Pokémon
Pokémon (ポケモン, Pokemon, IPA: [ˈpoʊ.keɪ.mɑn], sometimes pronounced [poʊ.kiˈmæn]), is a multi-billion dollar media franchise[1] controlled by video game giant Nintendo, and created by Satoshi Tajiri around 1995 (it celebrated its tenth anniversary on February 27, 2006, although the franchise was copyrighted in the USA as Pokémon by 1995). The original Game Boy video games have since been merchandised into anime, manga, trading cards, toys, books, and other media. The name, Pokémon, is the romanized contraction of the Japanese brand, “Pocket Monsters” (ポケットモンスター, Poketto Monsutā), as such contractions are very common in Japan. Nintendo originally literally translated Poketto Monsutā – indeed, a "Pocket Monsters" game was created in early 1995. A naming conflict with the Monster In My Pocket toy range caused Nintendo to rebrand the franchise as "Pokémon" in early 1996. The game’s catchphrase, in the Japanese language versions of the franchise is "ポケモンGETだぜ! (Pokémon Getto Daze! - Let's Get Pokémon!)"; in English language versions of the franchise, it used to be “Gotta catch ’em all!”, although it is now no longer officially used except in the spin-off series Pokémon Chronicles.
The concept of the Pokémon saga stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a popular pastime which Pokémon's creator Satoshi Tajiri had enjoyed as a child. Tajiri’s formula took off in Japan and was adapted (and translated) in 1998 for the American market, with the release of Pokémon Red and Blue. These games allowed players to catch, collect, and train hundreds of creatures, known as Pokémon; and battle them against each other to build their strength. These Pokémon could then “evolve” into more powerful Pokémon and learn new and stronger techniques. Pokémon never bleed or die in battle, only faint – this was a very touchy subject to Tajiri, as he didn’t want to further fill the gaming world with "pointless violence".[2]
Pokémon is also the collective name for all of the fictional species (currently 493) within the Pokémon universe. The word Pokémon remains unchanged whether referring to the singular or plural, as is the case with deer or sheep, and the same applies to each species name.
In December 2005, 4Kids Entertainment, which had managed the non-game related licensing of Pokémon, announced that it had agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement. Pokémon USA Inc., a subsidiary of Japan's Pokémon Co., now oversees all Pokémon licensing outside of Asia.[3]
Generations
The original Pokémon games were Japanese RPGs with an element of strategy, and were created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Game Boy. These role-playing games, and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations, are still considered the "main" Pokémon games, and the games which most fans of the series are referring to when they use the term "Pokémon games". As of December 1, 2006, cumulative sold units (including home console versions) have reached more than 155 million copies.[4] This makes it the second biggest-selling games franchise ever, after Nintendo’s Mario series.
All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon Company are divided roughly by generation. There have been four generations, defined by the Pokémon which appear therein. Each of these generations has been first introduced in a pair of Pokémon video games for the Game Boy or its successors (including the Nintendo DS), beginning (in most countries) with Pokémon Red and Blue and their remake, Pokémon Yellow, followed by Pokémon Gold and Silver and their remake, Pokémon Crystal, which were later released. Then came Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, followed by Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the remakes of the first generation games, as well as Pokémon Emerald, the remake of the third generation games. The fourth generation games, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. In every generation, the last version to be released has a slightly different storyline from the preceding versions. Each generation introduces a slew of new Pokémon and a handful of new general concepts.
These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release; a handful of Pokémon from a subsequent generation appear in the anime, manga, or trading card game before the main Game Boy games which demarcate the generation are released, but the anime, manga, and even (of late) the card game divides itself into sagas or generations by the same scheme as the games.
First generation
This first generation started with Pokémon Red and Blue. The first generation introduced the original 151 Pokémon (Bulbasaur to Mew, not counting the glitch Pokémon Missingno.), as well as the basic concepts of trading and battling Pokémon. In Japan, the first generation included Pokémon Red, Green, and later Blue (with changes to the artwork and dungeon layout), while other regions started with Red and Blue (both featuring the updated elements), but never got a Green.
This generation was completed by the game Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition, loosely based on the anime, in which the player started with a Pikachu who refused to go into its Poké Ball and instead followed the player’s character around. By turning around to face the Pikachu, players could get an approximate notion of how much their Pikachu “liked” them. This and other elements of Pokémon Yellow were similar to the anime. It also altered the progress of the game to more accurately reflect trainers and Pokémon seen in the animé, including the addition of Jessie and James, who are well-known members of Team Rocket to the storyline. Jessie and James bring along their signature Pokémon (Koffing, Ekans, and Meowth). Koffing and Ekans evolve later on, but Meowth does not.
These versions of the games revolved around the Kanto region, though it was not known as such until the second generation. This generation also introduced the idea of a rival trainer whom the player faced a number of times, as well as a team of evil Pokémon trainers.
These games were compatible with the N64 game Pokémon Stadium and its sequel, Pokémon Stadium 2. Remakes of the first two games, called Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen, were released in the third “Advance” generation.
Second generation
Beginning with Pokémon Gold and Silver, the second generation introduced the next one hundred Pokémon (Chikorita to Celebi), bringing the total number up to 251; it also introduced the new region of Johto. Innovations included use of the Game Boy Color’s IR port for receiving a “Mystery Gift” item, a day and night system, the concept of growing and holding Berries (items with special healing properties), Apricorns (for creating custom Poké Balls with enhanced effects), the separation of the "Special" stat into Special Attack and Special Defense, decorative items to customize the player character's bedroom, and breed Pokémon, the latter of which allowed the player to obtain baby Pokémon (a new class of Pokémon). Also, two new types of Pokémon, the Dark and Steel types were introduced. Even the Pokémon themselves had some different properties, most notably being assigned genders. Previously, the only Pokémon to be specifically gendered was Nidoran, which has an unusually high level of sexual dimorphism. Another notable, though minor change, is that NPCs were given names and sometimes genders in addition to their basic title.
The games also featured a new tool, the Pokégear, a device which served as a mobile phone, radio, map, and watch. The mobile phone function was used to communicate with in-game NPCs for conversation or a potential battle. The radio station chosen could influence the rate at which wild Pokémon could be found. Several radio stations had specific in-game effects. The watch included the time and day of the week and the protagonist’s mother could change it from Standard Time to Daylight Savings (Summer) Time (and vice versa); keeping track of time was important because different Pokémon appeared or evolved at different times of day, and some events revolved around the time and the day of the week. The sun would shine from 4 a.m. until 6 p.m. (with a morning phase from 4 a.m. until 10 a.m.), and the rest of the time it would be night.
This generation of the games was completed by Pokémon Crystal, which was most notably the only GBC-exclusive Pokémon RPG and the first which allowed the player to choose the protagonist’s gender. It was also the first to feature Pokémon animations (the Pokémon would do its animation when encountered or sent out) and on-screen text to announce when the protagonist entered a new location. Crystal version also featured a slight alteration of the encounter with the three Legendary Pokémon Raikou, Entei and Suicune, in which the player would eventually encounter and capture Suicune in a battle from which it would not escape. However, the other two still had to be found in the normal way (random wild encounters).
These games were compatible with Pokémon Stadium 2.
Third generation
Starting over by hearkening back to Red and Blue, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire added another 135 Pokémon from the Hoenn region (making the total number 386), as well as Pokémon natures (25 distinct Pokémon personality types), 76 Pokémon abilities (always-on special innate abilities), Pokéblocks and Pokémon Contests, and two-on-two Pokémon battles. However, this generation saw the loss of the overt night and day system and the calendar, although the time mechanic did exist to the extent that a clock appeared and that certain Pokémon would only evolve into certain Pokémon at specific times of the day or night. These versions also introduced the ability to grow berries in certain places, each which had set lengths of time for their flowering, and the ability to make “Secret Bases” in trees, bushes, or caves in which dolls, tables, chairs, plants, and other objects could be placed.
These new Pokémon have been the subject of criticism, due to the fact that many are too similar to earlier creatures (examples being Butterfree and Beautifly, Seel and Spheal, or Kingler and Crawdaunt) or do not resemble "animals" as others do (such as Regirock, Regice, Registeel (although these three seem to be based off the legendary golem of ancient mythology), and Mawile).
The third game in this series was Pokémon Emerald, which updated the PokéNav’s Trainers Eyes feature for a return to the mobile phone system of the previous generation (but modified, allowing players to contact Pokémon Gym Leaders for rematches, but no longer allowing them to remove NPC trainers). Emerald version also saw a return of the Pokémon battle animation when encountering an enemy Pokémon. It was also possible to visit a special zone, the Battle Frontier, in the Hoenn region which gave the game a good replay value along with the possibility of catching monsters that were unavailable in former Ruby and Sapphire versions (specifically, Sudowoodo and Smeargle). Pokémon Contest centers, formerly spread throughout all of Hoenn, were now concentrated in one single building in fictional location Lilycove City. These three 3rd generation versions all appeared on the Game Boy Advance.
This generation was rounded out on handhelds by Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for the Game Boy Advance, which were enhanced remakes of the first two Pokémon games, including: a playable female character (based on concept art for a playable female which was originally considered but unable to be implemented); new items and regions; move tutors; and all the features of the 2nd and 3rd generations, excluding the day/night system and (except in Japan) e-reader compatibility. FireRed and LeafGreen also shipped with the GBA wireless adapter for wireless battles and trading.
All five Game Boy Advance role playing games are compatible with the storage program Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire for Nintendo GameCube, and also with Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. The first Pokémon RPGs for home consoles, these titles introduced the desert country of Orre, as well as corrupted shadow Pokémon, and “Snagging”, the ability to steal/rescue them from their trainers and eventually “purify” them.
Unlike games in the second generation, third generation games cannot trade with previous games in the series, due to hardware limitations. This initially resulted in many Pokémon becoming unavailable, a situation rectified by the release of Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Emerald, and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. Pokémon such as Celebi and Mew, only obtained from Nintendo directly, had to be handed out again as well.
Fourth generation
The fourth generation was introduced in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS. Leading up to the games' release were a couple of side games - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and Pokémon Ranger are currently out for the DS in Japan since autumn of 2005 and early 2006 respectively. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon has since then arrived in North America, and Pokémon Ranger was released on October 30, 2006. A handful of new Pokémon from this generation, such as Weavile, Bonsly and Munchlax, have made cameo appearances in the seventh and eighth Pokémon movies (Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys and Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, respectively), as well as Pokémon XD and the aforementioned side games. Many Pokémon were given evolutions or baby forms. The Pokémon Roselia, Aipom, Misdreavus, Murkrow, Sneasel, Magneton, Lickitung, Rhydon, Tangela, Electabuzz, Magmar, Togetic, Yanma, Eevee(two), Gligar, Piloswine, Porygon2, Kirlia, Nosepass, Dusclops, and Snorunt were all given new evolutions, while Roselia, Chimecho, Sudowoodo, Mr. Mime, Chansey, Snorlax, and Mantine were given baby forms. In Total 107 new Pokemon where added in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, 25 being related to past Pokemon.
The criminal organization antagonist to the player's character is called Team Galactic. Recently, four additional new Pokémon (which made appearances in the ninth movie, (Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea) were revealed by CoroCoro magazine and the Official Movie Website. As for Diamond and Pearl, the day and night system made a return, with two new times (sunset and late-night); and genders were even more different, with slightly edited sprites depending on gender (a few examples are female Butterfree have an extra black marking on their lower wings, female Wooper have shorter antennae than males, and female Scizor have larger abdomens compared to their male counterparts).[6] They are also compatible with the Advance Generation.
Diamond and Pearl were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. In North America, they are to be released on April 22, 2007. [7]
Spin-offs
The series has also diversified into various spin-offs, such as pinball games, virtual pets, simulated photography, and racing. A handful of these spin-offs are remade in subsequent “generations”; for example, Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire is very similar to Pokémon Pinball but with newer Pokémon, and Pokémon Stadium 2 is largely identical to Pokémon Stadium but for the compatibility with Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Pokémon Dash is a Pokémon-based racing game for the Nintendo DS, featuring a Pokémon from the fourth generation, Munchlax. The second Pokémon game to be released for the Nintendo DS was Pokémon Trozei (also known as Pokémon Link!), which came out on March 6, 2006. The most recent Pokémon games to be released were Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, for the GameBoy Advance and Nintendo DS, respectively.
Nintendo produced a demo for Wii (exclusively for gaming news outlets such as GameSpot and IGN) known as "Big Pokémon Hunter", wherein the goal was to zoom with the controller and find different Pokémon in a Where's Waldo?-esque scenario. The review of this demo is currently available at among many other sites.[citation needed] Nintendo President Satoru Iwata confirmed, on June 7, that the Wii installment in the Pokémon franchise will be sub-titled Pokémon Battle Revolution. This game will feature online chat provided by the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It is expected to debut a few months after the release of DS installments, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.[8]
Two Pokémon, Pikachu and Jigglypuff, were picked to appear as two of the 12 characters in Nintendo’s fighter game Super Smash Bros.,[9] the popular Nintendo fighting game which was released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64. Pikachu appeared as an initially available character while Jigglypuff was an unlockable one. The pair returned in the 2001 GameCube sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee. They kept their positions, Pikachu was still an initial character while Jigglypuff was still an unlockable character, but two new Pokémon also appeared, joining Jigglypuff as unlockable characters: Mewtwo and Pichu.[10]
In both games, many different Pokémon can be used in a match by throwing the Pokéball item. A randomly-chosen Pokémon is released from the Pokéball, using one of its attacks to affect other players. The Pokémon released are only from the first and Second generation. (Third generation Pokémon were not included in the game.)
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the player can collect many different trophies of a variety of characters from numerous Nintendo games, including several Pokémon characters.[11] Nintendo has also announced that a version of Super Smash Bros. will appear on the Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The only Pokémon character that has been explicitly confirmed so far is Pikachu.[12]
Game mechanics
The original Pokémon games were Japanese RPGs with an element of strategy, and were created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Game Boy consoles. These role-playing games (and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations) are still considered the "main" Pokémon games, and the games which most fans of the series are referring to when they use the term "Pokémon games". These games have sold over 100 million copies to date. Accumulative sold units (including home console versions) reach 143 million copies.[13] This makes it the second biggest-selling games franchise ever, after Nintendo’s Super Mario series.
The first games in the series were Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan, followed by a Blue, and a special edition Yellow version). These games were nearly identical, save for the fact that each version had a select group of Pokémon that the other version did not. The ultimate goal of these games was to catch at least one member of all the 151 different species of Pokémon, though the 151st could only be caught through special promotions (or through a glitch in all first-generation games). While battling monsters is nothing new to RPGs, many players found themselves nearly addicted to finding, fighting, and capturing every Pokémon in the game. Another, perhaps easier, goal was to finish the game’s storyline by becoming the Pokémon League Champion. A few Pokémon, like Mewtwo, could only be caught after doing so. This was done by collecting eight gym badges by beating the eight gym leaders and then defeating the Elite Four, and the Champion.
Starter Pokémon
One of the consistent aspects of most Pokémon games – spanning from Pokémon Red and Blue on the Nintendo Game Boy to the Nintendo DS game, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl – is the choice of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often labelled Starter Pokémon. Players can choose a Water-type, a Fire-type,[14] or a Grass-type Pokémon indigenous to that particular region; the exception to this rule is Pokémon Yellow (a remake of the original games that follows the story of the Pokémon anime), where players are given a Pikachu, an Electric-type mouse, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise; in this game, however, the three Red and Blue starter Pokémon can be obtained during the quest by a single player, something that is not possible in other installments of the franchise.[15]
Starter Pokemon:
Generation 1:
- Charmander
- Bulbasaur
- Squirtle
- Pikachu (Yellow version only)
- Eevee (chosen by rival in the Yellow version)
Generation 2:
Generation 3:
Generation 4:
Pokédex
The Pokédex is a fictional electronic device featured in the popular Pokémon video game and anime series. In the games, whenever a Pokémon is first captured, its data will be added to a player's Pokédex, but in the anime or manga, the Pokédex is a comprehensive electronic reference encyclopedia, usually referred to in order to deliver exposition. Of the fictional Pokémon world, Pokédex is used to refer to a list of Pokémon, usually a list of Pokémon by number.
In the video games, a Pokémon Trainer is issued a blank device at the start of their journey. A trainer must then attempt to fill the Pokédex by encountering and at least briefly obtaining each of the various different species of Pokémon. A player will receive the name and image of a Pokémon after encountering one that was not previously in the Pokédex, typically after battling said Pokémon, either in the wild or in a trainer battle (with the exceptions of link battles and tournament battles, such as Battle Frontier). More detailed information is typically available after the player obtains a member of the species, either through capturing the Pokémon in the wild, evolving a previously captured Pokémon, hatching a Pokémon egg (from the Second Generation onwards), or through a trade with another trainer (with a NPC or with another player). This detailed information includes height, weight, species type, and a short description of the Pokémon. Later versions of the Pokédex have more detailed information, like the size of a certain Pokémon compared to the player, or Pokémon being sorted by their habitat (so far, the latter feature is only in the FireRed and LeafGreen and Emerald versions). The GameCube games have a P*DA which is similar to the Pokédex, but tells you what types are effective against it and gives a description of their abilities.
Trading and Battling
In all of the Pokémon games, including the games for the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii, trading Pokémon and battling other trainers is an important part of the game. These trades and battles can take place solely in the single-player game or as an aspect of the multiplayer game. In order to trade a Pokémon, both trainers have to agree on which Pokémon will be traded. This can backfire, as some unscrupulous will claim to be sending one Pokémon and send another, more common one instead. Once the Pokémon are decided upon, both trainers enter a "trading hall" (in the multiplayer trading; in single player, the trade happens where ever the player initiates contact with the NPC who is interested in trading). The transfer is made shortly and both trainers are shown their new Pokémon. Once a Pokémon has been traded, it will gain additional battle experience.
Another common aspect of every Pokémon game is battling. As a rule of thumb, when two trainers make eye contact, they must battle Pokémon. In the single player game, this "eye contact" rule is strictly enforced, but some NPC trainers have very poor eyesight, meaning the player has to be right next to them before they challenge him/her, while some others will challenge the player as soon as they appear on the screen. The battles in the games are turn-based, concurrent. This means that both players are telling their Pokémon which move to use or are using an item at the same time, but the actual attacks take place in turns, depending on which Pokémon is the faster of the two. A new battle-type added in the GBA games, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, is the two-on-two battle. In a two-on-two battle, each side of the battle has two Pokémon out. This can be two players with one each against two players with one each or one player with two against one player with two or a combination of those.
Trading and battling between the original Gameboy games was accomplished with a Gameboy link cable between the two Gameboys. The two players would each go to a Pokémon center and select to make a trade or to battle. This also held true for the Gameboy Advance games with the exception that the Gameboy Advance games could not connect to the original Gameboy games. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen also introduced the ability to use a Wireless Link device to make connections wirelessly across a small room. This removed the need for the link cable but was only applicable to Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and Emerald. The Pokémon Diamond and Pearl game takes advantage of Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection inside the Nintendo DS to allow trading and battling against other players anywhere through the Internet.
In other media
Anime series
The Pokémon anime series and films are a meta-series of adventures separate from the canon that most of the Pokémon video games follow (with the exception of Pokémon Yellow, a game based on the anime storyline). The anime follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum[16]—an in-training Pokémon Master—as he and a small group of friends[16] travel around the fictitious world of Pokémon along with their various Pokémon partners.
The original series, titled Pocket Monsters, or simply Pokémon in western countries, followed the storyline of the original games, Pokémon Red and Blue, in the region of Kanto. The protagonist of the series, Ash Ketchum, began his adventure from his home, Pallet Town, where he received a Pikachu, differing from the games, where only Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle could be chosen.[17]
Ash continued through Kanto, accompanied by Brock, an aspiring Pokémon breeder, and Misty, an up and coming Water Pokémon master,[18] catching and battling with various Pokémon, including Butterfree,[19] Pidgeotto, Charizard, Bulbasaur and Squirtle. After defeating eight of Kanto's gym leaders, Ash entered the Indigo League, a tournament of the best trainers in the region.
After exiting the tournament, Ash, and his companions, proceeded to the Orange Archipelego, a group of exotic islands, to collect an ancient Poké Ball, dubbed the GS Ball, being studied by Professor Ivy, to be returned to Professor Oak. After collecting the GS Ball, Brock decided to stay at Professor Ivy's lab, and Ash, accompanied by Misty, and Tracey, an avid Pokémon watcher, continued through the various Orange Islands, battling the gym leaders, collectively known as the Orange Crew, and obtaining Pokémon, such as Lapras, and Snorlax. Ash finally battled the undefeated leader of the Orange Crew, Drake, defeating his strongest Pokémon, Dragonite, with his Pikachu, winning the tournament.
The first, and the most familiar, is Pocket Monsters or simply Pokémon (often referred to as Pokémon: Gotta Catch Em All to distinguish it from the later series), which details the adventures of Ash Ketchum as he travels through Kanto. Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands followed his adventures in the Orange Islands, a place not accessible in the games, and Pokémon: Johto Journeys, Pokémon: Johto league champions, and Pokémon: Master Quest following him in Johto. These series are based on the first and second generation games. Accompanying Ash on his journeys were Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader; Misty, the youngest of the Gym Leaders sisters from Cerulean City; and later on, Tracey Sketchit, an artist and “Pokémon watcher” who accompanied them in the Orange Islands in the second saga.
The saga continued in Pokémon: Advanced, Pokémon: Advanced Challenge, and Pokémon: Advanced Battle where Ash and company travel to Hoenn, a southern region in the Pokémon World. Ash takes on the role of a teacher and mentor for a novice Pokémon trainer in this series named May. Her brother Max accompanies them, and though he isn’t a trainer, he knows massive amounts of handy information. Brock (from the original series) soon catches up with Ash, but Misty has returned to Cerulean City to tend to her duties as a gym leader. This series is based on the third generation games. Eventually, the Advanced Generation was continued with the Battle Frontier saga, which was based off the Emerald version and had some aspects of FireRed and LeafGreen.
The most recent series is the Diamond and Pearl series, with Max leaving to pick his starter, and May going to the Grand Festival in Johto. Ash, Brock and a new companion named Hikari then go through the region of Sinnoh.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game similar in goal to a Pokémon battle in the video game series; players must use cards (with individual strengths and weaknesses) in an attempt to defeat their opponent by "knocking out" all of his or her cards.[20] The game was first published in North America by Wizards of the Coast in 1999.[21]
However, with the release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Game Boy Advance video games, Nintendo USA took back the card game from Wizards of the Coast and started publishing the cards themselves.[21] The Expedition expansion introduced the Pokémon-e Trading Card Game, the cards in which (for the most part) were compatible with the Nintendo e-Reader. Nintendo discontinued its production of e-Reader compatible cards with the release of EX FireRed & LeafGreen.
In 1998, Nintendo released a Game Boy Color version of the trading card game in Japan. It was also released in the US and Europe in 2000. This game included digital versions cards from the original set of cards and the first two expansions (Jungle and Fossil), but also included several cards exclusive to the game. A sequel to this game exists, but was not released outside of Japan.
Cultural Influence
A live action show called Pokémon Live! toured the United States in late 2000. It was based on the popular Pokémon anime, but had some continuity errors relating to it. In late 2002, it was scheduled to tour Europe, but was canceled for unknown reasons, possibly due to lack of interest.
Pokémon, being a popular franchise, has undoubtedly left its mark on pop-culture. The Pokémon characters themselves have become pop-culture icons; examples include not one, but two different Pikachu balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a Pokémon-styled Boeing 747-400, thousands of merchandise items, and a theme park in Nagoya, Japan in 2005 and Taipei in 2006. Pokémon also appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1999. The Comedy Central show Drawn Together has a character named Ling-Ling which is a direct parody of Pikachu. Several other shows such as ReBoot, The Simpsons, South Park and All Grown Up! have made references and spoofs of Pokémon, among other series.
Controversy and criticism
Racism
This original design of the Pokémon Jynx (seen to the right) bore a striking, but possibly coincidental, resemblance to entertainers in blackface. A strong case can be made for Jynx being a parody of or homage to the Japanese Ganguro and Yamanba fashion trends, which were extremely popular when Pokémon was first released, but it can't be denied that blackface-influenced characters have appeared elsewhere in anime and manga - examples can be found near the beginning of Osamu Tezuka's early graphic novel, Metropolis and also can be found with Dragon Ball Z's Mr. Popo.
As Pokémon became more popular in the US, this perceived similarity to a racist image from America's past offended some. In particular, it had offended children's book author Carole Boston Weatherford, who accused Jynx of being a racist stereotype in an article titled Politically Incorrect Pokémon in the magazine Black World Today, shortly after the anime episode Holiday Hi-Jynx aired. Episodes later on are also either banned or cut in USA. (see anime)
In response to this controversy, in 2002, Nintendo changed Jynx's face from black to purple and its hands from blue to purple in Pokémon games, a change which would be reflected in the anime three years later in Advanced Generation.
Animal cruelty
Some have compared the primary mechanism of Pokémon to the generally-outlawed practice of cockfighting. Seen from this point of view, the game consists primarily of Pokémon trainers capturing and bartering in wild animals, coercing them to fight one another. It also sees various performance-enhancing drugs to give them an edge in the fight. Some people believe that this may encourage children towards acts of animal cruelty and illegal gambling.[22]
However, most fans view Pokémon battling as a friendly competition between two teams of Pokémon and their trainers. Seen in this light, Pokémon are not being coerced to battle by their trainers. There are references to some Pokémon being territorial (e.g. Pidgeotto[23]), but it is vastly different to the aggressively territorial nature of roosters, who will maim the 'enemy' rooster until it or the other dies. Furthermore, trainers do not relish the idea of allowing two animals (or in this case Pokémon) to fight to the death, while they merely view from the edge of the ‘ring’. In both the games and the television show, the audience is taught that fighting is not necessarily a means to an end. In addition to all of the above, Pokémon do not actually die from battle; they either faint or are in other ways unable to battle. It is also brought up in the animated series that Pokémon trainers are fighting alongside their Pokémon, as opposed to simply issuing commands for them to follow. Team Rocket is often depicted using Pokémon for personal gain with no affection for them. In both the anime and the games, using Pokémon for "evil" purposes is looked down upon.
Health
On December 16, 1997, more than 635 Japanese children were admitted to hospitals with convulsive epileptic seizures. It was determined that the seizures were caused by watching an episode of Pokémon, "Dennō Senshi Porygon", or "Computer Soldier Porygon" (known as Electric Soldier Porygon in the United States, season 1, episode 43) and subsequently this episode has not been aired since. In this particular episode, there were bright explosions with rapidly-alternating blue and red color patterns.[24] It was determined in subsequent research that these strobing light effects cause some individuals to have epileptic seizures, even if they haven’t had any previous history of epilepsy. As a consequence, many video game makers (including Nintendo) added warning labels to their video game products (or made pre-existing labels more prominent), warning that exposure to video games may trigger seizures in individuals vulnerable to photosensitive epilepsy. Detailed research of the alleged incident is detailed at here and attributes it to mass hysteria. The incident was also parodied by The Simpsons in the episode "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo"[25] and in the South Park episode "Chinpokomon".
Americanization
4Kids Entertainment faced criticism for apparently Americanizing its translated Japanese anime programs. One of the main examples of this is when the names of American food are put in place of the Japanese food, such as calling rice cakes "doughnuts" when it is clear that they are not really doughnuts. Several episodes were edited or removed from the American run completely for potential objectional content including "Beauty and the Beach" which was severely cut in America due to the portrayal of Team Rocket's James with breasts, and "The Legend of Dratini" which never aired outside Asia because of the use of guns in the episode.
See also
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Sub-articles Pokémon general Pokémon (creatures) Games
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Television Manga
Miscellaneous
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References
- Books
- Tobin, Joseph, ed. Pikachu’s Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon. Duke University Press., February, 2004. ISBN 0-8223-3287-6.
- Notes
- ^ “Pokemon (sic) Franchise Approaches 150 Million Games Sold”, PR Newswire. URL accessed on April 19, 2006.
- ^ "The Ultimate Game Freak: Interview with Satoshi Tajiri”, TimeAsia (Waybacked).
- ^ "Pokemon USA Moves Licensing In-House", Gamasutra.
- ^ Behrens, Matt (2006-12-01). "Nintendo sales through end of November revealed". N-Sider. N-Sider Media. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ MacDonald, Mark; Brokaw, Brian; Arnold; J. Douglas; Elies, Mark. Pokémon Trainer's Guide. Sandwich Islands Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9. (pg73)
- ^ thepikaclub.com. New Pokémon information thepikaclub.com.. URL Accessed July 21, 2006.
- ^ "New Pokémon to Make Diamond-and-Pearl-Studded Debut" Nintendo.com. URL Accessed December 20, 2006.
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