Pokemon, such as the new creatures emerging in Pokemon Black and white and already being sold as plush toys Spy x Family Part 2
, do not actually have their origins in a science fiction scenario of evolution gone wild on some strange planet or in an uncertain future on earth. They actually came from the practice of insect collecting!
Satoshi Tajiri, the inventor of the Pokemon game, was actually an avid collector of insects as a child. Though not exactly delicate I suppose, boys will be boys and they sometimes would match off mutually aggressive insects. There you have in a nutshell the whole idea behind Pokemon- hunt down and catch specimens, keep them in an enclosed container, and then use them for battle.
But insect collecting and fighting would be a far too prosaic concept for a Nintendo game and Tajiri needed to embellish it. Still, he had an exciting core concept that simply needed the infusion of fantasy. First, the insects became ‘monsters’ and instead of insect collecting boxes they were to kept in the more intriguing and sci fi ‘capsules, ‘ giving the game its first name: capsule monsters. The attributes of insects- they’re ability to fly, leap, grasp, bite, sting, and even spit all got incorporated into the monsters of the game in a highly imaginative and modified form. In many ways, the powers and abilities of Pokemon have their roots in the strengths, weaknesses, and strange powers of real animals.
Capsules Monsters did not last long as a name; although Nintendo loved the game concept and Pokemon has probably been, with its spinoffs included, the biggest moneymaker for Nintendo ever. The name first changed to Pocket Monsters to give it a more ambitious and dramatic flair, and later became shortened to ‘Pokemon. ‘ The emphasis on ‘monster’ shifted dramatically and decidedly took on a very ‘cute’ bent from the very beginning. Even the most ferocious of Pokemon do not look very scary and kids of all ages are attracted to them. Although play is dominated by boys, girls can enjoy Pokemon too, and are especially eager to buy Pokemon stuffed toys. Boys will buy stuffed plushies as well, but they are often interested in the Pokemon card game, and are avid collectors of the legendary Pokemon, shiny raikon and shiny equine.
But the cuteness of the Pokemon characters belies they’re ferocious capabilities, all of which are essential Pokemon features in the animation, comics, card game, and especially the video game. Pikachu may look like a cute little baby seal, but with his powerful electrical charge he is one of the most formidable of all Pokemon. Thus, Nintendo has very wisely straddled a market that is rough enough to appeal to big kids (particularly boys), and cute and engaging enough to capture the imagination of smaller children. Given the success of Pokemon spinoffs, one could say that it is perhaps one of the most successful video games ever. Pokemon is a coined term for Pocket Monster. Video gaming giant Nintendo created it and it became a very successful franchise indeed, ranking next to their own Mario series. Pokemon was more of a media franchise than a game series though. But ever since Game Boy released Pokemon, role-playing video games were born. Pokemon games were indeed one of the firsts to introduce role playing games on consoles, until they penetrated the internet as they do today.
The game concept of Pokemon is very simple. A Pokemon is a monster on the wild and there are hundreds of them ready to be caught. Players can take care of them and make them their pets. These little monsters have special abilities. With proper caring and training, they would grow to be tamer, stronger, and ready for battle. In Pokemon games, players pit their pets against other trainers. The goal is to determine which trainer is the best. Teamwork is very essential to win tournaments.
If you love role playing games, then Pokemon games are perfect for you, especially the original one developed for Game Boy by Game Freak. Such games will take you to a surreal world where Pokemon can be caught on grasslands, mountains, caves, and similar areas. Go around the map and find rare monsters. It is also possible to catch young ones and make them evolve into a monster with immense skills and abilities.
But as stated earlier, Pokemon are not intended to be just a video game. There were plans for a TV series and eventually, several movie releases as well. Because of this, Pokemon merchandise is everywhere. And for that reason alone, everybody needs to be familiar with these cute little monsters. You can’t understand Pokemon unless you play the game. Watching tv or the movies alone simply isn’t enough to complete the whole gaming experience.
Pokemon has successfully penetrated the anime world. It is one of the premier manga games ever released in both the American and Japanese broadcast networks. Along with that, there are other print media created as well like books, magazines, and comics. Pokemon toys became very popular too.