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Following a vision of global harmony courtesy of Pokemon Go, there's no question that the monster collecting franchise is about as ubiquitous video games around. Pikachu is every bit as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, if not more so. The persistent excitement surrounding trading card values ensures near-daily Pokémon headlines. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pocket monster game that failed to move at least a couple million copies. Even, fan-made Pokémon games achieve popularity annually.

Yet in spite of that pervasiveness and fame, there are still Pokémon games that remain overlooked. These represent games that failed to receive their proper due, or were buried under the excitement of the mainline series. They're Pokémon games released on doomed platforms or services, or were early forays onto new mediums. They're often also Pokémon games that might have flourished if they had received follow-ups or modern remakes. With these criteria in mind, this list will not be yet another recommendation for Pokemon Conquest or the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. We're digging deep.

Still, you may already know about these Pokémon games. So, before rearranging your glasses and typing 'Well,' we can all acknowledge that these are Pokémon games for those possessing refined tastes, shall we?

Pokemon Ranch: The Chill Precursor

An excessive number of Pokémon games emphasize the battling element of the series, and far too few of them highlight the ordinary realities that would come with living with a pet. Admittedly, modern titles include minor mechanics like these in modern games—players may play with your monsters in camps. However, I'm dying for a Pokémon game more in the vein of Nintendogs or The Sims.

My Pokemon Ranch (2008) for the Nintendo Wii is not that game. The digital-only title is most accurately viewed as the antecedent to Pokémon Home; that is, as a repository to store monsters from different games. Reviews from its launch noted Ranch was a poor if not outright hideous game. It's not my goal to dispute these notions, but it behooves me to say Ranch might be the nearest we've come to a everyday life Pokémon game.

True to its title, the game is set on a ranch where your personal Miis—get this—just relax with your pals. The activities with Pokémon were simple, 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 start of a beautiful franchise built on the simple pleasures of coexisting 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 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 long before Stardew Valley kicked off the enduring trend of comfort gaming. It was prior to the proliferation of idle games, and the Let's Play popularization of watching games you aren't actively controlling. Many never realized that Ranch's concept to watch your creatures as much as you play with them didn't mask a shallow core. In truth, Ranch's attention to detail was so extraordinary, a Twitch stream focused on running the game continuously. The streamer who operates the channel maintains that, after nearly two decades of experiencing the game, he still has not encountered everything that is in it. Recognition for Pokémon Ranch: no one knew what to do with you in 2008.

Pokémon Duel: The Tactical Tabletop Game Gone

Are you aware that Pokemon once had an official board game with action figures? Pokemon Duel was the 2016 effort to adapt the tabletop experience in a more approachable format. Duel was also, sadly, one of Pokémon's earliest ventures 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 lengthy grind for new pieces.

All of these questionable mechanics masked a sad truth: 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 superior to TCG Pocket in terms of depth, approachability, game design, and content in general," another commenter declared. "I truly believe if it launched now people would be playing it more than GO and Pocket combined."

Unfortunately, Duel's early release was plagued with server issues. Technical problems, alongside Duel's scummy business model, gave people few incentives to return. Should a revival occur, The Pokémon Company decided to revive this franchise, it's unclear things would play out differently. The unusual game board made for a fantastic tactical experience for the few folks who played Duel, but that playing field is also a intimidating visual mess.

Pokémon: Magikarp Jump: The Silly Experiment

Man, why don't more Pokémon games relax 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 verging on shitpost. Considering we're dealing with a franchise where trainers go out with a team of useless 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 tasked with raising the ultimate version of the notorious fish. This isn't about a Magikarp that can kick your butt. These are 'Magikarp raised to enter competitions to see who can jump the highest. I'm not a fan is how Magikarp Jump, like many mobile games, forces the player to pause before they can train their Magikarp further. But it is evident throughout the experience that Select Button loved and understood the community love around Magikarp.

This was most apparent than in Jump's merciless 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 experimented with other things I wish the mainline games would do, like offering a wide variety of the same species of monster. It's understood it's not feasible for any Pokémon game to have dozens of variations for a compendium 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. And I'm just saying: Mewgenics will likely be in the running when Game of the Year season arrives.

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Given numerous mainline entries and derivative titles, it's probable that I omitted that one Pokémon game you totally love but contend that not nearly enough people played. I know that some people remember games like Pokemon Ranger or Pokemon Pinball fondly notwithstanding argu