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In the wake of a glimpse of global harmony courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's beyond doubt that the creature-catching series stands as one of the most ubiquitous gaming titles around. The iconic Pikachu is just as famous as Disney's mascot, if not more so. The continued frenzy around card prices ensures almost daily Pokemon news stories. It would be hard-pressed to find a Pokémon game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Even, unofficial Pokémon games go viral every year.

Yet despite that pervasiveness and fame, some Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried by the excitement of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated consoles or services, or were early forays onto different formats. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got sequels or contemporary re-releases. Considering these factors, this list will not be just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're going beneath the surface.

Nevertheless, these might be these Pokémon games. Therefore, prior to adjusting your spectacles and typing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing discerning palates, shall we?

Pokemon Ranch: The Relaxed Precursor

An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and not nearly enough of them highlight the everyday aspects that would come with owning a companion. Sure, there are minor mechanics like these in recent entries—players may play with your monsters in camps. But I am longing for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.

My Pokémon Ranch (2008) for the Wii isn't it. The digital-only title is best seen as the antecedent to Pokemon Home; that is, as a storage system 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 argue against these claims, 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—get this—just relax with your 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 cockfighting. Ideally, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting with a tiny companion. 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 complete potential. I'd say 'save us, Pokémon Pokopia!' but I also know that the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is just as much a puzzler as it is a life simulation.

Ranch came out long before Stardew Valley kicked off the lasting craze of comfort gaming. It was before the rise of passive games, and the video playthrough normalization of viewing games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a lack of substance. In actuality, Ranch's attention to detail was so remarkable, a live stream dedicated to broadcasting the game continuously. The streamer who runs the channel states that, after nearly two decades of playing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one understood you in 2008.

Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Lost

Did you know that Pokemon once had an licensed board game with miniatures? Pokémon Duel was the 2016 effort to digitize the physical experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of freemium phone games. 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 obfuscated a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an superb tactical game with Duel today. "Words cannot describe how much I adored and miss this game," one YouTube comment reads, years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Truly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, design, and content in general," another commenter wrote. "I am convinced if it came out now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."

Regrettably, Duel's initial launch was plagued with server issues. Bugs, alongside Duel's predatory business 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 unusual board structure made for a great tactical experience for the handful of players who played Duel, but that board is also a daunting visual mess.

Pokemon: Magikarp Jump: The Absurd Gem

Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a rare instance of The Pokémon Company approving a game with a premise so silly, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a full belt 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 infamous 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. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many phone games, requires the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that the developers loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.

This was most apparent 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 clever dialogue, Magikarp Jump also tried out other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same type of monster. It's understood it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have dozens of colorings and patterns for a roster 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 seeds of brilliance 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 running when Game of the Year season rolls around.

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With dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs, it's probable that I didn't mention that particular Pokémon game you totally love but contend that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly despite argu