Pokémon (video game series)

Pokémon
The logo for the Pokémon series
Genres	Role-playing video game
Developers	Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
Publishers	Nintendo
Creators	Satoshi Tajiri
Original release	February 27, 1996
Official website	Pokémon.com

Pokémon is a series of games developed by Game Freak and Creatures Inc. and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon media franchise. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, the main series of role-playing video games (RPG) has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds. Games are commonly released in pairs—each with slight variations—and then an enhanced remake of the games is released a few years from the original release. While the main series consists of role-playing games, spinoffs encompass other genres such as action role-playing, puzzle, and digital pet games. It is the second best selling video game franchise worldwide, next to the Mario franchise.

Generations

Pokémon U.S. release timeline
1998	Pokémon Red and Blue
1999	Pokémon Yellow
2000	Pokémon Gold and Silver
2001	Pokémon Crystal
2003	Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
2004	Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
2005	Pokémon Emerald
2007	Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
2009	Pokémon Platinum
2010	Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
2011	Pokémon Black and White
2012	Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
2013	Pokémon X and Y

All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon Company are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release; when an official sequel in the main RPG series is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main games and their spin-offs, the anime, manga and trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins. The franchise began its fifth generation with Pokémon Black and White, which were released in Japan on September 18, 2010, and were released in Europe, America, and Australia in March 2011.

First

The original Pokémon games are Japanese role-playing video games (RPGs) with an element of strategy, and were created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Game Boy. These role-playing games, and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations, are still considered the "main" 'Pokémon' games, and the games with which most fans of the series are familiar.

The Pokémon series began with the release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy in Japan. When these games proved extremely popular, an enhanced Blue version was released sometime after, and the Blue version was reprogrammed as Pokémon Red and Blue for international release. The games launched in the United States on September 30, 1998. The original Red and Green versions were never released outside Japan. Afterwards, a second enhanced remake, Pokémon Yellow, was released to use the color palette of the Game Boy Color and more of a stylistic resemblance to the popular Pokémon anime. This first generation of games introduced the original 151 species of Pokémon (in National Pokédex order, encompassing all Pokémon from Bulbasaur to Mew), as well as the basic game concepts of capturing, training, battling and trading Pokémon with both computer and human players. These versions of the games take place within the fictional Kanto region, though the name "Kanto" was not used until the second generation. Spin-off first-generation titles include Pokémon Pinball; an adaptation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game for Game Boy Color; an on-rails photography simulator for Nintendo 64 titled Pokémon Snap; a Nintendo 64 Pokémon-themed adaptation of Tetris Attack, Pokémon Puzzle League. A 3D Nintendo 64 incarnation of the handheld RPGs' battle system, Pokémon Stadium; and a co-starring role for several species in the Nintendo 64 fighting game Super Smash Bros.. At the Nintendo Space World in 2000, a game was revealed briefly with Meowth and Team Rocket singing a song. This was one of the earliest introductions of the Pokémon Togepi and Bellossom. This game was called Meowth's Party, but was never turned into a playable game. Instead, the song/video was played at the end of one Pokémon episode, and a CD was made for retail in Japan for a limited time.

Second

The second generation of Pokémon video games began in 2000 with the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver for the Game Boy Color. Like the previous generation, an enhanced remake titled Pokémon Crystal was later released. This generation introduced 100 new species of Pokémon (starting with Chikorita and ending with Celebi), for a total of 251 Pokémon to collect, train, and battle. New gameplay features include a day-and-night system (reflecting the time of the day in the real world) which influences events in the game; full use of the Game Boy Color's color palette; an improved interface and upgraded inventory system; better balance in the collection of Pokémon and their moves, statistics and equippable items (a new addition); Pokémon breeding; a new region named Johto and the ability to select the protagonist's gender. Unique to the second generation games is the fact that, after exploring Johto, the player can enter and explore the original Kanto region, which lies to the east of Johto. Spin-off second-generation games include the Game Boy Color adaptation of Pokémon Puzzle League a puzzle game created by Zoppf industries made specifically for the game boy color, Pokémon Puzzle Challenge; a Nintendo 64 pet simulator, Hey You, Pikachu!; the Pokémon Stadium sequel, Pokémon Stadium 2, for Nintendo 64; several Pokémon mini-games for the e-Reader and a co-starring role for several Pokémon species in the Super Smash Bros. sequel Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube. The Pokémon mini was a handheld game console released in December 2001 in Japan and 2002 in Europe and North America.

Third

A screenshot of Pokémon Emerald featuring an enemy Pupitar and Solrock fighting in a double battle against a player's Aggron and Smeargle

Pokémon entered its third generation with the 2003 release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire for Game Boy Advance and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes of Pokémon Red and Green (Red and Green being the original Japanese release, whereas Red and Blue were the games released outside of Japan), Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and an enhanced remake of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire titled Pokémon Emerald. The third generation introduced 135 new Pokémon (starting with Treecko and ending with Deoxys) for a total of 386 species. It also features a much more visually detailed environment compared to previous games, a new 2-on-2 Pokémon battling mechanic, a special ability system applying to each Pokémon in battle, the Pokémon Contest sub-game, and the new region of Hoenn. However, this generation also garnered some criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day-and-night system introduced in the previous generation (it had to be removed due to internal battery save problems), and it was also the first installment that encouraged the player to collect merely a selected assortment of the total number of Pokémon rather than every existing species (202 out of 386 species are catchable in the Ruby and Sapphire versions).

Third-generation spin-off titles include Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire for Game Boy Advance; Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS; Pokémon Dash, Pokémon Trozei! and Pokémon Ranger for Nintendo DS; Pokémon Channel and Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire for Nintendo GameCube; and two RPGs for the Nintendo GameCube, consisting of the games Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

Fourth

In 2006, Japan began the fourth generation of the franchise with the release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo DS. The games were subsequently released in North America on April 22, 2007 and in Australia on June 21, 2007. The game was then later released in the UK and Europe on July 27, 2007. The fourth generation introduces another 107 new species of Pokémon (starting with Turtwig and ending with Arceus), bringing the number of Pokémon species to 493. New gameplay concepts include a restructured move-classification system, online multiplayer trading and battling via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the return (and expansion) of the second generation's day-and-night system, the expansion of the third generation's Pokémon Contests into "Super Contests", and the new region of Sinnoh, which has an underground component for multiplayer gameplay in addition to the main overworld.

Other main series games in the fourth generation include Pokémon Platinum, a director's cut version of Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald. It was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan on September 13, 2008, in North America on March 22, 2009, and in Australia and Europe on May 14, 2009 and May 22, 2009 respectively. It was also announced that the Generation II games Pokémon Gold and Silver would be remade for the Nintendo DS as Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. First released in Japan on September 12, 2009, the games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe during March 2010.

Spin-off games in the fourth generation include the Pokémon Stadium follow-up Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii (which has Wi-Fi connectivity as well), Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs for Nintendo DS, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness and their sister game, Explorers of Sky all for the Nintendo DS, and a co-starring role for Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Lucario, and a Pokémon Trainer (who uses Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard for fighting) in the 2008 Wii fighter Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Fifth

On January 29, 2010, the Pokémon Company announced that a new game was in development for the Nintendo DS to be released later that year. A silhouette of a new Pokémon was shown by Junichi Masuda on the February 7, 2010, episode of Pokémon Sunday, stated to be in the upcoming film for the summer and to be identified in a future episode on February 21. This new character would also be featured in the March 2010 issue of CoroCoro Comic available on February 15, and is the start of the fifth generation of the Pokémon Franchise. Since then, the character has been named "Zoroark" (ゾロアーク, Zoroāku), and its pre-evolution was also revealed to be named "Zorua" (ゾロア, Zoroa). Both were featured in Zoroark: Master of Illusions. On April 9, 2010, the Japanese website updated with the titles of the versions as Black and White, and announced a Fall 2010 release date. The May 9, 2010 episode of Pokémon Sunday displayed silhouettes of the three Pokémon that are available for the player to choose from at the beginning of the game. These three Pokémon were later revealed to be the Grass Snake Pokémon "Tsutarja" (ツタージャ, Tsutāja, "Snivy" in English), the Fire Pig Pokémon "Pokabu" (ポカブ, "Tepig" in English) and the Sea Otter Pokémon "Mijumaru" (ミジュマル, "Oshawott" in English). Other information revealed is that the game takes place in the Unova Region (Isshu Region (イッシュ地方, Isshu-chihō) in Japan), which was based on the New York City metropolitan area. These two games were launched in Japan on September 18, 2010, and added a total of 156 Pokémon to the games (starting with Victini and ending with Genesect). The North American and European versions of the game were released on March 6 and 4, 2011, respectively. Pokémon Rumble Blast, released in Japan on August 11, 2011, is a spin-off and sequel to Pokémon Rumble, a generation four spin-off game. It was released in North America and Europe on October 24 and December 2, 2011, respectively.

At the December 17, 2011, Jump Festa event held by Shueisha, the crossover spin-off game Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition (titled internationally as Pokémon Conquest) was announced for a March 17, 2012, release. The game uses the mechanics of the Nobunaga's Ambition series while utilizing the Pokémon instead of human combatants in the turn-based combat game. On February 25, 2012, Junichi Masuda appeared on the Pokémon Smash! variety show to reveal the next titles in the main series of Pokémon RPGs: Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2, which were ultimately released in Japan on June 23, 2012. The games serve as direct sequels to Black and White, featuring returning characters and several new characters and locations, with the legendary Pokémon Kyurem in its new alternate forms serving as the games' mascot.

At E3 2012, it was revealed that a fifth generation Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game, Gates to Infinity, would be released in Japan on November 23, 2012, and to the wider world by mid-2013.

Sixth

On December 24, 2012, Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream posted a greetings card sent out by Game Freak. In the card, Junichi Masuda exclaimed that during 2013, they intend to further evolve the world of Pokémon. On December 29, 2012, a new Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 commercial aired in Japan, and ending with a message, informing Pokémon fans that the latest news would be announced on January 8, 2013. On January 4, 2013, both the Japanese and English official Pokémon website confirmed that an announcement would be made on January 8. On January 7, 2013, the official Japanese website explained that the Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata will hold a 10-minute "Pokémon Direct" video conference to announce the big Pokémon news. On January 8, 2013, Satoru Iwata announced the sixth generation of Pokémon, with the new paired games, Pokémon X and Y, which would be released on the Nintendo 3DS in October 2013 worldwide. The X and Y games will be rendered in full 3D. The video introduced the player characters, the starter Pokémon; Grass-type Chespin (Japanese: Harimaron (ハリマロン)), the Fire-type Fennekin (Japanese: Fokko (フォッコ)), and the Water-type Froakie (Japanese: Keromatsu (ケロマツ)), and two other Pokémon, not named until later; a bird-like Pokémon called Yveltal (イベルタル, Iberutaru) having a shape similar to the letter Y and a deer-like Pokémon called Xerneas (ゼルネアス, Zeruneasu) with X-shapes in its eyes. A month later, Sylveon (Japanese: Nymphia (ニンフィア, Ninfia)), a new evolved form of Eevee belonging to the games' new Fairy Type was revealed.

Gameplay

Main article: Gameplay of Pokémon

One of the consistent aspects of most Pokémon games—spanning from Pokémon Red and Blue on the Game Boy to the Nintendo DS game, Pokémon Black and White—is the choice of one of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often labeled "starter Pokémon." Players can choose a Grass-type, a Fire-type, or a Water-type, Pokémon indigenous to that particular region. For example, in Pokémon Red and Blue, the player has the choice of starting with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander. The exception to this rule is Pokémon Yellow, where players are given a Pikachu, an Electric-type mouse Pokémon, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise; unique to Pokémon Yellow, the three starter Pokémon from Red and Blue can be obtained during the quest by a single player.

Another consistent aspect is that the player's rival will always choose the type that has a type advantage over the player's chosen Pokémon as his or her starter Pokémon. For instance, if the player picks the Fire-type Charmander, the rival will always pick the Water-type Squirtle. This does not affect the first battle between the rivals, as they can only use Normal-type attacks at this point, meaning that they cannot exploit weaknesses. The exception to this is again Pokémon Yellow, in which the rival picks Eevee, a Normal-type Pokémon with multiple evolutions.

However, in Pokémon Black and White, there are two rivals; one picks the Pokémon with a type advantage over the player's chosen Pokémon, while the other chooses the Pokémon with the type disadvantage. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, another Trainer chooses the Pokémon with a type disadvantage to the player's chosen Pokémon, but never battles the player; instead, this character battles alongside the player as a tag partner in certain situations.

List of main Pokémon games

Main article: List of Pokémon video games

Handheld games

• Generation I (Game Boy)
  • Pocket Monsters: Red and Green (^JPFebruary 27, 1996)
  • Pocket Monsters: Blue (^JPOctober 15, 1996)
  • Pokémon Red and Blue (^NASeptember 30, 1998, ^AUOctober 23, 1998, ^EUOctober 5, 1999)
  • Pokémon Yellow (^JPSeptember 12, 1998, ^NAOctober 19, 1999, ^EUJune 16, 2000, ^AU2000)
  • Pokémon Trading Card Game (^JPDecember 18, 1998, ^NAApril 4, 2000, ^EUDecember 8, 2000, ^AU2000)

• Generation II (Game Boy Color)
  • Pokémon Gold and Silver (^JPNovember 21, 1999, ^AUOctober 13, 2000, ^NAOctober 14, 2000, ^EUApril 6, 2001, ^KOApril 23, 2002)
  • Pokémon Crystal (^JPDecember 14, 2000, ^NAJuly 29, 2001, ^AUSeptember 30, 2001, ^EUNovember 2, 2001)

• Generation III
• (Game Boy Advance)
  • Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (^JPNovember 21, 2002, ^NAMarch 18, 2003, ^AUApril 3, 2003, ^EUJuly 25, 2003)
  • Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (^JPJanuary 29, 2004, ^NASeptember 7, 2004, ^AUSeptember 2004, ^EUOctober 1, 2004)
  • Pokémon Emerald (^JPSeptember 16, 2004, ^NAApril 30, 2005, ^AUJune 9, 2005, ^EUOctober 21, 2005)
  • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team (^JPNovember 17, 2005, ^NASeptember 18, 2006, ^AUSeptember 28, 2006, ^EUNovember 10, 2006)
• (Nintendo DS)
  • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (^JPNovember 17, 2005, ^NASeptember 18, 2006, ^AUSeptember 28, 2006, ^EUNovember 10, 2006, ^KOAugust 30, 2007)
  • Pokémon Dash (^JPDecember 2, 2004, ^EUMarch 11, 2005, ^NAMarch 14, 2005, ^AUApril 7, 2005, ^KOMarch 22, 2007)
  • Pokémon Trozei! (^JPOctober 20, 2005, ^NAMarch 6, 2006, ^EUMay 5, 2006, ^AUJune 3, 2006, ^KOMay 17, 2007)
  • Pokémon Ranger (^JPMarch 23, 2006, ^NAOctober 30, 2006, ^AUDecember 6, 2006, ^EUApril 13, 2007)

• Generation IV (Nintendo DS)
  • Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (^JPSeptember 28, 2006, ^NAApril 22, 2007, ^AUJune 21, 2007, ^EUJuly 27, 2007, ^KOFebruary 14, 2008)
  • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness (^JPSeptember 13, 2007, ^NAApril 20, 2008, ^AUJune 19, 2008, ^EUJuly 4, 2008)
  • Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (^JPMarch 20, 2008, ^NANovember 10, 2008, ^AUNovember 13, 2008, ^EUNovember 21, 2008)
  • Pokémon Platinum (^JPSeptember 13, 2008, ^NAMarch 22, 2009, ^AUMay 14, 2009, ^EUMay 22, 2009, ^KOJuly 2, 2009)
  • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (^JPApril 18, 2009, ^NAOctober 12, 2009, ^AUNovember 12, 2009, ^EUNovember 20, 2009)
  • Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver (^JPSeptember 12, 2009, ^KOFebruary 4, 2010, ^NAMarch 14, 2010, ^AUMarch 25, 2010, ^EUMarch 26, 2010)
  • Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (^JPMarch 6, 2010 ^NAOctober 4, 2010, ^EUNovember 5, 2010, ^AUNovember 25, 2010)

• Generation V
• (Nintendo DS)
  • Pokémon Black and White (^JPSeptember 18, 2010, ^EUMarch 4, 2011, ^NAMarch 6, 2011, ^AUMarch 10, 2011, ^KOApril 21, 2011)
  • Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure (^JPApril 21, 2011, ^EUSeptember 21, 2012)
  • Pokémon Conquest (RPG Pokémon Style crossover) (^JPMarch 17, 2012, ^NAJune 18, 2012, ^AUJune 21, 2012, ^EUJuly 27, 2012)
  • Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 (^JPJune 23, 2012, ^NAOctober 7, 2012, ^AUOctober 11, 2012, ^EUOctober 12, 2012)
• (Nintendo 3DS)
  • Pokémon Rumble Blast (^JPAugust 11, 2011, ^NAOctober 24, 2011, ^EUDecember 2, 2011, ^AUDecember 8, 2011)
  • Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (^JPNovember 23, 2012, ^NAMarch 24, 2013)

• Generation VI
• (Nintendo 3DS)
  • Pokémon X and Y (^JPOctober 2013, ^NAOctober 2013, ^EUOctober 2013, ^AUOctober 2013)

Console games

• Generation I (Nintendo 64)
  • Pocket Monsters Stadium (ポケットモンスタースタジアム, Poketto Monsutā Sutajiamu) (^JPAugust 1, 1998)
  • Pokémon Stadium (^JPApril 30, 1999, ^NAFebruary 29, 2000, ^AUMarch 23, 2000, ^EUApril 27, 2000, ^SA2002)
  • Pokémon Snap (^JPMarch 21, 1999, ^NAJune 30, 1999, ^EUSeptember 15, 1999, ^AUDecember 11, 2007 (VC))
  • Pokémon Puzzle League (^NASeptember 1, 2000, ^EUMarch 16, 2001, ^AUMay 30, 2008 (VC))
  • Hey You, Pikachu! (^JPDecember 12, 1998, ^NANovember 5, 2000)
• Generation II (Nintendo 64)
  • Pokémon Stadium 2 (ポケモンスタジアム金銀, Pokémon Sutajiamu Kin Gin) (^JPDecember 14, 2000, ^NAMarch 28, 2001, ^EUOctober 19, 2001, ^AU2001)
• Generation III (Nintendo GameCube)
  • Pokémon Colosseum (^JPNovember 21, 2003, ^NAFebruary 10, 2004, ^EUMarch 22, 2004)
  • Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire (^JPMay 30, 2003, ^NAJuly 12, 2004, ^EU2004)
  • Pokémon Channel (^JPJuly 18, 2003, ^NADecember 1, 2003, ^EUApril 2, 2004)
  • Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness (^JPAugust 4, 2005, ^NASeptember 28, 2005, ^EUNovember 18, 2005)
• Generation IV (Wii)
  • Pokémon Battle Revolution (^JPDecember 14, 2006, ^NAJune 25, 2007, ^AUNovember 22, 2007, ^EUDecember 7, 2007)
  • My Pokémon Ranch (^JPMarch 25, 2008, ^NAJune 9, 2008, ^EUJuly 4, 2008, ^AUJuly 4, 2008)
  • Pokémon Rumble (^JPJune 16, 2009, ^NANovember 16, 2009, ^EUNovember 20, 2009)
  • PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (^JPDecember 5, 2009, ^EUJuly 9, 2010, ^AUSeptember 23, 2010, ^NANovember 2, 2010)
• Generation V (Wii and Wii U)
  • PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond (^JPNovember 12, 2011, ^NAFebruary 27, 2012, ^EUMarch 23, 2012, ^AUMarch 29, 2012)
  • Pokémon Scramble U (^JPTBA)

Appearances in other games

In the Super Smash Bros. series, Pikachu, Ivysaur, Squirtle, Charizard, Jigglypuff, Pichu, Mewtwo and Lucario are playable characters. Pikachu and Jigglypuff are introduced in Super Smash Bros. Pokémon were also in Mario Artist paint studio for Nintendo 64DD as pasteable stickers, and are also featured in Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube, alongside Pichu and Mewtwo. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mewtwo and Pichu are not featured as playable characters, although Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard make their first playable appearances as part of the Pokémon Trainer character, while Lucario appears as a separate character. Rayquaza is also featured as a boss enemy. The series also features Poké Balls as items, which, when used by a player, make a random Pokémon appear including Piplup, Bonsly, and Munchlax, with various effects on the game. Furthermore, several Pokémon computer games were released for Windows and Macintosh.

Event-exclusive Pokémon

A Nintendo event grants the player access to an island where Mew is located. Mew is otherwise unobtainable.

Certain Pokémon are impossible to obtain without event distributions or through unintended means such as exploiting glitches or using cheating devices. Players are not required to own these Pokémon, among others, in order to receive the diploma for completing the Pokédex. These normally unobtainable Pokémon are Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Deoxys, Phione, Manaphy, Darkrai, Shaymin, Arceus, Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta and Genesect which can not be obtained through normal gameplay. They are all considered Mythical Pokémon, apart from Phione, whose status is debatable due to conflicting official sources.

Reception and legacy

The series has sold over 200 million units as of July 2010, making this game one of the best-selling of all time. Guinness World Records awarded the Pokémon series eight records in Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008, including "Most Successful RPG Series of All Time", "Game Series With the Most Spin-Off Movies" and "Most Photosensitive Epileptic Seizures Caused By A TV Show."

IGN ranked Pokémon as the 17th greatest game series of all time, claiming that "the basic gameplay premise boasts solid, addictive play mechanics, and several of the handheld RPGs deserve to be in every gamer's collection. GamesRadar listed Pokémon as the #1 Nintendo game not made by Nintendo, stating that having to catch them all made the games addictive.