A Brief History of Pokemon!
Today marks the 27th Birthday of Pokemon! The franchise has grown since it's inception in the '90s into one of the biggest brands in the entire world! With now 27 years of history, we thought we would look back on some of the most important moments in the development of this epic series!
Generation I - Original Releases - 1996 -1999
The epic franchise that is Pokemon started out as the brainchild of Satoshi Tajiri. He first envisioned the idea in the early '90s when he first saw the newly released Game Boy and imagined bugs crawling between the link cables. The first games took around 6 years to develop but after release the game went on to be a great success, increasing sale for Nintendo.
February 1996 - Pocket Monsters - Red & Green Exactly 27 years ago, Game Freak and Nintendo released the first iteration of the Pokemon franchise! Pocket Monsters Red Version and Pocket Monsters Green Version were released for the original Game Boy and quickly became a smash hit in Japan! The game introduced the foundations of the franchise that we know and love today! In the games, you explored the now iconic Kanto region, collecting Pokemon and improving your skills to challenge the champion of the Pokemon league!
October 1996 - Pocket Monsters Blue The next main instalment of the franchise came in the form of Blue Version. This version was a slightly updated version of Red & Green, improving the graphics and fixing several glitches which had affected the original releases!
October 1996 - Trading Card Game The first Trading Card Game for Pokemon was released in Japan in late 1996. If it weren't for this decision, the hobby that we know and love would be very different than it is today. For one thing, the existence of Total Cards may have hinged on the release of the TCG.
April 1997 - Anime With the massive popularity that the original games were experiencing, an anime series was released! Featuring original characters, the show was unsurprisingly a success. The first episode of the show even hinted at the future development of the franchise, by briefly showing a mystery Pokemon that we would later discover as Ho-oh in the next generation!
July 1998 - Pokemon the Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back By July 1998, the franchise was booming and a feature length film was produced based on the super-popular anime! The movie consisted of 3 main parts: Pikachu's Vacation, The Uncut Story of Mewtwo's Origin and Mewtwo Strikes Back. The film was well-received inside of Japan and did well financially when it was eventually dubbed into English, even if the reviews for the dub were not as glowing.
September 1998 - Pokemon Red & Blue By late 1998, Nintendo and Game Freak had been working to bring Pokemon to a wider audience. By pursuing deals with the like of Hasbro and Burger King, they had started to introduce Pokemon to the U.S. This was cemented with the release of Red & Blue in North America in September of 1998. These new versions utilised the wild Pokemon of the original Red & Green but with the updated graphics of Pocket Monsters Blue. When we think of the origins of Pokemon in the west, it is these game that we think of.
September 1998 Pokemon Yellow The next major release for Game Freak, was Pokemon Yellow. This updated game was intended to more resemble the anime series and capitalise on the vast popularity that it enjoyed. Like Ash in the series, the player character started with a Pikachu and their rival started with an Eevee. A major change of the game allowed the Pikachu to follow the player in the overworld, a feature which would be featured in later games.
December 1998 - Pokemon TCG Wizards of the Coast A massive part of the first generation is the release of the TCG in North America and later the rest of the world! To facilitate this, Pokemon approached American company Wizards of the Coast, who had already developed the very first TCG with Magic the Gathering!
By the end of the first Generation, Pokemon had transformed into a huge franchise that had cemented it's popularity across the world. Several spin-off games had also been produced during this period, which only helped in making Pokemon a household name. With the release of the Game Boy Color, Game Freak set their sights on the next Generation.
Generation II - Gold & Silver - 1999 - 2002
Work on the 2nd Generation started soon after the release of Pokemon Blue version and the development time was significantly shorter than the six years taken for the original releases. The 2nd Generation is primarily distinguished by its utilisation of the new Game Boy Color, which was released in 1998.
November 1999 - Gold & Silver The Gold and Silver versions officially kicked off the 2nd generation when they were released in late 1999. The games expanded the world with the Johto region and added an additional 100 Pokemon to the original 151. Other massive changes included the splitting of the Special Stat, introduction of a time system, Pokemon breeding, shiny Pokemon and much more! The games then arrived in North America in 2002 and Europe in 2001.
December 2000 - Crystal Continuing the tradition of a third special edition, Crystal edition was released a year after Gold & Silver. The game introduced the option to play as a girl, animated sprites for Pokemon and several other story changes including Suicine. Like it's predecessors, international versions followed soon after, with the North American and European versions released in 2001.
Generation III - Ruby & Sapphire - 2002 - 2006
Just like Generation 2 started with the move to Game Boy Color, Generation 3 was notable that it now used the Game Boy Advance, the latest iteration of the classic Game Boy. Compatibility with previous games was severely reduced with this generation, but it still saw a huge amount of innovation and new mechanics.
November 2002 Ruby & Sapphire The flagship games of the Advanced generation were Ruby & Sapphire! The game introduced another 135 Pokemon, bringing the total up to 386, a number that seems very small compared to the vast number available now. This game added abilities to each Pokemon, as well as Pokemon natures and all-new PokeBalls. These changes were in addition to the graphic updates that came with the adoption of the Game Boy Advance. Ruby & Sapphire rolled was available outside Japan in 2003.
July 2003 - Pokemon TCG Changes In 2003, the Pokemon Company took over the publication of the TCG from Wizards of the Coast. This coincided with the release of the first Ruby & Sapphire packs and influenced the direction of the TCG outside of Japan.
January 2004 - FireRed & LeafGreen The first remakes debuted in Generation 3 with the release of FireRed and LeafGreen. These recreated the original releases for the Game Boy Advance and featured a number of changes to the originals. Like Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire before them, these versions allowed you to choose your gender ( a feature that would remain throughout the series). These also included the new Pokemon that featured in Ruby & Sapphire! The remakes arrived in the rest of the world later in 2004.
September 2004 - Emerald The third version to Ruby & Sapphire appeared late in 2004. Not only did the game add a number of changes from the originals, it also incorporated some of the new improvements from FireRed & LeafGreen. The game also saw an increased focus on Double Battles. Emerald was made available to the rest of the world in 2005
Generation IV - Diamond & Pearl - 2006 - 2010
Generation 4 finally said goodbye to the Game Boy and hello to the newly released Nintendo DS. The DS (which stood for Dual Screen), offered a ton of new options with its addition of a secondary touch-screen.
September 2006 - Diamond & Pearl Diamond & Pearl launched this generation and it introduced an additional 107 Pokemon to the series. The games brought back the Day & night cycle native to the 2nd generation as well as introducing a new level of connectivity with the inclusion of GTS (Global Trade System), which allowed you to connect with other players all around the world. These versions became available to the rest of the world in 2007.
September 2008 - Platinum Diamond & Pearl were followed up with a third enhanced version called Platinum in 2008. This game introduced new areas and altered the landscape of Sinnoh into a snowy winter. It was released outside of Japan in 2009.
September 2009 - HeartGold & SoulSilver 2009 saw the release of Generation 2 remakes with HeartGold & SoulSilver. All 493 that had been included thus far were capable of following your character sprite as you explore the regions of Kanto and Johto. The games also made better use of the DS's touchscreen and allowed players to capture a wide selection of Legendary Pokemon from previous games. They were both made available to the rest of the world in 2010.
Generation V - Black & White - 2010 - 2013
Generation 5 was the first generation to use the same console as it's predecessors, given the longer lifespan of the Nintendo DS. Furthermore, it was the first generation not to include remakes since Generation 2.
September 2010 - Black & White The first Generation 6 games released were the innovative Black & White, which had enhanced features on the DSi and 3DS. The games introduced the highest number of New Pokemon to the franchise with a total of 156 additions, bringing the complete total up to 649. The games also built on the time mechanics of earlier entries by introducing seasons. The games finally came to the rest of the world in 2011.
June 2012 - Black 2 & White 2 2012 saw the release of sequels to the original Black & White. Set 2 years after the event of the previous games, where many changes have taken place. Like their predecessors, these also had enhanced features when played on a DSi or 3DS! The games were released later in 2012 for rest of the world
Generation VI - X&Y - 2013 - 2016
The next generation moved away from the DS and embraced the 3DS. Gen 6 also saw the return of remakes, with Ruby & Sapphire getting a makeover. Total Cards started operating at the end of this generation, and offered a ton of TCG products from the Sun & Moon era. Pokemon also celebrated its 20th anniversary just before the release of Generation 8, with the awesome Evolutions TCG set making huge waves amongst collectors!
October 2013 - X & Y X&Y were the firs games in the core series to see a simultaneous worldwide release. The games also introduced the Fairy type, the first time a type had been introduced since Gold & Silver. The games featured 72 new Pokemon, bringing the grand total to 721. The games also made extensive use of the 3Dtechnology of the 3Ds.
November 2014 - Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire These remakes were first released in November of 2014 and incorporated a massive amount of changes from the last 3 generations, including Mega Evolutions and more. The games also expanded with all new elements, including all new characters and new elements to the story.
Generation VII - Sun & Moon - 2016 - 2019
The following generation also utilised the 3DS for it's main games, but began to utilise the emerging Nintendo Switch, later in its run.
November 2016 - Sun & Moon Sun & Moon represented the next step in the evolution of Pokemon. This entry introduced an additional 88 Pokemon to bring the total up to 802. Alolan forms were introduced to the game, giving familiar Pokemon different appearances, abilities, types and more. Gym Battles were also replaced with Island Challenge.
November 2017 - Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon These enhanced versions of Sun & Moon feature an entirely different storyline and greatly expanded the Alolan Pokedex. These were the first games to introduce entirely new Pokemon in the middle of a generation.
November 2018 - Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! Released in late 2018, the Let's Go games were remakes of Pokemon Yellow, which were also the first games in the main series to be release on the Nintendo Switch. The game introduced several elements that are still seen in the Pokemon titles on Switch today.
May 2019 - Detective Pikachu 2019 saw the first live action Pokemon movie with Detective Pikachu! Featuring the voice talents of Ryan Reynolds, the film contained impressive CGI versions of some fan-favourite Pokemon!
Generation VIII - Sword & Shield - 2019 - 2022
Generation 8 was the first generation to fully embrace the Switch console! It also saw a massive surge in popularity for the TCG! The Pokedex grew to 898, almost 6 times the number of Pokemon originally included in the original games.
November 2019 - Sword & Shield Generation 8 kicked off with the epic Sword & Shield. The game introduced 89 new Pokemon, many of which were introduced via DLC rather than with the initial release. The game also saw regular updates, with DLCs like the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra. Wild Pokemo now appear in the overworld as well as in tall grass as is traditional with the main series. The games also introduced Dynamax and Gigantamax, which allowed Pokemon to transform into powerful new forms.
November 2021 - Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl 2021 saw the release of enhanced versions of Generation 4 classics Diamond & Pearl. As with previous remakes, these games included several changes from the previous generations as well as some of the changes introduced in Pokemon Platinum.
January 2022 - Legends: Arceus Legends Arceus transports the player back in time to an ancient version of Sinnoh from Diamond & Pearl known as Hisui. It introduced an additional 8 Pokemon as well as 17 new Hisuian forms.
Generation IX - Scarlet & Violet - 2022 - present
The current generation started very recently and so far only has it's main games as releases. The number of Pokemon available is now over 1000, standing at a whopping 1008! The base set for the TCG is due for release soon, and we just can't wait to see how the rest of the generation unfolds!
November 2022 - Scarlet & Violet Scarlet & Violet released late last year and introduced us to the epic Paldea region! The games allowed players to engage in three different and distinct storylines: Victory Road, Path of Legends, and Starfall Street before engaging in the The Way Home storyline dealing with time travel. The game also introduce Paradox Pokemon as well as a feature called Terastalizion, that allows for a crystal transformation of your Pokemon.
Although this isn't an exhaustive history of Pokemon, we certainly feel like we have touched upon some of the most important and iconic moments in the past 27 years of this terrific franchise. Let us know what you think we missed out in the comments.
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