I would like to say that I've completely moved on from gaming of any sort now that I hardly have any time, but even today there is still one franchise that I can't imagine giving up... Pokemon.
I tried very hard not to make a post about it, and we can easily see that I've failed very early in the game, considering this is only my second blog post. However, I just couldn't not make a post about something that has inevitably been a part of my life for so long.
The basic premise of Pokemon is that you're a kid from a small town, you -- a trainer -- get your very own monster, and you explore a world using your monster to essentially beat up on other trainers in the hopes of becoming the champion. The champion is the best trainer in all the land! There's always also a very stupid group of antagonists that the story is centered around, and your time playing is spent advancing the story by trying to prevent those antagonists from ruining the planet.
If you've never played or cared about Pokemon before, you may be thinking, "Uh, okay, that doesn't sound all that fun." Or even, "That seems boring and stupid." In reflection, I would say that yes, as a sixteen-year-old that has found so many more fun things to do, it is sort of a boring thing. You often get stuck at points in the game because of the need to train ("level up") your monsters, if you're a novice you'll undoubtedly be spending 50+ hours just to make it through the storyline, and the tasks that you complete can end up being really mundane. But to a seven-year-old that prefers other worlds to her own? You bet she had a blast defeating hundreds of monsters, roaming new landscapes, and becoming the Pokemon Master!
When I say that Pokemon is still a part of my life, I don't mean that I'm still particularly interested in the games. It's really difficult to find enough time to listen to music, let alone devote hours to such a trivial time-waster. But it's impossible to ignore the person that I've become because of that intense interest back in the day. I still love hearing about new games that are coming out, fantasy books are my first preference, and I won't hesitate to pronounce my undying love for Ash Ketchum mention some of my favorite characters from the series and reminisce. The only reason I'm savvy for tech in general was figuring out how games even work (which required a tween to understand a lot more about her computer and numbers than was necessary for daily life)!
I think that we all have one thing that might be a little embarrassing to talk about, but has inevitably become some sort of part of us. Pokemon is mine.
A little part of me regrets never having played video games because they look like so much fun! I actually did watch Pokemon (the show) when I was little and I loved it! Who knows, I might just end up loving to play Pokemon virtually. You've inspired me.
ReplyDeleteHaha, growing up Pokemon was the thing for me too, consuming my life (trying to get past the third gym with only a mudkip that I was trying to level to 42). Inevitably, I haven't been following Pokemon as much, but recently I had checked out the recent new generations. Being someone who is biased towards the earlier generations (1,2, and 3), I was wondering what your opinion of the newer generations are since they are so different from the old ones.
ReplyDeleteLiterally me, trying to beat Sapphire with just one Pokemon (which I didn't understand at the time was a very terrible choice), but I digress. I thought that 6th gen (X/Y, one of like three reasons I even have a 3DS) interface was pretty cool, but that the storyline was the worst. 4th and 5th both were great! They were all very different and surprising for sure, and it's been a blast seeing how Nintendo has used (slightly) more powerful hardware to make better and more interesting games. Can't beat the classics, though!
DeleteI've never engaged in Pokemon, but after reading your post I realized how big of a game (or show) it really is to you and many more. I kind of regret not having played Pokemon or watched the show throughout my childhood.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I never played any pokemon (or any games for that matter). It was only when I moved to high school that I actually started playing pokemon. I remember downloading it onto my calculator a couple years back to kill time in study hall, and I actually realized why it has been such a popular series of games over the years.
ReplyDeleteI think you're already aware that Pokemon remains dear to my heart as well, though not as much though the television show and games.
ReplyDeleteMost people aren't aware of the work that original creator Satoshi Tajiri said "most resembles the world I was trying to convey": the Pokemon Special manga. It doesn't shy away from death or darkness, and the good guys don't always win.
The manga dispelled any cheesy images of Pokemon I held, and I highly recommend it to anyone who believes Pokemon can't be used for excellent storytelling.
Let it out Jazmin. Gaming for me is one of my little hidden treasures too as you probably know by now (since my parents strictly prohibit gaming, watching people gaming, watching games, watching a video of people gaming etc. but I still do it anyway...). Although I never got as stuck to Pokemon as you (or a lot of others). And also, just a reminder that Ash is actually a little fictional 13 year old boy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder Ange, heh. I was mainly making a reference to my obsession with him when I was 12. ;D
DeleteGaming in general is so awesome.
The only thing that you should be embarrassed about is your love for Ash. No offense, but that kid was a terrible trainer and yet he appears in every series. It blows my mind. I personally never really watched the series. It was too repetitive and the villains usually never won. I felt so sorry for Meowth having to deal with those two bozos. Nonetheless, my childhood was also centered around playing pokemon. It's hard work leveling them up so that you can beat the game and some of the puzzles were pretty challenging (for my 6 year old self)!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tommy, I'll remember to be embarrassed. He was terrible, but his wild hair and dumb exclamations truly embodied the motivation along with the stupidity that allowed him to conquer in battle! :)
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