REVIEW - Pokémon (1995)

If there's one thing that I've never understood about Japanese RPG's, it's the fact that a lot of the time, they're limited to the older crowds. Whether it's due to complex game mechanics, mature themes of a sexual nature or a combination of both, JRPG's haven't been friendly to children. Until Satoshi Tajiri got an idea in his head in the year 1990. It took him 5 years to convince Nintendo - the biggest game company on the planet - about his unique RPG designed towards children. And well, you all know what came out of it.

Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy.

What made Pokémon such a hit, apart from the fact that you Gotta Catch 'em all was it's very humble but yet charming and fruitful plot. You assume the role of a boy which you can give any name to, but officially, he is known as Red (original name there guys). You also get to name your rival who is NOT Gary Motherfucking Oak unless you name him so (good luck with only 6 characters). His official name is Blue (HAHAHA GET IT? BECAUSE BLUE IS COMMONLY CALLED THE OPPOSITE OF RED? HAHAHA). On Red's tenth birthday, he goes to see the local Pokémon professor, who's name is Oak. Oak gives both Red and Blue two red and white balls with a button on them. What do they contain? The elongated name of these creatures is Pocket Monsters, shortened to Pokémon. Pokémon are kinda like animals except they are not because the game said they aren't. Mostly for domestic use, Pokémon can be used for competetive battling against other Pokémon trainers. Red and Blue are given the Pokédex, a device that allows you to build your own Wikipedia of Pokémon when you see and catch them. The main plot consists of travelling from town to town and fighting Gym Leaders, who are the game's version of boss fights. Also as a sub-plot, Red has a run in with a member of a group called Team Rocket early on in the game. Team Rocket are an organization who plan to use Pokémon for evil and even end up killing one in their quest. During his run in's with them, Red eventually manages to defeat the group and stop their schemes for the time being. I Personally think that for 1995, the plot to Pokémon is serviceable. It's not as grand or epic as a Final Fantasy game because it didn't need to be, and I appreciate that. Characters are all memorable and funny, and Pokémon's story remains one of the best on the Game Boy.

Pokémon is a run of the mill basic Japanese Role Playing Game. What set it apart however was the desire to Catch all 150 (technically 151) Pokemon. However, and this is something I disagree with to this day and I hate about the franchise: you need both versions to complete the Pokedex. Only about 130 Pokémon are in a version, with each version having it's own exclusive Pokémon. In order to complete the Pokédex, you need to buy both Red and Blue versions. Personally I believe that's just stupid and a way for Nintendo to say that two games - which are pretty much the exact same apart from names and 20 exclusive Pokémon - are different and you should get both for your kids. Anyways, moving on, you can pick a party member of 6 to bring into battle with any other Pokémon you own being digitally stored on a PC. Pokémon's battle system follows the "Rock-Paper-Scissor" way of playing. You see, if you have a Fire Pokémon, your strong against Grass. However, that Pokémon is weak to water. You have to carefully strategize in battle when it comes to what Pokémon you have in your party for which gym and what no. It's sort of annoying trying to pick 6 from 150/151 Pokémon, but when you got the perfect combination you're unstoppable...and this makes the game way too easy. You can actually tank through the whole game with your starter if you wanted to it's that easy. I know Pokémon is marketed towards kids, but older fans of this game who have massive Nostalgia boners, please put on your pants and accept reality. The gameplay of the original games is flawed up the ass. It's fun to walk around and talk to townsfolk and to evolve Pokémon, but in all seriousness, the battle mechanics are broken. Once you get a psychic type, it's game over basically.

Graphically....how the fuck am I supposed to evaluate a game that's in Black and White?

Okay, bad joke aside, Pokémon is good for the standards of the Game Boy. Sprites are detailed, Towns are lively and the interface is easy enough to work with. The game is lacking in animations, and it's lacking diversity but there's a certain character to the world of Pokémon that I enjoy. The Kanto region (not the real world Kanto like in Sakurasou) is a living breathing world which changes, only slightly, every time you do something significant. I like that in games.

Without a doubt, the games strength is it's musical score. The themes in Pokémon are so damn catchy and good that it's hard not to call the soundtrack anything less than magnificent. Whether it's battle music, travelling themes or the unforgettable tune of Pallet Town, Pokémon has one of the best 8-bit soundtracks around.

Overall....Pokémon is starting to show it's age. Nearly twenty years later, it's still an okay game, but it's gameplay is arguably it's weakest link. Now, while this first entry may not be all that great, the rest of the series - especially this games remake, Pokémon FireRed - is something you should check out. But as for the original game, it's not all that special. It's like the first Zelda game, good for it's time but it's showing it's age all too well.

Story: 8

Gameplay: 6.5

Graphics: 7.5

Music: 10

Personal Enjoyment: 7.23

FINAL SCORE FOR POKÉMON: 7.84/10