STACK February 2016 Issue 136

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Who’s ?
That
Pikawho? Chariwhat? If you’ve somehow
managed to avoid the phenomenon second only
to the overall-clad plumber in the Nintendo hall
of fame, never fear – we’re here to help. Here’s
your dummies’ guide to Pokémon.
The Concept
Pokémon was spawned from the
mind of Satoshi Tajiri. A childhood
insect collector, he created the first
Pokémon games for the Game
Boy in 1996; originally “capsule
monsters”, then pocket monsters,
the games have spawned countless
manga and anime adaptations, and
have taken the world by storm.
The titles revolve around the
capture and training of Pokémon –
monsters that co-inhabit the world
of humans. As the protagonist, you
embark on your quest to become
“the very best, like no one ever
was”, and eventually take on the
Pokémon League and become the
Pokémon Master.
The Pokémon
Scattered around the world are Pokémon – battle them, train
them, and evolve them as you take on other trainers and try to fill
your Pokédex: a comprehensive journal of all the Pokémon you’ve
encountered on your travels.
Pokémon are caught using Pokéballs – small, capsule-like devices
that store your Pokémon and keep them cozy
while they’re not battling. Battling with your
little pocket monsters levels them up, and
when they’re experienced enough, they can
“evolve” to become an entirely new Pokémon.
Battling them isn’t the sole method of evolution,
however; the little critters sometimes need the
use of special stones, or even times of day or
location to reach the next stage of evolution.
The Journey
Departing from your home town, it is your
job to take on the world and become
the Pokémon Master – obtaining all the
badges from the Pokémon Gyms in your
region, and eventually taking on the
Pokémon League to become the most
powerful of all the Pokémon trainers.
Most of the towns you encounter
on your travels will have a Pokémon
Gym – a structure filled with enemy
trainers using predominantly one type
of Pokémon (yes, they have different
types), with a Leader that you must defeat in
order to earn a badge and continue on your way
to the Pokémon League.
The Pokémon League itself is comprised of
the Elite Four – four specialised trainers with
expertly-trained Pokémon – and a Champion
– the current Pokémon Master and strongest
trainer in the region. Defeat them and become
the new Master.
Along the way, you are tasked with “catching
‘em all” – obtaining (at least briefly) all 721(!)
Pokémon to help the Professors of the regions
with their research. It’s no mean feat.
The Impact
Since its debut back in
’96 (20 years ago!), you’d
be hard-pressed to find a
soul who hasn’t heard the
term, or wasn’t familiar
with the “Gotta Catch ‘Em
All!” tagline. The anime
is broadcast in over 70
countries, there are real-life
Pokémon Gyms, Pikachu
is as much a household
name as Donkey Kong or
Sonic. And that doesn’t
even begin to touch on
the Trading Card Game,
plushies, custom planes,
hotels, theme parks, and
even events like Twitch
Plays Pokémon, that have
taken over the world as we
know it.
visit GAMES FEATURE
60 FEBRUARY 2016
GAMES
Who's that Pokémon?