Pokémon (video game series)
| Pokémon | |
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| Original release | February 27, 1996 |
| Official website | |
Pokémon is a series of video games developed by Game Freak and Creatures Inc. and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon media franchise. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, the main series of role-playing video games has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds. Games are commonly released in pairs—each with slight variations—and then an enhanced remake of the games is released a few years from the original release. While the main series consists of role-playing games, spinoffs encompass other genres such asaction role-playing, puzzle, and digital pet games.
[edit]Generations
All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon Company are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release; when an official sequel in the main RPG series is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main games and their spin-offs, the anime, manga and trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins. The franchise began its fifth generation with Pokémon Blackand White, which were released in Japan on September 18, 2010, and were released in Europe, America, and Australia in March 2011.
[edit]First
The original Pokémon games were Japanese role-playing video games (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 with which most fans of the series are familiar.
The Pokémon series began with the release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy in Japan. When these games proved extremely popular, an enhanced Blue version was released sometime after, and the Blue version was reprogrammed as Pokémon Red and Blue for international release. The games launched in the United States on September 30, 1998. The original Greenversions were never released outside Japan.[1] Afterwards, a second enhanced remake, Pokémon Yellow, was released to use the color palette of the Game Boy Color and more of a stylistic resemblance to the popular Pokémon anime. This first generation of games introduced the original 151 species of Pokémon (in National Pokédex order, encompassing all Pokémon from Bulbasaur toMew), as well as the basic game concepts of capturing, training, battling and trading Pokémon with both computer and human players. These versions of the games take place within the fictionalKanto region, though the name "Kanto" was not used until the second generation. Spin-off first-generation titles include Pokémon Pinball; an adaptation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game for Game Boy Color; an on-rails photography simulator for Nintendo 64 titled Pokémon Snap; a Nintendo 64 Pokémon-themed adaptation of Tetris Attack, Pokémon Puzzle League. A 3D Nintendo 64 incarnation of the handheld RPGs' battle system, Pokémon Stadium; and a co-starring role for several species in the Nintendo 64 fighting game Super Smash Bros..[2] At the Nintendo Space World in 2000, a game was revealed briefly with Meowth and Team Rocket singing a song. This was one of the earliest introductions of the Pokémon Togepi and Bellossom. This game was called Meowth's Party, but was never turned into a playable game. Instead, the song/video was played at the end of one Pokémon episode, and a CD was made for retail in Japan for a limited time.
[edit]Second
The second generation of Pokémon video games began in 2000 with the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver for the Game Boy Color. Like the previous generation, an enhanced remake titledPokémon Crystal was later released. This generation introduced 100 new species of Pokémon (starting with Chikorita and ending with Celebi), for a total of 251 Pokémon to collect, train, and battle. New gameplay features include a day-and-night system (reflecting the time of the day in the real world) which influences events in the game; full use of the Game Boy Color's color palette; an improved interface and upgraded inventory system; better balance in the collection of Pokémon and their moves, statistics and equippable items (a new addition); Pokémon breeding; a new region named Johtoand the ability to select the protagonist's gender. Unique to the second generation games is the fact that, after exploring Johto, the player can enter and explore the original Kanto region, which lies to the east of Johto. Spin-off second-generation games include the Game Boy Color adaptation of Pokémon Puzzle League a puzzle game created by Zopf industries made specifically for the game boy color, Pokémon Puzzle Challenge; a Nintendo 64 pet simulator, Hey You, Pikachu!; the Pokémon Stadium sequel, Pokémon Stadium 2, for Nintendo 64; several Pokémon mini-games for the e-Reader and a co-starring role for several Pokémon species in the Super Smash Bros. sequel Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube.[3] The Pokémon mini was a handheld game console released in December 2001 in Japan and 2002 in Europe and North America.
[edit]Third
A screenshot of Pokémon Emeraldfeaturing an enemy Pupitar and Solrockfighting in a double battle against a player'sAggron and Smeargle
Pokémon entered its third generation with the 2003 release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire for Game Boy Advance and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes of Pokémon Red and Green, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and an enhanced remake of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire titled Pokémon Emerald. The third generation introduced 135 new Pokémon (starting with Treecko and ending with Deoxys) for a total of 386 species. It also features a much more visually detailed environment compared to previous games, a new 2-on-2 Pokémon battling mechanic, a special ability system applying to each Pokémon in battle, the Pokémon Contest sub-game, and the new region of Hoenn. However, this generation also garnered some criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day-and-night system introduced in the previous generation (it had to be removed due to internal battery save problems), and it was also the first installment that encouraged the player to collect merely a selected assortment of the total number of Pokémon rather than every existing species (202 out of 386 species are catchable in the Ruby and Sapphire versions).
Third-generation spin-off titles include Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire for Game Boy Advance; Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team andRed Rescue Team for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS; Pokémon Dash, Pokémon Trozei! and Pokémon Ranger for Nintendo DS; Pokémon Channeland Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire for Nintendo GameCube; and two RPGs for the Nintendo GameCube, consisting of the games Pokémon Colosseumand Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.
[edit]Fourth
In 2006, Japan began the fourth generation of the franchise with the release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo DS. The games were subsequently released in North America on April 22, 2007 and in Australia on June 21, 2007. The game was then later released in the UK and Europe on July 27, 2007.[4] The fourth generation introduces another 107 new species of Pokémon (starting with Turtwig and ending with Arceus), bringing the number of Pokémon species to 493. New gameplay concepts include a restructured move-classification system, online multiplayer trading and battling via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the return (and expansion) of the second generation's day-and-night system, the expansion of the third generation's Pokémon Contests into "Super Contests", and the new region of Sinnoh, which has an underground component for multiplayer gameplay in addition to the main overworld.
Other main series games in the fourth generation include Pokémon Platinum, a director's cut version of Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald.[5][6] It was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan on September 13, 2008,[7] in North America on March 22, 2009,[8][9] and in Australia and Europe on May 14, 2009[10] and May 22, 2009[11] respectively. It was also announced that the Generation II games Pokémon Gold and Silver would be remade for the Nintendo DS as Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.[12] First released in Japan on September 12, 2009, the games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe during March 2010.[13][14][15]
Currently, spin-off games in the fourth generation include the Pokémon Stadium follow-up Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii (which has Wi-Fi connectivity as well[16]), Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs for Nintendo DS, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness and their sister game, Explorers of Sky all for the Nintendo DS, and a co-starring role for Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Lucario, and a Pokémon Trainer (who uses Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard for fighting) in the 2008 Wii fighter Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
[edit]Fifth
On January 29, 2010, the Pokémon Company announced that a new game was in development for the Nintendo DS to be released later that year.[17][18] A silhouette of a new Pokémon was shown byJunichi Masuda on the February 7, 2010, episode of Pokémon Sunday, stated to be in the upcoming film for the summer and to be identified in a future episode on February 21.[19] This new character would also be featured in the March 2010 issue of CoroCoro Comic available on February 15, and is the start of the fifth generation of the Pokémon Franchise.[20] Since then, the character has been named "Zoroark" (ゾロアーク Zoroāku?), and its pre-evolution was also revealed to be named "Zorua" (ゾロア Zoroa?). Both are to be featured in Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl The Movie: Phantom Ruler: Zoroark .[21][22] On April 9, 2010, the Japanese website updated with the titles of the versions as Black and White, and announced a Fall 2010 release date.[23] The May 9, 2010 episode of Pokémon Sunday displayed silhouettes of the three Pokémon that are available for the player to choose from at the beginning of the game.[24] These three Pokémon were revealed to be the Grass Snake Pokémon "Snivy" (ツタージャ Tsutarja?), the Fire Pig Pokémon "Tepig" (ポカブ Pokabu?) and the Sea Otter Pokémon "Oshawott" (ミジュマル Mijumaru?).[25] Other information revealed is that the game takes place in the Unova Region (イッシュ地方 Isshu-chihō?) which is centered around the Castelia City (ヒウンシティ Hiun Shiti?) metropolis, which itself is stated to have been based on Lower Manhattan, as the entire "modernized" Unova region was based off of New York City.[26] These two games were launched in Japan on September 18, 2010. The North American andEuropean versions of the game were released on March 6 and 4, 2011, respectively.[27]
[edit]Gameplay
Main article: Gameplay of Pokémon
One of the consistent aspects of most Pokémon games—spanning from Pokémon Red and Blue on the Nintendo 64 to the Game Boy to the Nintendo DS game, Pokémon Black and White—is the choice of one of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often labeled "starter Pokémon". Players can choose a Grass-type, a Fire-type, or a Water-type, Pokémon indigenous to that particular region.[28] For example, in Pokémon Red and Blue, the player has the choice of starting with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander. The exception to this rule isPokémon Yellow, where players are given a Pikachu, an Electric-type mouse Pokémon, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise; unique to Pokémon Yellow, the three starter Pokémon from Red and Blue can be obtained during the quest by a single player.[29]
Another consistent aspect is that the player's rival will always choose the type that has a type advantage over the player's chosen Pokémon as his or her starter Pokémon. For instance, if the player picks the Fire-type Charmander, the rival will always pick the Water-type Squirtle. This does not affect the first battle between the rivals, as they can only use Normal-type attacks at this point, meaning that they cannot exploit weaknesses. The exception to this is again Pokémon Yellow, in which the rival picks Eevee, a Normal-type Pokémon with multiple evolutions.
However, in Pokémon Black and White, there are two rivals; one picks the Pokémon with a type advantage over the player's chosen Pokémon, while the other chooses the Pokémon with the type disadvantage. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, another Trainer chooses the Pokémon with a type disadvantage to the player's chosen Pokémon, but never battles the player; instead, this character battles alongside the player as a tag partner in certain situations.
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