Things We Love About the Pokemon Franchise

Source: http://www.thenationsjournal.com/tech/nations-nine-things-we-love-about-the-pokemon-franchise/

Pokemon is still a huge juggernaut of entertainment.  Since its debut in 1996, Pokemon has been a media and merchandising gold mine.  It wouldn’t be as popular as it is without some of its trademark themes and quirks.  The appeal of taking off on a journey to be the best hasn’t lost its appeal.  Here’s 9 of the things we love most about this evergreen series.

1.  The Familiarity

People love things that are familiar.  Pokemon is as comforting as a bowl of chicken soup on a winter’s day.  Without fail, you’re a youth setting out in the world with your one Pokemon friend, later acquiring more friends and resources as you go.  You’ve got a rival, and battles, and the urge to collect everything you can.  The details change but some things stay constant.

2.  The Adventure

Pokemon is a series of wish fulfillment and adventure.  It appeals to children who can’t wait to grow up, to people in their twenties setting off on a new course in life, to older people looking to step away from their responsibilities for just a little while.  You get to go to distant lands, earn money and fame, and never have to worry about anything too serious.

3.  The Monsters

Pokemon is an abbreviation of Pocket Monsters, which is what the series is called in its native Japan.  Originally numbering 151, there are now over 70o of these strange and wonderful creatures.The premise of the series from the beginning has been to catch them all, and that challenge has only grown over the years.  Dedicated Pokemon trainers will have to put in a lot of hours to fill out their Pokedex.

4.  The Freedom of Choice

Every single version of Pokemon has released in two complimentary versions.  Some even had a third iteration.  There are key differences in the different versions, from available monsters to key plot changes.  Whenever one picks a version, it feels like joining a club.  It’s a personal statement about the player that manages to be both inclusive of similar choosers and doesn’t exclude others who made a different choice.

5.  The Social Network

Cynics will say that Pokemon only splits versions to drive up sales, and they’d be wrong.  The reason for the split is to have players make friends.  Years ago, in order to get all the Pokemon, players would need a link cable and to be in the same room.  Thanks to modern technology, players can trade all over the world with WiFi integration.  Pokemon has served to bring people together.

6.  The Relevance

Pokemon has outpaced its competition by always taking strides to be innovative and relevant.  When cell phones became more popular, the in game communication devices adopted their look and functionality.  When wireless internet became prevalent, Pokemon integrated that into its trading and battle structure.  By reinventing its core concepts with every new generation, Pokemon continues to impress.

7.  The Battles

As fun as it is to collect monsters, these are magical beings with incredible powers.  You can have a turtle unleash a torrent of water onto a floating sarcophagus, or a dragon shoot fire down upon a floating magnet.  Players can strategize about which combinations are best for which specific battle situation.  Whole tournaments exist for the best players to battle their way to the top.

8.  The Fantasy

Pokemon takes elements of the average or mundane, and tweaks them into something new and special.  It takes players to a relative real world setting, and adds in monsters and sci-fi tech.  By only making slight changes to our regular world, Pokemon establishes its appeal in mere moments.  It allows you to imagine your regular life, but better.

9.  The Fun

Pokemon is first and foremost a game, and it has lasted so long because its fun.  It’s core concepts are well made, and improved with every new game.  The battles and trading and monsters never get old.  It’s something you can talk to with friends or message boards.  Its something that people played as kids, and are now introducing their kids to.  Pokemon is an institution, and hopefully it will be for years to come.