Written by: Kevin Berge
Move on to all the other teams you want, Ash, and don't age at all somehow, but just remember who the true OGs are. (Image Courtesy of: kotaku.com)
I've long wondered just how I should tackle writing about Pokemon. I was born in 1993 which made me just old enough to get tangled up in the growing Pokemon craze shortly after it first hit North America in 1998. I cannot remember everything about that time, but I remember playing Pokemon.
I put hundreds of hours into the first generation of Pokemon games, buying Red, Blue, and Yellow just to see all the Pokemon I could. I played the second generation with similar fervor while also engaging with the animated series that aired each Saturday on Kids' WB.
I wasn't the only one engaged with the franchise. It was the talk of everyone around my age. Everyone was looking to trade Pokemon at school, and the show was the animated television show to see. Despite our generation growing out of it though, Pokemon has been growing strong for almost two decades.
I put hundreds of hours into the first generation of Pokemon games, buying Red, Blue, and Yellow just to see all the Pokemon I could. I played the second generation with similar fervor while also engaging with the animated series that aired each Saturday on Kids' WB.
I wasn't the only one engaged with the franchise. It was the talk of everyone around my age. Everyone was looking to trade Pokemon at school, and the show was the animated television show to see. Despite our generation growing out of it though, Pokemon has been growing strong for almost two decades.
Understanding Pokemon's staying power is complicated with too much threads of influence to easily follow. The anime is rapidly approaching its 1000th episode while the games have reached the seventh generation (now Sun and Moon because they're running thin on colors).
Moreover, Pokemon Go, an augmented reality mobile game that lets you catch Pokemon "in real life", was released in 2016 and basically took over gaming culture for a while. The newfound popularity has even led to the recent announcement of a live action movie called Detective Pikachu.
There's something about the franchise that engages people. Only the main game series can truly profess to be high quality even if it has taken a while for iterations of Pokemon games to evolve beyond just adding new Pokemon and fixing problematic basic mechanics.
The show was wholly aimed at kids to the point of not holding up well. Similar to my attempt to revisit another childhood anime, Yu-Gi-Oh!, it was hard to rewatch Pokemon even for basic nostalgia because it is woefully limited in its storytelling. The point is to sell you on playing the games and catching Pokemon yourself.
Moreover, Pokemon Go, an augmented reality mobile game that lets you catch Pokemon "in real life", was released in 2016 and basically took over gaming culture for a while. The newfound popularity has even led to the recent announcement of a live action movie called Detective Pikachu.
There's something about the franchise that engages people. Only the main game series can truly profess to be high quality even if it has taken a while for iterations of Pokemon games to evolve beyond just adding new Pokemon and fixing problematic basic mechanics.
The show was wholly aimed at kids to the point of not holding up well. Similar to my attempt to revisit another childhood anime, Yu-Gi-Oh!, it was hard to rewatch Pokemon even for basic nostalgia because it is woefully limited in its storytelling. The point is to sell you on playing the games and catching Pokemon yourself.
Welp, there's the nostalgia bug creeping up again. (Image Courtesy of: unilad.co.uk)
However, Pokemon works precisely because it has such a simple and engaging concept. The "Gotta Catch 'Em All" tag line translates to all generations and has been adopted more over time rather than less. Mobile games thrive off this type of marketing.
Even the loot box craze that has caused serious controversy is driven by the same desire to collect everything. Pokemon tapped into this idea before nearly anyone else by opening up a world filled with unique monsters to appreciate and understand.
Everyone involved with the franchise has a favorite Pokemon, even favorites from each of the generations they have experienced, and they are not the same few options. Generation 1 alone has 151 Pokemon including the classics like Pikachu, Charizard, and Jigglypuff but also fun legendary characters like Mewtwo and Zapdos.
Beyond the obvious, I grew up loving Pidgeot and Jolteon, and I made sure to keep them on my main teams in the Gen. 1 games throughout my playthroughs. The TV series helped me grow attached to Pidgeot and frustrated me when Ash let him go.
Every piece of the puzzle was interconnected, but it is important to note that so much of the original marketing for Pokemon has fallen a bit under the radar. Pokemon Go may be many modern fans' introduction to the world, and they don't need anything else to engage them in the experience.
Japan has made many other series like Pokemon. Digimon actually came out earlier, but, despite being the more interesting show, it never tapped into the same infectious energy. Medabots and Monster Rancher are shows that failed catastrophically as clones.
The game clones are even more numerous. From Dragon Quest Monsters to the recent Yo-Kai Watch, the concept has made for a host of accessible experiences but nothing as outright engaging. Hunting and collecting may be an easy avenue for game mechanics, but no one does it better than Pokemon.
Even the loot box craze that has caused serious controversy is driven by the same desire to collect everything. Pokemon tapped into this idea before nearly anyone else by opening up a world filled with unique monsters to appreciate and understand.
Everyone involved with the franchise has a favorite Pokemon, even favorites from each of the generations they have experienced, and they are not the same few options. Generation 1 alone has 151 Pokemon including the classics like Pikachu, Charizard, and Jigglypuff but also fun legendary characters like Mewtwo and Zapdos.
Beyond the obvious, I grew up loving Pidgeot and Jolteon, and I made sure to keep them on my main teams in the Gen. 1 games throughout my playthroughs. The TV series helped me grow attached to Pidgeot and frustrated me when Ash let him go.
Every piece of the puzzle was interconnected, but it is important to note that so much of the original marketing for Pokemon has fallen a bit under the radar. Pokemon Go may be many modern fans' introduction to the world, and they don't need anything else to engage them in the experience.
Japan has made many other series like Pokemon. Digimon actually came out earlier, but, despite being the more interesting show, it never tapped into the same infectious energy. Medabots and Monster Rancher are shows that failed catastrophically as clones.
The game clones are even more numerous. From Dragon Quest Monsters to the recent Yo-Kai Watch, the concept has made for a host of accessible experiences but nothing as outright engaging. Hunting and collecting may be an easy avenue for game mechanics, but no one does it better than Pokemon.
I would like to make clear I have never played Pokemon Go and never will. I can't take that risk. (Image Courtesy of: pokemongolive.com)
Why has Pokemon endured so strongly? Because the people behind it have kept the series tied to its core demographic. The show does not evolve its story much because there's always new kids coming in to experience the adventure for the first time.
Gamers who play their first Pokemon game late will have roughly the same journey as those coming in at Gen. 1. Despite this, the addictive nature sticks with many who were first drawn in at the very beginning. They don't need to be catered to because they are already hooked.
Personally, I have no strong urge to ever return to the series or even the games, but I do get those occasional moments of bubbling nostalgia when I wonder if maybe I should dive into a Pokemon game again. I manage to save myself the 100 hours I would lose, but I still understand why so many stay invested.
As most franchises struggle to cater to all audiences, whether the discussion is directed at Star Wars, Marvel, James Bond, or so many more, Pokemon has quietly created such an indelible formula that no one has been able to top it.
Sure, it has not always led to perfect products. I dread the Detective Pikachu movie on the horizon. I have no idea what to make of the host of Pokemon spinoff games. I continually wonder why I ever liked watching the Pokemon series now looking back at its static storytelling.
However, there is something to be admired about a brand that has been so completely confident in its direction that it has translated to multiple generations and evolved with the times without ever changing the core message. Many franchises could learn from Pokemon.
I just hope they don't learn the wrong things from that success.
Gamers who play their first Pokemon game late will have roughly the same journey as those coming in at Gen. 1. Despite this, the addictive nature sticks with many who were first drawn in at the very beginning. They don't need to be catered to because they are already hooked.
Personally, I have no strong urge to ever return to the series or even the games, but I do get those occasional moments of bubbling nostalgia when I wonder if maybe I should dive into a Pokemon game again. I manage to save myself the 100 hours I would lose, but I still understand why so many stay invested.
As most franchises struggle to cater to all audiences, whether the discussion is directed at Star Wars, Marvel, James Bond, or so many more, Pokemon has quietly created such an indelible formula that no one has been able to top it.
Sure, it has not always led to perfect products. I dread the Detective Pikachu movie on the horizon. I have no idea what to make of the host of Pokemon spinoff games. I continually wonder why I ever liked watching the Pokemon series now looking back at its static storytelling.
However, there is something to be admired about a brand that has been so completely confident in its direction that it has translated to multiple generations and evolved with the times without ever changing the core message. Many franchises could learn from Pokemon.
I just hope they don't learn the wrong things from that success.
