Why Pokémon Still Matters 30 Years Later

Pokémon is a phenomenal video game franchise that, 30 years later, still inspires people around the world to catch every monster they see and go on adventures to be the very best. Whether it’s through playing the games, watching the anime, collecting trading cards, or buying merchandise, Pokémon has continued to hold a special place in people’s hearts.

Pokémon gives off a unique take that most RPGs have not done before. The player is going on a journey with the monsters they have caught, raising them to see how much progress they’ve made and making connections with their monsters along the way.

Over the years, Pokémon has become a pop culture icon and a major part of video game history. But to understand how it became the global franchise it is today, we have to look back at where it all started: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green.

The Beginning: Pokémon Red and Green

On February 27, 1996, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green were released in Japan and quickly became a massive hit. Many kids owned Game Boys and used link cables to connect with other players so they could trade different kinds of Pokémon with each other.

The idea of making two Pokémon games with exclusive Pokémon in each version was a brilliant idea for an RPG made for kids. It encouraged players to collect every Pokémon and complete their Pokédex. Since certain Pokémon could only be found in one version, players had to communicate, trade, and connect with others.

In most RPG games, the player plays as the main character and plays in isolation with no communication or interaction with the real world whatsoever. But Pokémon wants to add its own twist to the RPG genre by making certain Pokémon also evolve through trades. Pokémon like Alakazam, Machamp, and Gengar were all Pokémon required to evolve through trading. The idea of trading Pokémon was to force players to engage in the real world and communicate with other players in order to complete their Pokedex. Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green were revolutionary games that brought a change to the RPG world, making kids, all over Japan, buy Game Boys to trade with others constantly to ‘catch ’em all.’

From Japan to Pokémania

After becoming successful in Japan, Pokémon was localized worldwide. Instead of Pokémon Green, Pokémon Blue was released internationally alongside Pokémon Red, bringing subtle changes and improvements from the original Japanese games.

Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue became extremely popular in the West, leading to the rise of Pokémania. The anime and trading card game helped bring kids even closer to the franchise and made Pokémon feel like more than just a video game.

The trading card game became a massive schoolyard craze where kids could collect, play, and battle with Pokémon cards, creating engagement and fun. The Pokémon anime introduced Ash Ketchum and Pikachu as an iconic duo who travel all over the Kanto region and are the very best, which is an enchanted version of the Pokémon games.

My Personal Experience with Pokémon

As a personal experience, I grew up with Pokémon during the late 2000s era, especially with Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, about eight years after the height of Pokémania. Even after Pokémania, Pokémon was still going strong and continued introducing new Pokémon, new regions, and new adventures.

I’ve always liked the exploration part of Pokémon games. It feels like I’m really part of the journey and making a difference in how I play the game. This is one of the reasons I think Pokémon is still popular today. People like to feel like they are part of a story and explore what is around them.

Along the way, players can feel a connection with a particular Pokémon game, region, or favorite Pokémon. That connection brings the community closer together and can last for a lifetime.

Pokémon Diamond made me like Chimchar, growing up. I always pick Chimchar as my Starter and thought it was cool that it can evolve early from the other Starters. Before I discovered the overusage of Fire/Fighting-type starter evolutions, I would immediately evolve Chimchar to Monferno after the first gym and keep using the move, ‘Mach Punch’, on Monferno throughout the game until the fourth gym. Whether 4-6-year-old me knew what she was doing in Pokémon or not, I still had fun playing through Pokémon Diamond and developed my love for the Sinnoh region, along with admiring Chimchar as my favorite Starter Pokémon.

Another favorite Pokémon of mine, which I liked growing up as well, is Psyduck. I watched the Pokémon anime a lot as a kid, especially the Indigo League era, and one of the best things I’ve watched in the anime was Misty’s Psyduck. Her Psyduck was always so silly and got into the worst-case situations for itself in a comedic way. One of the best things the Pokémon anime has shown is showcasing every Pokémon’s personality from the Pokedex and bringing it to life as a TV show. I’ve also got closely connected to Pokémon as well because of the anime, and even today I still watch it to hear what these new Pokémon sound like and how they act. Seeing Misty’s Psyduck made Psyduck become one of my favorite Pokémon; I even used 2 Shiny Psyducks for my team in 2 different Pokémon games. I have one in Pokémon: Legend Arceus and another in Pokémon Violet.

What Adults Misunderstood About Pokémon

What surprises me most about Pokémon is that some people still do not fully understand the franchise, especially some parents and adults. Some parents were concerned about Pokémon because they thought it could have a negative effect on their kids.

For example, some adults thought certain Pokémon looked scary or even demonic because of their designs. Others worried that children were becoming too addicted to collecting the cards or playing the games. During the days of Pokémania, Pokémon trading cards were even banned from some schools because teachers saw them as a classroom distraction.

Some Western adults viewed Pokémon as an obsessive franchise that pulled kids into watching monsters fight each other. But for many fans, that is not what Pokémon is really about.

When kids play Pokémon, they feel like they’re living in another world and exploring every discovery within that universe. They can make choices on how they want to play the game and build their own Pokémon teams to learn which Pokémon is best to use against a certain gym, along with learning about their Pokémon’s weaknesses and their opponents.

Parents, on the other hand, see Pokémon as a time-consuming and obsessive media trap where their kids are hyperfixated on collecting trading cards, watching the anime, and playing the games all at once, thinking they’re not learning anything from the franchise. Parents also couldn’t stand wasting their money on Pokémon toys, cards, and games on their kids, too, even during the days of Pokemania.

Pokémon as Exploration, Connection, and Nostalgia

As a kid, I always liked exploring and seeing new things. Pokémon allowed me to explore new worlds, learn about different creatures, and become more interested in the series over time. That passion carried on throughout my life, even as an adult.

Other people I know feel the same way when they play Pokémon. For many fans, Pokémon is about the connection you make with the game and the people you share it with. It is about finding favorite Pokémon, trading with friends, talking about the games, and forming lifelong bonds with other fans.

Fans also share special memories when they play a certain Pokémon game. They can talk about memories they have, like when they used their favorite Pokémon and how they survived on a low amount of health to take on the champion’s final Pokémon and win the game. Or it can be a simplistic memory, like a fan can share that they spent a weekend vacation at their grandparents’ house while they played their favorite Pokémon game when they were a kid, giving warm and cozy feelings.

That was part of Pokémon’s intention from the very beginning. The franchise was designed around connection, collecting, trading, and adventure.

Pokémon and Japanese Culture

Pokémon is also connected to Japanese culture in meaningful ways. The franchise was inspired by ideas of collecting, nature, creatures, exploration, and childhood adventure. Because of this, Pokémon is not only a game about monsters. It reflects a larger interest in discovery, companionship, and the relationship between people and the world around them.

Pokémon is inspired by 4 real regions from Japan to connect Japanese players to their home country. Kanto is based on the real Kantō region from Japan, creating the cultural shift of 1990s Japan by capturing the rural childhood of nostalgia and innocence its portrayed in the game.

Johto is inspired by the Kansai region, home to Kyoto and Osaka, it reflects deeply on Japan’s traditional historical roots. Such as its folklore and shrine culture, as it is represented in the game with the Sprout Tower from Violet City and both the Burned and Bell Towers from Ecruteak City, where you meet the Kimono Girls and Ho-oh.

Hoenn is based on the southern island of Kyushu, as it emphasizes the coexistence with humanity and nature, with its legendary Pokémon mirroring themes of shifting earth, Groudon, rising oceans, Kyogre, and bringing balance to divine weather control, Rayquaza.

Lastly, Sinnoh is based on the northern island of Hokkaido. The snowy-tundra areas like Routes 216 and 217 are inspired by Hokkaido’s harsh winter climates. Along with going through the deep creation-based mythology of how Sinnoh is made with Arceus creating the universe, and Hokkaido’s ancient customs being associated with Pokémon: Legends Arceus.

Why Pokémon Still Lasts Today

Pokémon continues to last because it is more than a video game franchise. It is a world that many people grew up with and still feel connected to today. It gives players a sense of adventure, imagination, and community.

Thirty years later, Pokémon still matters because it allows people to explore, collect, connect, and remember the feeling of being part of a larger journey. Pokémon has brought me closer to friends and makes me connect with the franchise even more. Pokémon was my gateway to express my love and passion for a game that I can talk about with anyone for hours and showcase my true self. If it weren’t for Pokémon Diamond, I would’ve never discovered how unique and creative Pokémon truly is, and maybe I would’ve never become a gamer either. Pokémon is a franchise I’ll continue to play for many years to come and share it with everyone I meet as my journey still continues.

With milestones like the 30th anniversary marking critical points in its evolution over three decades, Pokémon remains relevant in our lives today just as much as ever before, continuing to inspire exploration through new regions filled with imaginative creatures waiting for trainers around every corner.

Here is a link to the official 30th Anniversary release website with more information.

https://30.pokemon.com/en-us