Yes reader(s), I am talking about Pokemon (GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!).
DISCLAIMER: IF YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN POKEMON, DO NOT READ THIS POST.
Unless you want to hear what I have to say on the matter.
Today I downloaded a GBA emulator, a cool program that allows you to play GameBoy games on your computer. I also downloaded the best versions of Pokemon that have ever or will ever be made. Red, Blue, and Yellow. The primary colors, representative of the primary games. I have a particular affinity for Yellow version, as it was the first video game I ever personally owned. My older brother had Red, my sister had Blue, and I was left out. There was no point to purchasing a second of the same game, and so when Yellow came out, I was delighted, finally fulfilling my place in our sibling trinity. My older brother whizzed through the games, only training a select few Pokemon. My sister and I both struggled, sure that we would find a use for every creature we captured, and so we took much longer to make it through the game.
As I got older, I developed strategies. I went through the guides diligently, and made lists and timeframes for what levels my beloved virtual pets and companions needed to be at. I chose from the 150 candidates who were most useful for each type. Back in my day (I shudder to say those words, but I must) there was a small enough number of types and Pokemon that choosing the best fire-type, for example, was easy enough (Charizard). As time progressed and versions kept popping up from Nintendo, I followed along. I would devour one game and move on to the next. I accumulated each version from each world. To this day I am the proud owner of the Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal (probably a close second favorite to the beloved first generation, Crystal was by far the best of the Johto region because of the increased availability of the legendaries), Ruby, Sapphire, LeafGreen, Diamond, and Heart Gold versions. In case you weren't keeping track, that's eleven games, and in total, I only lack five. Pokemon was important to me. I was also a player of the card game, until I lost interest and began selling them. I think this was somewhere around the release of the Johto creatures.
By the time the number of different Pokemon passed 300, I became skeptical. While I enjoyed the fact that the graphics in Ruby and Sapphire were infinitely better, I felt the integrity of the games was slipping. We weren't even fighting Team Rocket anymore. Some of the additions in Ruby and Sapphire felt pointless, such as the contests. What was the point, I wondered, of entering your Pokemon, your trained fighters, into a beauty contest? However, this wasn't enough to sway me from my goal to keep evolving in my quest to become the greatest trainer ever. Besides, the Running Shoes made walking faster, and the Mach bike enhanced the speed even more. Items were cooler, there were awesome new moves, and even some pretty awesome new starter Pokemon.
I don't have much good to say about the remake of the Kanto versions. While I appreciated the makers saying "Hey, we haven't forgotten, this was the coolest" I was heartily disappointed when no remake of Version Yellow, a sentimental favorite, was made. I was even more disappointed when after defeating the Elite Four, your character was forced to CONTINUE the game to go on the rather redundant and altogether pointless Island quests. LeafGreen was the first game that I never actually "finished," mostly because of my hatred of the Islands. This hatred was fueled by the fact that I saw a huge gap of creativity in the naming of the isles. Seriously, numbering them? Why not just put a sticker on the front that says "WE DON'T CARE; WE'RE OUT FOR YOUR MONEY AND NOTHING ELSE."
The only reason I bought Diamond was to play with a younger cousin of mine, Thomas, and I was even more disappointed with this world. I finally cracked when I started to realize the extremely nonsensical names of the newer creatures. Bidoof, for example. Please, explain the name, and, while you're at it, explain why the heck we needed this pitiful creature. I defeated the 8th gym leader but regarded the championship with apathy. I realized that I didn't care about my Pokemon team as I once had. I've tried starting Diamond over again, urged on by Thomas and the nagging sensation at the back of my head that maybe if I gave it a chance, it would be better the second or third or fourth time. It wasn't.
Heart Gold and Soul Silver actually impressed me. Senior year limited the time I was able to commit to my DS, but I have enjoyed going through the wonderfully familiar Johto world. The Pokemon, gym leaders, features, and functions, (for the most part) are all endearing reminders of the earlier years, and I know them well. I have enjoyed the luxury of not playing bent over a guide as I have with the past several versions, and the added features seem fun and interesting rather than pointless and inane.
If Nintendo does create a companion to the newer Johto versions, a remake of the Crystal game, for nostalgias sake, I will probably purchase it. However, beyond that, I find myself ready to ignore the existence of any new creatures and worlds. Playing Blue version on my laptop today was wonderful. I recommend to anyone who still feels attached to Pokemon to download an emulator and the roms for the games that they like. One of the best parts is that the computer allows you to go much faster, and hilariously, the game counts time in the sped-up version, so according to my rom, I've played for over 20 hours today. This makes training a breeze.
As any child of the 90s will tell you, Pokemon was, and to some, including me, still is, "da bomb." However, my childhood excitement about new versions has worn off, and when I find myself reaching for my gameboy, I always choose the older games, with the exception of Heart Gold. I feel bad for the kids of today. When I was a kid, the ultimate test of Pokemon was to capture all 150. Now, with over 400 different kinds and the promise of more to come, Nintendo is giving kids an almost impossible task.
Pessimism comes with age and wisdom, and so I know now what I didn't when I was a kid: that Nintendo continues to produce new Pokemon games merely to make more money. But I look back on my favorite games and feel as though they were at least putting effort into the story as well. Things make sense in the Kanto world, or as much sense as they can in a world where ten year old children catch and train "Pocket Monsters" to fight for them.
Until tomorrow,
-T.A.D.
P.S. Please don't read this and think of this blog as devoted only to Pokemon. I promise, I won't be writing many (if any) similar posts.
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