So Pokemon celebrates it's 20th year today, and although I was a little late to the games. I'd like to tell a bit about my experiences when I first played it, and how I got into it. Also, my experiences since then.
I think everyone, who's everyone has heard of Pokémon, so I don't really need to explain what it is. So if you don't know much I'll try to keep it simple. Just know that pokemon are monsters who live alongside people in the pokemon world. Some pokemon are wild, some aren't. Some people use pokemon as helpers to lift, and move stuff, have as pets, or use as workers. Some people deicate their lives to find out more about the creatures, others use them to battle them (it's okay though, it's not till the death, it's just until they're knocked out or out of breathe.) Each pokemon are given what's know as types, when fighting in battles they uses types to gain advantages to win. Think of it like a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, but with lizard, and spock.....and a bunch more!
I remember it first appearing over here in game, card, and TV form. I didn't watch the show, although, I have seen the odd episode since then. I have tried to watch from the beginning, but it's so annoying to watch.
Anyway, I remember being in 1998/99 and people going crazy over the cards, and I didn't really have to much interest in it. But I remember wanting the cards (just purely to fit in with friends), and being given Ponyta (A white pony that's on fire), Rapidash (a white horse that's on fire), Machop (a sort of duck like human with lots of muscles), and Machoke (a bigger duck like human with bigger muscles and a wrestling belt.)cards. Yup, it's easier to remember which ones were which as there was only 150 pokemon then.
After being given those cards, I wanted to know more about them, and this is were it probably took off. My friend Lewis let me borrow his copy of Blue (provided I didn't delete his save) to play on a snes to Gameboy adaptor (Yes, no playstation for me. I had Snes only!!) So I borrowed it for a weekend, and it was great. I liked the different monsters to fight with, didn't really understand what I was meant to be doing or going, as lewis had completed the game, and he was doing side quests. (There's no reminders in pokemon games to help you remember what you're doing.)
Eventually in late 2000, I brought myself a Gameboy Colour with a Copy of Pokémon Blue. I already had a much better knowledge of the game through Lewis' help, and sort of new what I was suppose to be doing. Basically, to become a great trainer for pokemon you're given a series of challenges to complete. These challenges are called Gyms fights. Usually it'll be a building where people only use one type of pokemon.
My first pokemon, as you always get the first one free, was a plant dinosaur, called Bulbasaur (four legged dinosaur with a plant bulb on it's back.). As I knew the first challenge I would have to face was to do with Rock type Pokémon, and Bulbasaur is a grass type. (In there rock paper scissors idea, Grass beats Rock in typings.) Anyway, I loved the game, and really took my time with it; but was instantly hooked now I knew what I was doing.
There was one point in Blue in which I nearly gave up. There's a City called Saffron, and there's four entrances to gain access to the city, but the guard wouldn't let me pass as he was too hot. It turned out I needed to get him some water to allow me access. Cheapskate!!
Eventually, I got Yellow for that Christmas, which I wasn't really interested in as it focused heavily on Pikachu (a yellow mouse which has a shocking personality, which is really popular and everyone knows what it looks like) but I absolutely hate that pokemon. Then there was talk of two new games coming out, and that there would be new pokemon too! This was after I left school, and I had internet to find out more. The rumors turned out to be true!
I loved everything about the process of these new games coming out. There was going to be new pokemon, some older pokemon were going to get new evolutions (an evolution happens when a pokemon gains enough experience to change it's physical form.) and some were going to get pre-evolutions (which means a baby form, and when the baby gets enough experience, it'll change into it's next form.), there was even going to be a new area, new people!
Now I'm a sucker for worlds and world designs. So I love this idea that there are places not seen in the old games, and that's why some of these pokemon would have never been seen before.
And then, there was even more good news, in that they were creating new types of pokemon, which was designed to balance out the rock paper scissor as there was a type called Psychic, and it had nothing to beat it, Another thing I glossed over was the Baby forms. To get these baby versions of pokemon......Well, how is baby formed? Pokémon now had genders, and they could now breed by leaving them with a day-care like service. If you were lucky you could find an egg later on which eventually hatch into these rare baby forms.
Pokémon has continued this trend of always adding new ideas to the game, and new areas to explore. I can guarantee someone who's only played the first one, will be amazed at how different, yet familiar it now is. With things like abilities, which not all pokemon have the same ones, natures which determines how it grows ups, and recently a new type of pokemon was announce which balanced out the game even more (apparently a type called Dragon was too powerful.)
The act of new games coming out, and the slow info of what's in store is generally part pokemon's charm for me; and can generally be just as fun as the actual games themselves. I've stayed up sometimes just to watch Japanese shows to find out new information, while talking to people in chatrooms as and when it happens; and recently with Nintendo's Direct (an announcement program on twitch), where again I'm talking to people while information is being freshly told. I've even discussed the games with friends, made new friends while playing it, and even made friends with people online, just because we've talked about these games.
The simplicity of these games means that everyone from 5 to 100 can pick up and play these games, and I know plenty of people who are into their mid-life years who still play it. And I'm sure it's going to be one of the games I'll be playing until the coffin lid shuts on me.
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