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Following a taste of global harmony courtesy of Pokemon Go, it's undeniable that the monster collecting series stands as one of the most ubiquitous video games around. The iconic Pikachu is just as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent pandemonium surrounding card prices ensures almost daily Pokémon news stories. It would be difficult to find a pocket monster game that didn't sell at least a couple million units. Remarkably, unofficial Pokémon games achieve popularity every year.

Yet despite that ubiquity and fame, there are still Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent titles that failed to receive their fair shake, or were buried under the hype of the core series. They're Pokémon games stuck on ill-fated consoles or online offerings, or were early forays onto new mediums. Frequently, they are Pokémon games that probably would have flourished if they ever got sequels or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, we won't be offering just one more recommendation for Pokémon Conquest or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. We're pulling an Excadrill.

Still, these might be these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and writing 'Actually,' let us just agree that these are Pokémon games for people with refined tastes, agreed?

Pokémon Ranch: The Relaxed Forerunner

An excessive number of Pokémon games focus on the battling aspect of the series, and not nearly enough of them focus on the everyday aspects that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, there are small features like these in recent entries—you can play with 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 isn't it. The downloadable-only title is best seen as the precursor to Pokémon Home; that is, as a storage system to hold monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a poor if not truly ugly game. I'm not here to dispute these claims, but it compels me to say Ranch might be the closest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.

True to its title, the game is set on a farm where your Mii avatars—get this—simply hang out with your Pokémon pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, and a significant part of the appeal was watching what your monsters might do when not forced into cockfighting. In a just world, Pokémon Ranch would have been the start of a beautiful franchise built on the daily joys of living your life with a tiny companion. But since The Pokémon Company can collect a fee for Pokémon Home now, it's likely we will never see a Pokémon Ranch game developed to its complete potential. I'd say 'help 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 prior to the rise of passive games, and the Let's Play normalization of viewing games you aren't playing. Many never realized that Ranch's proposal to observe your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's meticulous design was so remarkable, there's a live stream focused on broadcasting the game 24/7. The streamer who operates the channel states that, after almost twenty years of experiencing the game, he even now has not seen all that is in it. Justice for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.

Pokemon Duel: The Tactical Board Game Gone

Did you know that Pokémon once had an licensed board game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 attempt to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable form. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest forays into the world of free-to-play phone games. Duel had the hallmarks of a gacha game where players could spend for advantage—and there was motivation to do so, given the slow progression for new pieces.

All of these poor design choices masked a sad truth: Pokémon Duel was an excellent strategy game with Duel anymore. "I can’t express how much I loved and miss this game," one YouTube comment states, seven years after Duel's servers were pulled. "Honestly I think this game was superior to TCG Pocket in terms of complexity, approachability, design, and content in general," a user wrote. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be engaging with it more than GO and Pocket together."

Regrettably, Duel's early release was marred by connectivity problems. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy monetization model, gave people few incentives to come back. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company chose to resurrect this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unusual game board made for a great strategic challenge for the handful of players who played Duel, but that playing field is also a daunting visual mess.

Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment

Wow, why don't more Pokémon games loosen up a little and have some enjoyment? Magikarp Jump (2017) was a uncommon case of The Pokémon Company giving its blessing a game with a premise so absurd, it was bordering on shitpost. And when we're dealing with a franchise where trainers venture forth 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.

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 'Magikarp raised to enter contests to see who can jump the highest. One drawback is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is clear throughout the experience that the developers appreciated and got the fan culture around Magikarp.

This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless random events, where your Magikarp was just as likely to improve as it was to get snatched by a Pidgeotto. Apart from 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. I know it's not feasible 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 especially complex or deep game, but the seeds of brilliance were there. Sharply written events with unpredictable results that permanently influence how you can raise a pet also describe the excellent Mewgenics. It's worth noting: Mewgenics will likely be in the conversation when Game of the Year season arrives.

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Given dozens of core games and spin-offs, 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 Pokémon Ranger or Pokémon Pinball fondly despite argu