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Pokémon (video games)
Encyclopedia
Pokémon is a series of video games developed by Game Freak
and Creatures Inc.
and published by Nintendo
as part of the Pokémon
media franchise. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy
, the main series of role-playing video game
s has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds. Games are commonly released in pairs—each with slight variations—and then an enhanced remake
of the games is released a few years from the original release. While the main series consists of role-playing games, spinoffs encompass other genres such as action role-playing
, puzzle, and digital pet
games.
are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological
divisions by release; when an official sequel in the main RPG series is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main games and their spin-offs, the anime, manga and trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins. The franchise began its fifth generation with Pokémon Black and White, which were released in Japan on September 18, 2010, and were released in Europe, America, and Australia in March 2011.
s (RPGs) with an element of strategy, and were created by Satoshi Tajiri
for the Game Boy
. These role-playing games, and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations, are still considered the "main" Pokémon games, and the games with which most fans of the series are familiar.
The Pokémon series began with the release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy
in Japan. When these games proved extremely popular, an enhanced Blue version was released sometime after, and the Blue version was reprogrammed as Pokémon Red and Blue
for international release. The games launched in the United States on September 30, 1998. The original Green versions were never released outside Japan. Afterwards, a second enhanced remake, Pokémon Yellow, was released to use the color palette of the Game Boy Color
and more of a stylistic resemblance to the popular Pokémon anime. This first generation of games introduced the original 151 species of Pokémon (in National Pokédex order, encompassing all Pokémon from Bulbasaur
to Mew
), as well as the basic game concepts of capturing, training, battling and trading Pokémon with both computer and human players. These versions of the games take place within the fictional Kanto region
, though the name "Kanto" was not used until the second generation. Spin-off first-generation titles include Pokémon Pinball
; an adaptation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game
for Game Boy Color
; an on-rails photography simulator for Nintendo 64
titled Pokémon Snap
; a Nintendo 64 Pokémon-themed adaptation of Tetris Attack
, Pokémon Puzzle League
. A 3D Nintendo 64 incarnation of the handheld RPGs' battle system, Pokémon Stadium
; and a co-starring role for several species in the Nintendo 64 fighting game Super Smash Bros.
. At the Nintendo Space World
in 2000, a game was revealed briefly with Meowth
and Team Rocket singing a song. This was one of the earliest introductions of the Pokémon Togepi
and Bellossom. This game was called Meowth's Party
, but was never turned into a playable game. Instead, the song/video was played at the end of one Pokémon episode, and a CD was made for retail in Japan for a limited time.
for the Game Boy Color
. Like the previous generation, an enhanced remake titled Pokémon Crystal was later released. This generation introduced 100 new species of Pokémon (starting with Chikorita and ending with Celebi
), for a total of 251 Pokémon to collect, train, and battle. New gameplay features include a day-and-night system (reflecting the time of the day in the real world) which influences events in the game; full use of the Game Boy Color's color palette; an improved interface and upgraded inventory system; better balance in the collection of Pokémon and their moves, statistics and equippable items (a new addition); Pokémon breeding; a new region named Johto and the ability to select the protagonist's gender. Unique to the second generation games is the fact that, after exploring Johto, the player can enter and explore the original Kanto region, which lies to the east of Johto. Spin-off second-generation games include the Game Boy Color adaptation of Pokémon Puzzle League a puzzle game created by Zopf industries made specifically for the game boy color, Pokémon Puzzle Challenge
; a Nintendo 64 pet simulator, Hey You, Pikachu!
; the Pokémon Stadium sequel, Pokémon Stadium 2
, for Nintendo 64; several Pokémon mini-games for the e-Reader and a co-starring role for several Pokémon species in the Super Smash Bros. sequel Super Smash Bros. Melee
for the Nintendo GameCube
. The Pokémon mini
was a handheld game console
released in December 2001 in Japan and 2002 in Europe and North America.
Pokémon entered its third generation with the 2003 release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
for Game Boy Advance
and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes of Pokémon Red and Green, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
, and an enhanced remake of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire titled Pokémon Emerald. The third generation introduced 135 new Pokémon (starting with Treecko
and ending with Deoxys
) for a total of 386 species. It also features a much more visually detailed environment compared to previous games, a new 2-on-2 Pokémon battling mechanic, a special ability system applying to each Pokémon in battle, the Pokémon Contest sub-game, and the new region of Hoenn. However, this generation also garnered some criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day-and-night system introduced in the previous generation (it had to be removed due to internal battery save problems), and it was also the first installment that encouraged the player to collect merely a selected assortment of the total number of Pokémon rather than every existing species (202 out of 386 species are catchable in the Ruby and Sapphire versions).
Third-generation spin-off titles include Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire
for Game Boy Advance; Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS
; Pokémon Dash
, Pokémon Trozei!
and Pokémon Ranger
for Nintendo DS; Pokémon Channel
and Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire for Nintendo GameCube; and two RPGs for the Nintendo GameCube, consisting of the games Pokémon Colosseum
and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
.
for Nintendo DS. The games were subsequently released in North America on April 22, 2007 and in Australia on June 21, 2007. The game was then later released in the UK and Europe on July 27, 2007. The fourth generation introduces another 107 new species of Pokémon (starting with Turtwig and ending with Arceus
), bringing the number of Pokémon species to 493. New gameplay concepts include a restructured move-classification system, online multiplayer trading and battling via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
, the return (and expansion) of the second generation's day-and-night system, the expansion of the third generation's Pokémon Contests into "Super Contests", and the new region of Sinnoh, which has an underground component for multiplayer gameplay in addition to the main overworld.
Other main series games in the fourth generation include Pokémon Platinum
, a director's cut version of Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald. It was released for the Nintendo DS
in Japan on September 13, 2008, in North America on March 22, 2009, and in Australia and Europe on May 14, 2009 and May 22, 2009 respectively. It was also announced that the Generation II games Pokémon Gold and Silver would be remade for the Nintendo DS as Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
. First released in Japan on September 12, 2009, the games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe during March 2010.
Currently, spin-off games in the fourth generation include the Pokémon Stadium follow-up Pokémon Battle Revolution
for Wii
(which has Wi-Fi connectivity as well), Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
and Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
for Nintendo DS
, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
and their sister game, Explorers of Sky all for the Nintendo DS, and a co-starring role for Pikachu
, Jigglypuff
, Lucario
, and a Pokémon Trainer
(who uses Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard for fighting) in the 2008 Wii fighter
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
.
. A silhouette of a new Pokémon was shown by Junichi Masuda
on the February 7, 2010, episode of Pokémon Sunday, stated to be in the upcoming film for the summer and to be identified in a future episode on February 21. This new character would also be featured in the March 2010 issue of CoroCoro Comic
available on February 15, and is the start of the fifth generation of the Pokémon Franchise. Since then, the character has been named , and its pre-evolution was also revealed to be named . Both are to be featured in Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl The Movie: Phantom Ruler: Zoroark
. On April 9, 2010, the Japanese website updated with the titles of the versions as Black and White
, and announced a Fall 2010 release date. The May 9, 2010 episode of Pokémon Sunday displayed silhouettes of the three Pokémon that are available for the player to choose from at the beginning of the game. These three Pokémon were revealed to be the Grass Snake Pokémon , the Fire Pig Pokémon and the Sea Otter Pokémon . Other information revealed is that the game takes place in the which is centered around the metropolis, which itself is stated to have been based on Lower Manhattan, as the entire "modernized" Unova region was based on New York City. These two games were launched in Japan on September 18, 2010. The North American
and Europe
an versions of the game were released on March 6 and 4, 2011, respectively.
on the Game Boy
to the Nintendo DS
game, Pokémon Black and White
—is the choice of one of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often labeled "starter Pokémon". Players can choose a Grass-type, a Fire-type, or a Water-type, Pokémon indigenous to that particular region. For example, in Pokémon Red and Blue, the player has the choice of starting with Bulbasaur
, Squirtle
, or Charmander
. The exception to this rule is Pokémon Yellow, where players are given a Pikachu
, an Electric-type mouse Pokémon, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise; unique to Pokémon Yellow, the three starter Pokémon from Red and Blue can be obtained during the quest by a single player.
Another consistent aspect is that the player's rival will always choose the type that has a type advantage over the player's chosen Pokémon as his or her starter Pokémon. For instance, if the player picks the Fire-type Charmander, the rival will always pick the Water-type Squirtle. This does not affect the first battle between the rivals, as they can only use Normal-type attacks at this point, meaning that they cannot exploit weaknesses. The exception to this is again Pokémon Yellow, in which the rival picks Eevee
, a Normal-type Pokémon with multiple evolutions.
However, in Pokémon Black and White
, there are two rivals; one picks the Pokémon with a type advantage over the player's chosen Pokémon, while the other chooses the Pokémon with the type disadvantage. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, another Trainer chooses the Pokémon with a type disadvantage to the player's chosen Pokémon, but never battles the player; instead, this character battles alongside the player as a tag partner in certain situations.
, Ivysaur
, Squirtle
, Charizard
, Jigglypuff
, Pichu
, Mewtwo
and Lucario
are playable characters. Pikachu and Jigglypuff are introduced in Super Smash Bros.
Pokémon were also in Mario Artist
paint studio for 64dd as paste-able stickers, and are also featured in Super Smash Bros. Melee
for the Nintendo GameCube
, alongside Pichu and Mewtwo. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, Mewtwo and Pichu are not featured as playable characters, although Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard make their first playable appearances as part of the Pokémon Trainer
character, while Lucario appears as a separate character. Rayquaza
is also featured as a boss
enemy. The series also features Poké Balls as items, which, when used by a player, make a random Pokémon appear, with various effects on the game. Further, several Pokémon games are available on PC and Macintosh, see Pokémon games for PC.
or similar cheating device like Action Replay
. Players are not required to own these Pokémon, among others, in order to have a complete Pokédex, as this would mean you would not be able to obtain the certificate for collecting all of the Pokémon in B/W.
Any of these pokemon can be obtained by using cheat devices, such as action replay, gameshark,etc.
"MissingNo.
" is a glitch in Pokémon Red and Blue
composed of junk data holding several unused positions in the game's internal 8-bit Pokémon species byte
. It is most often accessed by a glitch that involves undergoing a tutorial in Viridian City (which temporarily places the player's name into the RAM space that is accessed to determine which Pokémon can be caught in an area), then immediately flying to Cinnabar Island, and surfing along the coast. Cinnabar Island's coast has no data on which Pokémon can be caught, and thus any data which is presently stored in the RAM (in this case, the player's name) is used. Certain letters of the player's name are used to decide what Pokémon is met, and "MissingNo." is one of the more common results. Other glitch pokemon such as Mewtwo with levels over 100 can be found.
IGN
ranked Pokémon as the 17th greatest game series of all time, claiming that "the basic gameplay premise boasts solid, addictive play mechanics, and several of the handheld RPGs deserve to be in every gamer's collection. Hey You, Pikachu!
: not so much." GamesRadar
listed Pokémon as the #1 Nintendo
game not made by Nintendo, stating that having to catch them all made the games addictive.
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
and Creatures Inc.
Creatures Inc.
is a subsidiary of the Japanese game development company Nintendo. It was founded by Tsunekazu Ishihara in November 1995, as a successor to Shigesato Itoi's company Ape Inc. Its current president is Hirokazu Tanaka. The company has its headquarters on the second floor of the in Chiyoda, Tokyo, in...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
as part of the Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
media franchise. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, the main series of role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds. Games are commonly released in pairs—each with slight variations—and then an enhanced remake
Enhanced remake
A video game remake is a game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game for newer hardware and contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and story elements of the original game...
of the games is released a few years from the original release. While the main series consists of role-playing games, spinoffs encompass other genres such as action role-playing
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
, puzzle, and digital pet
Digital pet
A digital pet is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment. People may keep a digital pet in lieu of a real pet....
games.
Generations
All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon CompanyThe Pokémon Company
is a corporation responsible for marketing and licensing the Pokémon franchise and is affiliated and owned by Nintendo. It began operating in 1998 and adopted the moniker "Pokémon Ltd." in 2000. The company is headquartered in the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in Roppongi Rokuchome, Minato, Tokyo...
are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological
Chronology
Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
divisions by release; when an official sequel in the main RPG series is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main games and their spin-offs, the anime, manga and trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins. The franchise began its fifth generation with Pokémon Black and White, which were released in Japan on September 18, 2010, and were released in Europe, America, and Australia in March 2011.
First
The original Pokémon games were Japanese role-playing video gameRole-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s (RPGs) with an element of strategy, and were created by Satoshi Tajiri
Satoshi Tajiri
is a Japanese video game designer best known as the creator of Pokémon and the founder of development company Game Freak, Inc. An avid fan of arcade games, Tajiri wrote for and edited his own video gaming fanzine Game Freak with Ken Sugimori, before evolving it into a development company of the...
for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
. These role-playing games, and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations, are still considered the "main" Pokémon games, and the games with which most fans of the series are familiar.
The Pokémon series began with the release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
in Japan. When these games proved extremely popular, an enhanced Blue version was released sometime after, and the Blue version was reprogrammed as Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
for international release. The games launched in the United States on September 30, 1998. The original Green versions were never released outside Japan. Afterwards, a second enhanced remake, Pokémon Yellow, was released to use the color palette of the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
and more of a stylistic resemblance to the popular Pokémon anime. This first generation of games introduced the original 151 species of Pokémon (in National Pokédex order, encompassing all Pokémon from Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Ken Sugimori, their name is a combination of the words "bulb" and "dinosaur." First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue as a Starter Pokémon, they later appeared in subsequent sequels,...
to Mew
Mew (Pokémon)
is one of the fictional species of Pokémon creatures from Nintendo's and Game Freak's multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri...
), as well as the basic game concepts of capturing, training, battling and trading Pokémon with both computer and human players. These versions of the games take place within the fictional Kanto region
Pokémon regions
There are several regions that have appeared in the various media of the Pokémon franchise. Each of the five generations of the main series releases focuses on a new region. Moreover, several regions have been introduced in spin-off games, and one in the Pokémon anime, though most of these are...
, though the name "Kanto" was not used until the second generation. Spin-off first-generation titles include Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Pinball
is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 28, 1999. In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related....
; an adaptation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game)
Pokémon Trading Card Game, originally released in Japan as is a video game adaptation of the original tabletop trading card game of the same name, which in turn was based on the Pokémon role-playing video game series...
for Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
; an on-rails photography simulator for Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
titled Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Snap
is a first-person rail shooter and simulation video game developed by HAL Laboratory with Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is part of the Pokémon series, and one of the first console games based on the Pokémon series...
; a Nintendo 64 Pokémon-themed adaptation of Tetris Attack
Tetris Attack
Tetris Attack is a puzzle video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System home video game console and Game Boy handheld game console...
, Pokémon Puzzle League
Pokémon Puzzle League
Pokémon Puzzle League is a puzzle game for the Nintendo 64 console. It is based on Nintendo's Panel de Pon puzzle games, but with Pokémon likenesses. It was only available in North America starting in 2000, and in Europe in 2001, making it the first Pokémon game produced for North America first...
. A 3D Nintendo 64 incarnation of the handheld RPGs' battle system, Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium, known as in Japan, is a strategy game developed by Nintendo EAD with the assistance of Creatures and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released on April 30, 1999 in Japan, February 29, 2000 in North America, and April 7, 2000...
; and a co-starring role for several species in the Nintendo 64 fighting game Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as , is a fighting game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on January 21, 1999, in North America on April 26, 1999, and in Europe on November 19, 1999. Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super...
. At the Nintendo Space World
Nintendo Space World
Nintendo World, formerly called Nintendo Space World, Nintendo 64 Space World, Super Famicom Space World, Famicom Space World, and , is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo, typically to unveil new consoles or handhelds...
in 2000, a game was revealed briefly with Meowth
Meowth
Meowth, known as in original Japanese language versions, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Meowth first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and...
and Team Rocket singing a song. This was one of the earliest introductions of the Pokémon Togepi
Togepi
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Togepi first appeared in the Pokémon anime. It then appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles, and animated and...
and Bellossom. This game was called Meowth's Party
Meowth's Party
Meowth's Party was an interactive technical demo showcased at the 2000 SpaceWorld convention, demonstrating the Nintendo GameCube's graphic capabilities. In the demo, Meowth is seen entertaining guests at a party with his red guitar. The demo featured Pokémon from the Red, Blue, Silver and Gold...
, but was never turned into a playable game. Instead, the song/video was played at the end of one Pokémon episode, and a CD was made for retail in Japan for a limited time.
Second
The second generation of Pokémon video games began in 2000 with the release of Pokémon Gold and SilverPokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
. Like the previous generation, an enhanced remake titled Pokémon Crystal was later released. This generation introduced 100 new species of Pokémon (starting with Chikorita and ending with Celebi
Celebi (Pokémon)
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, they first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise...
), for a total of 251 Pokémon to collect, train, and battle. New gameplay features include a day-and-night system (reflecting the time of the day in the real world) which influences events in the game; full use of the Game Boy Color's color palette; an improved interface and upgraded inventory system; better balance in the collection of Pokémon and their moves, statistics and equippable items (a new addition); Pokémon breeding; a new region named Johto and the ability to select the protagonist's gender. Unique to the second generation games is the fact that, after exploring Johto, the player can enter and explore the original Kanto region, which lies to the east of Johto. Spin-off second-generation games include the Game Boy Color adaptation of Pokémon Puzzle League a puzzle game created by Zopf industries made specifically for the game boy color, Pokémon Puzzle Challenge
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge
, is a video game for the Game Boy Color. It was based on the game Panel de Pon, only with characters from the Pokémon franchise. The characters in Pokémon Puzzle Challenge were based on those in the Gold and Silver games, while those in Pokémon Puzzle League—its Nintendo 64 equivalent-were based...
; a Nintendo 64 pet simulator, Hey You, Pikachu!
Hey You, Pikachu!
Hey You, Pikachu!, known in Japan as , is a Nintendo 64 video game developed by Ambrella and published by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 1998, and in North America on November 6, 2000....
; the Pokémon Stadium sequel, Pokémon Stadium 2
Pokémon Stadium 2
Pokémon Stadium 2, known as in Japan, is a video game for the Nintendo 64. It features all 251 Pokémon from the first and second generations. It was released in North America as simply Pokémon Stadium 2, as it was the second Stadium game to be released there. In Japan, Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin was...
, for Nintendo 64; several Pokémon mini-games for the e-Reader and a co-starring role for several Pokémon species in the Super Smash Bros. sequel Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
. The Pokémon mini
Pokémon mini
The is a handheld game console designed and manufactured by Nintendo and themed around the Pokémon media franchise. It is the smallest game system with interchangeable cartridges ever produced by Nintendo, weighing just under two and a half ounces...
was a handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
released in December 2001 in Japan and 2002 in Europe and North America.
Third
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
for Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes of Pokémon Red and Green, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
are enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
, and an enhanced remake of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire titled Pokémon Emerald. The third generation introduced 135 new Pokémon (starting with Treecko
Treecko
Treecko, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Treecko first appeared in the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
and ending with Deoxys
Deoxys
is a fictional species of Pokémon from Nintendo's and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. The result of an extraterrestrial virus's exposure to a laser beam, Deoxys frequently appears around auroras. It is recognized as a Legendary Pokémon of the third generation...
) for a total of 386 species. It also features a much more visually detailed environment compared to previous games, a new 2-on-2 Pokémon battling mechanic, a special ability system applying to each Pokémon in battle, the Pokémon Contest sub-game, and the new region of Hoenn. However, this generation also garnered some criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day-and-night system introduced in the previous generation (it had to be removed due to internal battery save problems), and it was also the first installment that encouraged the player to collect merely a selected assortment of the total number of Pokémon rather than every existing species (202 out of 386 species are catchable in the Ruby and Sapphire versions).
Third-generation spin-off titles include Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is a pinball game developed by Jupiter and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It was first revealed at E3 in 2003, and was released in the same year – on August 1, August 25, and November 14 in Japan, North America, and PAL regions...
for Game Boy Advance; Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
and are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, respectively. These two games were developed by Chunsoft and were published by Nintendo....
for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
; Pokémon Dash
Pokémon Dash
is a racing video game developed by Ambrella for the Nintendo DS. It was a launch title in Japan and Europe. Dash was released in Japan on December 2, 2004; Europe on March 11, 2005; North America on March 13, 2005; and Australia April 7, 2005....
, Pokémon Trozei!
Pokémon Trozei!
, released as Pokémon Link! in Europe, is a Pokémon-themed puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on October 20, 2005, in North America on March 6, 2006, in Australia on March 30, 2006, and in Europe on May 5, 2006.-Gameplay:...
and Pokémon Ranger
Pokémon Ranger
is an action/role-playing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS video game console. The game was released at various dates, varying between continents. The game was first released in Japan on March 22, 2006 and was later released in North America and...
for Nintendo DS; Pokémon Channel
Pokémon Channel
Pokémon Channel, released in Japan as is a virtual pet video game for the GameCube, developed by Ambrella. Its focus is the adventures the player has with Pikachu, most of them involving a new television network...
and Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire for Nintendo GameCube; and two RPGs for the Nintendo GameCube, consisting of the games Pokémon Colosseum
Pokémon Colosseum
is a role-playing video game developed by Genius Sonority and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon series. It was released exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube on November 21, 2003 in Japan; March 22, 2004 in North America; and May 14, 2004 in Europe...
and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, released in Japan as , is the second console role-playing game from Nintendo's Pokémon franchise for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the successor of the GameCube game Pokémon Colosseum. The game takes place in Orre, the setting of Pokémon Colosseums adventure mode...
.
Fourth
In 2006, Japan began the fourth generation of the franchise with the release of Pokémon Diamond and PearlPokémon Diamond and Pearl
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
for Nintendo DS. The games were subsequently released in North America on April 22, 2007 and in Australia on June 21, 2007. The game was then later released in the UK and Europe on July 27, 2007. The fourth generation introduces another 107 new species of Pokémon (starting with Turtwig and ending with Arceus
Arceus
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Arceus first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.-Concept and...
), bringing the number of Pokémon species to 493. New gameplay concepts include a restructured move-classification system, online multiplayer trading and battling via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services...
, the return (and expansion) of the second generation's day-and-night system, the expansion of the third generation's Pokémon Contests into "Super Contests", and the new region of Sinnoh, which has an underground component for multiplayer gameplay in addition to the main overworld.
Other main series games in the fourth generation include Pokémon Platinum
Pokémon Platinum
is a title in the Pokémon series of video games. It was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is an enhanced remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald were for their respective games...
, a director's cut version of Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald. It was released for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
in Japan on September 13, 2008, in North America on March 22, 2009, and in Australia and Europe on May 14, 2009 and May 22, 2009 respectively. It was also announced that the Generation II games Pokémon Gold and Silver would be remade for the Nintendo DS as Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
are enhanced remakes of the 1999 video games Pokémon Gold and Silver. The games are part of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games, and were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS...
. First released in Japan on September 12, 2009, the games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe during March 2010.
Currently, spin-off games in the fourth generation include the Pokémon Stadium follow-up Pokémon Battle Revolution
Pokémon Battle Revolution
is the first Wii incarnation of the Pokémon video game franchise. It is also the first Wii game to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in North America and Japan and the first Wii game to wirelessly interact with the Nintendo DS handheld....
for Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
(which has Wi-Fi connectivity as well), Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
is an action/role-playing video game developed by Creatures Inc. for the Nintendo DS video game console. It is the sequel to the Pokémon Ranger video game, also for the DS....
and Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
is an action role-playing game video game for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel of Pokémon Ranger and Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and third installment of its series. It was released in Japan on March 6, 2010, North America on October 4, 2010, and Europe on November 5, 2010. Gameplay revolves...
for Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
and are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America on April 20, 2008...
and their sister game, Explorers of Sky all for the Nintendo DS, and a co-starring role for Pikachu
Pikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
, Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Jigglypuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, Lucario
Lucario
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lucario first appeared as a central character in the film Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and later appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and subsequent sequels, also appearing in...
, and a Pokémon Trainer
Pokémon trainer
People with at least one Pokémon creature can be considered a Pokémon Trainer. In this sense, people in related Pokémon occupations, such as Pokémon coordinators or Pokémon breeders, can also be considered to be Pokémon Trainers....
(who uses Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard for fighting) in the 2008 Wii fighter
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
.
Fifth
On January 29, 2010, the Pokémon Company announced that a new game was in development for the Nintendo DS to be released later that year2010 in video gaming
The year 2010 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games, including several new titles.-Events:-Game releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2010 in North America....
. A silhouette of a new Pokémon was shown by Junichi Masuda
Junichi Masuda
is a video game composer, director, designer, producer, and programmer best known for his work on the Pokémon franchise. He is a member of the Game Freak board of directors, and has worked at the company since 1989. He helped compose the music for games like Mendel Palace and Smart Ball before...
on the February 7, 2010, episode of Pokémon Sunday, stated to be in the upcoming film for the summer and to be identified in a future episode on February 21. This new character would also be featured in the March 2010 issue of CoroCoro Comic
CoroCoro Comic
is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Shogakukan, starting on May 15, 1977. Its main target is elementary school aged boys, younger than the readers of shōnen manga...
available on February 15, and is the start of the fifth generation of the Pokémon Franchise. Since then, the character has been named , and its pre-evolution was also revealed to be named . Both are to be featured in Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl The Movie: Phantom Ruler: Zoroark
Phantom Ruler: Zoroark
Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions, originally released in Japan as , is a Pokémon anime film, the thirteenth in the meta series franchise history and the fourth in the Diamond & Pearl series arc. It was released in Japan on July 10, 2010...
. On April 9, 2010, the Japanese website updated with the titles of the versions as Black and White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
, and announced a Fall 2010 release date. The May 9, 2010 episode of Pokémon Sunday displayed silhouettes of the three Pokémon that are available for the player to choose from at the beginning of the game. These three Pokémon were revealed to be the Grass Snake Pokémon , the Fire Pig Pokémon and the Sea Otter Pokémon . Other information revealed is that the game takes place in the which is centered around the metropolis, which itself is stated to have been based on Lower Manhattan, as the entire "modernized" Unova region was based on New York City. These two games were launched in Japan on September 18, 2010. The North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an versions of the game were released on March 6 and 4, 2011, respectively.
Gameplay
One of the consistent aspects of most Pokémon games—spanning from Pokémon Red and BluePokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
on the Game Boy
Game Boy line
The line is a line of battery-powered handheld game console sold by Nintendo. It is one of the world's best-selling game system lines with a combined 200+ million units sold worldwide....
to the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game, Pokémon Black and White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
—is the choice of one of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often labeled "starter Pokémon". Players can choose a Grass-type, a Fire-type, or a Water-type, Pokémon indigenous to that particular region. For example, in Pokémon Red and Blue, the player has the choice of starting with Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Ken Sugimori, their name is a combination of the words "bulb" and "dinosaur." First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue as a Starter Pokémon, they later appeared in subsequent sequels,...
, Squirtle
Squirtle
Squirtle, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori...
, or Charmander
Charmander
Charmander, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Charmander first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
. The exception to this rule is Pokémon Yellow, where players are given a Pikachu
Pikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
, an Electric-type mouse Pokémon, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise; unique to Pokémon Yellow, the three starter Pokémon from Red and Blue can be obtained during the quest by a single player.
Another consistent aspect is that the player's rival will always choose the type that has a type advantage over the player's chosen Pokémon as his or her starter Pokémon. For instance, if the player picks the Fire-type Charmander, the rival will always pick the Water-type Squirtle. This does not affect the first battle between the rivals, as they can only use Normal-type attacks at this point, meaning that they cannot exploit weaknesses. The exception to this is again Pokémon Yellow, in which the rival picks Eevee
Eevee
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Eevee first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels...
, a Normal-type Pokémon with multiple evolutions.
However, in Pokémon Black and White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
, there are two rivals; one picks the Pokémon with a type advantage over the player's chosen Pokémon, while the other chooses the Pokémon with the type disadvantage. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, another Trainer chooses the Pokémon with a type disadvantage to the player's chosen Pokémon, but never battles the player; instead, this character battles alongside the player as a tag partner in certain situations.
Handheld games
- Generation I (Game BoyGame BoyThe , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
)- Pokémon Red (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
1996, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
1998) - Pokémon Blue (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
1996, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
1998) - Pokémon Yellow (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
1998, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
1999)
- Pokémon Red (JP
- Generation II (Game Boy ColorGame Boy ColorThe is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
)- Pokémon Gold and SilverPokémon Gold and Silverare the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
1999, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2000) - Pokémon Crystal (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2000, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2001) - Pokémon Trading Card GamePokémon Trading Card Game (video game)Pokémon Trading Card Game, originally released in Japan as is a video game adaptation of the original tabletop trading card game of the same name, which in turn was based on the Pokémon role-playing video game series...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
1998, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2000)
- Pokémon Gold and Silver
- Generation III
- (Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
)- Pokémon Ruby and SapphirePokémon Ruby and Sapphireare the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2002, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2003) - Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreenPokémon FireRed and LeafGreenare enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2004, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2004) - Pokémon Emerald (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2004, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2005) - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue TeamPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Teamand are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, respectively. These two games were developed by Chunsoft and were published by Nintendo....
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2005, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2006)
- Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
- (Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
)- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue TeamPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Teamand are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, respectively. These two games were developed by Chunsoft and were published by Nintendo....
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2005, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2006) - Pokémon DashPokémon Dashis a racing video game developed by Ambrella for the Nintendo DS. It was a launch title in Japan and Europe. Dash was released in Japan on December 2, 2004; Europe on March 11, 2005; North America on March 13, 2005; and Australia April 7, 2005....
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2004, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2005) - Pokémon Trozei!Pokémon Trozei!, released as Pokémon Link! in Europe, is a Pokémon-themed puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on October 20, 2005, in North America on March 6, 2006, in Australia on March 30, 2006, and in Europe on May 5, 2006.-Gameplay:...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2005, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2006) - Pokémon RangerPokémon Rangeris an action/role-playing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS video game console. The game was released at various dates, varying between continents. The game was first released in Japan on March 22, 2006 and was later released in North America and...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2006, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2006)
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
- Generation IV (Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
)- Pokémon Diamond and PearlPokémon Diamond and Pearlare role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2006, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2007) - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of DarknessPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darknessand are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America on April 20, 2008...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2007, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2008) - Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of AlmiaPokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almiais an action/role-playing video game developed by Creatures Inc. for the Nintendo DS video game console. It is the sequel to the Pokémon Ranger video game, also for the DS....
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2008, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2008) - Pokémon PlatinumPokémon Platinumis a title in the Pokémon series of video games. It was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is an enhanced remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald were for their respective games...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2008, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2009) - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2009, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2009) - Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilverPokémon HeartGold and SoulSilverare enhanced remakes of the 1999 video games Pokémon Gold and Silver. The games are part of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games, and were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2009, NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2010) - Pokémon Ranger: Guardian SignsPokémon Ranger: Guardian Signsis an action role-playing game video game for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel of Pokémon Ranger and Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and third installment of its series. It was released in Japan on March 6, 2010, North America on October 4, 2010, and Europe on November 5, 2010. Gameplay revolves...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2010 NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2010)
- Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
- Generation V
- (Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
)- Pokémon Black and WhitePokémon Black and Whiteare role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2010 NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2011) - Battle & Get! Pokémon Typing DSBattle & Get! Pokemon Typing DSis a Pokémon spin-off video game developed by Genius Sonority for the Nintendo DS. It was released April 21, 2011.-Gameplay:Players capture Pokémon by typing in their name into a wireless Bluetooth keyboard which bundled with the game...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2011)
- Pokémon Black and White
- (Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
)- Pokémon Rumble BlastPokémon Rumble BlastPokémon Rumble Blast received mixed reviews, IGN giving the game a 6.5/10. The reviewer concluded that: "As a whole, Pokemon Rumble Blast certainly has more to offer than its predecessor. With more to do, way more Pokemon to collect and far more areas to explore, the game certainly represents a...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
August 11, 2011 NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
October 24, 2011)
- Pokémon Rumble Blast
Console games
- Generation I (Nintendo 64Nintendo 64The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
)- (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
1998) - Pokémon SnapPokémon Snapis a first-person rail shooter and simulation video game developed by HAL Laboratory with Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is part of the Pokémon series, and one of the first console games based on the Pokémon series...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
1999) - Pokémon Puzzle LeaguePokémon Puzzle LeaguePokémon Puzzle League is a puzzle game for the Nintendo 64 console. It is based on Nintendo's Panel de Pon puzzle games, but with Pokémon likenesses. It was only available in North America starting in 2000, and in Europe in 2001, making it the first Pokémon game produced for North America first...
(NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2000) - Hey You, Pikachu!Hey You, Pikachu!Hey You, Pikachu!, known in Japan as , is a Nintendo 64 video game developed by Ambrella and published by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 1998, and in North America on November 6, 2000....
(NANorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
2000)
- (JP
- Generation II (Nintendo 64)
- (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2000)
- (JP
- Generation III (Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
)- Pokémon ColosseumPokémon Colosseumis a role-playing video game developed by Genius Sonority and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon series. It was released exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube on November 21, 2003 in Japan; March 22, 2004 in North America; and May 14, 2004 in Europe...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2003) - Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2003) - Pokémon ChannelPokémon ChannelPokémon Channel, released in Japan as is a virtual pet video game for the GameCube, developed by Ambrella. Its focus is the adventures the player has with Pikachu, most of them involving a new television network...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2003) - Pokémon XD: Gale of DarknessPokémon XD: Gale of DarknessPokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, released in Japan as , is the second console role-playing game from Nintendo's Pokémon franchise for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the successor of the GameCube game Pokémon Colosseum. The game takes place in Orre, the setting of Pokémon Colosseums adventure mode...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2005)
- Pokémon Colosseum
- Generation IV (WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
)- Pokémon Battle RevolutionPokémon Battle Revolutionis the first Wii incarnation of the Pokémon video game franchise. It is also the first Wii game to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in North America and Japan and the first Wii game to wirelessly interact with the Nintendo DS handheld....
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2006) - My Pokémon RanchMy Pokémon Ranchis a Pokémon video game developed for the Wii by Ambrella. My Pokémon Ranch was released via the WiiWare download service on March 25, 2008 in Japan, in the Americas on June 9, 2008 and in Europe on July 4, 2008 for 1000 Wii Points....
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2008) - Pokémon RumblePokémon RumblePokémon Rumble is a Pokémon video game for WiiWare. It was developed by Ambrella. Pokémon Rumble was rated "E10+" by the ESRB, making it the first Pokémon video game to be given an ESRB rating higher than "E" for Everyone...
(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
June 16, 2009) - PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure (JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
December 5, 2009)
- Pokémon Battle Revolution
- Generation V (WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
)- PokePark 2: Beyond the World(JPJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Winter 2011)
- PokePark 2: Beyond the World(JP
Appearances in other games
In the Super Smash Bros. series, PikachuPikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
, Ivysaur
Ivysaur
Ivysaur, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Ivysaur first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, Squirtle
Squirtle
Squirtle, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori...
, Charizard
Charizard
Charizard, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Charizard first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and...
, Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Jigglypuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, Pichu
Pichu
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Pichu first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. There...
, Mewtwo
Mewtwo
is a fictional creature in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and their sequels, and later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles, as well as animation adaptations of the franchise...
and Lucario
Lucario
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lucario first appeared as a central character in the film Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and later appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and subsequent sequels, also appearing in...
are playable characters. Pikachu and Jigglypuff are introduced in Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as , is a fighting game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on January 21, 1999, in North America on April 26, 1999, and in Europe on November 19, 1999. Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super...
Pokémon were also in Mario Artist
Mario Artist
Mario Artist is a set of programs that was partnered for sale with the Nintendo 64DD for its exclusive release in Japan. It was developed by Nintendo EAD.-Paint Studio:...
paint studio for 64dd as paste-able stickers, and are also featured in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, alongside Pichu and Mewtwo. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, Mewtwo and Pichu are not featured as playable characters, although Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard make their first playable appearances as part of the Pokémon Trainer
Pokémon trainer
People with at least one Pokémon creature can be considered a Pokémon Trainer. In this sense, people in related Pokémon occupations, such as Pokémon coordinators or Pokémon breeders, can also be considered to be Pokémon Trainers....
character, while Lucario appears as a separate character. Rayquaza
Rayquaza
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Rayquaza first appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated, printed, and film adaptations of the franchise. Rayquaza also appears on the cover...
is also featured as a boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
enemy. The series also features Poké Balls as items, which, when used by a player, make a random Pokémon appear, with various effects on the game. Further, several Pokémon games are available on PC and Macintosh, see Pokémon games for PC.
Unobtainable Pokémon
Certain Pokémon are impossible to obtain without cheat devices, exploiting glitches. They are obtained by using the Mystery Gift function; in some cases, exploiting a glitch in the game itself; or directly from Nintendo at promotional events. These Pokémon can be obtained by using a GameSharkGameShark
GameShark is the brand name of a line of video game cheat cartridges and other products for a variety of console video game systems and Windows based computers. Currently, the brand name is owned by Mad Catz, who actively markets GameShark products for the PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and Sega game...
or similar cheating device like Action Replay
Action Replay
Action Replay is the brand name of a series of video game cheating devices created by Datel. As of 2010, Action Replays are currently available for some of the current major gaming platforms which include the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, PlayStation 2, and the PlayStation Portable, and many older...
. Players are not required to own these Pokémon, among others, in order to have a complete Pokédex, as this would mean you would not be able to obtain the certificate for collecting all of the Pokémon in B/W.
- At the moment, there are no events scheduled for Keldeo, Meloetta, or Genesect.
Any of these pokemon can be obtained by using cheat devices, such as action replay, gameshark,etc.
Codes and glitches
Many glitches can be triggered in the Pokémon games, especially in Red, Blue, and Yellow. Other glitches can also be found in the games Silver and Gold. These glitches allow players to duplicate Pokémon or items, catch unobtainable Pokémon, and accomplish otherwise impossible feats."MissingNo.
MissingNo.
, or MissingNO, is a Pokémon species found in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue. Standing for "Missing Number", MissingNo. Pokémon are used as error handlers by game developer Game Freak; they appear when the game attempts to access data for a nonexistent Pokémon species. Due to the programming...
" is a glitch in Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
composed of junk data holding several unused positions in the game's internal 8-bit Pokémon species byte
Byte
The byte is a unit of digital information in computing and telecommunications that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, a byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the basic addressable element in many computer...
. It is most often accessed by a glitch that involves undergoing a tutorial in Viridian City (which temporarily places the player's name into the RAM space that is accessed to determine which Pokémon can be caught in an area), then immediately flying to Cinnabar Island, and surfing along the coast. Cinnabar Island's coast has no data on which Pokémon can be caught, and thus any data which is presently stored in the RAM (in this case, the player's name) is used. Certain letters of the player's name are used to decide what Pokémon is met, and "MissingNo." is one of the more common results. Other glitch pokemon such as Mewtwo with levels over 100 can be found.
Reception and legacy
The series has sold over 200 million units as of July 2010, making it one of the best-selling of all time. Guinness World Records awarded the Pokémon series eight records in Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008, including "Most Successful RPG Series of All Time", "Game Series With the Most Spin-Off Movies" and "Most Photosensitive Epileptic Seizures Caused By A TV Show".IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Pokémon as the 17th greatest game series of all time, claiming that "the basic gameplay premise boasts solid, addictive play mechanics, and several of the handheld RPGs deserve to be in every gamer's collection. Hey You, Pikachu!
Hey You, Pikachu!
Hey You, Pikachu!, known in Japan as , is a Nintendo 64 video game developed by Ambrella and published by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 1998, and in North America on November 6, 2000....
: not so much." GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
listed Pokémon as the #1 Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
game not made by Nintendo, stating that having to catch them all made the games addictive.