25 years of Pokémon! We remember the beginning of the series
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From humble handheld games to pop culture phenomena that ignite the hearts of young and adult fans alike. In more than two decades of their existence, Pokémon have come a very long way. On the occasion of #Pokemon25, we return to the origins of the series and ask ourselves - what is the uniqueness of pocket creatures?
Pokemon25 is a true fan feast!
On February 27, 1996, the Game Boy version of Pocket Monsters Red and Green premiered in Japan. Invisible jRPGs for kids proved so successful that it was decided to distribute them in the US and Europe. So the most serious mistakes were corrected, the name was shortened from "Pocket Monsters" to "Pokemon", and in 1998 the twin products hit stores around the world. Satoshi Tajiri, the father of the series, certainly didn't think he would start a Pokémania that would shape generations of fans.
In 2021, Pokemon will remain one of the most popular series in the history of electronic entertainment and the apple of Nintendo's eye. And just as Marvel superheroes have long moved beyond the pages of comics, Pikachu and company have ceased to be associated only with the world of games and consoles. Cartoons, movies, playing cards, clothing, figurines, mobile apps... Pokémon are everywhere and everything points to them being with us for a long time to come.
The Pokemon Company decided to arrange a grand celebration of the anniversary of the iconic brand. On the occasion of Pokemon 25, special in-game events, virtual concerts (featuring Post Malone and Katy Perry, among others) and many anniversary surprises are planned. On February 26.02, as part of the Pokemon Presents presentation, more games were announced: remakes of the 4th generation (Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl) and a completely new product: Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Fans have something to look forward to!
For us, the 25th anniversary of the series is also a great opportunity for nostalgic memories. Indeed, for many of us, Pokemon are in many ways a pleasant memory from childhood. So let's think - how did they manage to conquer the world?
From insect collecting to international hit
Looking at Pokémon in hindsight, it's hard to believe how humble their origins were. In the early 90s, GameFreak - the development studio responsible for the series until today - was just a group of enthusiasts who previously co-created a magazine for players. In addition, the very idea of the game, stemming from Satoshi Tajiri's love of collecting insects, posed additional challenges for the creators.
Most of the problems that the developers faced along the way were related to the power of the console itself. It may be hard to believe, but already in 1996 the original Game Boy was outdated, and weak power and primitive solutions did not make the job easier. Remember, this is a handheld console that debuted in 1989 (seven years is forever for electronic equipment!), and its biggest hits were Super Mario Land or Tetris, among others - incredibly playable yet very simple productions.
After all, the GameFreak team managed to accomplish the almost impossible. Despite their inexperience and powerful hardware limitations, they managed to make the game they wanted. The creators squeezed as much as possible out of the 8-bit console, often struggling with lack of memory and deftly using the strengths of the Game Boy. Of course, "Pocket Monsters" were not perfect games - fortunately, in the versions intended for the Western market, a large number of errors and imperfections were eliminated. Pokemon Red and Blue, after several years of work, were ready to win the hearts of the players.
Pokémon Red and Blue - Catch Them All!
The first generation of Pokémon is, in terms of assumptions, a very classic JRPG for kids. Over the course of the game, the player receives their first Pokémon from Professor Oak and travels out into the world to defeat the region's eight strongest trainers. He also has a big goal - to catch them all! So we're off on a journey, catching more creatures, and finally getting strong enough to take on the Elite Four and become a Pokémon Master!
From today's point of view, the main advantage of Pokemon games is the amazing atmosphere of adventure that accompanies us at every turn. From the very beginning, we know that the plot in Red and Blue Pokémon was just an excuse to have fun and explore new locations. We start in a small, sleepy town to make our way through deep caves, cross seas, uncover the secrets of a ruined lab, or even take on an entire criminal organization! GameFreak, despite the console's hardware limitations, created a living world that was mesmerizing and seemingly filled with mysteries just waiting to be discovered. Where the console's power failed, the player's imagination did the rest.
The very idea of collecting Pokémon turned out to be a bull's-eye and largely determined the success of the game. The search for unknown creatures, the strategic selection of team members to defeat a strong trainer, even the choice of names for Pokémon - all this worked well for the imagination and brought an important element of freedom to the game. All of the Pokemon gameplay was designed to be not just tools, but real heroes that we really got along with. And it worked!
It was also revolutionary to encourage players to interact with each other in the real world - which is why each Pokémon generation has two versions of the game. None of them let you catch them all on your own - some spawned exclusively on Red or Blue. What did the future Pokemon master have to do? Make an appointment with friends who had the second version and use the Game Boy (Link Cable) to send the missing Pokémon. Encouraging interaction and getting out into the real world has become one of the features of the series that has also stayed with fans for years to come.
Od Red i Blue do Sword i Shield
And, of course, the first generation was not without flaws. We had a lot of fun in these caves, Psychic Pokémon had a clear advantage over the rest, and fights with random opponents could go on forever. Most of these shortcomings were fixed in the next generation - Pokemon Gold and Silver. However, the underlying assumptions of Red and Blue were so fresh and timeless that they remain with us today.
In 2021, we have already reached the eighth generation - Pokemon Sword and Shield - and the number of Pokemon is about 898 (not counting regional forms). The times when we knew only 151 creatures are long gone. Have Pokémon changed a lot over the years? Yes and no.
On the one hand, GameFreak is not afraid to experiment, and in recent generations, it strives to introduce new elements into the game - from Mega Evolution to Dynamax, which allowed our creatures to reach the size of a multi-story block. On the other hand, the gameplay remains the same. We still pick a starter, win 8 badges and fight for the league championship. And not all fans like it.
These days, Pokémon are most often criticized by fans for their repetitiveness and level of difficulty - the fact is that the main storyline does not require players to plan much strategy, and rarely any duel can be especially difficult for us. The Pokemon series is still primarily aimed at children. At the same time, however, adult players are still looking for additional challenges in these productions. Over the years, the competitive dueling scene has developed well, with dedicated fans breeding the strongest Pokémon, devising effective strategies, and battling each other online. And to win such a duel, you really need a lot of time and thought. It is not enough to know which type is fighting with which.
Remake and Pokemon Go
For years, the main Pokemon series has been just one element of the franchise. Regularly, GameFreak releases new remakes of older generations designed for newer consoles. The first generation itself has two re-releases - Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on the Game Boy Advance and Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee on the Switch. The latest creation was an interesting combination of the most important elements of the series with the mechanics known from the Pokemon Go smartphone.
Speaking of the popularity of Pokémon, it's hard not to mention this application, which in many ways gave the brand a second life and made even people who do not own a Nintendo console start collecting pocket creatures. A few months after the premiere, the mobile game Pokemon Go became an amazing hit, and even today it still has a lot of fans. And this is not surprising - the idea of a location game (where real space is a key element of the game) fits fantastically into Pokémon, which from the very beginning were based a lot on exploration and interaction with other players. And although the emotions associated with GO have subsided somewhat, its popularity shows that Pokemon still have a lot of potential. And not just based on nostalgia.
25 years of Pokémon - what's next?
What is the future of the series? Of course, we can expect GameFreak to continue on the beaten path and provide us with the next installments of the main series and old generation remakes - we are already looking forward to the return of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl to Sinnoh. In addition, it seems that the creators will begin to experiment more willingly - Pokemon as a concept offers really wide possibilities, and Pokemon Go appeared out of nowhere and turned the entire series on its head. We see this even after new announcements: Pokemon Legends: Arceus will be the first in the history of the open-world action-rpg brand. Who knows, maybe over time, new gameplay elements will also appear in the main series? There will also be nostalgic winks to older fans. Finally, 2021 will see the premiere of New Pokemon Snap, the sequel to a game that still remembers the days of the Nintendo 64 console!
We wish Pokemon a hundred years and look forward to the next games with flushed faces. What are your memories of this series? Let us know about it in the comments. More similar texts can be found on AvtoTachki Passions in the Gram section.
Photo Source: Nintendo/The Pokemon Company promotional materials.
