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Why is Pokemon so popular?

Asbestospoison

Excellent Driver
When Red and Green/Blue first came out, they didn't exactly have a lot going for them. Game Freak wasn't exactly a notable developer at the time, the graphics weren't that great for the game boy (have you ever seen any of the old Japanese Red/Green sprites?), the game boy's popularity was starting to die out, and even Satoshi Tajiri thought that Nintendo would reject the games, and that even if they were published, they would never be very successful. And yet, Pokemon has gone on to be one of the most successful Video Game franchises ever, with black and white selling over 11.5 million copies worldwide. So what I'm asking is this: What is it that initially drew people into Pokemon, and helped it become the phenomenon it is today? And sorry if there is already a thread like this, but I couldn't find one.
 

zozo

SLIMED!
I think part of it is because it's a game that keeps itself eternally fresh. What with natures, genders, IVs, EVs, shinyness (though that was introduced after Gen I), types, etc., there are countless ways you can customize your team and play your game.
It's one of the few games that you can keep replaying and keep getting very different experiences out of it.

And that's not even mentioning the social aspect of the games.
 

RedTroopa

Flame Trainer
I think it has a lot going for it as it has aspects for everyone. Completists will want to complete the pokedex, it has a great community behind it, especially in the competitive field, and there's always something that seems to be added to a new game that makes people want to buy it. Basically, if you look at it through the eyes of a business-type person or a gamer, Pokemon is a huge success.
 

Wolf Prince

Lycan Seraph
It doesn't fully depend on the graphics, and by the time it came out it had descent graphics, also it mostly depends on the likes of the modern civilization, as an RPG in those days pokemon was a real nice videogame.
 

Squiddly Dee

∈ (⊙ ⊖ ⊙) ∋
I think that one of the reasons it is so popular is because the franchise has so many aspects, so there is sure to be at least one that every person can enjoy. Because of this, it has lots of appeal, and a massive age range.
 

girazard

IT'S A TRAP!!!
I think its because of just how free you are to personalise your game and make your run through unique. With 120+ Pokemon obtainable pre-Elite Four in each game, the game can feel truly unique and special to individuals.
 

mockingjay

swift and lol
It's because they kept on moving forward. They didn't stop after one game, they kept on going with new fresh ideas.
 

Jonah the Slaking

Couch-bound Warrior
They didn't give up, no matter how much people hated Sinnoh. That takes patience. Also, with every new game, there are new strategies and new Pokemon to use, so it never ends!
 

Excitable Boy

is a metaphor
I would imagine that its more the way that Pokemon is a combination of multiple elements of various types of gameplay, with its multitudes of goals and achievements set by either the game itself or the players, that endear it to people. The versatility of genres Pokemon borrows from, adapts, and employs make playing a Pokemon game a unique experience. Pokemon's core gameplay is a compound of some of the finest elements of exploration-based RPGs, of turn-based battling, of collectible little mutants, of strategery and tactics, of level-based and free-form advancement. Truly, it is the flexibility and combinations of such a wide-reaching expanse of gaming mechanisms that give Pokemon its broad appeal.
 

pikadon92

Raiden Maximus
As a Mon series, the original series has a unique selling point. I'm not sure if there were other games that lets you catch and raise you mons as well as trade them in a Gameboy Color. At most, it's probably tamagochi where you get to raise pets through an electronic, but for Pokemon RG, you don't have to pay attention to your pokemon all the time, plus you can get to keep more than one per catradge.

For later series, it's only because of the brand names that is already popular in itself: Pokemon.
 

jstinftw!

hey trainer
Well, when Pokemon first came it out in 1997(?), Pokemon's main audience age ranged from 6-12, something like that. It hit that audience right at the heart, incorporating an easy, child-friendly RPG and letting the imagination just roam wild.

It just caused all this commotion and Pokemon became the newest fad. You could do so much with Pokemon. And there were cards that were just as entertaining as the games, and an anime came out along with that captured the audiences even more.

The kids loved it, and at the same time, it was enjoyable to adults. That would be Nintendo's main advantage over all other consoles; it is marketable to EVERYONE. There's a reason it's held onto the rating 'E for Everyone.'

And then they made Silver/Gold/Crystal, same formula, now in color, and genders are also considered. Slight upgrades, held the audience captive, but people grew bored.

Enter new formula. IVs, EVs, Natures, better graphics, completely new storyline, new battle system (Double Battles), new place to battle (Battle Tower/Frontier), it basically went nuts. Pokemon went into overdrive, growing with its original audience who were now mainly in their early to late teens, but still allowing the newer audience to enjoy Pokemon on the exact same level. This is what Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald/FireRed/LeafGreen brought to the table.

But then, they did it again, only this time, much better. Diamon/Pearl/Platinum/HeartGold/SoulSilver devised an even more clever battle system, and made the graphics much better. Physical and Special split, EVs and IVs were something that actually mattered, basically, these changes made the game even more playable to the older audience. It added enough to make it competitive to other RPGs, without losing its original essence. At this time, it was still the same game that those 10 year olds in 1997 picked up, but had the ability to be something that a 20 year old who was much wiser, and much more strategic could play.

And Black and White basically took everything good about Pokemon and made it better. Basic formula, except much more in-depth, much more thought out. All the while still being the same game that the 10 years olds once picked up, and still playable by younger audiences and newcomers.

Pokemon is one of the few universal games out there. No matter your age, Pokemon can still be appealing, and you have all the benefits of an RPG (except create your own character). It's just garnered the reputation of being a children's game.
 
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PokemonTrainerKaden

Well-Known Member
Pokemon was ahead of it's time so graphics have nothing to do with it. I personally think that the wide age range and social aspect along with having many features for different types of players helps it appeal to each person in it's own unique way.
 

RogueLapras

Water Gym Leader
When Pokemon first came out, the thing that drew me in was being able to pick 6 Pokemon out of 150 Pokemon! 150 different choices was basically unhear of back then lol. The story (of the games and anime) was really cool. Plus there was the figures and card game. You could basically enjoy Pokemon however you wanted (game, tv, cards, board game, etc.). I was one of the first people I know of that got into Pokemon, and about a year later, most people in my school loved it. And when everyone was into Pokemon it seemed a lot better. You could battle and trade with almost everyone you knew lol!
 

Nyter

Island Challenger
Pokemon paved the way for the whole "collecting creatures to battle" type deal. The fact that you can collect and customize a team of interesting creatures makes it unique in that you can play one game in a million times trillion times Tina Turner ways!

Let's be honest, Pokemon paved the way for Digimon, Yu-gi-oh, and other creature collecting game series!

The TV series & Trading Card game helped hand in hand with the Red/Blue Series.
 

Kyro12

HiddenAmongstShadows
I think Gamefreak could have planned it all. As the series progressed, it gained more aspects for the original players that had started growing older. They also kept the Pokemon basics to pull in new players and keep this cycle eternal.
Forever liveth Pokemon
 

IamLegend

Legend
Red, Blue, and Green were fun as hell. That's why.

It was a fairly unique concept. An RPG, where your character doesn't have any special powers. Instead you capture monsters. You level up the monsters, learn new attacks, evolve them, etc.

It's a very unique game concept, and even in the beginning you had 151 different Pokemon. There was at least one that was cool to someone.

The games grew each generation, too. The only generation where there wasn't much growth is the 5th gen. So the series has improved on itself each time, making it a fairly fresh experience for the millions of fans that got hooked in the 90's.

The anime is still relevant with children, which introduces new generations to the games. Without the need for mass advertising.
 

Hydregion

EXPERT TRAINER
I think it was red and blue. Plus the Anime that also helped promote the game in some way..
 
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