The Fun Factor 3.19.07: Pokemon
Posted by Cory Moore on 03.19.2007
Gotta catch’em all!
A few months ago, EGM highlighted the Pokemon series' 10th anniversary. As I was reading through the feature, I thought to myself, "10 years? Already!?" I felt OLD! Then, I realized that it was 10 years old in Japan and the anniversary was still two years away from the States. I felt slightly relieved then.
That article allowed me to flashback to many fond memories I had stored in my memory banks of the crazy little pocket monsters. Like every other brainwashed kid, I watched the TV show, collected every action figure released, and went to see the movie. Didn't the franchise have cereal, too? It was so popular that you couldn't help but buy into it.
Pokemon has been overexposed to the point of no return since its peak, but it's still around. There are almost 500 of the little critters now. I don't see how a person can keep up with all the personalities, but I'm sure there's someone out there that can pull out his electronic Pokedex with an enormous collection to show off. It may take a few hours to scroll through, but I digress.
Pokemon's mass appeal has fizzled, but the video games have continued to act as a force to be reckoned with in the gaming arena. The fourth generation of games, Diamond and Pearl, are set to be released in the U.S. in just over a month. So while you anticipate what the next installments will bring, let this act as a refresher as to why the franchise become so darn popular in the first place…
Pokemon
Game Boy, 1998
Released in Red and Blue versions
The Controlled Substance
Pokemon follows your Pokemon-obsessed digital counterpart as he journeys to become the best trainer in the land. You start off living with your mom, wanting to break out and accomplish great things for yourself. Then, one day, the friendly neighborhood gentleman, Professor Oak, presents you with an opportunity you cannot pass up. Well…after you complete some chores for him.
Professor Oak allows you to choose one of three Pokemon to aid in advancing your dream. Squirtle is a water-based Pokemon that relies on liquid attacks to defeat his opponents. Charmander is a fire type capable of flame-induced offense. Finally, Bulbasaur is a grass Pokemon and uses his plant-inspired abilities to gain an advantage. You quickly learn that each of them has a weakness when your rival trainer picks the opposite of your type. For example, grass is weakened by fire but is resistant to water, and so forth. So the strategizing begins. Your first Pokemon is often the key to your team, so it is critical to choose wisely.
After choosing your first Pokemon, you learn the basic nuances of the game. Collecting Pokemon is the key to success and building a team, so encountering and capturing wild ones with ‘Pokeballs' is an important aspect of the game. As your Pokemon continue to battle the wild and other novice trainers, your monsters will build experience points that increase statistics such as strength, speed and learning new attacks. Along the way, your progress capturing a variety of monsters will shape a team consisting of six of these creatures. As your squad gains some momentum, you take them to battle gym leaders, who act as the ultimate test in each town you encounter.
As you scratch and claw your way to building a solid reputation as a trainer, you'll make some crucial decisions along the way. Choosing your team's identity is the main objective, as you will need a variety of personalities to defeat the Elite Four, the final challenge in the Red and Blue games. To truly ‘beat' the game, you will need to complete your Pokedex's 150 entries by trading with human buddies that have a Game Boy link cable. Even then, there's an endless amount of battles you can enter to test your team.
The Fun Factor
The first thing people associate with the name Pokemon is the cute, cuddly creatures associated with the game. And rightfully so. After all, this game is about collecting those critters to achieve your goals. Kids love to collect things: rocks, bottle caps, trading cards, you name it. By playing this game and achieving its main goal of capturing the pocket monsters, we feel like we're kids again. We feel like we're having fun by going into the woods, poking around, and finally capturing that little stray. It's especially satisfying when you're finally able to nab that elusive critter that you've spent minutes, hours or even days trying to hunt.
This game also allows us gamers to mold the team after our individual identities. If you love cuddly, cute Pokemon, you can choose not to evolve them and put up the front that you're in the game for love, not war. On the other side of the token, you can assemble a team made up of the grittiest, imposing beasts in the fantasy world of Kanto to show your determination for success. All of the options are open, and you can tailor your journey as such. That's a freedom that is shared in few games, and it truly is refreshing.
Of course, to be successful in Pokemon, you cannot win on appearances alone. After all, this is a Strategy-RPG game, not a beauty contest. If you choose not to evolve your monsters, you could get burned when it comes to learning more powerful abilities. You must also balance your team with different types – water, fire, grass, electric, ghost – in order to combat your opponents' strengths and weaknesses. This is where favoritism comes in. You could develop a strong bond with two Pokemon, but they may perform similar duties and one becomes expendable. What do you do? Again, you choose their fate. At times, it can be burdensome. But when the decisions translate to success, it's quite satisfying.
Perhaps the most heralded function of Pokemon was provided via the Game Boy's link cable, allowing for a link up between two friends. Trading your Pokemon completes two objectives: completing your Pokedex and giving you new monsters for strategy purposes. Trading is not the only option, though. If you think you're good enough, link up and battle your friend in a 6-on-6 fight to the finish. A lot plays into it, but the more experience you get against foes, the better your team will be in the long run. Like much of the game, it's a matter of perseverance.
The 411
When Pokemon caught on as an overnight sensation, it didn't shock me one bit. Heck, as eighth graders in a private school, we always had comparisons of which Pokemon we captured and who was willing to trade what. And this wasn't just guys, it was girls too! And this was before the girl gamer movement we have going on now. That's the best thing about video games. The great ones don't discriminate, they bond us together.
Ten years later, I can still pick up a Game Boy and be sucked in to this game for hours. It may look like another RPG at first glance, but once you dive into the game, you really begin to feel its magic. Even though the fad has fizzled, Pokemon is still a highly enjoyable game that almost anyone can have fun with if they have an open mind.
Pokemon may be a guilty pleasure for older audiences, but it proves video games don't need guns and violence to capture mainstream attention. In fact, the series is heralded as the #2 best-selling franchise, only topped by Mario. I was floored when I saw that statistic, but it should not have come as a huge surprise. It's rare that a game produces a massive effect like this one did, but that speaks for its superb design and infectious image.
Speaking of infectious, Pikachu will haunt you in your sleep tonight. I guarantee it.
