Let's Discuss! - "Pokémon" - Happy 25th Birthday!

 

Let's Discuss!

"Pokémon" - Happy 25th Birthday!

Hello World! Welcome back, my name is Benjamin! This post will be taking a look at Pokémon...it is the 25th birthday of the franchise and as such we are going to take a trip down memory lane today! We'll look back at some of my favourite aspects of Pokémon and we'll also take a look at the awesome advert to celebrate the birthday of the most iconic Nintendo franchises. Let's Discuss! 

- Pokémon? What does that word even mean?

Well, the answer to that question is very simple actually. The word "Pokémon" is short for "Pocket Monsters" which of course is the original Japanese name for the franchise. In fact, did you know that the developer of Pokémon is actually a company called "Game Freak"? They started publishing magazines in the 1980's about video games in Japan, after which they began making video games by themselves! 

- Pokémon? Is that "fad" still a thing today? 

Yes, it certainly is! Pokémon is a very strong force in the world of video games and it even goes beyond the realm of just games. Pokémon is extremely popular and it can be found on everything ranging from toys, trading cards, books, tv shows and so much more! So, actually...I would argue that Pokémon is in fact not just a "fad"! 

 - OK, point taken...it's a big deal...but what do YOU remember the most about it? 

That's easy! The trading cards. Oh yes! Good memories! Everyone and I mean everyone used to collect Pokémon Cards back in the day (1999 - 2002ish). This was the golden age of Pokémon for me personally and it was when everyone collected and subsequently traded Pokémon cards with one another.  

Trading took place while playing in the street with childhood friends, in the playground at school, at birthday parties, on holiday, people were collecting and trading EVERYWHERE! There was fierce competition to collect the best cards...I remember many squabbles taking place and many tears were shed when cards went missing (presumably stolen). 

The base set of Pokémon consists of 151 monsters, and the first set of Pokémon cards were released in 1999 in Europe and the USA after the initial release of the first video games in the series. The first games were named Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version and they were released for the Nintendo Game Boy.

Base Set WOTC Pokémon Cards - Drawn by Ken Sugimori

Anyway, what people may not know is that Pokémon cards, especially those that were originally released in 1999 are worth a lot of money today! Especially the infamous Charizard card. I actually recall purchasing a Japanese version of the Charizard from the late "Comic Connections" store in Banbury for a measly £20 back in 2003. I thought that was expensive for a single card! well...how does £200 sound?! That's the price of a Charizard card which is in poor condition! A good condition card can set you back upwards of £1000 today, wow! 

- Nice! It sounds like you enjoyed Pokémon back in the day, do you enjoy it now?

The answer to that question is no, not really. I had my fondest memories of Pokémon back in the early 2000's. I could never really get on board with Pokémon after they kept adding more and more monsters into the mix. I have a strong affinity with the original 151 Pokémon and the 1st generation games for the Nintendo Gameboy. Like I say, I was especially fond of collecting Pokémon Cards back in the day and for some time after that. However, I have since passed my collection onto someone who will get more joy out of them! After all, this was how I also inherited a substantial part of my original collection when I was younger from my older brother. 

- You mentioned something about an advert? 

Oh yes! Thanks for reminding me.....if you enjoyed Pokémon back in the day or even to this day, I'd recommend checking out this advert. It really gives me a deep sense of nostalgia, and I'm sure it will for you as well if you enjoyed Pokémon. You can check it out here. 

I like the advert a lot because it utilises the "marble run" style, which I have not seen in a number of years. It keeps the person watching because they are excited for the final outcome, which means that people are less likely to switch it off after just a few seconds. I find that YouTube advertising is very ineffective and it actually makes me more angry than anything most of the time. However, I'll go into more detail about that on a separate post. 

Overall, the advert drives home what Pokémon means for a lot of people and that is one of my favourite concepts, nostalgia! 

Well, there you go.....Happy Birthday Pokémon! 

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. See you next time! 

Benjamin Andrew 95!