Pokémon (ポケモン, Pokemon?, pronunciation: /ˈpoʊkeɪmɒn/
POH-kay-mon) is a media franchise published and owned by Japanese video game
company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as
a pair of interlinkable Game Boy Role-playing video games developed by Game Freak,
Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video
game-based media franchise in the world, behind only Nintendo's own Mario
series. Pokémon properties have since been merchandised into anime, manga,
trading cards, toys, books, and other media. The franchise celebrated its tenth
anniversary in 2006, and as of 28 May 2010 (2010 -05-28)[update], cumulative
sales of the video games (including home console versions, such as the
"Pikachu" Nintendo 64) have reached more than 200 million copies. In
November 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. (now The Pokémon Company
International), a subsidiary of Japan's Pokémon Co., now oversees all Pokémon
licensing outside of Asia.
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 quite common in Japan. The term Pokémon,
in addition to referring to the Pokémon franchise itself, also collectively
refers to the 649 fictional species that have made appearances in Pokémon media
as of the release of the fifth generation titles Pokémon Black and White.
Because the word Pokémon is a non-count noun, it is identical in both the
singular and plural, as is each individual species name; in short, it is
grammatically correct to say both "one Pokémon" and "many
Pokémon" as well as "one Pikachu" and "many Pikachu".
Concept
The
concept of the Pokémon universe, in both the video games and the general
fictional world of Pokémon, stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a
popular pastime which Pokémon executive director Satoshi Tajiri-Oniwa enjoyed
as a child.Players of the games are designated as Pokémon Trainers, and the two
general goals (in most Pokémon games) for such Trainers are: to complete the
Pokédex by collecting all of the available Pokémon species found in the
fictional region where that game takes place; and to train a team of powerful
Pokémon from those they have caught to compete against teams owned by other
Trainers, and eventually become the strongest Trainer: the Pokémon Master.
These themes of collecting, training, and battling are present in almost every
version of the Pokémon franchise, including the video games, the anime and
manga series, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
In
most incarnations of the fictional Pokémon universe, a Trainer that encounters
a wild Pokémon is able to capture that Pokémon by throwing a specially
designed, mass-producible spherical tool called a Poké Ball at it. If the
Pokémon is unable to escape the confines of the Poké Ball, it is officially
considered to be under the ownership of that Trainer. Afterwards, it will obey
whatever its new master commands, unless the Trainer demonstrates such a lack
of experience that the Pokémon would rather act on its own accord. Trainers can
send out any of their Pokémon to wage non-lethal battles against other Pokémon;
if the opposing Pokémon is wild, the Trainer can capture that Pokémon with a
Poké Ball, increasing his or her collection of creatures. Pokémon already owned
by other Trainers cannot be captured, except under special circumstances in
certain games. If a Pokémon fully defeats an opponent in battle so that the
opponent is knocked out (i.e., "faints"), the winning Pokémon gains
experience and may level up. When leveling up, the Pokémon's statistics
("stats") of battling aptitude increase, such as Attack and Speed.
From time to time the Pokémon may also learn new moves, which are techniques
used in battle. In addition, many species of Pokémon possess the ability to
undergo a form of metamorphosis and transform into a similar but stronger
species of Pokémon, a process called evolution.
In the
main series, each game's single-player mode requires the Trainer to raise a
team of Pokémon to defeat many non-player character (NPC) Trainers and their
Pokémon. Each game lays out a somewhat linear path through a specific region of
the Pokémon world for the Trainer to journey through, completing events and
battling opponents along the way. Each game features eight especially powerful
Trainers, referred to as Gym Leaders, that the Trainer must defeat in order to
progress. As a reward, the Trainer receives a Gym Badge, and once all eight
badges are collected, that Trainer is eligible to challenge the region's
Pokémon League, where four immensely talented trainers (referred to
collectively as the "Elite Four") challenge the Trainer to four
Pokémon battles in succession. If the trainer can overcome this gauntlet, he or
she must then challenge the Regional Champion, the master Trainer who had
previously defeated the Elite Four. Any Trainer who wins this last battle
becomes the new champion and gains the title of Pokémon Master.
Video games
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 as
action role-playing, puzzle, and digital pet games.
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 Black and White, which were released in
Japan on September 18, 2010, and were released in Europe, America, and
Australia in March 2011.
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 Green versions were never
released outside Japan. 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 to Mew), 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
fictional Kanto 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.. 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.
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 titled Pokémon 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 Johto
and 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 Zoppf 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. The Pokémon mini was a
handheld game console released in December 2001 in Japan and 2002 in Europe and
North America.
Third
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 and Red Rescue Team for Game
Boy Advance and Nintendo DS; Pokémon Dash, Pokémon Trozei! and Pokémon Ranger
for Nintendo DS; Pokémon Channel and Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire for
Nintendo GameCube; and two RPGs for the Nintendo GameCube, consisting of the
games Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.
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. 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.It was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan on September
13, 2008, in North America on March 22, 2009,in Australia and Europe on May 14,
2009 and May 22, 2009 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. First released in Japan on September 12, 2009, the
games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe during March
2010.
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),
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.
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 by Junichi 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. 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. 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.These titles used
colors, like in the Gameboy titles rather than the names of minerals as used in
the more recent titles. 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 which are Oshowatt, Snivy, and Tepig.These
three Pokémon were revealed to be the Grass Snake Pokémon "Snivy" (ツタージャ Tsutaja?),
the Fire Pig Pokémon "Tepig" (ポカブ Pokabu?)
and the Sea Otter Pokémon "Oshawott" (ミジュマル
Mijumaru?). 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 on New York City. These two games were launched in Japan
on September 18, 2010. The North American and European versions of the game
were released on March 6 and 4, 2011, respectively. Pokémon Rumble Blast,
released in Japan on August 11, 2011, is a spin-off and sequel to Pokémon
Rumble, a generation four spin-off game. It was released in North America and
Europe on October 24 and December 2, 2011, respectively.
On
February 25th, 2012, Junichi Masuda announced Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White
2 on the Pokemon Smash! variety show. News of the development of Pokemon Black
2 and White 2 for the original Nintendo DS system (as opposed to the more
powerful 3DS) has been met by gamers with both excitement and mild confusion.
These follow-ups of the fifth generation series are unprecedented as many of
the previous generations' follow-ups were titled as somewhat of an in-between
of each pair of games (EX: Ruby and Sapphire's follow-up is Emerald.) Because
Black 2 and White 2 are a pair of direct sequels, as opposed to a remake or a
"third version", this is a new direction for GameFreak, after decades
of success with their initial concepts and incarnations of the Pokemon series.
As of now, only two conceptions of unnamed Pokemon have been released to the
public. These unnamed pokemon are believed to be new forms of the fifth
generation legendary pokemon, Kyurem. Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are to be
released in the fall in North America and Europe.
Gameplay
Main
article: Gameplay of Pokémon
One of
the consistent aspects of most Pokémon games—spanning from Pokémon Red and Blue
on 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. For example, in Pokémon Red and Blue, the player has the choice of
starting with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander. The exception to this rule is
Pokémon 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.
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.
On
February 25th, 2012, Junichi Masuda announced Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White
2 on the Pokemon Smash! variety show. News of the development of Pokemon Black
2 and White 2 for the original Nintendo DS system (as opposed to the more
powerful 3DS) has been met by gamers with both excitement and mild confusion.
These follow-ups of the fifth generation series are unprecedented as many of
the previous generations' follow-ups were titled as somewhat of an in-between
of each pair of games (EX: Ruby and Sapphire's follow-up is Emerald.) Because
Black 2 and White 2 are a pair of direct sequels, as opposed to a remake or a
"third version", this is a new direction for GameFreak, after decades
of success with their initial concepts and incarnations of the Pokemon series.
As of now, only two conceptions of unnamed Pokemon have been released to the
public. These unnamed pokemon are believed to be new forms of the fifth
generation legendary pokemon, Kyurem. Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are to be
released in the fall in North America and Europe.
Gameplay
Main
article: Gameplay of Pokémon
One of
the consistent aspects of most Pokémon games—spanning from Pokémon Red and Blue
on 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. For example, in Pokémon Red and Blue, the player has the choice of
starting with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander. The exception to this rule is
Pokémon 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.
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.
List of main Pokémon games
Handheld games
-
Generation I (Game Boy)Pokémon Red (JPFebruary 27, 1996, NASeptember 30, 1998, AUOctober 23, 1998, EUOctober 5, 1999)Pokémon Green (Blue outside of JP) (JPFebruary 27, 1996, NASeptember 30, 1998, AUNovember 1, 1998, EUOctober 5, 1999)Pokémon Blue (JPOctober 15, 1996)Pokémon Yellow (JPSeptember 12, 1998, NAOctober 19, 1999, EUJune 16, 2000, AU2000)Generation II (Game Boy Color)Pokémon Gold and Silver (JPNovember 21, 1999, AUOctober 13, 2000, NAOctober 14, 2000, EUApril 6, 2001, KOApril 23, 2002)Pokémon Crystal (JPDecember 14, 2000, NAJuly 29, 2001, AUSeptember 30, 2001, EUNovember 2, 2001)Pokémon Trading Card Game (JPDecember 18, 1998, NAApril 4, 2000, EUDecember 8, 2000, AU2000)Generation III(Game Boy Advance)Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (JPNovember 21, 2002, NAMarch 18, 2003, AUApril 3, 2003, EUJuly 25, 2003)Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (JPJanuary 29, 2004, NASeptember 7, 2004, AUSeptember 2004, EUOctober 1, 2004)Pokémon Emerald (JPSeptember 16, 2004, NAApril 30, 2005, AUJune 9, 2005, EUOctober 21, 2005)Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team (JPNovember 17, 2005, NASeptember 18, 2006, AUSeptember 28, 2006, EUNovember 10, 2006)(Nintendo DS)Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (JPNovember 17, 2005, NASeptember 18, 2006, AUSeptember 28, 2006, EUNovember 10, 2006, KOAugust 30, 2007)Pokémon Dash (JPDecember 2, 2004, EUMarch 11, 2005, NAMarch 14, 2005, AUApril 7, 2005, KOMarch 22, 2007)Pokémon Trozei! (JPOctober 20, 2005, NAMarch 6, 2006, EUMay 5, 2006, AUJune 3, 2006, KOMay 17, 2007)Pokémon Ranger (JPMarch 23, 2006, NAOctober 30, 2006, AUDecember 6, 2006, EUApril 13, 2007)Generation IV (Nintendo DS)Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (JPSeptember 28, 2006, NAApril 22, 2007, AUJune 21, 2007, EUJuly 27, 2007, KOFebruary 14, 2008)Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness (JPSeptember 13, 2007, NAApril 20, 2008, AUJune 19, 2008, EUJuly 4, 2008)Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (JPMarch 20, 2008, NANovember 10, 2008, AUNovember 13, 2008, EUNovember 21, 2008)Pokémon Platinum (JPSeptember 13, 2008, NAMarch 22, 2009, AUMay 14, 2009, EUMay 22, 2009, KOJuly 2, 2009)Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (JPApril 18, 2009, NAOctober 12, 2009, AUNovember 12, 2009, EUNovember 20, 2009)Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver (JPSeptember 12, 2009, KOFebruary 4, 2010, NAMarch 14, 2010, AUMarch 25, 2010, EUMarch 26, 2010)Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (JPMarch 6, 2010 NAOctober 4, 2010, EUNovember 5, 2010, AUNovember 25, 2010)Generation V(Nintendo DS)Pokémon Black and White (JPSeptember 18, 2010, EUMarch 4, 2011, NAMarch 6, 2011, AUMarch 10, 2011, KOApril 21, 2011)Battle & Get! Pokémon Typing DS (JPApril 21, 2011)Pokémon Plus Nobunaga's Ambition (RPG Pokémon Style crossover) (JPMarch 17, 2012, INT2012)Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 (JPJune 2012)(Nintendo 3DS)Pokémon Rumble Blast (JPAugust 11, 2011, NAOctober 24, 2011, EUDecember 2, 2011, AUDecember 8, 2011)Console gamesGeneration I (Nintendo 64)Pocket Monsters Stadium (ポケットモンスタースタジアム Pokettomonsutāsutajiamu?) (JPAugust 1, 1998)Pokémon Stadium (JPApril 30, 1999, NAFebruary 29, 2000, AUMarch 23, 2000, EUApril 27, 2000, SA2002)Pokémon Snap (JPMarch 21, 1999, NAJune 30, 1999, EUSeptember 15, 2000, AUDecember 11, 2007 (VC))Pokémon Puzzle League (NASeptember 1, 2000, EUMarch 16, 2001, AUMay 30, 2008 (VC))Hey You, Pikachu! (JPDecember 12, 1998, NANovember 5, 2000)Generation II (Nintendo 64)Pokémon Stadium 2 (ポケモンスタジアム金銀 Pokémon Sutajiamu Kin Gin?) (JPDecember 14, 2000, NAMarch 28, 2001, EUOctober 19, 2001, AU2001)Generation III (Nintendo GameCube)Pokémon Colosseum (JPNovember 21, 2003, NAFebruary 10, 2004, EUMarch 22, 2004)Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire (JPMay 30, 2003, NAJuly 12, 2004, EU2004)Pokémon Channel (JPJuly 18, 2003, NADecember 1, 2003, EUApril 2, 2004)Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness (JPAugust 4, 2005, NASeptember 28, 2005, EUNovember 18, 2005)Generation IV (Wii)Pokémon Battle Revolution (JPDecember 14, 2006, NAJune 25, 2007, AUNovember 22, 2007, EUDecember 7, 2007)My Pokémon Ranch (JPMarch 25, 2008, NAJune 9, 2008, EUJuly 4, 2008, AUJuly 4, 2008)Pokémon Rumble (JPJune 16, 2009, NANovember 16, 2009, EUNovember 20, 2009)PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (JPDecember 5, 2009, EUJuly 9, 2010, AUSeptember 23, 2010, NANovember 2, 2010)Generation V (Wii)PokePark 2: Beyond the World (JPNovember 12, 2011, NAFebruary 27, 2012, EUMarch 23, 2012)Appearances in other gamesThis section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)In the Super Smash Bros. series, Pikachu, Ivysaur, Squirtle, Charizard, Jigglypuff, Pichu, Mewtwo and Lucario are playable characters. Pikachu and Jigglypuff are introduced in Super Smash Bros. Pokémon were also in Mario Artist paint studio for 64dd as paste-able stickers, and are also featured in Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube, alongside Pichu and Mewtwo. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mewtwo and Pichu are not featured as playable characters, although Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard make their first playable appearances as part of the Pokémon Trainer character, while Lucario appears as a separate character. Rayquaza is also featured as a boss enemy. The series also features Poké Balls as items, which, when used by a player, make a random Pokémon appear, with various effects on the game. Further, several Pokémon games are available on PC and Macintosh, see Pokémon games for PC.
[Unobtainable Pokémon
Certain Pokémon are impossible to obtain without
cheat devices, or exploiting glitches. They are obtained by using the Mystery
Gift function or through Wi-Fi events; in some cases, exploiting a glitch in
the game itself; or directly from Nintendo at promotional events. These Pokémon
can be obtained by using a GameShark or similar cheating device like Action
Replay. Players are not required to own these Pokémon, among others, in order
to have a complete Pokédex, as this would mean players would not be able to
obtain the certificate for collecting all of the Pokémon in Black and White.
These normally unobtainable Pokemon are Mew, Celebi, Deoxys, Jirachi, Manaphy,
Shaymin, Darkrai, Arceus, and Victini which can not be obtained through normal
gameplay.
Currently Genesect is still unrevealed similiar how
Shaymin, Darkrai, and Arceus were kept unknown in Diamond and Pearl.
Codes and glitches
Many glitches can be triggered in the Pokémon
games, especially in Red, Blue, and Yellow. Other glitches can also be found in
the games Silver and Gold. These glitches allow players to duplicate Pokémon or
items, catch unobtainable Pokémon, and accomplish otherwise impossible feats.
"MissingNo." is a glitch in Pokémon Red
and Blue composed of junk data holding several unused positions in the game's internal
8-bit Pokémon species byte. It is most often accessed by a glitch that involves
undergoing a tutorial in Viridian City (which temporarily places the player's
name into the RAM space that is accessed to determine which Pokémon can be
caught in an area), then immediately flying to Cinnabar Island, and surfing
along the coast. Cinnabar Island's coast has no data on which Pokémon can be
caught, and thus any data which is presently stored in the RAM (in this case,
the player's name) is used. Certain letters of the player's name are used to
decide what Pokémon is met, and "MissingNo." is one of the more
common results. Other glitch Pokémon such as Mewtwo with levels over 100 can be
found.
Reception
and legacy
The series has sold over 200 million units as of
July 2010, making this game one of the best-selling of all time. Guinness World
Records awarded the Pokémon series eight records in Guinness World Records:
Gamer's Edition 2008, including "Most Successful RPG Series of All
Time", "Game Series With the Most Spin-Off Movies" and
"Most Photosensitive Epileptic Seizures Caused By A TV Show".
IGN ranked Pokémon as the 17th greatest game series
of all time, claiming that "the basic gameplay premise boasts solid,
addictive play mechanics, and several of the handheld RPGs deserve to be in
every gamer's collection. Hey You, Pikachu!: not so much." GamesRadar
listed Pokémon as the #1 Nintendo game not made by Nintendo, stating that
having to catch them all made the games addictive.
Generations
The original
Pokémon games were role-playing games (RPGs) with an element of strategy, and
were created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Game Boy. These RPGs, 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". All of the
licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon Company International are
divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological
divisions by release; every several years, 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 the fifth generation on September 18,
2010 in Japan
.
The Pokémon franchise started off in its first generation with its initial release of Pocket Monsters Aka and Midori ("Red" and "Green", respectively) for the Game Boy in Japan. When these games proved extremely popular, an enhanced Ao ("Blue") version was released sometime after, and the Ao version was reprogrammed as Pokémon Red and Blue for international release. The games launched in the United States on September 30, 1998. The original Aka and Midori versions were never released outside of Japan.Afterwards, a further enhanced version titled Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition was released to partially take advantage of the color palette of the Game Boy Color, as well as to feature more elements from 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 to Mew), 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 fictional Kanto region, though the name "Kanto" was not used until the second generation.
The second generation of Pokémon began in 1999 with the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver for Game Boy Color. Like the previous generation, an enhanced version titled Pokémon Crystal was later released. The second generation introduced 100 new species of Pokémon (starting with Chikorita and ending with Celebi), with a total of 251 Pokémon to collect, train, and battle. The Pokémon mini is a handheld game console released in November 2001 in North America, December 2001 in Japan, and 2002 in Europe.
Pokémon entered its third generation with the 2002 release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire for Game Boy Advance and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes of Pokémon Red and Blue, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and an enhanced version 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. However, this generation also garnered some criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day-and-night system introduced in the previous generation, 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).
In 2006, Japan began the fourth generation of the franchise with the release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo DS. The fourth generation introduces another 107 new species of Pokémon (starting with Turtwig and ending with Arceus), bringing the total of Pokémon species to 493. The Nintendo DS "touch screen" allows new features to the game such as cooking poffins with the stylus and using the "Pokétch". 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. Pokémon Platinum, the enhanced version of Diamond and Pearl—much like Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald—was released September 2008 in Japan, March 2009 in North America, and was released in Australia and Europe in May 2009. Spin-off titles in the fourth generation include the Pokémon Stadium follow-up Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii, which has Wi-Fi connectivity as well.Nintendo announced in May 2009 that enhanced remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, entitled Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, released for the Nintendo DS system. HeartGold and SoulSilver are set in the Johto region and were released in September 2009 in Japan.
The fifth generation of Pokémon began on September 18 with the release of Pokémon Black and White in Japan for Nintendo DS. The games were originally announced by the Pokémon Company on January 29, 2010 with a tentative release later that year, before the announcement on June 27, 2010, of the games' release on September 18, 2010. This version is set in the Unova region (イッシュ地方 Isshu-chihō, Isshu region) and utilizes the Nintendo DS's 3-D rendering capabilities to a greater extent than Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, as shown in game footage of the player walking through the Castelia City (ヒウンシティ Hiun Shiti) metropolis. A total of 153 new Pokémon were introduced, as well as new game mechanics such as the C Gear (Cギア C Gia) wireless interactivity features[ and the ability to upload game data to the internet and the player's computer.Pokémon Black and White was released in Europe on March 4, 2011, in North America on March 6, 2011, and in Australia on March 10, 2011.
On January 28, 2011, Nintendo had announced that they had plans to release new Pokémon titles for Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS at some point in 2011. No other details have been revealed.
Game mechanics
Starter Pokémon
Pokédex
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 loosely on the anime storyline). The anime follows
the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum[25] (known as Satoshi in Japan) a
Pokémon Master in training, as he and a small group of friendstravel around the
fictitious world of Pokémon along with their Pokémon partners. The original
series, titled Pocket Monsters, or simply Pokémon in western countries (often
referred to as Pokémon: Gotta Catch 'Em All to distinguish it from the later
series), begins with Ash's first day as a Pokémon trainer. His first (and
signature) Pokémon is a Pikachu, differing from the games, where only
Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle could be chosen. The series follows the
storyline of the original games, Pokémon Red and Blue, in the region of Kanto.
Accompanying Ash on his journeys are Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader, and
Misty, the youngest of the Gym Leader sisters from Cerulean City. Pokémon:
Adventures in the Orange Islands follows Ash's adventures in the Orange
Islands, a place unique to the anime, and replaces Brock with Tracey Sketchit,
an artist and "Pokémon watcher". The next series, based on the second
generation of games, include Pokémon: Johto Journeys, Pokémon: Johto League
Champions, and Pokémon: Master Quest, following the original trio of Ash,
Brock, and Misty in the western Johto region.
The saga continues in Pokémon: Advanced Battle,
based on the third generation games. 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 named May. Her brother Max accompanies
them, and though he isn't a trainer, he knows large 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
(Misty, along with other recurring characters, appears in the spin-off series
Pokémon Chronicles). The Advanced Battle series concludes with the Battle
Frontier saga, based on the Emerald version and including aspects of FireRed
and LeafGreen. The Advanced Generation series ended with Max leaving to pick
his starter Pokémon, and May going to the Grand Festival in Johto.
In the Diamond and Pearl series, based on the
fourth generation games, Ash, Brock, and a new companion, an aspiring Pokémon
coordinator named Dawn traveled through the region of Sinnoh. In the end of the
series, Ash and Brock returned to their home region where Brock started to
follow his newfound dream of becoming a Pokémon doctor himself.
Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes!, based on the
fifth generation games, Pokémon Black and White, is the newest installment of
the Pokémon anime series being broadcast only Japan and the United States. It
features Ash and Pikachu traveling through the new region of Unova (Isshu in
Japan) along two new companions, Iris and Cilan (Dent in Japan).
In addition to the TV series, thirteen Pokémon
films have been made, with a pair of films in the making. Collectible bonuses,
such as promotional trading cards, have been available with some of the films.
Soundtracks
There have been several Pokémon CDs that have been released in North America, most of them in conjunction with the theatrical releases of the first three Pokémon films. These releases were commonplace until late 2001. On March 27, 2007, a tenth anniversary CD was released containing 18 tracks from the English dub; this was the first English-language release in over five years. Soundtracks of the Pokémon feature films have been released in Japan each year in conjunction with the theatrical releases.Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card
game with a goal similar to a Pokémon battle in the video game series. Players
use Pokémon cards, with individual strengths and weaknesses, in an attempt to
defeat their opponent by "knocking out" his or her Pokémon cards. The
game was first published in North America by Wizards of the Coast in
1999.However, with the release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Game Boy Advance
video games, The Pokémon Company took back the card game from Wizards of the
Coast and started publishing the cards themselves. The Expedition expansion
introduced the Pokémon-e Trading Card Game, where the cards (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; Pokémon Trading Card Game was subsequently released to the
US and Europe in 2000. The game included digital versions cards from the
original set of cards and the first two expansions (Jungle and Fossil), as well
as several cards exclusive to the game. A Japan-exclusive sequel was released
in 2001.
.
Monster in My Pocket
In March
2000, Morrison Entertainment Group, a small toy developer based at Manhattan
Beach, California, sued Nintendo over claims that Pokémon infringed on its own
"Monster in My Pocket" characters. A judge ruled there was no
infringement so Morrison appealed the ruling in November 2001.
Pokémon, being a popular franchise, has undoubtedly
left its mark on pop culture. The Pokémon characters themselves have become pop
culture icons; examples include two different Pikachu balloons in the Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade, Pokémon Jets operated by All Nippon Airways, thousands
of merchandise items, and a theme park in Nagoya, Japan in 2005 and Taipei in
2006. Pokémon also appeared on the cover of the U.S. magazine Time 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, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Robot Chicken, All Grown
Up! and Johnny Test have made references and spoofs of Pokémon, among other
series. Pokémon was also featured on VH1's I Love the '90s: Part Deux. 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. Jim Butcher cites Pokémon as one of the inspirations for the Codex Alera
series of novels.
In November
2001, Nintendo opened a store called the Pokémon Center in New York, in New
York's Rockefeller Center,modeled after the two other Pokémon Center stores in
Tokyo and Osaka and named after a staple of the videogame series; Pokémon
Centers are fictional buildings where Trainers take their injured Pokémon to be
healed after combat. The store sold Pokémon merchandise on a total of two
floors, with items ranging from collectible shirts to stuffed Pokémon
plushies.The store also featured a Pokémon Distributing Machine in which
players would place their game to receive an egg of a Pokémon that is being
given out at that time. The store also had tables that were open for players of
the Pokémon Trading Card Game to duel each other or an employee. The store was
closed and replaced by the Nintendo World Store on May 14, 2005.
Joseph Jay
Tobin theorizes that the success of the franchise was mainly due to the long
list of names that could be learned by children and repeated in their peer
groups. The rich fictional universe provided a lot of opportunities for
discussion and demonstration of knowledge in front of their peers. In the
French version Nintendo took care to translate the name of the creatures so
that they reflected the French culture and language. In all cases the names of
the creatures were linked to its characteristics, which converged with the
children's belief that names have symbolic power. Children could pick their
favourite Pokémon and affirm their individuality while at the same time
affirming their conformance to the values of the group, and they could distinguish
themselves from other kids by asserting what they liked and what they didn't
like from every chapter. Pokémon gained popularity because it provided a sense
of identity to a wide variety of children, and lost it quickly when many of
those children found that the identity groups were too big and searched for
identities that would distinguish them into smaller groups.
In December
2009, a "Pokémon profile picture month" on popular social networking
website Facebook started, with over 100,000 (by some estimates) Facebook users
changing the image displayed on their profile webpages to that of a favorite
Pokémon.[citation needed] In 2010, more than 252,000 people replied as
"attending", or taking part in, the event, at least double the
previous year.
Pokémon's
history has been marked at times by rivalry with the Digimon media franchise
that debuted at a similar time. Described as "the other 'mon'" by
IGN's Juan Castro, Digimon has not enjoyed Pokémon's level of international
popularity or success, but has maintained a dedicated fanbase. IGN's Lucas M.
Thomas stated that Pokémon is Digimon's "constant competition and
comparison", attributing the former's relative success to the simplicity
of its evolution mechanic as opposed to Digivolution. The two have been noted
for conceptual and stylistic similarities by sources such as GameZone. A debate
among fans exists over which of the two franchises came first. In actuality,
the first Pokémon media, Pokémon Red and Green, were released initially on
February 27, 1996; whereas the Digimon virtual pet was released on June 26,
1997.
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