🔗 Share this article 3 Pokemon Games That Failed to Receive the Adoration They Deserved Following a vision of global harmony courtesy of Pokémon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most popular video games around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, perhaps even more. The continued pandemonium around card prices ensures near-daily Pokémon news stories. It would be difficult to find a Pokémon game that didn't sell at least a few million copies. Even, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year. However in spite of that pervasiveness and popularity, there are still Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These are games that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed by the hype of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that might have blossomed if they ever got sequels or contemporary re-releases. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep. Still, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed? Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Forerunner Too many Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the everyday realities that would come with owning a pet. Sure, modern titles include small features like these in modern games—you can play with your monsters in camps. However, I'm longing for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims. My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii is not that game. The downloadable-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 noted Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these claims, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a slice-of-life Pokémon game. True to its title, the game takes place on a farm where your personal Miis—get this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful 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 never see a Pokémon Ranch game realized to its fullest 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 simulation. Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the proliferation of idle games, and the video playthrough popularization of watching games you aren't playing. Most people never understood that Ranch's proposal to watch your creatures as much as you play with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, a live stream focused on running the game continuously. The individual who runs the channel states that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he still has not seen everything that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008. Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with action figures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's first ventures into the world of freemium 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 masked a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, years after Duel's servers were shut down. "Truly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, design, and features in general," a user declared. "I am convinced if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket combined." Regrettably, Duel's early release was plagued with connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory business model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, 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 fantastic tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess. Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Experiment Select Button/Magikarp Jump Man, 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 concept so silly, it was bordering on internet meme. 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. Within Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with raising the best possible version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter contests 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 improve 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 brutal random events, where your Magikarp was as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the great writing, Magikarp Jump also experimented with other things one might 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 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 deep game, but the kernels of genius were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results that forever alter 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 arrives. Given numerous core games and derivative titles, chances are 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 Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu