Pokémon
Pokémon (Japanese: ポケモン Pokemon) is a video game franchise, created by Satoshi Tajiri and published by Nintendo for several of their systems, most importantly the Game Boy. It has been merchandised into anime, manga, trading cards, toys, and much more. The name Pokémon is a contraction of Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター Poketto Monsutā).
Pokémon is also the collective name for the creatures within the Pokémon games. The franchise has 386 unique monsters (387 including currently known Pokémon from future games, excluding Missingno., 'M Block, and other glitch-based Pokémon) that lie at the heart of the Pokémon series.
The Pokémon games are strategy games with a small RPG element which allow players to catch, collect, and train pets with various abilities, and battle them against each other to build their strength and evolve them into more powerful Pokémon. Pokémon battles are based on the non-lethal Eastern sport of fighting insects; the Pokémon never bleed or die. The game's catchphrase used to be "Gotta catch 'em all!", although now it is no longer officially used. (In an "in-joke" used in the English version of the Pokemon anime movie "Destiny Deoxys", Brock says this as he catches hot dogs from a machine as he grabs the weiners in mid-air.)
The Pokémon characters have become pop-culture icons, with a Pikachu balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, thousands of merchandise items, and in 2005, a theme park in Nagoya, Japan. The satirical cartoon South Park spoofed Pokémon in Episode 312, entitled "Chinpokomon", in which the bosses behind the creation of the toys were revealed to be Japanese ultranationalists bent on avenging Japan's defeat in World War II.
Because of the unprecedented popularity of the franchise, Nintendo formed a subsidary company called The Pokémon Company to handle the franchise. The subsidary handles everything from publishing the games in Japan to running the official merchandise stores, the Pokémon Centers. The Pokémon Company in turn has a U.S. based subsidary called Pokémon USA, of which a minority owner is 4Kids Entertainment, the international distributors outside Japan of the popular Pokemon anime series.
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About Satochi Tajiri, creator of Pokemon
As a child, Satochi Tahiri, the creator of Pokemon lived in a suburb of Tokyo and loved to collect insects, hunting them in ponds, fields and forests, constantly looking for new insects and coming up with new ways to attract insects like beetles. He was so attracted to insects, in fact, that his peers used to call him "Dr. Bug."
Satoshi did not like school. His father wanted him to be an electrical utility repairman, but this is not what he wanted. In the late 1970s, the fields and ponds that Satoshi loved as a child were paved over by apartments and parking lots, and his idea for Pokémon grew, as he wanted to give modern children the chance to hunt for creatures as he did. Satoshi got into games when he was at technical school, spending all his time in arcades. He was such a big fan that one local arcade gave him a Space Invaders machine to take home.
In 1982, Satoshi and his friends formed a games magazine under the name of Game Freak. One of his Game Freak friends was Ken Sugimori, who drew all of the Pokémon's images. In 1991, Satoshi discovered the Game Boy. When he first saw Link Cables, he imagined insects creeping along them, and the Pokémon idea was born. The game was given some initial funding and concept work from another game design studio, "Creatures." Satoshi named his development company "Game Freak", after the magazine, and thus it can still be seen at the start of Pokémon games.
Satoshi went to work for Nintendo and spent the next six years working on Pokémon. He made friends with Shigeru Miyamoto, the genius behind Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Pikmin, and Donkey Kong. As a tribute to Miyamoto and Tajiri, Ash Ketchum (or "Red" in the Gold, Silver and Crystal versions of the series) is named Satoshi and Gary Oak (or "Blue" in Gold, Silver and Crystal) is named Shigeru in the Japanese version of Pokémon.
Video games
When Pokémon was first released in Japan in 1996, it was named Pocket Monsters. Another company in North America had trademarked the name, so Nintendo had to change the game title when they released it there. Many Japanese players had already shortened the game name to "Pokémon", and this name was the one used.
The initial games introduced the concept of becoming a Pokémon Trainer and catching all 151 of the original Pokémon. They also introduced the idea of different versions of the same game, with different monsters in each one. These original games were Pocket Monsters: Red, Green, and a remake version called Pocket Monsters: Blue in Japan. The Red and Green versions were released with Blue's enhancements as Pokémon Red and Blue in the rest of the world.
The Pokémon games are classified as role-playing games because they have elements similar to other RPGs, such as a top-down tile-based point-of-view, item management, and a turn-based battle system with familiar elements like hit-points and status effects. They do not focus on plot and character development in the manner of Final Fantasy and many other RPGs. Instead, Pokémon games focus on the collection and training of creatures which are sent into battle against opponents (either AI-controlled or other fellow humans).
Depending on the game's era in the series, there may be 151 (Red, Blue/Green, and Yellow versions), 251 (Gold, Silver, and Crystal versions) or 386 (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Colosseum, FireRed, and LeafGreen versions) available Pokémon. A player's Pokémon can be traded with other players via the Game Boy Link Cable (or in FireRed and LeafGreen by way of a wireless device); this forms an integral part of the game as some Pokémon can only be collected by trading with another version.
One of the pleasing and noteworthy aspects of the Pokémon games in particular is that, unlike many other series, once a character obtains or catches one Pokémon creature she or he may use that one creature for the rest of the entire game if he or she so chooses – while fun, catching others is strictly optional. Some battles will certainly be easier with Pokémon type A or B, but simply training one Pokémon and winning the game with it is technically possible.
A Pokémon RPG usually begins in the hero(ine)'s hometown, where by chance the renowned Professor of the game's region (Kanto, Johto, or Hoenn) lives and does his research on Pokémon. It is from him that one can receive his or her first Pokémon to train. Along the way one will encounter a rival who has also received a starting Pokémon from the same professor. The goal of the game is to collect the eight badges from the eight Gym Leaders scattered throughout the region. The badges allow the player to challenge the Elite Four and the champion Trainer of the region. To do this, the player must capture and train a team of Pokémon that will ensure victory, and also complete in side quests such as thwarting the plans of the criminal organization in the area such as Team Rocket. After defeating the Elite Four and the Champion, the player is allowed to continue training and collect Pokémon.
To capture wild Pokémon, the player must carry Poké Balls. When a wild Pokémon is encountered that is to be captured, it must first be weakened with a Pokémon in the player's party and then a Poké Ball tossed at it to catch it. The player might not be successful, but with each Poké Ball tossed there is another chance.
A subculture exists which is devoted to the study of Pokémon battling and strategy. Usually research centers around Internet bulletin boards, most notably the GameFAQs forums. As well, multiple methods of online Pokémon battling exist, such as linkable Game Boy emulators, an IRC channel based program called RSBot, and a custom GUI-based program named NetBattle. The Pokémon games have also inspired the Poké Battles form of fiction.
Different aspects of battle mechanics include:
The Pokémon games are (in system order, then in release order):
Game Boy (monochrome) era
- The Red and Green versions were initially released in Japan on February 27, 1996.
- The Blue version was released in Japan on October 27, 1996. It featured improved graphics and sounds.
- North America would get its first releases of Pokémon, the Red and Blue versions, on September 30, 1998. The North American versions were actually the Japanese Red and Green with the new changes that the Japanese Blue had.
- On September 12, 1998, Pokémon Yellow was released in Japan. It was initially known as Pocket Monsters Pikachu, as it was based on the popular animated cartoon series. In this game, the player's character would start with Pikachu instead of being able to choose between Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, although it is possible to obtain all three of those Pokémon within the game.
- On October 1, 1999, Pokémon Red and Blue were released in Europe. They were identical to the North American versions.
- On October 25, 1999, North America received its version of Pokémon Yellow, named Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition. It would remain much the same as the Japanese version.
The first games in the series had no fixed name for the player's character or rival character, although among default selectable names one would match the color of the cart (e.g. Red or Blue), and for the rival's name the opposite color would be offered. In the TV show, the protagonist is named Satoshi after the creator, Satoshi Tajiri while the rival is named Shigeru after Shigeru Miyamoto. In the English translation, these names were changed to Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak respecively. Many comics and other media use the names featured in the TV series, however the Pokémon Special (Pokémon Adventures in the English translation) comic uses the name Red for the protagonist and the name Green (Blue in the English version) for the rival. Interestingly, it has been shown on the original carts that the memory sections storing the main character's name and rival's name are first initialized as Nintendo and Sony respectively.
A third Pokémon Special character named Blue (Green in the English version) is represented as a girl in a short, black dress. She wears white gloves and has long, brown hair. Her design is based on an unused character seen in a piece of official artwork for the original Pokémon games. The artwork features the protagonist, the rival and the unused female character along with the three starter Pokémon. It is rumoured that she was originally intended to be an alternate playable character. The Japanese fans may confuse Blue with Buena, the radio hostess from Pokémon Crystal, due to the fact that the latter's Japanese name, Aoi, means "blue". However, the two clearly do not share any other resemblances. In the recent remakes of the original games, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, there is the option to play as a female character, who greatly resembles the unused character for the original games. In the Pokémon Special comic, Blue later appears with the same clothes and design as seen in the FireRed and LeafGreen versions.
Pokémon Special also introduces a fourth protagonist named Yellow, to tie in with the Pokémon Yellow version (just as the Red, Green and Blue versions each had their own characters in the comic). Yellow is a completely original character exclusive to the comic. She is accompanied by two Pikachu as a loose tie-in with the Yellow game, in which the protagonist is followed by a Pikachu, an idea taken from the anime TV series.
The Gold, Silver and Crystal versions reveal the video games' actual name of the original protagonist to be Red and the video games' name of the original rival to be Green (Blue in the English version).
Game Boy Color era
- On November 21, 1999, Pokémon Gold and Silver were released in Japan. These two games introduced a total of one hundred brand new Pokémon and the new region of Johto. These versions had limited compatibility with the previous versions. North America received Gold and Silver on October 11, 2000.
- Pokémon Crystal, the equivalent Yellow version of Gold and Silver, was released in Japan on December 14, 2000. It was the first version to allow players to choose if they wanted to be a male or female character, and the Japanese version of Crystal included (in a first for a handheld system) the ability to go head to head online over Japanese cell phone networks. Another notable feature that Crystal introduced is the animated sprites of the Pokemon, which are displayed at the beginning of each battle and on the status screen. Japanese players also had the opportunity to catch Celebi, a Pokémon otherwise only available through Nintendo promotions, through these same networks. On July 21, 2001, North America received Pokémon Crystal. However, the North American version did not include the mobile phone component.
The plot of Gold, Silver, and Crystal takes place three years after the first series. It is a direct continuation of the storyline, with many references to the plot details of the first generation of games. The region of the previous games, Kanto, can be explored at a later point in the game, and following that many characters make their second debut.
Similarly to the Game Boy era, the main characters' only official names are colors of the versions, Gold for the male player and Silver for the rival character (the rival allegedly has no default list of names, but not selecting a name would generate 'Silver' in Gold and Crystal versions, whereas 'Gold' in Silver version). As said, this series also introduces the first playable female character, whose official name is Kris (Pokémon Crystal only; Gold and Silver only had a male character).
Game Boy Advance era
- The series had its first major overhaul when Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were released in Japan on November 21, 2002. These games featured a major graphics overhaul to accommodate the new features of the Game Boy Advance. They were also the first versions to feature two-on-two battles. Ruby and Sapphire were released in North America on March 18, 2003. The European release followed on July 25th, 2003.
- On January 29, 2004, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were released in Japan. They are remakes of the original two Pokémon games, Red and Green (Blue outside of Japan), but with many additions including the Sevii Islands. These games can trade Pokémon with Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Colosseum, so new players could finally get the older monsters. FireRed and LeafGreen also come bundled with a Wireless Adapter, allowing trading and battling between these two games via a wireless connection. The North American versions were released on September 9, 2004 and in Europe on October 1, 2004.
- A final game of the Ruby and Sapphire series has also been announced. Titled Pokémon Emerald, it will be to Ruby and Sapphire what Yellow was to Red and Blue, or what Crystal was to Gold and Silver. It will have several new features, including a new battle arena (the Battle Frontier), the same wireless support that FireRed and LeafGreen will have, and a new form of Deoxys. It was released in Japan on September 16, 2004, and will be released in North America on April 25, 2005.
The Game Boy Advance games marked a new beginning in the series, as they are incompatible with previous versions. In addition, the Ruby and Sapphire versions take place on an entirely different continent and have no storyline relation to the previous games in the series; they were a way for new players to get into the series.
The player can be either a male or female character. The character not chosen to play as becomes the player's rival. Like previous games the player can input his or her own name for the character, but for the first time the rival's name is always set. The male's set name is Brendan (Yūki in the Japanese version) and the female's set name is May (Haruka in the Japanese version and the Pokemon anime series). The Pokémon Special (Pokémon Adventures in English) comic, however, carries on its character naming tradition by calling the male Ruby and the female Sapphire.
Nintendo DS era
At a recent press conference promoting the launch software of Nintendo's newest handheld, the Nintendo DS, Nintendo has announced that the next two games in the main Pokémon series, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, is in the works for the handheld. There has even been a new Pokémon released that is expected to be in those games. It should be available shortly after the console's launch. Nintendo also recently announced that people can bring the Nintendo DS to screenings of the upcoming 8th Pokémon movie in order to download new content. It is not known however if the content is tied in to the upcoming games.
Nintendo has already released a spinoff Pokémon racing game called Pokémon Dash for the Nintendo DS.
Codes and glitches
There are many glitches which can be triggered in the Pokémon games, especially the Red and Blue versions. Some of the more famous ones include:
- The Missingno. glitch, which works only in the Pokémon Red and Blue versions.
- The Glitch City glitch, available only in the Red, Blue, and Yellow versions.
- At least one real glitch that lets a player obtain Mew – or any other Pokémon, including Missingno. – in the Red, Blue or Yellow versions (this is, of course, in addition to the many fake codes for Mew; see Fake codes, below).
- Pokémon cloning, available in the Red/Blue/Yellow and Gold/Silver/Crystal versions in two different forms. ([1])
- Berry Glitch: A glitch in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire that made all berry trees stop growing after one year. It was caused by a glitch in the time programming. It can be fixed by linking up to Pokémon Colosseum, the Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Disc, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, a Pokémon download station, or Pokémon Emerald.
There are also several, more minor glitches that have little to no practical reward beyond the player's own amusement. These include standing on a bush, opening up an invisible PC, fishing on a statue, swimming on top of trainers, walking on water, and inverting the main character's color.
Fake codes
There exists a vast number of fake glitches for the Pokémon games. The creation of such codes exist as a trick for gullible children. The majority of the fake glitches attempt to fool people into thinking they can capture "Unobtainable Pokémon" (present in each game) as they would a normal Pokémon.
For example, many fake codes supposedly give the player a Mew. There are even rumors that Mew is available in the Japanese Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow versions. One such rumor claims that Mew was originally given from the Game Freak Pokédex designer in Celadon City once the player caught the other 150 Pokémon; another claims that the trick to find Mew by surfing to a truck east of the S.S. Anne actually worked in the Japanese games. Both of these rumors have been proven false. However, the truck is still in FireRed and LeafGreen: a Lava Cookie (an item which heals a Pokemon of any status effect) is hidden near the truck, and is the only one available in FireRed and LeafGreen until the store on the second island gets them, late in the game.
There are also a number of codes for real Pokémon that are only in future editions of the game; and "Pokégods", which are non-existent Pokémon (usually super-powerful). The credibility of such codes may be increased, in some cases, by falsified screenshots from the in-game Pokédex - however, it is highly unlikely that such Pokémon actually exist. Four such examples are codes for obtaining Togepi, Ho-oh, Steelix and "Pikablu" in the Red, Blue or Yellow versions ("Pikablu" being what some young American gamers insisted was the name of Marill before the Gold and Silver versions were released).
Although such codes were excessively common for the Red and Blue (and to some degree Yellow) versions, numbers of false glitches for later games has dropped significantly.
The "unobtainable" Pokémon
Six of the Pokémon (Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Deoxys, Ho-oh, and Lugia) are special, extremely rare, and nearly impossible to get for Game Boy Advance players. They can all be obtained by using a Gameshark, Action Replay or similar cheating device, or from special Nintendo personnel at special events.
- Mew can be found in the Red, Blue, and Yellow versions using the "Mew glitch", which is detailed in a guide on the GameFAQs Pokémon Blue FAQ page. Additionally, it is possible to get a ticket in Pokémon Emerald and use this to travel to World's Edge Island, where Mew can be caught. Other than those two methods, there are no ways to obtain Mew without using a cheating device or obtaining it directly from Nintendo at promotional events which are no longer ongoing.
- Celebi can be caught with the GS ball (only obtainable in the Japanese version of Pokémon Crystal through a cell phone network service), or by using a cheating device. It is also available on the Japanese version of the Pokémon Colosseum bonus disk, which was available with preorders. For the Gold, Silver, and Crystal games, Celebi has been provided as a promotional Pokémon at special events, but for the Game Boy Advance series Celebi is not yet obtainable outside of Japan.
- Jirachi can only be obtained legitimately with the Pokémon Colosseum bonus disk (which was available with preorders) in North America, which allows a player to trade this Pokémon into the Ruby and Sapphire games. Europeans can get it by finishing Pokémon Channel, after which Jirachi will be downloadable to the GBA games.
- Deoxys can be caught on Birth Island to the south of Kanto in the FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald versions, provided the player has an AuroraTicket, which is a bonus for pre-ordering a ticket to see the 7th movie in Japan. Deoxys is currently unobtainable outside of Japan, except through Nintendo promotions, involving the use of the "Mystery Events" function.
- Ho-oh and Lugia can be caught on Navel Rock to the south of Kanto in FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald if the player has a MysticTicket, which can obtained by using Mystery Gift near a Joyspot. Ho-oh and Lugia are not promotional in Gold, Silver, and Crystal, in which they can be found in the Tin Tower and the Whirl Islands, respectively, if the player has a Gold Wing or Silver Wing respectively (both in-game items). Lugia is currently unobtainable outside of Japan in the Game Boy Advance series, but Ho-oh can be caught in Pokémon Colosseum by Snagging and purifying all 48 Shadow Pokémon and then beating Mt. Battle with a in-game team.
Nintendo also produced modified versions of other, not so rare Pokémon to serve as promotional icons. One of these was a surfing Pikachu, which was originally available only through a Nintendo Power contest although it was later provided as unlockable secrets in the Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Box console games. Similarly, for a short time in Japan there was a giveaway providing flying Pikachus.
Other Pokémon games
Since the introduction of the Pokémon games, there have been many released that didn't belong to the main RPG series. Some of these games were released for the Nintendo 64, some for the GameCube, and others were on the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance systems, and one game for the PC (based on the Pokémon Trading Card Game) with two versions. There were also several games for the handheld-console Pokémon Mini. Some of them aren't RPGs like their Game Boy cousins. Some are puzzle games, other are spin-offs, giving some sort of twist to the Pokémon games. Some are not even video games. Pokémon characters are also featured in the fighting games Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee as playable characters, items, and trophies.
These games include:
- Pokémon Play It! Versions 1 & 2 (PC)
- Pokémon Stadium series; includes the original Japanese Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Stadium (Pokémon Stadium 2 in Japan), and Pokémon Stadium 2 (Pokémon Stadium 3 in Japan)
- Pokémon Puzzle League (Nintendo 64; North American version of Panel de Pon)
- Pokémon Snap (Nintendo 64)
- Hey You, Pikachu! (Nintendo 64)
- Pokémon Puzzle Challenge (Game Boy Color)
- Pokémon Pinball (Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance)
- Pokémon Trading Card (Game Boy Color)
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Game Boy Color) (Japan only)
- Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire (Game Boy Advance)
- Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire (Nintendo GameCube)
- Pokémon Channel (Nintendo GameCube)
- Pokémon Colosseum (Nintendo GameCube)
- Pokémon Mini (Pokémon Party Mini, Pokémon Pinball Mini, Pokémon Puzzle Collection, Pokémon Zany Cards - these were only availabe in the USA at Pokemon Center New York; Pokémon Tetris, Pokémon Race, Pokémon Puzzle Collection 2, Pichu Bros. Mini, Pokémon Breeder and Togepi's Great Adventure, all available only at Pokemon Center stores in Japan.)
- Pokémon Dash (Nintendo DS)
- Mysterious Dungeon: Pokémon World- Pikachu's Great Adventure (Nintendo DS)
A Pokémon trading card game (or TCG for short) was made which allows players to trade Pokémon amongst themselves. Like other TCGs, the Pokémon Trading Card Game also allows players to stage a battle between their Pokémon, much like in the anime and the video games. To attack, the player must have sufficient energy cards, like in other TCGs, which in a way mimics the limited PP characteristic of the video games.
Pokémon has also been featured in two versions of Pokémon Pikachu, a portable virtual pet, where the player could shake it and Pikachu gained voltage, and a Pokémon board game, two versions of MONOPOLY, UNO Sorry! Yahtzee, Jr. and numerous other toys.
Anime
Main article: Pokémon (anime)
There are two Pokémon anime series based on the video games. The first, and the more familiar one, Pokémon or Pocket Monsters tells the adventures of Ash Ketchum (Satoshi in the original Japanese) as he travels through Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto to become the greatest Pokémon Master. The saga continues into Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation (in Japan). The English version of the series uses Pokémon under various subtitles.
The second, entitled Shūkan Pokémon Hōsōkyoku, is a spinoff of the first, and tells the adventures within the continuity of Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation, starring many of the recurring characters in Pocket Monsters. Although this series has not aired outside of Japan, an English version is in the works, under the title Pokémon Chronicles that will air on Kids' WB in the fall of 2005.
Manga
There are various Pokémon manga series, four of which were released in English by Viz Communications, and seven of them released in English by Chuang Yi.
Manga released in English
- Pokémon (The Electric Tale of Pikachu a.k.a Dengeki Pikachu), a shōnen manga created by Toshihiro Ono. It was divided into four tankōbon, each with four separate titles in North America: The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Pikachu Shocks Back, Electric Pikachu Boogaloo, and Surf's Up, Pikachu. In the English Singapore manga, the titles of volumes are the same. The series is based on the video game and anime.
- Pokémon Adventures, a shōnen manga based on the video games.
- Magical Pokémon Journey (a.k.a. Pokémon: PiPiPi Adventures) , a shōjo manga
- Pikachu Meets the Press (newspaper style comics, not released by Chuang Yi)
- Ash & Pikachu (a.k.a. Satoshi to Pikachu, not released by Viz)
- Pokémon Gold & Silver (not released by Viz)
- Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire (not released by Viz)
Manga not released in English
- Pokémon Card Ni Natta Wake (How I Became a Pokémon Card) by Kagemaru Himeno, an artist for the TCG. There are six volumes and each includes a special promotional card. The stories tell the tales of the art behind some of Himeno's cards (the tale of Persian from the Jungle set is particularly popular).
- Pokémon Getto Da ze! by Satomi Nakamura
- Poketto Monsutaa Chamo Chamo Puritei by Yumi Tsukirino, who also made Magical Pokémon Journey.
Controversy
Many Protestant Christian groups in the United States believe Pokémon to be Satanic in origin. After the US release of Pokémon Yellow, there was a sudden widespread criticism of it passed through Christian congregations primarily by word-of-mouth. Most people believe these claims to be nonsense, and note that they are spread as urban legends. While this criticism has been a widespread phenomenon in the United States, little about it has been committed to print. It would be incorrect to state that the Christian religious community has an official opinion on this, but its widespread nature makes it a legitimate topic of study.
Pokémon has been criticised by some members of the Jewish community for its use of the swastika, the most widely known symbol of Nazism. Nintendo says that this is a matter of cultural misunderstanding, as the swastika used to be used in East Asian cultures as a symbol for "good fortune" by the Buddhist religion. If a Japanese map of any major city is examined, little clockwise swastikas, or "manji", where Buddhist temples are located, can be seen. Many Jewish groups hold that it is inappropriate to use this symbol on children's toys.
The manji was shown only on a Japanese version card and was excluded from the North American release with due consideration of the cross-cultural issue. However, these Jewish members attacked the Japanese version distributed in the U.S. by unauthorized import. As a result of this controversy Nintendo stopped using this symbol even in the Japanese version. [2] This raised a public backlash in Japan for being intolerant towards the symbols of the Buddhist religion for the sake of avoiding controversy.
Many Islamic religious speakers in the Arab-Muslim nations of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt hold that Pokémon is part of a "Jewish conspiracy" to corrupt Muslim children. They claim that the word "Pokeman" is a Japanese word which means "I am Jewish." This claim is patently false. One Saudi Arabian Sheikh (Sheikh Abdel Moneim Abu Zant) has written "The Pokémon craze is a Jewish plot aimed at forcing our children to forgo their faith and values and to distract them from more important things such as scientific ambitions." The Anti-Defamation League has spoken out against these conspiracy theorists. [3]
Parallels have frequently been drawn between Satanism and Pokémon. This is covered at Satanism and Pokémon.
An image of the controversial card may be seen here.
Lawsuits
In November of 2000 it was reported that Uri Geller, an Israeli psychic-magician who claims to bend spoons with his mind, sued Nintendo over the Pokémon "Kadabra" ("Yungerer" in Japanese) which he claimed was an unauthorized appropriation of his identity. [4] [5] The Pokémon in question has psychic abilities and carries bent spoons. The name is a pun; the katakana letter 'n' (ン) looks quite like the letter 'ri' (リ). Geller sued for the equivalent of 100 million dollars, but lost.
A parents' group is suing Nintendo of America and other manufacturers of collectible cards (such as baseball card makers), claiming that the collectible nature of randomly purchased cards constitutes illegal gambling.
Two other parents also set up a site named Pokémon Kills after their son choked to death on a Burger King Poké Ball toy. The toy had two pieces, and the top red lid piece could easily fit over the mouth of a child. Burger King issued a voluntary recall of the toys in exchange for food.
Miscellaneous
Although Pokémon was originally intended for teenage children, it also has made an appeal to younger kids. Some older North American children and teenagers shun the Pokémon franchise, seeing it as made for a younger age group. A few claim Pokémon shouldn't be recognized as anime, but as children's TV. Today in North America, Pokémon is often claimed for young children only, but this is not true.
In Japan, Pokémon is thriving in all age groups.
A mammalian oncogene was named "Pokemon" (no é) by its discoverers.
See also
- List of Pokémon
- List of Pokémon episodes
- List of Pokémon Stubs
- mon (monster)
- Poké Battles
- Poké Ball
- Pokémon Adventures
- Pokémon (anime)
- Pokémon (card game)
- Pokémon evolution
- Pokémon types