Pokémon

Pokémon (ポケモン), abbreviation of Pocket Monster (in Japanese, ポケットモンスター, poketto monsutaa , monster of pocket), is a series of video games created by Satoshi Tajiri and published by Nintendo, where imaginary creatures of the same name appear. According to the official statistics of Nintendo of December 19th, 2005, the Pokémon plays were sold to approximately 143 million specimens, that is to say the greatest success of the history of the video game. Pokémon, at present, brought back approximately 1000 billion francs (either approximately 152 billion euros).

The Logotype Pokémon is adopted with the acute accent by the Nintendo company officially in order to avoid the errors of pronunciation such “Pokmon”. This writing is common in the safe whole world in some languages like those of Asia, or in Russian or Arabic, always with an aim of sticking to the pronunciation.

The frankness is also exploited in the form of Anime S, of Manga S, and card decks. In September 2006, one counts exactly in the Pokémon universe 493 creatures (see the Liste of Pokémon). More than one hundred of new creatures were revealed during the third quarters 2006 at the time of the exit of the fourth generation in Japan.

In the popular cartoon, the main character names Satoshi with the Japan (like the creator of the play, Satoshi Tajiri), Ash Ketchum with the the United States and Canada, and Sacha in France. In its voyage to become Pokémon Master, it meets other adjusters of Pokémon with which it binds friendship. In his initial concept, the creator of the play based the combat of Pokémon on the competitions of insects, rather than on the violent ones cockfights with which the play is often compared today. Indeed, the principle of collection, exchange and combat would have been inspired in Satoshi whereas it was impassioned insects.

The most known characters of the series include Pikachu, nice a small rodent yellow having a tail in the shape of flash and cheeks being able to send electric shocks, and Ondine (English Misty, Japanese Kasumi), a teenager watery adjuster of Pokémon, without forgetting Sacha obviously.

The emissions of the animated series always contain a message of friendship for the young spectators.

Origin

It is on August 28th, 1965 that is born Satoshi Tajiri. As of its more young age, it is impassioned for the collection of insects in any kind, and starts to imagine scenarios (short history) of capture to gain in speed. It is fascinated so much by these animals which his/her friends have suddenly called Mr. Bug (Mr Insecte).

It is also impassioned video plays and then decides to launch, with a friend named Ken Sugimori, a Fanzine which they named Game Freak , comprising information on the Play-video. We are then in 1982, and the small team will grow until the day when the latter, carried out by Satoshi Tajiri, decide to design their own company of video plays. The name Game Freak will be preserved and the company will carry out some titles without consistency, such as Pulseman or Quinty .

It is into 1991 that Satoshi Tajiri has an idea while it is playing Tetris as a multijouor mode. He sees an ant trotting itself along the cable and then imagines the concept of collection and exchanges of small monsters (Pocket Monsters). It will however be necessary for five years to him so that the first opus way the day.

In the first version of Pokémon, the two main characters, Sacha and Régis, respectively carried the first names of the creator, Satoshi Tajiri and of Shigeru Miyamoto.

Video games

Plays of the principal series

Poke tto my sutaa leaves in 1996 to the Japan on Game Boy. As another company holds the rights of the name Monster In My Pocket to the the United States, the name shortened " Pokémon" , already used in Japan becomes official name.

Rules and course of the play

In the first two versions, blue and red, the history is that of a young boy, Sacha Ketchum, incarnated by the player (this character changes in other versions where the player has even the possibility of choosing between a boy or a girl). Sacha receives Professor Chen his first pokémon, which he chooses between Carapuce, Bulbizarre and Salameche, as well as a pokédex , kind of encyclopedia electronic being used to consign the information received on the pokémon. The player launches out then in a great voyage where it will have several goals:
- To catch wild pokémon thanks to special balls, the pokéball , which are declined in several types according to their powers (the superball , the hyperball ,…).
- to make fight its pokémon to make assemble their level.

The play thus develops a type of Gameplay of Roleplay relatively little exploited hitherto and based on two pillars:

- the player must try to find all the creatures pokémon, which proposes the pleasure of research and the collection. One can meet them according to certain parameters, which vary according to the versions: geographical site, hour of the day or the night, type of element (on dry land or in the sea), etc… One can also exchange them with other players. In fact, exchanges between players having each one one of the two versions (which leave per pairs) are essential to collect all the pokémon.
- to involve and make them evolve/move by the combat according to the process of rise to power, largely exploited in the roleplays but particularly fine and developed here.
Moreover, the player directly any more does not direct a team of characters (as in the Final Fantasy for example) but a " adjuster pokémon" who manages the monsters of his team. It can however increase of it with him only one limited number, the others étants stored . It is thus necessary to involve various kinds of pokémon (to make Levelling ) according to the various strategies to be adopted at the time of the engagements.

Indeed, the strategy is also an important component of the play. The engagements are held in the form of " tours". Each turn, the adjuster has several possibilities:

- To use one of the techniques of sound pokémon to attack the unfavourable pokémon and cause a drop in its points of life.
- To use another technique, is to reinforce its own parameters (speed, precision…), that is to say cause a drop in those of the adversary. There exist also techniques to deaden the unfavourable pokémon, to poison it, burn it, etc…
- the adjuster can use an object, to look after its pokémon, or to awake it if it is deadened for example.
- the player can also choose to change pokémon and to replace it by another the more suited to the combat.
- Lastly, the player can choose to flee. This option is possible only against a wild pokémon. at the time of a combat against another adjuster, this possibility is decontaminated.

Because the choice of the pokémon, in addition to its level, is important of share its element. Indeed, each pokémon belongs to one, sometimes two, particular element . There is a fortnight different of which water, fire, plants, the rock, electricity, the psychological , the combat, insects, the flight … Each element with its forces and its weaknesses. for example, water is effective against the fire, which is strong against the plants, which beat water. The play is thus connected with a kind of stone/more complex sheet/scissors, because each element does not have only one force nor that a weakness (water, in addition to beating fire, is also strong against pokémons ground and rock ), and where the element does not do all. A pokémon water can beat very well, with a good strategy, a pokémon plant.

The play proceeds with the manner of a traditional Japanese roleplay: several villages and keeps are present on the chart, at the beginning of the play almost all the roads connecting the elements composing it are blocked, but, as it advances in the play, the player resolves the possible routes. The wild pokémon meet on the roads, as well as the isolated adjusters. There are in addition specialized rooms (of the arenas), in which the adjusters have all of Pokémon of the same type. The champion of the arena, the most powerful adjuster, once overcome, gives to the player the badge arena. Once the badges of all the collected arenas, the adjuster can advance in the play. In the first two versions blue and red, for example, Sacha the league of the 4 can then fight, which are the most powerful adjusters of the play.

Elements of the pokémon

The types Steel and Ténèbres were added in the plays of the Second generation.

The various plays pokémon

There were several continents through the Pokémon plays. Kanto for the first generation, Johto for the second, Hoenn for the third, and finally Sinnoh for the fourth. Other continents also had their hour of glory. Fiore in Pokémon To arrange (3G) then Rhode in Pokémon Colosseum and XD.

The plays Red Keep Mystery (on GBA) and Blue (on DS) are different. The player incarnates Pokémon after a long questionnaire after the launching of a new part which is used to determine Pokémon that it will incarnate. The player can consequently build a team with the partner chosen at the beginning of part, and evolve/move in the keeps, missions and fight the boss, following the example traditional RPG in addition to making evolve/move the pokémon.

Another more recent play, Pokémon To arrange on DS, sets up people capturing pokémons them, the " Rangers" , with a " capstick". To capture Pokémons, it is necessary to make turn a loop around those, using the stylet of nintendo DS, until the pokémon can be captured.

The Pokémon plays left to France all are completely translated into French, except notable for the cartridges of mini play Pokémon (which present however only little text).

Other types of plays

Video games Pokémon of Flipper left, like various types of plays (puzzle, card deck…). There is also Pokémon Donjon Mystery Blue and Red, respectively left on DS and GBA.

There exists also an online game called Pokémon NetBattle , play which has nothing to do with Nintendo, which allows to face other people via Internet. A French patch is also available on the Net. This online game makes it possible to create its team in order to face other players in combat similar to those of Game Boy Advance.

History of the Pokémon plays

the dates indicated correspond to the French exits.
the plays in fats are known as principal : it is around these roleplays for portable console that each generation, each series, and each derived play turn.

First generation (151 Pokémon)

Second generation (251 Pokémon former generation included)

Third generation (386 Pokémon former generations included)

Fourth generation (493 Pokémon former generations included)

Note : the first pair of Pokémon plays is Pokémon Version Green and Red Pokémon Version , but the Vert version left only to Japan. In front of the success of the two first opus, one 3rd version, the Blue one was published. It was different by some tiny improvements at the graphic level like for the localization from some pokémon. In the USA and in Europe, the first versions has to be published are the Blue one and the Red, but actually our Rouge version is closer to international the Bleue version than of Japanese the Rouge version.

Series of animation

See also: Pokémon (animated series)

In 2006, the series is in Japan one of rare to have reached 500 episodes! Ten films left in the cinemas and one eleventh and in preparation.

There exist also episodes out of the ordinary named " pokemon chronicles" currently diffused in France on gulli since September 26th.

The series of Pokémon animation includes/understands ten seasons of about fifty twenty-two minutes episodes each one and nine one hour old feature films and twenty minutes.

Pokémon chronicles

Known under the name of Ho-So Pokémon with the Japan, Pokémon Chronicle with the the United States and " Pokémon" chronicles; in France. The Chroniques Pokémon consist of sixteen episodes putting in scene the supporting characters of the animated series Pokémon (thus majority of the characters except Sacha). In September 2007, the chain of the TNT Gulli will diffuse the episodes.

Feature-length films

  • Pokémon 1: Mewtwo Counter-attacks ( Mew Versus Mewtwo )
  • Pokémon 2: The Capacity is in You ( The power off one )
  • Pokémon 3: Fate of Zarbi ( Pokémon 3 The Movie )
  • Pokémon 4: The Voice of the Forest ( Pokémon 4ever )
  • Pokémon 5: The Heroes Pokémon ( Pokémon Heroes )
  • Pokémon 6: Genius of the Wishes ( Pokémon Jirachi wish Maker )
  • Pokémon 7: Destiny of Déoxys ( Pokémon Destiny Deoxys )
  • Pokémon 8: Lucario and the mystery of Mew ( Pokémon 80006-Lucario and the Mystery off Mew )
  • Pokémon 9: Pokémon To arrange and the Temple of the Sea ( Pokémon 9 Pokémon To arrange and temple off the Sea )
  • Pokémon 10: Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai ( Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai )

  • In France, only the first three films left to the cinema. The fifth Pokémon film left in DVD under the name of the Héros Pokémon . Then, in 2007, TF1 leaves the DVD entitled the adventures Pokémon where films 4,6 and 7 are available in French version without the French voices of origins.

  • film 8: Mew and the Hero guiding the Waves, at summer diffused on October 27th on the chain Jetix
  • film 9: Pokémon To arrange and the Temple of the Sea will be diffused on December 24th, always on the Jetix chain.

Other

  • One does not count the score of special episodes either twenty minutes, or one hour, nor the 9 " Pikachu" Court-measurings; accompanying the exit by films.

Charts to be played and collect

A card deck to collect Pokémon was published by Wizards off the Coast starting from 1999. After the exit of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire , Nintendo recovered the property of the charts and started to undertake with the distribution through its company The Pokémon Company.

The card deck Pokémon includes/understands more than one about thirty different extensions. The last extensions in date belong to a block called " Ex" and whose etymological origin remains still today rather dubious (perhaps an abbreviation of " extension" , quite simply, or a reference to Pokémon-ex, a new category of charts appeared starting from this block). According to the name of the first attack of the Absol chart of the edition EX-Creators of Legend in American version (" Extra call") the word " Ex" seem to mean, with very strong probability, Extra, as much for the names of the extensions that those of Pokémon-ex. There is thus Ex Rubis & Saphir , Ex Dragon , Ex Delta species , etc

The card deck Pokémon is practiced in many conventions and tournaments, sometimes multiform (also being able to gather competitions on video games Pokémon) in Japan, in the United States and in Europe.

In France, Pokémon conventions of charts to be played and collect took again in May 2004, after nearly two years and half of interruption, with a first tournament known as of regional qualification (for the Championship of France 2004, itself known as of national qualification) on May 2nd, 2004 in Nantes. Many tournaments and conventions Pokémon, sometimes only specialized in the card deck, were born since. One differentiates several types of these competitions.

  • Tournaments of drive

  • communal Championships ( City Championships )
  • regional Championships ( Regional Championships ) organized in France
  • Gym Challenge ( Gym Challenge ) organized in France
  • Championships of France ( National Championships )

Since the resumption of the Pokémon license in France by Asmodée editions, in October 2003, they are about fifty Regional Qualifiers which were organized in the country, in addition to three National Championships. Let us note that the Championship of France 2004 attracted only 25 participants, whereas the edition 2006 attracted more than 100 candidates, of which quantity of foreign players (Belgian, Dutch, British…).

  • For the season 2006-2007, France is put at the standards " internationales" on the level of the Organized Play! It is Michel Delhausse, player and Belgian referee, who will occupy themselves some. It is the first season when France organizes at the same time of City Championship, State-Provincial-Regional Championship, Battle Road and Special the First Vents! One thus counts 23 First Vents in France this season, in addition to Leagues Frenchwomen (Amiens, Marrignane and Amiens) and of the sessions of drives. These tournaments, leagues and sessions of drives are organized by the Fantastic Asmodée, Pokévénements, JCC PACA, Challenges and the Northern JCC.

The Play Organized Pokémon TCG in France was recently harmonized with the payment in force in the other countries:

  • the format approved by Pokémon the USA, the DX one, makes it possible to play only with the following extensions:

EX Deoxys, EX Emerald, EX Unseen Forces, EX Delta Species, EX Legend Maker, EX Holon Phantoms, EX Crystal Guardians, Ex Dragon Frontier, Ex Power Keepers, Ex Trainer kit 2, POP series 2,3 & 4, like all the charts promotions Pokémon the USA starting from number 29.

  • a homologation and recent cutting to size of all the competitions. Until September 2005, the majority of the tournaments of charts to play and collect Pokémon did not proceed according to the Official Format, but, most of the time, according to a Format known as " Illimité" , accepting all the existing charts (including those published by Wizards off the Coast, old diffusion of the play). However, the Official Format is not absolutely obligatory, and thus one can carry out tournaments according to the old formats such as the RS one, HL one, or other formats older, however those are not entered in the international classification of the Official Format.

  • a quasi-total delegation of the Play Organized at semi-official organizations, close to the French official distributer (Asmodée editions) but from now on external to them. These organizations represent most of the time Internet sites specialized in the communication around Pokémon, and the organization of event-driven demonstrations related to this license. Among the principal organizing bodies, one counts association JCC Lorraine , club specialized in the competition on card decks (which would have ceased any activity), Pokévénements , association specialized in event-driven Pokémon in France, JCC PACA , association of JCC Pokémon in the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure, the Fantastic Challenges, association of various plays on Amiens, NORTHERN JCC, association of JCC Pokémon in the Northern area like Asmodée him even at the time of certain tournaments.

Manga S

Three series of manga were translated into France:

  • Pokémon the Great adventure! , of Mato (scenario up to 2000), Satoshi Miyamoto (scenario since 2001) and Kusaka (drawings) at Glénat.

  • Pokémon : Catch to them all! , of Hiroyuki Asada, at Glénat.
  • Pokémon : Pikachu Adventures! , of Yumi Tsukirino, at Glénat.

As well as a Artbook, Art off Pokémon (collective), at Glénat.

Chronology

Some important dates in the construction of the universe of Pokémon in Japan.

  • October 1st 1999: Left the plays Pokémon Versions Red and Blue, it is the first marketed Pokémon product. It presents then 151 creatures, Pokémon most known.

  • April 6th 2001: After success confusing and unexpected that the first two versions caused, the Or versions and Money arrive and bring the first extension of the universe of Pokémon with 100 new creatures and a very new continent, Johto.
  • July 25th 2003: 2 years passed since the second generation. This time, they are 135 new Pokémon which intervenes in the versions Saphir and Ruby, in a still new continent, based on the chart of the island of Kyushu in the south of Japan (Hoenn). The total reaches 386 pokémon then.
  • March 18th 2005: Opening of the first amusement park Pokémon in Nagoya, in parallel with the World Fair of Aichi for one 6 months duration.
  • February 27th 2006: 10 years passed since the first play Pokémon to Japan. Nintendo wants to spoil its fans and organizes full with events throughout the world.
  • September 28th 2006: Exit of the fourth generation of the Pokémon plays in Japan with Diamond and Pearl. 107 new Pokémon are with the program. As well as a very new area (Sinnoh) based on the chart of the island of Hokkaido in the north of Japan.
  • July 27th 2007: Release of the plays Pokémon versions Diamond and Pearl in Europe. In one day, they were sold to 10 million specimens and explode connections Nintendo Wi-Fi.
  • December 7th 2007: French exit of Pokémon Battle Revolution on Wii

Religious controversies

Christianity

Certain Protestant groups in the United States are persuaded that Pokémon are of inspiration satanic. Following the Yellow exit of Pokémon , there be a sudden wave of criticisms carried out mainly by Christian congregations. The parallels between Pokémon and the Satanisme include:

  • Of the “magic” stones is used to make evolve/move unquestionable Pokémon.

  • Pokémon “evolve/move”. The theory of the Évolution refutes the Création, therefore Pokémon contradicted in a certain manner certain interpretations of the Bible.
  • Beaucoup of Pokémon practices Asian religions and certain mystical concepts. For example, some practice the martial arts, that certain Christian groups denounce like pagan rites . The play also includes Asian traditions like the forces of nature.

Judaism

Pokémon was criticized by certain members of the Jewish community for his use of the Svastika , the most known symbol of the Nazisme, which they think inappropriate for a play intended for the children. Nintendo answered that it was a cultural problem, since the swatiska is used in Asia like symbol of good fortune by the Buddhist Religion. If one examines a Japanese geographical map of small swatiska (in the direction of the needles of a watch), or Manji , can be seen where the Buddhist temples are located.

The manji was shown only in the Japanese version of the charts and was excluded from the other versions. However, these Jewish communities attacked the Japanese version, distributed illegally to the USA. Nintendo thus adopted to use this symbol even in the Japanese version. That had a great incidence near the Japanese, shocked intolerance towards the symbols of Buddhism.

Companies working around Pokémon

Many companies work around Pokémon. Here an not-exhaustive list of principal.

The principal one is The Pokémon Company , but it was created in a preoccupation with a lightening of the procedures related to the license.

  • Range Freak: Company founded in 1989 by Satoshi Tajiri, creator of the Pokémon concept. It is at the origin of the development of the versions Red Pokémon Vert and its many continuations (blue, yellow, gold, money, crystal, ruby, sapphire, red-fire, green-sheet, diamond, pearl…)

  • Creatures, Inc.: Company founded in 1995 to hold the rights of the Pokémon license. It publishes since the creation of Pokémon Company the whole of the charts to play Pokémon.

  • Nintendo: Company founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi in the suburbs of Kyoto in Japan, having always supported Pokémon, and which with the videoludic exclusiveness in the license.

  • The Pokémon Company : Company founded in 1998 to reduce the processes related to the Pokémon license. Its first goal was the creation of stores Pokémon, Pokémon Centers. One counts 7 stores of this type in the world. Nintendo is an important shareholder.

Other subsidiary companies of The Pokémon Company: Pokémon the USA, Pokémon Inc., Pokémon the U.K., Pokémon Seattle, Pokémon The Park, Pokémon Center.

Other companies having the exclusiveness in Pokémon: Genius Sonority, Asmodée editions, Bandaged, Tomy, Ambrella, TV-Tokyo, Shōgakukan, Media Create, TF1 (Even if it does not diffuse any more the animated series Pokémon), Buena Vista International, Gulli.

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