Does anyone think that Pokemon would be a respected RPG if the anime didn't exist?

[-Raiga-]

To me it seems that pokemon as a game is a very well made game, and a decent rpg considering that its idea( catching animals and using them) if very original.

Yes I realize the anime made pokemon popular, but just think of it as if the anime didn't exist, and the game wasn't hated by popular kids everywere because of ash and pikachu.

I honestly think the series would have been better off this way as gamefreak and nintento would have more pressure to make a more successful game each time instead of cashing in on the series popularity(not saying the games didn't deliver each generation).

So what are your thoughts.

 

[Mega Trickster]

It wasn't the anime that was the big problem, it was 4Kid's kiddy dub which played a big part in making it look kiddy. When a lot of people grew up they watched the anime and probably thought "Wow this is really kiddy, I can't believe I once liked this!". Wells thats what I thought at least happened.

 

[Cataclysmic]

Really, the anime gave Pokemon the kickoff it needed and as you said, made it popular. If it wasn't for the anime, the games may not have done well and who knows, Pokemon may have been discontinued. In my opinion, the anime does a good job at attracting the younger kids and the games keep the older fans. I wish I still liked the anime as much as I did when I was younger, but oh well, I can live with the fact that it may seem childish. Besides, as long as you like Pokemon, who cares what the "oh so mature" (notice the sarcasm) people think?

 

[TogeticTheRuler]

I don`t think it would be as known as it would have been without anime, but because of those damn dubs in american, they put "150 pokemon, lets name all of them" and " Who`s that Pokemon?" stuff which made people think much less of it.

 

[Lostelle]

I believe it's the show's forementioned gimmicks, childish spin-off games and all of the merchandise (cards, action figures, lunch boxes, toddler clothes, etc.) that gave the series its "kiddie" image. If it were nothing but a game, I think it would have went down in history like every other great RPG classic.

 

[dr00]

i think it's definitely inheirited a "kiddy" image, but i also think that without it, it probably wouldn't have had any exposure.

if it was just a game, i imagine it would have gotten lost in the 90's and we'd have seen maybe generation II but that's it.

 

[shooting star]

It would look minor childish without the anime, thats right.

 

[Pokedexter]

the Anime did help it but it does put the image of it being childish. i dont even believe that ash has even had a birthday from the start making him only 10 years old which makes it really childish for late teens like me and adults to be known in the public to actually play it.

 

[JONNO.FRESH]

He had B-day in Movie 3 Short. Anyway i think that the anime made it too "kiddy"

 

[The guy from Pireas]

Yes thats right,the anime made Pokemon look <<kiddy>>.If it wasn't for the anime...

 

[Mli]

yeah i agree, it would probably be better but still the anime made it popular...

 

[EXPERT DAN200]

The anime did up pokemons popularity,but its really dumb and childish and alot of people think the games are just like the anime so it turns alot of people off the games.

 

[Sabonea_Masukippa]

Yes, the American version of the anime is kiddy, which is unfortunate. Most animes are aimed at a 9-15 year old audience in Japan because that's who watches them. In America, the dub is re-aimed at 6-11 year olds, thus making it appear more 'kiddy,' since its a cartoon and all cartoons must be for kids...(sarcasm). However, without it Pokemon may never have survived outside of Japan, so it's hard to blame it (too much).

 

[Gravy]

Yes, the American version of the anime is kiddy, which is unfortunate.

Apart from the music changes, name alterations and the fact that most of the pokémon's english voices make them sound like mindless drones, the differences between the japanese and english versions of the show are minimal.


As for the topic at hand? No, I don't think pokémon would be a 'respected' rpg if the animé had not come into fruition. It'd probably have winded up as a fairly obscure title (at least outside japan) that would still carry the 'kiddy' image that so many people seem to have immense issues with. No one is going to care about how EV training, stats and breeding makes the game 'mature', because at the end of the day, it's still a family friendly game where you go around catching pink cats and fairies.

 

[Digger412]

No, a lot of the teenage population and adults don't understand poke'mon and therefore shun it. The anime has nothing to do with it except let people who don't have the games enjoy poke'mon (though it did give poke'mon a little publisity but it made it look childish even when most of it isn't...), but because it was so kiddish a lot of people think that the games will be the same way and for every person who was watching poke'mon and their parent's came in, you'll know what I mean...

 

[NightwolfAA2k5]

I found out about the games sometime in 1997 via EB, not via the kiddy english dub, which I don't think came out at that point (in Australia) if memory serves... Pokemon, I think would still be fairly popular without it...

The games would be far better if the Anime didn't exist, but the anime isn't to blame, Have you played all the games end to end? (Not the spin-off titles) the gameplay is repetative, catch all pokemon, beat 8 gyms, beat elite 4, similar starters, cutesy characters... sounds kinda like something a kid would like...

Nintendo can fit large volumes of data in those DS cards, more so than a GBA cart, they should be capable of delivering a Pokemon RPG that doesn't repeat the same basic tired formula over and over again...

Nintendo almost delivered something good with Colosseum and XD, but they could of done better, MUCH better... As a games critique I am paid to notice these things...

Just my 2 cents...

 

[??????]

The anime really aied the Games popularity, but the anime has gone downhill...

If it wasn't for the anime, yellow wouldnt exist. Thats good enough for me.

 

[Digital Flareon]

Well they could've done without 4Kids. 4Kids just effed things up.

They should reinvent the games, like what Capcom did with RE4. RE4 was and still is a success in breathing new life into what was a once repetitive franchise. However if Gamefreak decided to reinvent Pokemon they'd have to play their cards carefully, so as to not make hundreds of loyal fans wrathful. This does not mean it will change age groups, it means that more hardcore gamers will be attracted to it as well because it has changed and actually interests them now.

I always get the notion that hardcore gamers stay away from kiddy looking games (LoZ Windwaker for instance) but end up missing out on what joys those games have to offer. It makes me sad inside.

 

[Mewgia]

The anime didn't made the games popular it made itself popular. People think that Pokemon is the anime and the games something that was created from it.. Thanks to the anime people say "Pokemon, that childish thing?". If there wasn't anime they would say: "Pokemon, what's that?"

 

[trapezechimpanz]

YES! HECK YES! I believe it would waaay better without the stupid anime. The anime was good at first but after about, well, the Orange Islands, it got really dumb and annoying.

Although, I don't think the "popular kids" as you say would like it. They would still think anything like pokemon is stupid.