The upperclassmen will be sure to remember how this fad started.
Whispered buzzwords from an Eastern shore brought us the trading cards that with which we quickly became enamored. Shortly after the arrival of the cards, the handheld games began to fill the shelves of our local toy stores.
What could I be speaking so cryptically about?
“Pokémon,” of course!
Sure, there was the television spin-off and the many (oh, so many) little toys, but the games are, undoubtedly, the most successful contribution to the “Pokémon” franchise. We all loved the cards, but we loved the games even more, and as I discuss the evolution of “Pokémon” in this article, I’ll be focusing my discussion on the games only.
To keep things even more concise and organized, I’ll only be discussing the handheld games in detail, as I believe them to be the most successful (and it doesn’t hurt that they’re also my personal favorites).
With the first generation of “Pokémon” came the franchise’s first handheld games: “Pokémon Red and Blue” and “Pokémon Yellow.” Each of the three games was released in the United States for the Game Book Color in the very late 1990s.
By today’s standards, the sprites were bland (and sometimes confusing to look at), but back then, they filled young gamers with wonder and excitement. These games sparked the Western love for the Eastern concept of collecting beasts and battling them, and I believe that love is still burning brightly.
The second generation of “Pokémon” opened up new possibilities with the introduction of a whole slew of new Pokémon to collect, a new region to explore and three new games to play.
“Pokémon Gold and Silver,” “Pokémon Crystal” and “Pokémon Trading Card Game” arrived on the scene in the early 2000s.
“Gold” and “Silver” are famously known for their more recent updates, namely “Pokémon Heartgold and Soulsilver.” However, this doesn’t mean the original games cannot hold their own.
The Johto region allowed gamers the chance to explore a new continent and collect new Pokémon as well as battle new foes and face-off with stronger legendaries.
As handheld gaming technology advanced, so did the quality of developing “Pokémon” games.
The 10 new games of the third generation made their debuts on the Gameboy Advance and the Nintendo DS, and all were released from the early 2000s to the late 2000s.
All of these games (there are far too many to list without being redundant, but I’ll be honest and say “Pokémon Emerald” was my favorite) were huge stylistic departures from their predecessors, with brighter colors, prettier environments and all-around better-looking sprites.
Not only were these games stylistic departures, but a handful were also gameplay departures. The “Mystery Dungeon” games allowed for players the unique opportunity to assume the role of a Pokémon on mystery-fueled missions. “Pokémon Dash” was just as it sounds–a racing game, and “Pokémon Trozei” was a unique puzzle game. Topping off this generation of games was “Pokémon Ranger,” which opened a new avenue of Pokémon collecting and Trainer-trainer relationships.
While generation three dominated the region Hoenn as well as the 2000s, generation four came about at the end of the 2000s and stuck around until 2010.
This generation opened up a new region, Sinnoh, and introduced us to new Pokémon and a more complex over-world.
Another 10 games were released this generation strictly for the Nintendo DS, with more “Mystery Dungeon” games and more “Pokémon Ranger” games, as well as more battle-based titles.
“Pokémon Diamond and Pearl” first displayed to gamers the fancy new sprites of this generation. At this point, the artistic direction of “Pokémon” games was becoming more and more well illustrated (the pun was intended).
Considering that nothing game breaking or really innovative occurred during this generation, I’d say that this generation was fairly tame.
Generation 5, though, is a different story.
Gamers noticed an evolution of the sprite art in “Pokémon Black and White” as the colors were brighter and more defined, and the sprites themselves actually moved on the battlefield (we’re talking Pokémon sprites here).
The over-world in these games was almost exclusively 3D in certain regions, and this generation also brought gamers a new type of breakaway game: “Pokémon Conquest.”
I, especially, really appreciate the innovations of “Pokémon Conquest,” as the game provides gamers with a more intense way of battling and a new region to explore without the sometimes-overwhelming inclusion of new Pokémon.
Each game released under generation 5, such as the games mentioned above, were all released for the Nintendo DS from 2010 to 2013 (one game, another “Mystery Dungeon” title, has a pending U.S. release this year). All are compatible with the 3DS, but two are 3DS exclusive: “Pokémon Rumble Blast” and “Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity” (which sees its release this year).
And finally, in October of this year, “Pokémon X and Y” will be released. A new generation, new legendaries, new foes–new everything. However, it must be known that these titles are 3DS-exclusive.
The “Pokémon” franchise had very humble beginnings, and it saw a quick evolution. I and many gamers cannot wait for more.
By: Abby Ray