Throwback Thursday - Pokemon (series)

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Emerging from the tall grass this week: The games of wandering children obsessed with collecting that is the Pokemon series.

It all began with the 1st generation of Pokemon with Pokemon Red and Green released in Japan on February 27th, 1996, and then nearly two and half years later with Pokemon Red and Blue, breaking international shores in the US.  Part of the reason for this lengthy delay was the localization process required the entire game to be reprogrammed from scratch due to the delicate state of the game's source code.  Nintendo also feared for the reception and appeal of these cute monsters by American audiences, allegedly spending over 50 million dollars to promote the games.  Despite these challenges, Pokemon was met with massive success, growing to be second best-selling video game franchise, behind only Nintendo's own Mario franchise.

It all started here, the first generation of Pokemon battling on the Gameboy.

Part of that financial success can be attributed to the unique nature that is splitting each generation into two initial versions.  Each version contained distinct Pokemon that could only be found in one version or the other, which encourage players to communicate and trade with one another.  In fact there were some Pokemon that only evolved through means of trading.  These unique means of trading and collecting truly cultivated a social and engaging experience unlike any other game that had come before it.  And with 151 Pokemon between the two games, there was plenty to find and collect, made all the more alluring from Nintendo's catch phrase for the game of "Gotta Catch 'Em All".

As the series progressed with each generation, small incremental changes were introduced with every entry, but as whole the series remained largely the same.  Players would take control of a trainer who sets off to explore new regions, discover new Pokemon, defeat gym leaders and an Elite Four of esteemed trainers, and maybe stop a nefarious group of goons along the way.  For the competitive player, there's an ever-growing system of stats and Pokemon breeding for them to divulge in.  But the core essence of exploration, discovery, and community, this is what has kept the series running for 20 years now.  Players may argue which generation is the best and which Pokemon are garbage (sometimes quite literally being made of garbage), but there is always an earnest excitement and joy to be found in being part of a new journey together.  And the slow, steady grind of leveling up your Pokemon can be a tranquil and endearing experience as you carry over Pokemon from generation to generation.

This Pokemon is LITERALLY garbage.  Love it or hate it.

At this past E3 2017, the developers at Game Freak announced that Pokemon is now in development for the Nintendo Switch.  And rumors seem to indicate, inspired by the reception of Breath of the Wild and its bold choices to take the series in new directions, they are looking to shake up the Pokemon series formula in equally bold ways.  Whatever may result or come of this, it's a safe bet it will retain that sense of discovery and social engagement that the series has become so infamous for.  Still, one can't help but get exhilarated at the prospects of an open-world Pokemon adventure.  Yes please!

Fun Facts: This may be common knowledge to some Poke-fanatics, but the Pokemon in  the games often have humorous hidden meanings, such as Ekans being Snake backwards and Arbok being Kobra likewise.  Similarly, the three legendary birds of generation one, Articuno, Zapados, and Moltres, each bear numbering based off the Spanish numeral system: Uno, dos, tres.  Neato!