🔗 Share this article 3 Pokémon Titles That Were Denied the Appreciation They Earned In the wake of a glimpse of world peace thanks to Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting franchise is about as mainstream gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is just as recognizable as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The ongoing excitement surrounding trading card values guarantees almost daily Pokémon news stories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a few million units. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year. However despite that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that are totally underappreciated. These represent titles that didn't get their proper due, or were buried under the excitement of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games stuck on doomed consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto different formats. They're often also Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. Considering these factors, this list will not be just one more recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep. Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to rearranging your glasses and typing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, agreed? Pokemon Ranch: The Cozy Precursor Too many Pokémon games emphasize the battling aspect of the series, and far too few of them focus on the ordinary aspects that would come with owning a pet. Admittedly, there are minor mechanics 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 isn't it. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to hold monsters from different games. Critical reception from its release said Ranch was a bad if not outright hideous game. I'm not here to dispute 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 takes place on a ranch where your Mii avatars—imagine this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were basic, and a lot of the draw was watching what your monsters might do when they're not being forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the beginning of a wonderful franchise built on the daily joys of coexisting with a small creature. But since The Pokémon Company can charge a subscription for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will not get a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its fullest 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 simulation. Ranch came out well before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of cozy games. It was before the rise of passive games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't playing. Many never understood that Ranch's concept to observe your critters as much as you interact with them wasn't to hide a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so extraordinary, a Twitch stream dedicated to running the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after almost twenty years of playing the game, he still has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: nobody understood you in 2008. Pokemon Duel: The Strategic Board Game Lost Are you aware that Pokémon once had an official board game with miniatures? 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 forays into the world of free-to-play 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. All of these questionable mechanics obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb strategy game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I adored and miss this game," a YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, accessibility, design, and features in general," another commenter wrote. "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. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people little reason to come back. If, by some miracle, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, it's unclear things would end better. The unique board structure made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating eyesore. Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Whimsical 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 premise so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth with a full belt of ineffective monsters who simply cannot do anything, it's surprising we don't have more Pokémon games that laugh at themselves. In Magikarp Jump, the player is charged with breeding the best possible version of the infamous fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can win battles. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can flop the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, requires the player to wait before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got the community love around Magikarp. Nowhere was this more evident than in Jump's brutal random occurrences, where your Magikarp was just as likely to raise its stats as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Beyond the clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things one might wish the core series would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type of monster. It's understood it's not practical for any Pokémon game to have dozens of colorings and patterns 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 kernels of genius were there. Witty events with unpredictable results that permanently influence how you can train a companion also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will almost certainly be in the conversation when 2026 GOTY season arrives. With dozens of core games and spin-offs, chances are that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but argue that too few people played. I know that some people look back on games like Pokémon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball with affection notwithstanding argu