understood that Ranch's proposal to observe your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, there's a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel states that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008.

Pokémon Duel: The Strategic Tabletop Game Lost

Did you know that Pokémon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the tabletop experience in a more accessible format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's first forays into the world of freemium mobile gaming. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could pay to win—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new figures.

These poor design choices obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, seven years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, game design, and features in general," a user wrote. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined."

Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people little reason to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, I'm still not certain things would end better. The unusual game board made for a fantastic tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating eyesore.

Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment

Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some fun? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise 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.

In Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with breeding 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 phone games, requires the player to wait before they can improve their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that Select Button appreciated and got the community love around Magikarp.

This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to raise its stats as it was to get eaten by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things I wish the core series would do, like offering a diverse range of the same species of monster. I know it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have 30 different colorings and patterns for a compendium 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 outrageous outcomes 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 Game of the Year season rolls around.

With dozens of mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you absolutely adore but contend that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu