Cool to Hate - The Stigma of Pokémon

Popping in the cartridge of the recent Pokemon Platinum (averaged 84% in Metacritic) always prompts me with a very brief yet fascinating history lesson: the Pokemon franchise is 12 years old. It is quite older than the Halo series, and almost shares the same age with the Grand Theft Auto series. What all of them have in common, though, is that they all are grand selling franchises. Their difference, however, is derived from the wide-ranging response of the current gaming audience, in which one of three commercially (and even critically) successful empires is fated to a constant degradation, while the remaining two are placed on a pedestal, as panicles of hardcoreness in the average hardcore player shrine. It shouldn’t take you less than a second to assign the stigma and the pride associated to the previously mentioned game series. Ironically though, these game franchises reach almost all age demographics. There are many 13-year olds who posses the M-rated games despite the age restrictions on the box. And similarly, there are huge crowds of twenties and mid-twenties players whom grew with the Pokemon series and still play them passionately as they did when they were much younger. So, what is the reason behind this shady prejudice? Surely, it is not matter of self-assurance in regards to the maturity and sense of outgrowth among players, is it?

The mainstream debut of the Pokemon RPG series in 1998 brought a staggering level of awareness to the videogame industry by the mass media, specifically the western media, along with countless Pokemon-sponsored products and merchandises. The gaming industry wasn’t used to this kind of sudden exposure back then, and the spotlight proved to be super effective (no pun intended). Both the media outlets and other game designers were curious regarding its outstanding financial success and critical acclaim, considering its simplistic and foreign RPG formula. However, a minimal assessment of the product revealed Pokemon’s exceptional design, and the plethora of original ideas it brought with it. Satoshi Tajiri –the creator of Pokemon- has stated that his creation was influenced by several factors, and one of them was his obsessive habit of collecting bugs when he was a young kid. In any case, the two main aspects the game perpetuates are constructed around the idea of collecting pocket monsters and investing in an underdog story within a family-friendly structure. Indeed, these are the true accomplishments and charms of the Pokemon series.

It’s unfortunate, though, that the reaction of the gaming community toward the series from the very beginning was based on excessive mockery and tasteless jokes. Considering the fact that Nintendo started to suffer from the lingering “kiddy" image that came with the N64, Pokemon wasn’t exactly the perfect remedy to eradicate such conceptions. As games during the mid 90s became focally invested with gore, violence, and deeper plots, most gamers felt the need to outgrow the cheery, simplistic, and colorful frameworks that are usually discernible in most Nintendo and “E-rated” games. Thus, in order to be adhered to the cool gamer club, players started to shun similar games such as Pokemon and degrade them to substantiate their position.

However, one cannot sum all the responses the series has gathered on one single rationale such as the “kiddy” perception and the simple premise of capturing and raising the adorable Pokemon. Another abstraction that hindered the series from attracting a respectable and thoughtful appreciation is the foreign nature of the game. Upon carefully scrutinizing the very first two generations of Pokemon games (i.e. Red/Blue/Yellow and Gold/Silver/Crystal) we will find an exceptional level of Japanism and Shinto influences dispersed all over Kanto and Johto regions. For example, both games have subtly dealt with quite murky themes such as awakening and suppressing the spirits of dead Pokemon, godly creatures that symbolizes naturism, abolishing capitalist ideals, the prevalence of judo-like gyms, and the conflicting models of environmentalism vs. industrialization. These are mostly contemporary Eastern dispositions that can seem fairly outlandish to a western player to the fact it reached the point of total abandonment. That level of obscurity has genuinely been toned down in the later installment of the series, and the issues started to garner universal appeal than being locally influenced.

It shouldn’t be too surprising that the slightly varied yet continuous premises and themes the series has been transpiring with since the last decade were only a reflection of the core mechanics founded in its foundation. In the same fashion with most J-RPGs, the series still remain dutiful to the formula that made it popular; thus, becoming one of best exemplars of the “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it” adage. Granted, the series has and continues to add small tweaks and modifications in each installment, in which might be ignored to the casual observer but remain shrewdly perceived by the devotee. Pokemon parallels Dragon Quest in this perspective; both games are still grounded to their roots but their unique charm and substantiated universe and novelty are rarity compared to other games. This is one of the many –not stated- reasons that JRP-Games such as Final Fantasy are robustly welcomed by the so-called hardcore than Dragon Quest and Tales games.

Although, there is final and an important aspect that somewhat explains the ridicule attitude toward Pokemon. The massive mainstream recognition and commercialization of the series back in the late 90s were so critical that the gamer community revealed that Pokemon was merely a temporary fad destined to be forgotten in the future. They explained that Pokemon was a premature representation to their favorite hobby while it demeaned the industry to a superficial level. True, the series might have lost some of its flare but the substantial sales and contribution to the software market proved that those gamers possess little knowledge when it comes to the perception of their own audience. Perhaps, this attitude originates from the yearning to be distinctive and less analogous to the mainstream taste. Ironically, it is those gamers that focus on sale charts and monthly software revenues than anybody else.

It is important for me to disclose that Pokemon isn’t a flawless game, nor it triumphs other mainstream series such as GTA and Halo in terms of achievement and originality, and possibly vice versa. Refusing to play Pokemon due to the dislike of the genre or the fixated nature of the game is certainly acceptable and respectable. However, it is a different matter to state contentment and apathy due to its “kiddy image” and minimalist design. This is like ridiculing an individual who favored Wall•E than The Wrestler due to the affability and simple premise of the former. As fervent players who perceive videogames more than a pastime activity or interest, it is important for us to be mature in our judgment and critique before we demand that from those who don’t. In the end, it is the progression of growing-up with the games that is the most necessary, not outgrowing them.