🔗 Share this article Three Pokemon Titles That Didn't Get the Adoration They Earned In the wake of a taste of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting series stands as one of the most mainstream gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The continued excitement around card prices ensures near-daily Pokémon headlines. It would be difficult to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a few million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games go viral annually. Yet despite that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that remain underappreciated. These are titles that didn't get their proper due, or were overshadowed under the hype of the mainline series. These are Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated platforms or online offerings, or were pioneering attempts onto different formats. Frequently, they are 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 recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep. Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed? Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Forerunner An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday aspects that would come with owning a companion. Sure, there are small features like these in modern games—you can pet, and feed your monsters in camps. But I am dying for a Pokémon game more in the style of Nintendogs or The Sims. My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the precursor to Pokemon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. It's not my goal to argue against these notions, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've ever gotten to a slice-of-life Pokémon game. True to its title, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The interactions with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the appeal was observing what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into battle. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest potential. One might cry 'help us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but it's also known that the upcoming Switch exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life sim. Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley sparked the enduring trend of cozy games. It was prior to the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Most people never understood that Ranch's concept to watch your creatures as much as you interact with them didn't mask a shallow core. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, there's a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The individual who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008. Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Gone Are you aware that Pokémon once had an licensed tabletop game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop experience in a more accessible form. Duel was also, unfortunately, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the trappings of a gacha title where players could spend for advantage—and there was incentive to do so, given the lengthy grind for new pieces. All of these questionable mechanics obfuscated a tragic reality: Pokémon Duel was an excellent tactical game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was better than TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, accessibility, design, and features in general," another commenter wrote. "I truly believe if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket together." Regrettably, Duel's early release was marred by server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's predatory monetization model, gave people few incentives to return. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear 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 board is also a intimidating visual mess. Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Gem Select Button/Magikarp Jump Man, 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 giving its blessing a game with a concept so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. 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 laugh at themselves. Within Magikarp Jump, the player is tasked with raising the best possible version of the infamous fish. I'm not talking about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'karp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan 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 fan culture around Magikarp. Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats 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 diverse range of the same type of monster. I know it's not practical 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 particularly sophisticated or profound game, but the kernels of genius were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that forever alter how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season arrives. Given dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, chances are that I didn't mention that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball with affection despite argu