213-743: Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version are 1996 role-playing video games (RPGs) developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy . They are the first installments of the Pokémon video game series , and were first released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green , followed by the special edition Pocket Monsters Blue later that year. The games were released internationally in 1998 and 1999 as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue , while an enhanced version named Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition ,
426-477: A Commodore Amiga computer, which only features PCM sample playback and converted to the Game Boy with a program he had written. In Japan, Pocket Monsters Red and Green were the first versions released. Development was completed by October 1995 and release was originally planned for December 21, 1995, but was delayed until February 27, 1996 because the derivative products were not yet ready for sale. After
639-402: A Pikachu as their starter Pokémon and their rival starting with an Eevee . Some non-player characters resemble those from the anime, including Team Rocket 's Jessie and James. Pokémon Yellow changes and enhances several aspects of the original games. Pikachu is provided as the player's only starter Pokémon and has a voice and a personality unique from other Pokémon. It follows the player on
852-490: A party , and attain victory by completing a series of quests or reaching the conclusion of a central storyline. Players explore a game world, while solving puzzles and engaging in combat. A key feature of the genre is that characters grow in power and abilities, and characters are typically designed by the player. RPGs rarely challenge a player's physical coordination or reaction time, with the exception of action role-playing games . Role-playing video games typically rely on
1065-445: A turn-based system . The player may carry between one and six Pokémon in their active party; the first Pokémon in the lineup is automatically sent into battle. At the start of each turn, both sides may use a move , use an item , switch their active Pokémon out for another in their party, or attempt to flee from battle if against a wild Pokémon. Each Pokémon uses moves to reduce their opponent's Hit Points (HP) to zero, at which point
1278-540: A "Pikachu's Beach" minigame that is only accessible to players who either won a Nintendo contest or complete a challenge in another game, Pokémon Stadium , and exchange data between the games using the Transfer Pak . Yellow has slightly improved graphics and can print Pokédex entries onto stickers using the Game Boy Printer . Pokémon Yellow was developed by Game Freak and entered development after
1491-421: A "stopgap" to appease players until the release of Gold and Silver , commenting that "the new challenges are enough to fill the hole – but only just". GameDaily ' s Chris Buffa listed it as one of the best Pokémon games, commenting that while it was a rehash, there was enough that was new to warrant playing. Allgame ' s Brad Cook commented that for those who did not play Red and Blue , Yellow
1704-635: A Battle Frontier, identical to that of Platinum , where the Battle Tower was found in Crystal . After a series of battles in each venue, players encounter Frontier Brains who are challenged in the same fashion as the other battles in their respective venues, and the player will either earn a Symbol (in Emerald ) or a Commemorative Print (in Platinum ) for winning. The Frontier Brains can be challenged
1917-582: A Double Platinum award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) for sales above 400,000 copies by early 2001. The video game website 1UP.com composed a list of the "Top 5 'Late to the Party' Games" showing selected games that "prove a gaming platform's untapped potential" and were one of the last games released for their respective console . Red and Blue were ranked first and called Nintendo 's "secret weapon" when they were released for
2130-618: A Pokémon 10 EVs in a single stat, and certain berries removing 10 EVs in a stat in return for an increase in the Pokémon's friendship value. Pokérus , a condition introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver , doubles the rate at which Pokémon gain EVs, as well as giving the Pokémon the ability to spread Pokérus to other Pokémon for a limited time. Individual values , or IVs , are additional hidden values for each Pokémon that help to determine
2343-494: A Pokémon is Stellar-type. Tera Starstorm, when changed into Stellar-type, hits all opponents in Double Battles instead of just one. Both Stellar-type moves are super effective against other Terastallized Pokémon. Like the characters in many role-playing video games , Pokémon can learn a wide variety of moves. These moves may inflict damage, induce status problems, restore health, or perform actions that in some way affect
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#17327869595832556-511: A Pokémon is holding a Mega Stone that corresponds to its species, that Pokémon will be able to Mega Evolve during battle. Every Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution has one Mega Evolved form, with the exception of Charizard and Mewtwo, both of which have two. A similar ability known as Primal Reversion was introduced in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire , exclusively for Kyogre and Groudon. Pokémon Sword and Shield introduced
2769-558: A Pokémon's Tera Type when it Terastallizes. In The Indigo Disk , a new type, called the Stellar type, was introduced. The Stellar type can only be brought out when a Pokémon with this Tera Type Terastallizes. While Pokémon retain their original weaknesses while in the Stellar type, all of their moves will be boosted, but only once; after a Stellar-type boosted move is used, that move loses its boost. It also applies to Pokémon who have two moves of similar typing. For example, if Dazzling Gleam
2982-470: A Pokémon's Tera Type while it is Terastallized, as well as dealing physical damage over special damage if the Pokémon's physical attack stat is higher (and vice versa). However, when not Terastallized, Tera Blast remains a Special category Normal-type move. After defeating and catching Terapagos in The Indigo Disk , a new Tera Type is unlocked, called "Stellar". Unlike most types, it only exists as
3195-1005: A Pokémon's statistics or weaken a foe, inflict status effects such as paralysis or poisoning, or perform other effects. Some Abilities may also grant immunities or resistances. Most Abilities can only be activated during a battle, however, some Abilities have effects outside of Pokémon battles. For example, a Pokémon with the Ability Intimidate will cause the player to encounter lower-level wild Pokémon less often. All Pokémon have six statistics that affect their performance in battle. These are HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. These statistics can be temporarily modified during battle by Abilities, items, and moves. There are also two other statistics, Accuracy and Evasiveness, which are not affected when Pokémon level up. No Pokémon has innately higher Accuracy or Evasiveness than any other, but they can be modified during battle like other statistics. Increasing Accuracy makes
3408-425: A Tera Type, and thus does not have a set of strengths or weaknesses (instead retaining only the strengths of its original type(s)). When Terastallized, it grants STAB to all of a Pokémon's moves, but only once per move type. Terapagos ignores this weakness, and has STAB for all moves for the full duration of its Terastallized state. Tera Blast and Tera Starstorm (Terapagos' signature moves) become Stellar-type moves when
3621-426: A benefit on the user before executing the move. Some Pokémon can learn Z-Moves exclusive to their species using a special Z-Crystal. Hidden Machines, commonly abbreviated as HMs, can be used to teach moves to Pokémon, including some moves that they would otherwise not learn by increasing in level. HMs are often vital, or even required, to progress in the games, as they have important effects outside of battle, allowing
3834-450: A big open world , and let you do whatever you like [which makes it] difficult to tell a compelling story." Hironobu Sakaguchi noted that "users like to categorise" WRPGs as "a sort of different style, born from first person shooters." In recent years, some have also criticized WRPGs for becoming less RPG-like, instead with further emphasis on action. Christian Nutt of GameSpy states that, in contrast to JRPGs, WRPGs' greater control over
4047-409: A finite number of points to the attributes of their choice. Gaining experience will also unlock new magic spells for characters that use magic. Some role-playing games also give the player specific skill points , which can be used to unlock a new skill or improve an existing one. This may sometimes be implemented as a skill tree. As with the technology trees seen in strategy video games , learning
4260-549: A gamemaster. Exploring the world is an important aspect of many RPGs. Players will walk through, talking to non-player characters , picking up objects, and avoiding traps. Some games such as NetHack , Diablo , and the FATE series randomize the structure of individual levels, increasing the game's variety and replay value. Role-playing games where players complete quests by exploring randomly generated dungeons and which include permadeath are called roguelikes , named after
4473-425: A good game for children. RPGFan called it "so revoltingly addictive that any player of it has no choice but to 'catch 'em all'". They also called Yellow "insulting" in how limited the additions from Red and Blue were. Giving the game a perfect score, IGN ' s Craig Harris praised the mechanics, commenting that Yellow was the best game of the three to start with. GameSpot ' s Cameron Davis called it
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#17327869595834686-449: A greater degree in the early 1990s. As console RPGs became more heavily story-based than their computer counterparts, one of the major differences that emerged during this time was in the portrayal of the characters. Console RPGs often featured intricately related characters who had distinctive personalities and traits, with players assuming the roles of people who cared about each other, fell in love or even had families. Romance in particular
4899-536: A highly developed story and setting, which is divided into a number of quests. Players control one or several characters by issuing commands, which are performed by the character at an effectiveness determined by that character's numeric attributes. Often these attributes increase each time a character gains a level , and a character's level goes up each time the player accumulates a certain amount of experience. Role-playing video games also typically attempt to offer more complex and dynamic character interaction than what
5112-647: A hold as they had in the West due to their cost; there was little market for Western-developed games and there were a few Japanese-developed games for personal computers during this time such as The Black Onyx (1984) which followed the Wizardry / Ultima format. With the release of the low-cost Famicom console (called the Nintendo Entertainment System overseas), a new opportunity arose to bring role-playing games to Japan. Dragon Quest (1986)
5325-815: A large number of Western indie games are modelled after JRPGs, especially those of the 16-bit era , partly due to the RPG Maker game development tools . Another oft-cited difference is the prominence or absence of kawaisa , or "cuteness", in Japanese culture, and different approaches with respect to character aesthetics. WRPGs tend to maintain a serious and gritty tone, whereas JRPG protagonists tend to be designed with an emphasis on aesthetic beauty, and even male characters are often young, androgynous , shōnen or bishōnen in appearance. JRPGs often have cute characters, juxtaposed with more mature themes and situations; and many modern JRPGs feature characters designed in
5538-641: A little box doesn't mean it belongs there." Nick Doerr of Joystiq criticizes the claim that JRPGs are "too linear", pointing out that non-linear JRPGs are not uncommon—for instance, the Romancing SaGa series. Likewise, Rowan Kaiser of Joystiq points out that linear WRPGs were common in the 1990s, and argues that many of the often mentioned differences between Eastern and Western games are stereotypes that are generally "not true" and "never was", pointing to classic examples like Lands of Lore and Betrayal at Krondor that were more narrative-focused than
5751-423: A major challenge in order to progress to the next area, and this structure can be compared to the boss characters at the end of levels in action games . The player typically must complete a linear sequence of certain quests in order to reach the end of the game's story. Many RPGs also often allow the player to seek out optional side-quests and character interactions. Quests of this sort can be found by talking to
5964-459: A mixed class, such as a fighter who can cast simple spells. Characters will also have a range of physical attributes such as dexterity and strength, which affect a player's performance in combat. Mental attributes such as intelligence may affect a player's ability to perform and learn spells, while social attributes such as charisma may limit the player's choices while conversing with non-player characters. These attribute systems often strongly resemble
6177-435: A move more likely to hit, while increasing Evasiveness makes the opponent's move more likely to miss. Another stat called "Critical Hit Rate" also exists, and affects the chance that a Pokémon's moves will land a critical hit. This stat can only be raised, not lowered, and methods of changing it are much less common than methods to change the other 7 (not including HP) stats. In Pokémon Red , Green , Blue , and Yellow , both
6390-419: A non-player character, and there may be no penalty for abandoning or ignoring these quests other than a missed opportunity or reward. Players can find loot (such as clothing, weapons, and armor) throughout the game world and collect it. Players can trade items for currency and better equipment. Trade takes place while interacting with certain friendly non-player characters, such as shopkeepers, and often uses
6603-466: A number of user-configurable settings. Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura offered players the option to play in either turn-based or RTwP mode via a configuration setting. The latter also offered a "fast turn-based" mode, though all three of the game's modes were criticized for being poorly balanced and oversimplified. Early Ultima games featured timed turns: they were strictly turn-based, but if
Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow - Misplaced Pages Continue
6816-442: A particular action will increase. Many role-playing games allow players to play as an evil character. Although robbing and murdering indiscriminately may make it easier to get money, there are usually consequences in that other characters will become uncooperative or even hostile towards the player. Thus, these games allow players to make moral choices, but force players to live with the consequences of their actions. Games often let
7029-483: A particular skill in the tree will unlock more powerful skills deeper in the tree. Three different systems of rewarding the player characters for solving the tasks in the game can be set apart: the experience system (also known as the "level-based" system), the training system (also known as the "skill-based" system) and the skill-point system (also known as "level-free" system) Older games often separated combat into its own mode of gameplay, distinct from exploring
7242-581: A positive-feedback cycle that is central to most role-playing games: The player grows in power, allowing them to overcome more difficult challenges, and gain even more power. This is part of the appeal of the genre, where players experience growing from an ordinary person into a superhero with amazing powers. Whereas other games give the player these powers immediately, the player in a role-playing game will choose their powers and skills as they gain experience. Role-playing games usually measure progress by counting experience points and character levels. Experience
7455-402: A result, Japanese-style role-playing games are held in disdain by some Western gamers, leading to the term "JRPG" being held in the pejorative. Some observers have also speculated that JRPGs are stagnating or declining in both quality and popularity, including remarks by BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk and writing director Daniel Erickson that JRPGs are stagnating—and that Final Fantasy XIII
7668-415: A rival character, who receives the Pokémon whose type is advantageous against the player's starter Pokémon. By traveling around the region, catching and evolving Pokémon, and defeating other Trainers in battle, the player increases the size and strength of their Pokémon collection. A major subplot of most games is to defeat a criminal organization, whose intents are usually trying to take over the world through
7881-915: A second time to more advanced versions of the Symbols or Prints (advancing from Silver to Gold). The Frontier Brains have very powerful Pokémon, often including Legendary Pokémon, making a victory even more difficult than in the main storyline. A Pokémon's type is an elemental attribute determining the strengths and weaknesses of each Pokémon and its moves. These types interact in rock–paper–scissors -style relationships: Pokémon take double damage from attacking moves of types they are weak to and half damage from moves of types they resist. In Pokémon Red , Blue , and Yellow , there were only 15 types: Normal, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Ground, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost, and Dragon. The Dark and Steel types were introduced in Gold and Silver , and
8094-474: A short description will be added to a player's Pokédex. Each region has its own Pokédex, which differs in appearance, species of Pokémon catalogued, and functions. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus , which takes place long before any other Pokémon games, players are tasked with assembling the first-ever Pokédex. The National Pokédex allows Pokémon from all regions to be catalogued. After its removal from Pokémon Sword and Shield , many fans were upset, due to
8307-442: A side-scrolling view. Most notably since Ultima Underworld (1992), role-playing games started implementing true three-dimensional (3D) graphics, where players typically navigate the game world from a first or third-person perspective. However, an isometric or aerial top-down perspective is common in party-based RPGs, in order to give the player a clear view of their entire party and their surroundings. Role-playing games require
8520-447: A side-view battle screen; and a menu interface, in which the player may configure their Pokémon, items, or gameplay settings. The player can use their Pokémon to battle other Pokémon. When the player encounters a wild Pokémon or is challenged by a trainer, the screen switches to a turn-based battle screen that displays the two engaged Pokémon. During a battle, the player may choose to fight using one of four moves , use an item, switch
8733-494: A single paragraph) spread across 13 booklets, while the second contains 50,000 paragraphs spread across 14 booklets. Most of the games from this era are turn-based, although Dungeon Master and its imitators have real-time combat. Other classic titles from this era include The Bard's Tale (1985), Wasteland (1988), the start of the Might and Magic (1986–2014) series and the continuing Ultima (1981–1999) series. Later, in
Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow - Misplaced Pages Continue
8946-408: A slow start they continued to sell well. Several months later, Pocket Monsters Blue was released in Japan as a mail-order-only special edition to subscribers of CoroCoro Comic on October 15, 1996. It was later released to general retail on October 10, 1999. It features updated in-game artwork and new dialogue. Using Blastoise as its mascot, the code, script, and artwork for Blue were used for
9159-423: A small team led by Hiro Nakamura went through the individual Pokémon, renaming them for western audiences based on their appearance and characteristics after approval from Nintendo. In addition, during this process, Nintendo trademarked the 151 Pokémon names in order to ensure they would be unique to the franchise. During the translation process, it became apparent that simply altering the text from Japanese to English
9372-409: A smaller set of possible actions, since computers can't engage in imaginative acting comparable to a skilled human gamemaster. In exchange, the typical role-playing video game may have storyline branches, user interfaces, and stylized cutscenes and gameplay to offer a more direct storytelling mechanism. Characterization of non-player characters in video games is often handled using a dialog tree . Saying
9585-415: A specialized trading screen. Purchased items go into the player's inventory. Some games turn inventory management into a logistical challenge by limiting the size of the player's inventory, thus forcing the player to decide what they must carry at the time. This can be done by limiting the maximum weight that a player can carry, by employing a system of arranging items in a virtual space, or by simply limiting
9798-463: A spell, as ammunition is consumed by a gun, most games offer players a finite amount of mana which can be spent on any spell. Mana is restored by resting or by consuming potions. Characters can also gain other non-magical skills, which stay with the character for as long as the character lives. Role-playing games may have the player focus only on a single character throughout the game; the character may be joined by computer-controlled allies outside of
10011-695: A time. The Pokémon which is battling can be switched out with the other two without using up a turn. In addition to the Pokémon Gyms and other battles to advance the plot, side games and post-game areas have been introduced in subsequent editions of the Pokémon games that extend the gameplay. First introduced in Pokémon Crystal , the Battle Tower , Battle Subway , Battle Maison , and Battle Tree are game features accessible outside of
10224-482: A variety of options unique to each game. Pokémon Abilities are special attributes that were introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire . Specific species of Pokémon have one to three possible Abilities, with individual Pokémon exhibiting one Ability each. Unlike the moves a Pokémon knows, its Ability cannot normally change (Except for when an Ability Patch or Ability Capsule is used). Abilities can strengthen
10437-534: A way to demonstrate the new color capabilities of the Game Boy Color system. These are Pokémon that have a different coloration than normal; in earlier games, this was often done by means of a palette swap . Encountering a Shiny Pokémon is extremely rare; the probability under normal conditions is 1 in 4,096 (1 in 8,192 prior to Pokémon X and Y ). The term "Shiny" used to be unofficial. The first time it fell into official use in an English-language game
10650-478: A young Pokémon, usually of the lowest stage in its mother's evolutionary line . Players have the ability to trade their Pokémon with one another by connecting two compatible games. Because of the Pokémon series revolving around catching as many Pokémon as possible, trading is considered an important aspect of Pokémon . Certain Pokémon are only able to evolve by trading, with the exception of Pokémon Legends: Arceus , where some of these Pokémon can evolve with
10863-595: Is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immersed in some well-defined world, usually involving some form of character development by way of recording statistics. Many role-playing video games have origins in tabletop role-playing games and use much of the same terminology , settings , and game mechanics . Other major similarities with pen-and-paper games include developed story-telling and narrative elements, player character development, complexity, as well as replay value and immersion. The electronic medium removes
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#173278695958311076-468: Is another essential element. While battling with a wild Pokémon, the player may throw a Poké Ball at it. If the Pokémon is successfully caught, it will come under the player's ownership. Factors in the success rate of capture include the HP of the target Pokémon, whether it is under a status effect, and the type of Poké Ball used: the lower the target's HP, and the stronger the status effect and type of Poké Ball,
11289-559: Is available, which allows a player to trade a Pokémon for a random Pokémon from another player who also attempted a Wonder Trade. Certain Pokémon and items can be obtained through events. Mystery Gift , a feature introduced in Gold and Silver , allows players to receive in-game rewards during limited-time events. While some rewards are distributed with online serial codes or online functionality, others are exclusive to in-person events. Shiny Pokémon ( 光るポケモン , Shining Pokémon ) were first introduced in Gold and Silver as
11502-527: Is described as Tajiri in his youth, and his long-time friend, role model, mentor, and fellow Nintendo developer, Shigeru Miyamoto , as Shigeru . Ken Sugimori , an artist and longtime friend of Tajiri, headed the development of drawings and designs of the Pokémon, working with a team of fewer than ten people who conceived the various designs for all 151 Pokémon. Atsuko Nishida created the designs for Pikachu , Bulbasaur , Charmander , Squirtle , and many others. Sugimori, in turn, finalized each design, drawing
11715-532: Is exclusive to Japanese consumers. These versions can transfer Pokémon to Pokémon Sun and Moon via the Pokémon Bank application. A special Nintendo 2DS bundle was released in Japan, Europe, and Australia on February 27, 2016, with each console matching the corresponding color of the game version. North America received a special New Nintendo 3DS bundle with cover plates styled after Red and Blue ' s box art. By March 31, 2016, combined sales of
11928-484: Is found in other video game genres. This usually involves additional focus on the artificial intelligence and scripted behavior of computer-controlled non-player characters . The premise of many role-playing games tasks the player with saving the world, or whichever level of society is threatened. There are often twists and turns as the story progresses, such as the surprise appearance of estranged relatives, or enemies who become friends or vice versa. The game world
12141-496: Is largely predefined for the sake of telling a specific story, many role-playing games make use of a character creation screen. This allows players to choose their character's sex, their race or species, and their character class. Although many of these traits are cosmetic, there are functional aspects as well. Character classes will have different abilities and strengths. Common classes include fighters, spellcasters, thieves with stealth abilities, and clerics with healing abilities, or
12354-480: Is long, engrossing and sparkles with that intangible addictiveness that only the best titles are able to capture. Say what you will about the game, but few gaming franchises can claim to be this popular ten years after they first hit store shelves. The games are widely credited with starting and helping pave the way for the successful multibillion-dollar series. Five years after Red and Blue' s initial release, Nintendo celebrated its "Pokémonniversary". George Harrison,
12567-492: Is not even really an RPG; criticisms regarding seemingly nebulous justifications by some Japanese designers for newly changed (or, alternately, newly un-changed) features of recent titles; calls among some gaming journalists to "fix" JRPGs' problems; as well as claims that some recent titles such as Front Mission Evolved are beginning to attempt—and failing to—imitate Western titles. In an article for PSM3 , Brittany Vincent of RPGFan.com felt that "developers have mired
12780-492: Is notable for introducing automapping and in-game scrolls providing hints and background information. They also released Pool of Radiance in 1988, the first of several " Gold Box " CRPGs based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules . These games feature a first-person display for movement, combined with an overhead tactical display for combat. One common feature of RPGs from this era, which Matt Barton calls
12993-621: Is often rooted in speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy or science fiction ), which allows players to do things they cannot do in real life and helps players suspend their disbelief about the rapid character growth. To a lesser extent, settings closer to the present day or near future are possible. The story often provides much of the entertainment in the game. Because these games have strong storylines, they can often make effective use of recorded dialog and voiceover narration. Players of these games tend to appreciate long cutscenes more than players of faster action games . While most games advance
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#173278695958313206-499: Is one distinct region, as shown in later games, with different geographical habitats for the 151 existing Pokémon species, along with human-populated towns and cities and Routes connecting locations with one another. Some areas are only accessible once the player learns a special ability or gains a special item. Kanto has multiple settlements: Pallet Town, Viridian City, Pewter City, Cerulean City, Vermillion City, Lavender Town , Celadon City, Fuchsia City, Saffron City, Cinnabar Island, and
13419-518: Is used with the Stellar boost, then any other Fairy-type moves aside from Dazzling Gleam will also lose the boost. Evolution is a sudden change in form of a Pokémon, usually accompanied by an increase in stat values. There are several different conditions that can trigger evolution in different species; the most common is gaining enough battle experience and leveling up. There are many other factors that can determine if, when, and into what, different Pokémon will evolve. The original alternate methods were
13632-406: Is usually divided so that each game location is an opportunity to reveal a new chapter in the story. Pen-and-paper role-playing games typically involve a player called the gamemaster (or GM for short) who can dynamically create the story, setting, and rules, and react to a player's choices. In role-playing video games, the computer performs the function of the gamemaster. This offers the player
13845-451: Is usually earned by defeating enemies in combat, with some games offering experience for completing certain quests or conversations. Experience becomes a form of score , and accumulating a certain amount of experience will cause the character's level to go up. This is called "levelling up", and gives the player an opportunity to raise their character(s)'s attributes. Many RPGs allow players to choose how to improve their character, by allocating
14058-465: The Pokémon: Let's Go! games, players catch Pokémon without battling them, instead throwing Poké Balls directly, sometimes aided by berries. The Poké Ball ( モンスターボール , Monsutā Bōru , lit. "Monster Ball") is a spherical device used by Pokémon Trainers to catch wild Pokémon. When a Poké Ball is thrown at a Pokémon, the Pokémon shrink themselves to fit inside of it. Pokémon breeding
14271-512: The Columbia Business School indicate both American and Japanese children prefer the actual gameplay of a game over special audio or visual effects. In Pokémon games, the lack of these artificial effects has actually been said to promote the child's imagination and creativity. "With all the talk of game engines and texture mapping and so on, there is something refreshing about this superlative gameplay which makes you ignore
14484-584: The Dungeons & Dragons ruleset. Some role-playing games make use of magical powers , or equivalents such as psychic powers or advanced technology. These abilities are confined to specific characters such as mages, spellcasters, or magic-users. In games where the player controls multiple characters, these magic-users usually complement the physical strength of other classes. Magic can be used to attack, defend, or temporarily change an enemy or ally's attributes. While some games allow players to gradually consume
14697-1263: The Dynamax mechanic, which vastly increases a Pokémon's size and HP for three turns. While Dynamaxed, all of a Pokémon's moves get replaced with a corresponding "Max Move", which are more powerful and have secondary effects, with the exception of Max Guard, which protects against all attacks. Certain Pokémon take on a different appearance when Dynamaxed, known as Gigantamaxing . Additionally, Gigantamaxed Pokémon gain access to special "G-Max Moves", which possess different secondary effects than those of typical Max Moves. There are 32 known species of Pokémon that can perform this transformation: Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Butterfree, Pikachu, Meowth, Machamp, Gengar, Kingler, Lapras, Eevee, Snorlax, Garbodor, Melmetal, Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon, Corviknight, Orbeetle, Drednaw, Coalossal, Flapple, Appletun, Sandaconda, Toxtricity, Hatterene, Grimmsnarl, Alcremie, Copperajah, Duraludon, and both forms of Urshifu . Players can fight Dynamaxed Pokémon, as well as obtain Pokémon capable of Gigantamaxing, by participating in Max Raid Battles with other players. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet introduced
14910-651: The January 2022 tournament . Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version are enhanced remakes of Pokémon Red and Blue . The new games 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 the games. However, due to the new variables added to FireRed and LeafGreen (such as changing
15123-543: The Nintendo DS have had more original and experimental Japanese RPGs released in recent years. Western RPGs have also received criticism in recent years. They remain less popular in Japan, where, until recently, Western games in general had a negative reputation. In Japan, where the vast majority of early console role-playing video games originate, Western RPGs remain largely unknown. The developer Motomu Toriyama criticized Western RPGs, stating that they "dump you in
15336-545: The Pokédex , an in-game encyclopedia, by obtaining all 151 Pokémon. Red and Blue use the Game Link Cable , which connects two Game Boy systems and allows Pokémon to be traded or battled between games. Both versions feature the same plot, and while they can be played separately, players must trade between both games to obtain all of the original 151 Pokémon. Red and Blue were well-received, with critics praising
15549-408: The Pokémon concept, Shigeru Miyamoto suggested creating multiple cartridges with different Pokémon in each, noting it would assist the trading aspect. Tajiri was also influenced by Square 's Game Boy game The Final Fantasy Legend , which he said gave him the idea that more than just action games could be developed for Game Boy. The main characters were named after Tajiri himself as Satoshi , who
15762-430: The Pokémon series takes place in a fictional region of the Pokémon world, typically based on a real-world location, and begins with the player receiving a starter Pokémon, usually from that region's Pokémon Professor. Players have the option to choose one of three different types of Pokémon: a Grass-type, a Fire-type, and a Water-type, though many starter Pokémon gain an additional type upon evolution. Many games include
15975-627: The Pokémon Trading Card Game ; both the video games and card game grossed combined sales revenue of more than $ 4 billion in Japan, as of 2000. In the United States, it became the fastest-selling Game Boy game, having sold 200,000 copies within two weeks and 4 million units by the end of 1998. It went on to become the best-selling video game of 1999 in the United States, where 6.1 million copies were sold that year. By 2007, it had total combined sales of 9.85 million in
16188-727: The Sharp X1 computer in 1983 and later ported to the MSX in 1984, the NES in 1985 and the Sharp X68000 as New Bokosuka Wars . The game laid the foundations for the tactical role-playing game genre, or "simulation RPG" genre as it is known in Japan. It was also an early example of a real-time , action role-playing game . In 1986, Chunsoft created the NES title Dragon Quest (called Dragon Warrior in North America until
16401-574: The Terastal mechanic, which gives a Pokémon a crystalline appearance and changes its type. Each individual Pokémon has a secret "Tera Type" that is unknown to the opponent. Most Tera Types correspond to a main type, but occasionally can be an unrelated type. When a Pokémon Terastallizes, its main type(s) gets replaced with its Tera Type. This also changes the weaknesses of a Pokémon to fit the new typing, and boosts any moves it has of that type. A move called "Tera Blast", learned through TMs, changes type to
16614-659: The Transfer Pak for the Nintendo 64 , data such as Pokémon and items from Pokémon Red and Blue can be used in the Nintendo 64 games Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2 . Red and Blue are incompatible with the Pokémon games of the later "Advanced Generation" for the Game Boy Advance and GameCube . Pokémon Red and Blue are notable for a large quantity of glitches , possibly due to their scope in comparison to Game Freak's development experience at
16827-504: The Ultima series, employed duplicates of the miniatures combat system traditionally used in the early role-playing games . Representations of the player characters and monsters would move around an arena modeled after the surrounding terrain, attacking any enemies that are sufficiently close. Earlier role-playing video games used a two-dimensional top-down view or tile-based first-person view. Early action-based role-playing games often used
17040-410: The battle statistics acquired, and the moves it has learned. Some Pokémon may also evolve at certain levels. These evolutions affect the statistics and the levels at which new moves are learned. Pokémon at higher stages of evolution gain more statistics each time they level up, although they may not learn new moves as early, if at all, compared with the lower stages of evolution. Catching Pokémon
17253-500: The eighth game ), which drew inspiration from computer RPGs Ultima and Wizardry and is regarded as the template for future Japanese role-playing video games released since then. Also in 1986 The Legend of Zelda was released for the NES , while not generally considered an RPG itself did inspire many aspects of future action-RPGs. In 1987, the genre came into its own with the release of several highly influential console RPGs distinguishing themselves from computer RPGs, including
17466-528: The stats of a Pokémon. Every Pokémon has IVs in every stat, ranging from 0 to 31. IVs can be inherited through breeding, as well as being randomly generated . Mega Evolution is a mechanic introduced in Pokémon X and Y and returning in Pokémon Legends: Z-A , which further increases the abilities of specific Pokémon. If the player character possesses an item called the Key Stone and
17679-436: The " Golden Age " of computer RPGs, is the use of numbered "paragraphs" printed in the manual or adjunct booklets, containing the game's lengthier texts; the player can be directed to read a certain paragraph, instead of being shown the text on screen. The ultimate exemplar of this approach is Sir-Tech 's Star Saga trilogy (of which only two games were released); the first game contains 888 "textlets" (usually much longer than
17892-545: The "hottest new title for the Game Boy Color". Yellow was the third best-selling video game in North America in 1999, with the other four top spots occupied by other Pokémon games. The demand for Yellow resulted in Target to issue an apology for not being able to meet the "unprecedented demand". CNET -surveyed stores sold out of Yellow . A spokesperson for FuncoLand attributed a drop in sales to shortages of both
18105-416: The 1980 video game Rogue . The game's story is often mapped onto exploration, where each chapter of the story is mapped onto a different location. RPGs usually allow players to return to previously visited locations. Usually, there is nothing left to do there, although some locations change throughout the story and offer the player new things to do in response. Players must acquire enough power to overcome
18318-422: The 1990s, and became known for being more heavily story and character-based, American computer RPGs began to face criticism for having characters devoid of personality or background, due to representing avatars which the player uses to interact with the world, in contrast to Japanese console RPGs which depicted characters with distinctive personalities. American computer RPGs were thus criticized for lacking "more of
18531-402: The 1999 holiday season. The Pokémon Yellow Game Boy Color bundle was predicted to be the second-most popular toy of the holiday season. In North America the game received roughly 150,000 pre-orders . The bundle debuted at #2 in video game sales and claimed the #1 spot a week later. The standard cartridge sold over 600,000 units in its first week and one million copies within ten days, becoming
18744-646: The Elite Four is replaced by the Champion Cup, a single-elimination tournament that determines who gets the right to challenge the Champion). Gyms are absent in Sun , Moon , Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon , being replaced by trials that serve a similar purpose. Once the player completes the goal of conquering all 8 Gyms (or all Trials) or if the player's Pokémon are strong enough, the player then learns more about
18957-509: The Fairy type was introduced in X and Y . Some types have special properties unrelated to the damage chart; for example, Electric-types are immune to being paralyzed. When a Pokémon uses a move that is the same type as the user, there is a 50% increase in power due to "STAB", a colloquial acronym for "same-type attack bonus". When developing the types for the original games, generalized ones such as Normal and Fire were conceived before
19170-595: The Flying type was created. As a result Flying was added as a secondary type to many Pokémon, an aspect repeated in later games in the franchise. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet introduced Terastallization, which allows a Pokémon to change its type to match its "Tera Type" when activated, as well as giving the Pokémon a crystalline appearance. Terastallization also allows Pokémon to gain a STAB boost on moves of their Tera Type, while retaining STAB boost on moves of their original type(s). The move Tera Blast changes type to match
19383-524: The Game Boy Color and Pokémon Yellow . For its European launch, 2 million units were shipped across the continent during June 2000, including 500,000 in the United Kingdom. Yellow became the fastest-selling Pokémon games in the United Kingdom, where it received a Double Platinum award from ELSPA for more than 600,000 sales and grossed more than £20 million or $ 30,000,000 (equivalent to $ 53,000,000 in 2023). In Germany, Yellow received
19596-452: The Game Boy in the late 1990s. The success revitalized the Game Boy in the late 1990s. Nintendo Power listed the Red and Blue versions together as the third best video game for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, stating that something kept them playing until they caught every Pokémon. Game Informer ' s Ben Reeves called them (along with Pokémon Yellow , Gold , Silver , and Crystal )
19809-558: The Indigo Plateau. All of these other than Pallet Town, Lavender Town, and Indigo Plateau have a gym with a leader who serves as a boss, and the battles against the Elite Four and final rival battle occur at Indigo Plateau. Areas in which the player can catch Pokémon range from caves (such as Mt. Moon, Rock Tunnel, Seafoam Islands, and Cerulean Cave) to the sea, where the kinds of Pokémon available to catch varies. For example, Tentacool can only be caught either through fishing or when
20022-519: The Legendary Line . Tajiri was attempting to obtain an item that could only be obtained by a rare drop from an enemy, but he was not able to acquire it. Ken Sugimori was also playing Dragon Quest II at the time and was able to acquire two of the rare item. Wishing to obtain Sugimori's extra copy, Tajiri attempted to figure out if it was possible to trade items between games, but realized this
20235-647: The Linking Cord item. Other Pokémon require to be traded while holding an item to evolve, and Shelmet and Karrablast need to be traded with each other to evolve. In certain games, the Global Trading System (GTS) is available, allowing players to place requests for a specific Pokémon in return for another Pokémon, able to be fulfilled by players across the world. In other games, Wonder Trading (known in Sword and Shield as "Surprise Trading")
20448-451: The PCs enter these locations or perform certain actions. Combat options typically involve positioning characters, selecting which enemy to attack, and exercising special skills such as casting spells. In a classical turn-based system, only one character may act at a time; all other characters remain still, with a few exceptions that may involve the use of special abilities. The order in which
20661-447: The Pokémon by individually naming them, and then controlling them to represent fear or anger as a good way of relieving stress. However, Pokémon never bleed nor die in battle, only faint – this was a very touchy subject to Tajiri, as he did not want to further fill the gaming world with "pointless violence". The concept of trading Pokémon was inspired by a frustrating experience Tajiri had while playing Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of
20874-415: The Pokémon faints and is unable to battle. When an opponent's Pokémon faints, the player's Pokémon receives experience points ; when a Pokémon accumulates enough, then its level increases. If the player's Pokémon faints, they may select another Pokémon from their active party to battle; in battles against wild Pokémon, the player may attempt to flee instead. If all of a player's Pokémon faint, the player loses
21087-413: The Pokémon from various angles in order to assist Game Freak's graphics department in properly rendering the creature. Originally called Capsule Monsters , the title went through several transitions due to trademark problems, becoming CapuMon and KapuMon before eventually settling upon Pocket Monsters . Tajiri always thought that Nintendo would reject his game, as the company did not really understand
21300-625: The Ravager and Menzoberranzan , transferred the AD&;D license to several different developers, and eventually gave it to BioWare , who used it in Baldur's Gate (1998) and several later games. By the 2000s, 3D engines had become dominant. The earliest RPG on a console was Dragonstomper on the Atari 2600 in 1982. Another early RPG on a console was Bokosuka Wars , originally released for
21513-516: The Special Attack and Special Defense stats were a single stat, named the "Special" stat, which determined both attack and resistance against special attacks. When Pokémon level up, their statistics increase, as determined by the Pokémon's base stat values, effort values, Pokémon Nature, and individual values. These variables working in tandem provide each Pokémon with its unique stats. Effort values , or EVs , are hidden values that affect
21726-405: The United States. The game's music was composed by Junichi Masuda , who used the four sound channels of the Game Boy to create both the melodies and the sound effects and Pokémon "cries" heard upon encountering them. He composed the opening theme, "Monster", with battle scenes in mind, using white noise to sound like marching music and imitate a snare drum . Masuda wrote the music at his home on
21939-546: The United States. In Europe, the games had grossed €60,388,924 or $ 64,362,515 (equivalent to $ 118,000,000 in 2023) in 1999. In France, over 2.5 million copies were sold within a year. In Germany, they became the first video games to receive two Special Prize awards from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) for sales above 2 million copies by early 2001. In the United Kingdom, Red and Blue received two Platinum awards for sales above 600,000 copies. Worldwide sales reached over 31 million copies sold. It
22152-464: The Year " and "Console Game of the Year", during the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards . Pokémon Red and Blue set the precedent for what has become a blockbuster, multibillion-dollar franchise. In Japan Red , Green , and Blue sold 1.04 million units combined during 1996, and another 3.65 million in 1997. The latter performance made Pokémon , collectively, the country's best-selling game of
22365-589: The ability to pause the game and issue orders to all characters under his/her control; when the game is unpaused, all characters follow the orders they were given. This "real-time with pause" system ( RTwP ) has been particularly popular in games designed by BioWare . The most famous RTwP engine is the Infinity Engine . Other names for "real-time with pause" include "active pause" and "semi real-time". Tactical RPG maker Apeiron named their system Smart Pause Mode (SPM) because it would automatically pause based on
22578-477: The active Pokémon, or attempt to flee; however, fleeing is not possible in trainer battles. Pokémon have hit points (HP); when a Pokémon's HP is reduced to zero, it faints and can no longer battle until it is revived. Once an enemy Pokémon faints, the player's Pokémon that were involved in the battle receive a certain number of experience points (EXP). After accumulating enough EXP, a Pokémon will level up . A Pokémon's level controls its physical properties, such as
22791-437: The ambitious scope of Final Fantasy VII raised the possibilities for the genre, with its dozens of minigames and much higher production values. The latter includes innovations such as the use of 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds, battles viewed from multiple different angles rather than a single angle, and for the first time full-motion CGI video seamlessly blended into the gameplay, effectively integrated throughout
23004-418: The battle. All moves have power, accuracy, and a number of Power Points (PP). Each move is classified as one of the 18 Pokémon types. Additionally, since Diamond and Pearl , moves that deal damage are classified as either physical or special according to which stats of the attacking and defending Pokémon they use to calculate damage. The moves that one Pokémon may learn are different from another depending on
23217-953: The battle. This causes the player to lose some money and return to the last Pokémon Center they visited. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire introduced Double Battles, in which the opposing teams battle with two Pokémon at a time. Though the basic mechanics remain the same, certain moves may affect multiple targets at once, and some affect the ally as well as the opponents. Additionally, some Abilities work only in Double Battles. Multi Battles were also introduced, with four Trainers in teams of two. The third-generation games only included Double Battles against other Trainers, but Diamond and Pearl introduced Double Battles with wild Pokémon under certain circumstances. Black and White also introduced Triple Battles and Rotation Battles. In Triple Battles, both teams send out three Pokémon at once, with all three battling simultaneously. In Rotation Battles, both sides send out three Pokémon at once, but only use one at
23430-544: The category," pointing to Chrono Trigger (which he also worked on) and the Mana games. He further noted that there have been "other games similar to the style of Chrono Trigger ," but that "it's probably because the games weren't localised and didn't reach the Western audience." Xeno series director Tetsuya Takahashi , in reference to Xenoblade Chronicles , stated that "I don't know when exactly people started using
23643-643: The characters act is usually dependent on their attributes, such as speed or agility. This system rewards strategic planning more than quickness. It also points to the fact that realism in games is a means to the end of immersion in the game world, not an end in itself. A turn-based system makes it possible, for example, to run within range of an opponent and kill them before they get a chance to act, or duck out from behind hard cover, fire, and retreat back without an opponent being able to fire, which are of course both impossibilities. However, tactical possibilities have been created by this unreality that did not exist before;
23856-460: The characters within a tile-based graphics system . Dragon Quest was highly successful in Japan, leading to further entries in the series and other titles such as Final Fantasy that followed the same simplifications made in RPGs for Dragon Quest . Because of these differences, the role-playing genre began to be classified into two fairly distinct styles: computer RPG and console RPG . By
24069-448: The completion of the Japanese version of Pokémon Blue . Nintendo may have been considering a "Pokémon Pink" version of Yellow , based on source code leaked from Nintendo . Pokémon Yellow ' s release coincided with the release of Pokémon: The First Movie and was first announced as Pocket Monsters Yellow in Japan. Future Nintendo president Satoru Iwata later said that people likely felt Yellow would be unnecessary due to
24282-465: The concept at first. However, the games turned out to be a success, something Tajiri and Nintendo never expected, especially because of the declining popularity of the Game Boy. Tajiri said that the Poké Ball concept was inspired by Ultraseven 's Capsule Monsters from the tokusatsu superhero television series Ultraseven (1967–1968). Nintendo spent $ 13 million marketing Pokémon Red and Blue in
24495-825: The cutesy 8-bit graphics" commented The Guardian . During the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences ' 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards , Pokémon Red and Blue won the award for " Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development ", along with receiving nominations for "Console Game of the Year", " Console Role-Playing Game of the Year ", and " Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design ". Pokémon Yellow has been well received by critics, holding an aggregate score of 85% from GameRankings as their fifth highest-rated Game Boy game of all time. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune recommended Yellow as
24708-408: The development and customization of playable characters has come at the expense of plot and gameplay, resulting in what he felt was generic dialogue, lack of character development within the narrative and weaker battle systems. He also states that WRPGs tend to focus more on the underlying rules governing the battle system rather than on the experience itself. Tom Battey of Edge Magazine noted that
24921-520: The earliest role-playing video games on a microcomputer was Dungeon n Dragons , written by Peter Trefonas and published by CLOAD (1980). This early game, published for a TRS-80 Model 1, is just 16K long and includes a limited word parser command line, character generation, a store to purchase equipment, combat, traps to solve, and a dungeon to explore. Other contemporaneous CRPGs (Computer Role Playing Games) were Temple of Apshai , Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure and Akalabeth: World of Doom ,
25134-437: The early 2000s, the distinction between platforms became less pronounced as the same games appeared on both console and computer, but stylistic differences between Western role-playing games (WRPGs) and Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) remained, rooted in the earlier distinctions. Though sharing fundamental premises, WRPGs tend to feature darker graphics, older characters, and a greater focus on roaming freedom, realism, and
25347-613: The end game. Examples include the Battle Palace's prohibition on choosing what moves the Pokémon uses and the Battle Factory's random rental Pokémon. Instead of prizes, the player is awarded Battle Points (BP) which can be traded for rare items or TMs. The Diamond and Pearl Battle Towers use this same system, and it is replaced by a Battle Frontier in Pokémon Platinum . HeartGold and SoulSilver also have
25560-556: The fact that they introduced new features while still maintaining the traditional gameplay of the series. Reception of the graphics and audio was more mixed, with some reviewers complaining that they were too simplistic and not much of an improvement over the previous games, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire . FireRed and LeafGreen were commercial successes, selling a total of around 12 million copies worldwide. Role-playing video game A role-playing video game , role-playing game ( RPG ) or computer role-playing game ( CRPG )
25773-456: The fastest-selling handheld game of all time when it was released. Pokémon: The First Movie , a film released around the same time as Yellow , was expected to give it a sales boost. A Nintendo spokesman attributed the high demand for the Game Boy Color during the Christmas season of 1999 to Yellow . For the month of December, Donkey Kong 64 led Pokémon Yellow and Gran Turismo 2 on
25986-436: The finished Red and Blue versions were being prepared for release, Nintendo allegedly spent over 50 million dollars on promotion, fearing the series would not be appealing to American children. The western localization team warned that the "cute monsters" may not be accepted by American audiences, and instead recommended they be redesigned and "beefed-up". Then-president of Nintendo Hiroshi Yamauchi refused and instead viewed
26199-505: The game remains virtually open-ended, with the ultimate goal of the player being to obtain at least one member of each of the different species of Pokémon, thus completing the Pokédex . Battles between Pokémon are the central game mechanic of the Pokémon games. Within the game, they are used to train Pokémon to gain experience and become stronger, earn prize money, and to progress through the game's story. Battles can also be done between players by connecting two game systems. Pokémon uses
26412-435: The game world. More recent games tend to maintain a consistent perspective for exploration and combat. Some games, especially earlier video games, generate battles from random encounters ; more modern RPGs are more likely to have persistent wandering monsters that move about the game world independently of the player. Most RPGs also use stationary boss monsters in key positions, and automatically trigger battles with them when
26625-419: The game's code for Pokémon in the "medium slow" experience group in order to max out the level of any such Pokémon. The player begins in their hometown of Pallet Town. After venturing alone into the tall grass, the player is stopped by Professor Oak , a famous Pokémon researcher. Professor Oak explains to the player that wild Pokémon may be living there and encountering them alone can be very dangerous. He takes
26838-521: The game. The game was soon ported to the PC and gained much success there, as did several other originally console RPGs, blurring the line between the console and computer platforms. Computer-driven role-playing games had their start in Western markets, with games generally geared to be played on home computers. By 1985, series like Wizardry and Ultima represented the state of the art in role-playing games. In Japan, home computers had yet to take as great
27051-709: The games' possible reception in America as a challenge to face. Despite these setbacks, the reprogrammed Red and Blue versions with their original creature designs were eventually released in North America on September 28, 1998, over two and a half years after Red and Green debuted in Japan. The games were received extremely well by the foreign audiences and Pokémon went on to become a lucrative franchise in America. The same versions were later released in Australia sometime later in 1998 and in Europe on October 5, 1999 being
27264-537: The genre-defining Phantasy Star , released for the Master System . Shigeru Miyamoto 's Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for the Famicom Disk System was one of the earliest action role-playing games , combining the action-adventure game framework of its predecessor The Legend of Zelda with the statistical elements of turn-based RPGs . Most RPGs at this time were turn-based. Faxanadu
27477-505: The higher the success rate of capture. The ultimate goal is to complete the entries in the Pokédex , a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving , and trading to obtain all 151 creatures. Pokémon Red and Blue allow players to trade Pokémon between two cartridges via a Game Link Cable . This method of trading must be done to fully complete the Pokédex since certain Pokémon will only evolve upon being traded and each of
27690-441: The hobby of insect collecting , a popular pastime which Tajiri enjoyed as a child. While growing up, however, he observed more urbanization taking place in the town where he lived and as a result, the insect population declined. Tajiri noticed that kids now played in their homes instead of outside and he came up with the idea of a video game, containing creatures that resembled insects, called Pokémon. He thought kids could relate with
27903-539: The interest alive". The creature was originally added by Shigeki Morimoto as an internal prank and was not intended to be exposed to consumers. It was not until later that Nintendo decided to distribute Mew through a Nintendo promotional event. However, in 2003 a glitch was discovered which allowed players to obtain Mew without relying on official Nintendo events. During the North American localization of Pokémon ,
28116-417: The international releases of Red and Green , which were renamed to Red and Blue . The Japanese Blue edition features all but a handful of Pokémon available in Red and Green , making certain Pokémon exclusive to the original editions. To create more interest, Tajiri revealed an extra Pokémon called Mew hidden within them, which he believed "created a lot of rumors and myths about the game" and "kept
28329-539: The key features of RPGs were developed in this early period, prior to the release of Ultima III: Exodus , one of the prime influences on both computer and console RPG development. For example, Wizardry features menu-driven combat, Tunnels of Doom features tactical combat on a special "combat screen", and Dungeons of Daggorath features real-time combat which takes place on the main dungeon map. Starting in 1984 with Questron and 50 Mission Crush , SSI produced many series of CRPGs. Their 1985 game Phantasie
28542-520: The label "JRPG" is most commonly used to refer to RPGs "whose presentation mimics the design sensibilities" of anime and manga, that it's "typically the presentation and character archetypes" that signal "this is a JRPG." Modern JRPGs are more likely to feature turn-based battles; while modern WRPGs are more likely to feature real-time combat. In the past, the reverse was often true: real-time action role-playing games were far more common among Japanese console RPGs than Western computer RPGs up until
28755-731: The lack of a National Pokédex meaning that not every Pokémon would be transferable to Sword and Shield . Although the National Pokédex returned in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl , albeit only allowing Pokémon existing in the original Diamond and Pearl games, it has remained absent in non-remakes. Pokémon Bank is an application which allows players to store up to 3,000 Pokémon in an online cloud storage service . Players can deposit and withdraw Pokémon from both physical and downloaded versions of compatible games, allowing players to exchange Pokémon between
28968-437: The late 1990s had become more cinematic in style (e.g. Final Fantasy series). At the same time, WRPGs started becoming more novelistic in style (e.g. Planescape: Torment ), but by the late 2000s had also adopted a more cinematic style (e.g. Mass Effect ). One reason given for these differences is that many early Japanese console RPGs can be seen as forms of interactive manga or anime wrapped around Western rule systems at
29181-415: The late 1990s have had a stronger focus on extensive dialog tree systems (e.g. Planescape: Torment ). On the other hand, JRPGs tend to limit players to developing pre-defined player characters , and often do not allow the option to create or choose one's own playable characters or make decisions that alter the plot. In the early 1990s, JRPGs were seen as being much closer to fantasy novels , but by
29394-934: The late 1990s, due to gamepads usually being better suited to real-time action than the keyboard and mouse. Some journalists and video game designers have questioned this cultural classification, arguing that the differences between Eastern and Western games have been exaggerated. In an interview held at the American Electronic Entertainment Expo , Japanese video game developer Tetsuya Nomura (who worked on Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts ) emphasized that RPGs should not be classified by country-of-origin, but rather described simply for what they are: role-playing games. Hironobu Sakaguchi , creator of Final Fantasy and The Last Story , noted that, while "users like to categorise" JRPGs as "turn-based, traditional styles" and WRPGs as "born from first-person shooters ," there "are titles that don't fit
29607-428: The late 1990s, which saw the rise of optical disks in fifth generation consoles. The implications for RPGs were enormous—longer, more involved quests, better audio, and full-motion video . This was first clearly demonstrated in 1997 by the phenomenal success of Final Fantasy VII , which is considered one of the most influential games of all time. With a record-breaking production budget of around $ 45 million,
29820-488: The legend of the region and can open the opportunity to summon, battle, and catch the mascot Legendary Pokémon at a certain location. Additionally, completing the main storyline opens up other features in the games; this is primarily done by allowing passage into otherwise inaccessible places. Many games also have facilities dedicated to battling, such as the Battle Frontier, Battle Tower, and Battle Maison. Afterward,
30033-421: The list, and the reviewers remarked on their longevity: For everything that has come in the decade since, it all started right here with Pokémon Red / Blue'' . Its unique blend of exploration, training, battling and trading created a game that was far more in-depth than it first appeared and one that actually forced the player to socialize with others in order to truly experience all that it had to offer. The game
30246-580: The main storyline where the player faces several Trainers in succession with a limited set of their Pokémon and receive prizes in the form of otherwise rare items. The Battle Frontier was introduced in Pokémon Emerald , replacing the Battle Tower as found in the Ruby and Sapphire games. In addition to having its own Battle Tower with the same rules as the previous ones, the Battle Frontier adds several other game mechanics that make battles unique in
30459-461: The mid-1970s, as an offshoot of early university mainframe text-based RPGs on PDP-10 and Unix -based computers, such as Dungeon , pedit5 and dnd . In 1980 , a very popular dungeon crawler , Rogue , was released. Featuring ASCII graphics where the setting, monsters and items were represented by letters and a deep system of gameplay, it inspired a whole genre of similar clones on mainframe and home computers called " roguelikes ". One of
30672-591: The middle to late 1990s, isometric, sprite-based RPGs became commonplace, with video game publishers Interplay Entertainment and Blizzard North playing a lead role with such titles as the Baldur's Gate , Icewind Dale and the action-RPG Diablo series, as well as the dialogue-heavy Planescape: Torment and cult classics Fallout and Fallout 2 . This era also saw a move toward 3D game engines with such games as Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven and The Elder Scrolls: Arena . TSR , dissatisfied with SSI's later products, such as Dark Sun: Wake of
30885-551: The misuse of the game's legendary Pokémon. Various facilities can be found throughout the Pokémon world such as Pokémon Centers, Poké Marts, and Pokémon Gyms. At a Pokémon Center, the player can have their Pokémon healed for free and access the PC, where players can organize their collection of Pokémon, store and withdraw items, and have their Pokédex rated. Before X and Y , this is also where players can link up with other game cartridges or cards to battle or trade with other players. Poké Marts are shops where players can buy items with
31098-576: The modern JRPG in unoriginality", citing Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada who stated that "they're strictly catering to a particular audience", the article noting the difference in game sales between Japan and North America before going on to suggest JRPGs may need to "move forward". This criticism has also occurred in the wider media with an advertisement for Fallout: New Vegas ( Obsidian Entertainment ) in Japan openly mocked Japanese RPGs' traditional characteristics in favor of their own title. Nick Doerr of Joystiq noted that Bethesda felt that JRPGs "are all
31311-495: The money they win during battles; certain cities may have specialized shops, like a pharmacy or a department store. Periodically, a town will contain a Pokémon Gym, which houses a powerful Trainer known as a Gym Leader that functions as a boss . Victory against them grants the player a Gym Badge; after collecting eight Gym Badges, the player may challenge the region's Elite Four and Champion (in Pokémon Sword and Shield ,
31524-565: The monthly chart. Gwenn Friss of the Cape Cod Times called it one of the hottest items of the 1999 Christmas season, comparing it to popular Christmas toys from previous years such as Furby and Tickle me Elmo . Thomas Content of USA Today reiterated the comparison, commenting that it was "poised to stomp" them. He added that it, along with Red and Blue , were responsible for the boost of Game Boy sales from 3.5 million in 1998 to 8 million in 1999. The Idaho Statesman called it
31737-421: The more fantasy novel approach of Squaresoft console RPGs such as Final Fantasy IV . However in 1994, game designer Sandy Petersen noted that, among computer gamers, there was criticism against cartridge-based console JRPGs being "not role-playing at all" due to popular examples such as Secret of Mana and especially The Legend of Zelda using "direct" arcade-style action combat systems instead of
31950-656: The more "abstract" turn-based battle systems associated with computer RPGs. In response, he pointed out that not all console RPGs are action-based, pointing to Final Fantasy and Lufia . Another early criticism, dating back to the Phantasy Star games in the late 1980s, was the frequent use of defined player characters , in contrast to the Wizardry and Gold Box games where the player's avatars (such as knights, clerics, or thieves) were blank slates. As Japanese console RPGs became increasingly more dominant in
32163-526: The multiplayer options, especially the concept of trading. They received an aggregated score of 89% on GameRankings and are considered among the greatest games ever made , perennially ranked on top game lists including at least four years on IGN ' s "Top 100 Games of All Time". The games marked the beginning of a multibillion-dollar franchise, jointly selling over 300 million copies worldwide. The Red and Green versions were remade for Game Boy Advance as FireRed and LeafGreen (2004) while Yellow
32376-427: The necessity for a gamemaster and increases combat resolution speed. RPGs have evolved from simple text-based console-window games into visually rich 3D experiences. Role-playing video games use much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics as early tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons . Players control a central game character, or multiple game characters, usually called
32589-544: The notable handheld releases in 1999. On the 20th anniversary of the first generation Pokémon games' Japanese release, in February 2016, Nintendo re-released Red , Blue , and Yellow for their Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console service. The games include a first for the Virtual Console: simulated Link Cable functionality to allow trading and battling between games. As was the case with its original release, Green
32802-459: The number of items that can be held. Most of the actions in an RPG are performed indirectly, with the player selecting an action and the character performing it by their own accord. Success at that action depends on the character's numeric attributes. Role-playing video games often simulate dice-rolling mechanics from non-electronic role-playing games to determine success or failure. As a character's attributes improve, their chances of succeeding at
33015-547: The number of times players can move before the opponent can, and the strong style does the opposite. Once per battle in Pokémon Sun , Pokémon Moon , Pokémon Ultra Sun , and Pokémon Ultra Moon , if a Pokémon holds a Z-Crystal, a powerful object usually obtained from completing island trials, it can use an upgraded version of one of its moves, called a Z-Move. Z-Moves based on attacking moves tend to have much higher power than normal; those based on status moves usually incur
33228-491: The option to trade between other games. Two years later, it climbed to number 70 in the updated list, with the games' legacy again noted to have inspired multiple video game sequels, movies, television shows, and other merchandise, strongly rooting it in popular culture . In 2019, PC Magazine included the games on their "The 10 Best Game Boy Games". In 2023, Time Extension included the game on their "Best JRPGs of All Time" list. In 2007, Red and Blue were ranked at number 37 on
33441-406: The original Red and Blue versions. On February 12, 2014, an anonymous Australian programmer launched Twitch Plays Pokémon , a "social experiment" on the video streaming website Twitch . The project was a crowdsourced attempt to play a modified version of Pokémon Red by typing commands into the channel's chat log, with an average of 50,000 viewers participating at the same time. The result
33654-495: The overworld, and the player can speak to it. Pikachu can grow to love or hate the player based on their actions; leveling up will keep Pikachu happy, while fainting frequently will make it unhappy. This feature was used again in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver , the remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver , and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! , the remakes of Pokémon Yellow . Yellow includes
33867-610: The platform divide between consoles and computers , respectively. Finally, while the first RPGs offered strictly a single player experience, the popularity of multiplayer modes rose sharply during the early to mid-1990s with action role-playing games such as Secret of Mana and Diablo . With the advent of the Internet, multiplayer games have grown to become massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), including Lineage , Final Fantasy XI , and World of Warcraft . The role-playing video game genre began in
34080-463: The player at certain points. While visiting the region's cities, the player will encounter special establishments called Gyms. Inside these buildings are Gym Leaders, each of whom the player must defeat in a Pokémon battle to obtain a total of eight Gym Badges. Once the badges are acquired, the player is given permission to enter the Indigo League, which consists of the best Pokémon trainers in
34293-424: The player control an entire party of characters. However, if winning is contingent upon the survival of a single character, then that character effectively becomes the player's avatar . An example of this would be in Baldur's Gate , where if the character created by the player dies, the game ends and a previous save needs to be loaded. Although some single-player role-playing games give the player an avatar that
34506-608: The player determines whether the loss of immersion in the reality of the game is worth the satisfaction gained from the development of the tactic and its successful execution. Fallout has been cited as being a good example of such a system. Real-time combat can import features from action games , creating a hybrid action RPG game genre. But other RPG battle systems such as the Final Fantasy battle systems have imported real-time choices without emphasizing coordination or reflexes. Other systems combine real-time combat with
34719-459: The player is in a body of water, while Zubat can only be caught in a cave. The game developer , Satoshi Tajiri , pitched the concept of Pokémon to Nintendo 's staff in 1990 and was met with skepticism. They believed his ideas were too ambitious and found it difficult to see the appeal. However, Shigeru Miyamoto saw great potential in the idea and convinced the company to go ahead with the project. The initial concept for Pokémon stemmed from
34932-432: The player is presented with a choice of one of three starter Pokémon at the beginning of the game. Each starter Pokémon has a different type , being either Grass, Fire, or Water. Catching is one of the most recognizable and important aspects of the Pokémon franchise . In most Pokémon games , players aim to weaken wild Pokémon in battle to then throw a Poké Ball. In Pokémon Go , Pokémon Legends: Arceus , and
35145-549: The player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game. Another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day." In 1989, Phantasy Star II for the Genesis established many conventions of the genre, including an epic , dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter. Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to
35358-464: The player to his laboratory where the player meets Oak's grandson, a rival aspiring Pokémon Trainer . The player and the rival are both instructed to select a starter Pokémon for their travels out of Bulbasaur , Squirtle and Charmander . Oak's grandson will always choose the Pokémon which is stronger against the player's starting Pokémon. He will then challenge the player to a Pokémon battle with their newly obtained Pokémon and will continue to battle
35571-896: The player to manage a large amount of information and frequently make use of a windowed interface. For example, spell-casting characters will often have a menu of spells they can use. On the PC, players typically use the mouse to click on icons and menu options, while console games have the player navigate through menus using a game controller. The role-playing video game genre began in the mid-1970s on mainframe computers , inspired by pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons . Several other sources of inspiration for early role-playing video games also included tabletop wargames , sports simulation games, adventure games such as Colossal Cave Adventure , fantasy writings by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien , traditional strategy games such as chess , and ancient epic literature dating back to Epic of Gilgamesh which followed
35784-571: The player to traverse certain obstacles. For example, Pokémon who learn the HM move Surf can transport the protagonist over water, which is necessary to reach island locations. When a Pokémon learns an HM move, the move cannot be deleted or replaced unless the player uses the services of an NPC known as the Move Deleter. HMs were eventually phased out in Pokémon Sun and Moon , being replaced by
35997-435: The player waited more than a second or so to issue a command, the game would automatically issue a pass command, allowing the monsters to take a turn while the PCs did nothing. There is a further subdivision by the structure of the battle system; in many early games, such as Wizardry , monsters and the party are arrayed into ranks, and can only attack enemies in the front rank with melee weapons. Other games, such as most of
36210-406: The player's control. Other games feature a party that the player can create at the start or gather from non-player characters in the game, coming into partial or full control of the player during the game. Although the characterization of the game's avatar will develop through storytelling, characters may also become more functionally powerful by gaining new skills, weapons, and magic. This creates
36423-461: The players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports", and lacked the arcade and action-adventure elements commonly found in Japanese console RPGs at the time. In the early 1990s, American computer RPGs also began facing criticism for their plots, where "the party sticks together through thick and thin" and always "act together as a group" rather than as individuals, and where non-player characters are "one-dimensional characters", in comparison to
36636-410: The plot when the player defeats an enemy or completes a level, role-playing games often progress the plot based on other important decisions. For example, a player may make the decision to join a guild, thus triggering a progression in the storyline that is usually irreversible. New elements in the story may also be triggered by mere arrival in an area, rather than completing a specific challenge. The plot
36849-437: The precursor to Ultima . Some early microcomputer RPGs (such as Telengard (1982) or Sword of Fargoal ) were based on their mainframe counterparts, while others (such as Ultima or Wizardry , the most successful of the early CRPGs) were loose adaptations of D&D . They also include both first-person displays and overhead views, sometimes in the same game ( Akalabeth , for example, uses both perspectives). Most of
37062-777: The problems often cited against JRPGs also often apply to many WRPGs as well as games outside of the RPG genre. BioWare games have been criticized for "lack of innovation, repetitive structure and lack of real choice." WRPGs, such as Bethesda games, have also been criticized for lacking in "narrative strength" or "mechanical intricacy" due to the open-ended, sandbox structure of their games. Gameplay of Pok%C3%A9mon#Catching Pokémon Pokémon involves catching and training fictional creatures called " Pokémon " and using them to battle other trainers' Pokémon. Each successive generation of games builds upon this concept by introducing new Pokémon, items, and gameplay concepts. Each game in
37275-413: The quest, you still might not have all the Pokémon in the game. The challenge to catch 'em all is truly the game's biggest draw." He also commented on the popularity, especially among children, describing it as a "craze". GameSpot ' s Peter Bartholow, who gave the games a "great" 8.8 out of 10, cited the graphics and audio as somewhat primitive but stated that these were the only drawbacks. He praised
37488-399: The re-releases reached 1.5 million copies, with more than half sold in North America. The games received mostly positive reviews, holding an aggregate score of 88% on GameRankings . Special praise was given to its multiplayer features: the ability to trade and battle Pokémon with one another. Craig Harris of IGN gave the games a "masterful" 10 out of 10, noting that: "Even if you finish
37701-489: The region. There the player will battle the Elite Four and finally the new Kanto Champion: the player's rival. Throughout, the player battles Team Rocket , a criminal organization that uses the Pokémon for various crimes. They devise numerous plans for stealing rare Pokémon, which the player must foil. Pokémon Red and Blue take place in the region of Kanto, which is based on the real-life Kantō region in Japan. This
37914-557: The release of Pokémon Gold and Silver later that year. It was released in Japan on September 12, 1998, in Australia on September 3, 1999, in North America on October 19, 1999, and in Europe on June 16, 2000. A Pikachu-themed Game Boy Color bundle was released in North America in October 1999. To promote the release of Pokémon Yellow , Volkswagen and Nintendo created a yellow Volkswagen New Beetle with features inspired by Pikachu. Nintendo World Report listed Pokémon Yellow as one of
38127-549: The replay value due to their customization and variety and commented upon their universal appeal: "Under its cuddly exterior, Pokémon is a serious and unique RPG with lots of depth and excellent multiplayer extensions. As an RPG, the game is accessible enough for newcomers to the genre to enjoy, but it will entertain hard-core fans as well. It's easily one of the best Game Boy games to date". The success of these games has been attributed to their innovative gaming experience rather than audiovisual effects. Papers published until 1999 by
38340-409: The right things to the right non-player characters will elicit useful information for the player, and may even result in other rewards such as items or experience, as well as opening up possible storyline branches. Multiplayer online role-playing games can offer an exception to this contrast by allowing human interaction among multiple players and in some cases enabling a player to perform the role of
38553-436: The same basic structure of setting off in various quests in order to accomplish goals. After the success of role-playing video games such as Ultima and Wizardry , which in turn served as the blueprint for Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy , the role-playing genre eventually diverged into two styles, Eastern role-playing games and Western role-playing games , due to cultural differences , though roughly mirroring
38766-492: The same style as those in manga and anime . The stylistic differences are often due to differing target audiences: Western RPGs are usually geared primarily towards teenage to adult males, whereas Japanese RPGs are usually intended for a much larger demographic, including female audiences , who, for example, accounted for nearly a third of Final Fantasy XIII 's playerbase. In 2015, IGN noted in an interview with Xenoblade Chronicles X 's development team that
38979-598: The same" and "too linear", to which he responded that "[f]or the most part, it's true" but noted there are also non-linear JRPGs such as the Romancing SaGa series. Such criticisms have produced responses such as ones by Japanese video game developers , Shinji Mikami and Yuji Horii , to the effect that JRPGs were never as popular in the West to begin with, and that Western reviewers are biased against turn-based systems. Jeff Fleming of Gamasutra also states that Japanese RPGs on home consoles are generally showing signs of staleness, but notes that handheld consoles such as
39192-429: The save files, as the games use different languages and therefore character sets. As well as trading with each other and Pokémon Yellow , Pokémon Red and Blue can trade Pokémon with the second generation of Pokémon games: Pokémon Gold , Silver , and Crystal . However, there are limitations: the games cannot link if one player's party contains Pokémon or moves introduced in the second generation games. Also, using
39405-441: The second best Game Boy games and stated that it had more depth than it appeared. Official Nintendo Magazine named them one of the best Nintendo games of all time, placing 52nd on their list of the top 100 games. Red and Blue made number 72 on IGN ' s "Top 100 Games of All Time" in 2003, in which the reviewers noted that the pair of games "started a revolution" and praised the deep game design and complex strategy, as well
39618-419: The second-to-last video game released for the original Game Boy in Europe with Pokemon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition being the last. Two years after Red and Green , Nintendo released Pokémon Yellow , an enhanced version of Red and Blue , in Japan in 1998, and in North America and Europe in 1999 and 2000. The game was designed to resemble the Pokémon anime series , with the player receiving
39831-415: The senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications of Nintendo of America, stated that "those precious gems [ Pokémon Red and Blue ] have evolved into Ruby and Sapphire . The release of Pokémon Pinball kicks off a line of great new Pokémon adventures that will be introduced in the coming months". The series has since sold over 300 million games, all accredited to the enormous success of
40044-582: The single, "Special" stat into two separate "Special Attack" and "Special Defense" stats), these games are not compatible with older versions outside of the third generation of Pokémon . FireRed and LeafGreen were first released in Japan on January 29, 2004, and released in North America and Europe on September 9 and October 1, 2004 respectively. Nearly two years after their original release, Nintendo re-marketed them as Player's Choice games. The games received critical acclaim, obtaining an aggregate score of 81 percent on Metacritic . Most critics praised
40257-493: The species of Pokémon; even those that evolve from others do not necessarily learn all the same moves that their predecessors learn. Each Pokémon may only know a total of four moves at any one time. Moves may be learned through leveling up, using TMs and HMs , breeding and move tutors ( NPCs that teach moves). In Pokémon Legends: Arceus , each move can be used in either "agile style" or "strong style". The agile style decreases accuracy, power, and effect duration while increasing
40470-424: The strengths of a Pokémon in particular statistical areas. Each Pokémon can be assigned 510 EVs, with a maximum of 252 EVs in a single stat . Pokémon can gain EVs with a variety of methods, like defeating other Pokémon or using " vitamins ". Each Pokémon will give out one or more EVs in a specific stat corresponding to its species when defeated. Items can also affect a Pokémon's EVs, with vitamins being used to give
40683-496: The term 'JRPG,' but if this game makes people rethink the meaning of this term, I'll be satisfied." The writer Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com states that " Xenoblade throws into high relief the sheer artificiality of the gaming community's obsession over the differences between" Western and Japanese RPGs, pointing out that it "does things that don't really fit into either genre. Gamers do love their boundaries and barriers and neat little rules, I know, but just because you cram something into
40896-503: The time, in addition to the influence of visual novel adventure games . As a result, Japanese console RPGs differentiated themselves with a stronger focus on scripted narratives and character drama, alongside streamlined gameplay. In recent years, these trends have in turn been adopted by WRPGs, which have begun moving more towards tightly structured narratives, in addition to moving away from "numbers and rules" in favor of streamlined combat systems similar to action games. In addition,
41109-449: The time. One of the most popular glitches in Red and Blue involves encountering MissingNo. (short for "Missing Number"), a glitch Pokémon with multiple forms that arise when different glitches are performed. Additionally, several other Pokémon can be encountered using glitches, such as the otherwise-unobtainable Mythical Pokémon Mew . Another glitch, dubbed the "EXP underflow glitch", allows players to manipulate unsigned integers in
41322-583: The traditional role-playing " offered by Japanese console RPGs, which instead emphasized character interactions. In response, North American computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the 1990s with interactive choice-filled adventures. Several writers have criticized JRPGs as not being "true" RPGs, for heavy usage of scripted cutscenes and dialogue, and a frequent lack of branching outcomes. Japanese RPGs are also sometimes criticized for having relatively simple battle systems in which players are able to win by repetitively mashing buttons. As
41535-554: The two games have version-exclusive Pokémon. The Link Cable also makes it possible to battle another player's Pokémon team. When playing Red or Blue on a Game Boy Advance or SP , the standard GBA/SP link cable will not work; players must use the Nintendo Universal Game Link Cable instead. Moreover, the English versions are incompatible with their Japanese counterparts, and such trades will corrupt
41748-621: The two versions without the need for a second system. Additionally, an application called the Poké Transporter allows players to upload Pokémon from Pokémon Black , White , Black 2 and White 2 to the Pokémon Bank, after which they can be imported into newer games. Intended for release on December 27, 2013, Pokémon Bank was postponed due to unforeseen traffic levels on the Nintendo Network service. Pokémon Bank
41961-513: The typical Western-style RPGs of the time. Due to the cultural differences between Western and Japanese variations of role-playing games, both have often been compared and critiqued by those within the video games industry and press. In the late 1980s, when traditional American computer RPGs such as Ultima and Defender of the Crown were ported to consoles, they received mixed reviews from console gamers, as they were "not perceived, by many of
42174-448: The underlying game mechanics (e.g. "rules-based" or "system-based" ); whereas JRPGs tend to feature brighter, anime -like or chibi graphics, younger characters, turn-based or faster-paced action gameplay, and a greater focus on tightly-orchestrated, linear storylines with intricate plots (e.g. "action-based" or "story-based" ). Further, WRPGs are more likely to allow players to create and customize characters from scratch, and since
42387-456: The use of items called "evolutionary stones" or trading the Pokémon to another player. Later additions to the pool of conditions for evolution include dependence on the Pokémon's friendship level, the time of day in the game, carrying a unique item while being traded, the gender, or the area in the game where the Pokémon levels up. In each mainline Pokémon game (with the exception of Pokémon Yellow , Let's Go, Pikachu! , and Let's Go, Eevee! ),
42600-404: The year, surpassing Final Fantasy VII . By 1997, about 7 million units had been sold in Japan. In 1998, Red , Green and Blue sold 1,739,391 units in Japan. By 1998, 10 million units had been sold in Japan. Pokémon Red , Green and Blue ultimately sold 10.23 million copies in Japan, and until November 2022, was the country's best-selling video games. The video games were accompanied by
42813-550: Was "the most successful computer game of all time" according to Joseph Tobin in 2004. In 2009, IGN referred to Pokémon Red and Blue as the " Best-selling RPG on the Game Boy " and " Best-selling RPG of all time ", while in 2017, Guinness World Records declared the games the "Best-selling videogame (excluding bundle sales)." In Japan, the game sold 1,549,000 units in 1998, making it the third-best-selling video game of 1998 in Japan. Before its release in North America, Nintendo anticipated that it would make them $ 75 million in
43026-446: Was a theme that was common in most console RPGs at the time but absent from most computer RPGs. During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant, exerting a greater influence on computer RPGs than the other way around. Console RPGs had eclipsed computer RPGs for some time, though computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the decade with interactive choice-filled adventures. The next major revolution came in
43239-451: Was another early action RPG for the NES, released as a side-story to the computer action RPG Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu . Square 's Final Fantasy for the NES introduced side-view battles, with the player characters on the right and the enemies on the left, which soon became the norm for numerous console RPGs. In 1988, Dragon Warrior III introduced a character progression system allowing
43452-603: Was compared to "watching a car crash in slow motion". The game was completed on March 1, 2014, boasting 390 hours of multi-user controlled non-stop gameplay. In 2017, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted Pokémon Red and Green to its World Video Game Hall of Fame . In October 2021, the Japan Sumo Association formed a partnership with The Pokémon Company to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon Red and Blue and gyōji (professional sumo referee) were seen wearing Poké Ball-themed kimono during
43665-400: Was fully released on the Nintendo eShop on January 22, 2014, in Japan, February 4, 2014, in Europe and February 5, 2014, in North America. In an update released on January 24, 2017, Pokémon Sun and Moon became compatible with Pokémon Bank . The update allows players to transfer and deposit their Pokémon between Bank and Sun and Moon , though when transferred, they cannot return to
43878-453: Was good; but otherwise, he advised that they wait until Gold and Silver . The Daily Telegraph ' s Steve Boxer commented that while it had good gameplay mechanics, it was held back by the lack of features. He described Nintendo's actions as avaricious, commenting that Yellow "marks the point where Pokémon ceases to become a game and becomes a marketing exercise/obsession-satisfier". Pokémon Yellow received two nominations, " Game of
44091-469: Was impossible; the games had to be entirely reprogrammed from scratch due to the fragile state of their source code , a side effect of the unusually lengthy development time. Therefore, the games were based on the more modern Japanese version of Blue ; modeling its programming and artwork after Blue , but keeping the same distribution of Pokémon found in the Japanese Red and Green cartridges. As
44304-410: Was in a 2009 event distribution of a Shiny Milotic . The Pokédex ( ポケモン図鑑 , Pokémon Zukan , lit. : Pokémon Encyclopedia ) is an electronic device designed to catalog and provide information regarding the various species of Pokémon. The name Pokédex is a portmanteau of Pokémon and index . In the video games, whenever a Pokémon is first caught, its height, weight, species type, and
44517-515: Was introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver . Pokémon can be bred in-game at a Pokémon Day Care. These are businesses generally run by an elderly person or couple, which raise Trainers' Pokémon for a fee. If two compatible Pokémon are left there, they will eventually produce a Pokémon Egg, which the Trainer can pick up for free. After being carried by the Trainer for some distance, the Egg will hatch into
44730-618: Was not possible on the Famicom. When the Game Boy was released, Tajiri thought the system was perfect for his idea, especially because of the link cable , which he envisioned would allow players to trade Pokémon with each other. This concept of trading information was new to the video game industry because previously connection cables were only being used for competition. "I imagined a chunk of information being transferred by connecting two Game Boys with special cables, and I went wow, that's really going to be something!" said Tajiri. Upon hearing of
44943-408: Was released in Japan in 1998 and in other regions in 1999 and 2000. The player controls the protagonist from an overhead perspective and navigates the fictional region of Kanto in a quest to master Pokémon battling . The goal is to become the champion of the Indigo League by defeating the eight Gym Leaders and the top Pokémon trainers in the land, the Elite Four . Another objective is to complete
45156-478: Was remade for Nintendo Switch as Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! (2018). The originals were rereleased on the Virtual Console service for Nintendo 3DS in 2016 to commemorate their twentieth anniversaries. Pokémon Red and Blue are played in a third-person view , overhead perspective and consist of three basic screens: an overworld , in which the player navigates the main character;
45369-486: Was the first such attempt to recreate a role-playing game for a console, and requires several simplifications to fit within the more limited memory and capabilities of the Famicom compared to computers; players in Dragon Quest controlled only a single character, the amount of control over this character limited due to the simplicity of the Famicom controller, and a less-realistic art style was chosen to better visualize
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