Pokemon For Grown-Ups

[Cipher]

With so many people considering Pokemon to be a social faux-pas, I've seen many suggestions as to making a more adult/teen oriented image for Pokemon, so why not discuss it in one, big, angst-ridden topic?

Personally, I'd be appalled if Nintendo ever tried to give Pokemon an "adult" makeover. In this, the age of timeless icons gone angst (a la Shadow the Hedgehog, Loonatics Unleashed), I'd hate to seen Pokemon follow suit. If anything, that would cement its image as a children's franchise, so insecure in its image that it needs to cater to the whims of fickle American children. There's no maturity in screaming "Look! Pokemon can die now! Angst! I'm a cool franchise!"

By maintaining its current image, Pokemon can remain what it truly is, an all-age franchise. While certain aspects, like the anime, are undoubtedly aimed at children, the games have timeless appeal. Here, even six years after the fad has died, people continue to enjoy these games. And despite what some of you may think, they continue to appeal to people of all social groups and ages. A "jock" playing an old Pokemon Red in the hallway is not an uncommon sight at my school. A franchise doesn't achieve this status by changing its image with the times. It does so by sticking to its roots, and being there for whoever is willing to enjoy it.

Further more, the idea of an adult Pokemon franchise is extremely unlikely. Violence and videogames don't mix in Japan as the do in western cultures, and thus people, and game companies themselves, don't give anythought to upping the content of thier products.

So to all those who play Pokemon in secret, who complain of its child oriented image, think twice. Perhaps its your self-esteem and sense of security that need to be upped, not the maturity level of an ageless franchise.

Discuss.

 

[AJ Flibble]

I agree with you. But it wouldn't be so much "oooh, blood, angst, woooo." it would be a more complex storyline and less focus on the cutesy Pokemon I guess, character and plot development sorts of things.

But we closet players don't generally complain about it being child-like: we complain about how it's percieved that way. People are insecure about it because it's a "kids game" and so we HAVE to keep it a secret or risk everything, because we all know people at school are fickle and WILL decide not to like you if they find out that you like Pokemon. Plus, me and possibly many others are outcasts at school anyway (and I don't even have a social life outside of school) and so that alone can make us have low self-esteem. Heck, I now FEAR humiliation, because I react badly to it.

It's not that it's childish, it's that people see it that way, and it seems "years ago," it's no longer cool (although "crazes" don't happen at our age anymore as such). For me, it's more of a life-long battle for acceptance, because I screwed up most of my friendships, and I'm going to college to meet new people, hopefully at least one will play Pokemon. It is ageless, but is seen as childish, proving to be the downfall of so many decent people (like ourselves) who have to hide it. Because we aren't accepted, and are fighting for acceptance.

 

[Evanji Axu]

True. Angst in Pokemon is to be strictly confined to fics. I'd love to see some more plot complexity and more nefarious villains while still keeping the bright, playful spirit of Pokemon that we've come to love.

 

[AJ Flibble]

If less focus was on the babies, unevolveds, and all the Pikas, it would atuomatically look more grown-up. One day I want to see a Pokemon game without Pikachu in it, but it's not going to happen. *horribly off-topic*

The people who play Pokemon don't favour the cutesy ones generally. We prefer some of the powerful ones, underrated ones, random ones etc. We don't care about all the cutesy ones, even the non-competitive people (including me), and it seems if you're male, you have to like blood, violence and not like cuter or more beautiful things. This is where I say **** you and continue to adore Dewgong.

These rants aren't making coherent sense are they? ...

 

[Steinhauser]

Players of Pokémon SHOULD be kids at heart and shouldn't hide it. Nintendo's been pretty good at that, boldly putting out games with cute graphics and childish concepts in the face of a population that races to deem things uncool. I think (+ hope) Pokémon will be tough enough to chose its own players, not the other way around, for a while to come.

 

[Cipher]

But we closet players don't generally complain about it being child-like: we complain about how it's percieved that way. People are insecure about it because it's a "kids game" and so we HAVE to keep it a secret or risk everything, because we all know people at school are fickle and WILL decide not to like you if they find out that you like Pokemon.

You don't HAVE to do a thing accept play what you love. I'd argue that if people were more open about playing Pokemon, its out-dated image would be replaced with one of a great video game. A franchise's image is largely influenced by those who play it. If those who play it choose to hide, what kind of image will it have? In the case of Pokemon, a childish image, since apparently the majorit of those who admit to playing it are children.

How does that relate to the idea of a mature Pokemon? I suggest that the idea of retooling the franchise is a scapegoat for the real problem. The solution to which lies in more forwardness among its fans, not in a new image.

 

[Volteon]

If they make the "adult version" the main one, then I disagree with you, Pokémon is good the way it is, they can´t make a radical makeover in Pokémon looking and in Pokémon games, if they make this slowly, I can accept.

People in school make fun of me, because I like Pokémon, but they accept me the way I´m. That´s a real friendsip, so that friends you lost weren´t friends.

Also IMO if the "adult version" appears, won´t solve our "problem" too much, Pokémon has a """"bad"""" (bad in their opinion) past.

 

[zonic the hedgehog]

I've always wondered why people can't make a mature storyline or look without having angst in it.

It's supposed to be aimed for children mostly, but there could be a more mature
game (like Pokemon Colosseum or XD, but with more character development and storyline) if they knew people would actually want it.

If they actually decide to do that, I hope they don't go the route Shadow the hedgehog went, by adding blood and swearing. That doesn't make something much more mature, really. A more complex storyline would, because you'd have to be older to understand it and grasp everything that happens through it.

 

[Dex]

It's NINTENDO. Think about what I just said. They have a tendacy of creating childish games.

Wait- Can you imagine a Violent pokemon game?

 

[Tip The Waitress]

If it got rid of the silly "kid-like" anime, adults would have nothing to fear and flock to their hidden hobby

 

[Blazeing man]

Well, if they did that, as we all should know, Pokemons main support is all the 5 year olds who buy every game but can't even get out of the room. Anyway, since most pokemon lovers are guys, they try to make cute pokemon to atract girls to the franchise. So, they are basicly dropping popularity. But, with a adult version, with blood and death, pokemon would DIE.

 

[zonic the hedgehog]

Well, if they did that, as we all should know, Pokemons main support is all the 5 year olds who buy every game but can't even get out of the room. Anyway, since most pokemon lovers are guys, they try to make cute pokemon to atract girls to the franchise. So, they are basicly dropping popularity. But, with a adult version, with blood and death, pokemon would DIE.

Umm, Pokemon do die in the anime.

It's just not graphic or bloody. I don't think it should be, either.
It should have more substance in the storyline, not add more violence that has to do with blood and gore.

I think Pokemon's main demographic is 10 year olds (for the anime mostly), but I believe many teenagers actually purchase the games.

If they were to make a game for one of the handheld versions that was a little more mature, then they would make a bundle out of it. XP

 

[Jesse GS the II]

This is what I had to take into consideration when I created "Intensity". I knew that if I wanted any hope of it resonating with the readers, I couldn't make it too over-the-top adult. However, upon recently unearthing my original 2002 concept drawings for the series, I realized that I initially had a very different idea for how it would work - basically, my original plan for "Intensity" was the exact same show as the current anime, but with the characters as adults and with much bloodier battles. It took me a while to realize that bloody and violent for the sake of being bloody and violent does not equal "adult", so I instead went the route of satire and self-parody.

It was about this time that I remembered a quote from Chuck Jones - "the parodist cannot hate what he parodies" - and I decided that this is probably where I was erring. At the time, I detested "Pokémon" for mutilating my social life, but I eventually realized that "Pokémon" was just fine, and it was my own fault for taking it too far when I was younger. Once I regained a respect for the series, I was able to really grasp how a more mature version could play out. Yes, I have the occasional plot that deals with something inherently vicious ("Three's Not Company", "The Liplock Heard 'Round the World"/"I Know Who You Did Last Season", "The Decline and Fall of the Rocket Empire", etc.), but those are tantamount to what, I think, really makes "Intensity" work as an adult handling of the "Pokémon" premise - tongue-in-cheek satire combined with a sophisticated self-awareness and a willingness to throw away social conventions every once in a while.

You can't just turn "Pokémon" into a blood-and-gore-fest and call it "adults only", then expect to succeed. This kind of thing takes time.

(Sorry if it sounded like I was tooting my own horn here, but people have given me such good feedback on the past nine-and-a-half "seasons" that it's kinda inflated my ego a bit.)

 

[PDL]

frankly, There isn't anything wrong with the fandom itself, I think the reason why pokemon is deemed as "childish" is because most of the fanbase is rather childish...

look at most of the posters on this board, most of them are so inane that I'm not totally surprized that the fandom is seen as childish.

there's the apparent need that game freak and nintendo has to introduce concepts with go against the very nature of the pokemon franchise, such as triple types and a zillion evolutions of Eevee. Even adding "Mature" elements such as violence, sex and angst is sometimes mentioned. (and it doesn't work, look at "Shadow the Hedgehog".)

there's also the amount of retarded petty arguements that people tend to have. It's un-freaking-beleiveable.

In order for the fandom to be seen as mature, it's fans must be mature as well.

 

[Akerin]

If they made a seperate anime for the older fans, I'd like that.. I'd probably even watch it religiously like I did with the anime back when I was younger, as long as it was NOT focused around the main characters deep sexual attraction to his or her rival... Ugh. THAT would be terrible. As someone else said a while back in another thread, giving Pokemon an almost FMA feel would be nice. FMA has no sex orientation, yet because of certain aspects such as language and gore, it's still considered an adult cartoon. No, I'm not talking about adding a Philosopher's Stone or Auto-Mail to the story, but I would like to see characters that were a little less moronic than the ones we've got now.

However, I'm very satisfied with the games the way they are right now. As my signature suggests, I love 2-D, and I seriously don't want that to change. Not that I think it's going to... the 2-D Pokemon games are still making Nintendo plenty of money, and they know better than to attempt to fix what's not broken. ;P

 

[Puffs]

for anyone who's never socialized in Pokemon Tower... POKEMON CAN DIE

Also, angst only works in Pokemon when Mewtwo is involved >:O

I think Pokemon is perfectly fine now, what makes a game childish is nothing but narrow perception

 

[Cipher]

If they were to make a game for one of the handheld versions that was a little more mature, then they would make a bundle out of it. XP

Actually, they wouldn't. By doing so they alienate some of thier younger demographic, and teenage fans will continue to buy the games as they are now. Nothing with the Pokemon franchise needs to change. XD and Colosseum were nice asides, but they left the taste of cheese in my mouth with thier blatant attempt to be cool.

 

[AJ Flibble]

The "Maturity" that's needed is a little more in depth plot really. But something that kids could understand as well. The focus on games is trying to be cool but that's not Pokemon. It doesn't "try" at all. It just is (or isn't to some). We just need a better storyline, even if the routine is the same, it would spice it up slightly IMO.

 

[Guitarist82]

A mature Pokémon game could be good if not a main game, like were Colosseum and XD. What i would like for a mature game does not involve sex or swearing, just more realistic graphics, were I could actually SEE the hair on Mightyena's back or the scales on Luvdisc. (Drools about a Pokémon game with Resident Evil-like graphics...)

 

[Mika_Coyote]

At the time, I detested "Pokémon" for mutilating my social life, but I eventually realized that "Pokémon" was just fine, and it was my own fault for taking it too far when I was younger.

That sounds a LOT like what happened to me around 2001/02... Really.

On Topic:
Hmm, maturity in Pokémon? Story-wise, yes, otherwise, no. Pokémon doesn't need to change for now, IMO. Like several people mentioned, having violence, gore and swearing doesn't classify something as "mature". I played Shadow the Hedgehog, and while I enjoyed seeing the characters, the swearing was used so many times that it just got stupid. Seriously, can't people say "darn" or "dang" instead of the other word? Sheesh. But anyways, Pokémon is fine as it is. And while it's aimed at kids, it's quite universal. I mean, what is the average of the SPPF posters' ages? If Pokémon was to have a more mature game, maybe something along the lines of Colosseum and XD but taken a little further would be nice.