Got hit with the bug to try and replay all of the mainline Pokemon games, don't know how long this will last till but for now, I've gotten my hands into the Generation 1 jar again.
Just for context, my nostalgia for the Game Boy era of Pokemon is pretty mute all things considered. I grew up in the DS era, and I also was lucky enough to play the GBA games as well. But I was simply too young for the first generation, plus around that time, there was definitely a little bit of a stink about these games at the time, I would've been interested in getting into them. Around Black and White's release there was a reactionary response within the fanbase to attack the genwunners who dared made fun of the ice cream Pokemon, and for the longest time, outside of nostalgia, these games had a reputation within the diehard fanbase of being pretty trite games.
Now in the modern day, I think people are willing to admit they were much too hard on these games. Nowadays the hate is more directed towards the modern games, whether justified or not. But now I think a lot more people are willing to love these broken busted games, glitches and all, and mainly because its a game that is holding itself together by the seems of insanely thin code, that can break at a moment's notice.
Of course, the reason for such thin coding is because, this is one of the most ambitious games to have been created for its era. At the time, the Game Boy was going through its dry spell of not having many notable titles, due to it being very outdated hardware in a time of pretty rapid growth. Then comes Pokemon, a fairly lengthy, insanely marketable, and most importantly, very endearing and charming game about catching all sorts of lovable and unique creatures that, while simple, have enough depth to really flesh itself out.
It cannot be understated how much the original team knocked it out of the park in terms of their framework right out of the gate. Most first entries in a franchise this ancient have to deal with the growing pains that come with the era, and in many ways, Pokemon had it even tougher, working with hardware even more limiting than the Famicom. And sure, the first generation of Pokemon is buggy, and insanely unbalanced, and in many ways, many of the types have not even scratched the surface of their potential. But also, most of what we recognize this franchise for, is here, works in a casual context, and is simple but engaging and loaded with customization to really express yourself right out of the gate. Pokemon has had roughly the same foundations ever since this game, and a lot of that is due to just how smartly designed it all was right away.
The designs for this game are really the selling point though, and that can definitely go for the whole franchise. Even now, the original 151 are some of the most cherished and recognizable “characters” in the entire medium. And there are such a wide variety of designs, from cute, to cool, to weird, to ugly. And the way they convey this through such minimal sprite work, while definitely very rough around the edges now, and really can only be truly appreciated with adaptations like the anime (at the time), are so charming and fun, and most of all, they really express what a Pokemon is all about, without saying anything, but just having a dynamic and memorable pose. The same applies to trainers in some regards, but I would argue that wouldn’t matter as much until much later in the series, and really only applies to the original Indigo League anime adaption, but I think it does deserve some highlight.
I think another thing that makes Kanto such an interesting place to revisit, is how nonlinear most of the game was, especially for the time. After the first two badges, you’re basically let loose to do whatever you desire for the most part. If you want to skip Lt. Surge until you decimate Team Rocket as a ten year old, and then beat the seventh gym, you are more than free to do so. Along with the Pokemon at your disposal, it makes Kanto such a fun place to go and visit, and it gives the region a very distinct feel, even if the areas themselves are mostly basic with exceptions to highlights like the Cinnabar Island. It kind of shocks me the series didn’t play more into this aspect until… well just this year to do more of what you want. I get this series is obviously made for younger audiences, but Red and Blue still give a good idea of what you should be doing in the intended way, that I think you could’ve absolutely integrated it for some of the future entries.
Also with how quaint this first outing is, you can still get some good laughs in this game still. Even outside of seeing stuff like MissingNo. or seeing the game be beaten in under a minute through just some inputs, this game has very simple dialogue, and playing this game with some friends can give some amazing laughs in the right crowd. Every Rocket and Channeler dialogue was an absolute treat to see some of the most unhinged one to two word dialogue that they could cram into this game.
And honestly, that I think is what makes these games special even now. They were so ambitious, and for the most part, they scored a slam dunk. You can gamble with slot machines, trade with other copies of the game, initiating an entire cultural shift in which everyone would be playing and trading their new creatures, and even when you finish the game, you still have the Legendary birds and Mewtwo to hunt down, before you become a true Pokemon master. Even now, Generation 1 is beloved and I think coming from someone who has affinity for the later entries, I can greatly appreciate and love what these games are, both back then, and in the modern day. The remakes typically get the most attention as the definitive way of playing through the Kanto region, and while I do get why, I think FRLG and Let’s Go do have quirks that don’t make them my preferred way of returning to Kanto. I think despite and in part, because of its flaws, Red and Blue endear as not just cultural milestones, nor just great games. But a true change for games, as it started the most popular, and for many, a very personal and important franchise, that continues to endear and appeal even now. And I think for that, it deserves praise.
Just for context, my nostalgia for the Game Boy era of Pokemon is pretty mute all things considered. I grew up in the DS era, and I also was lucky enough to play the GBA games as well. But I was simply too young for the first generation, plus around that time, there was definitely a little bit of a stink about these games at the time, I would've been interested in getting into them. Around Black and White's release there was a reactionary response within the fanbase to attack the genwunners who dared made fun of the ice cream Pokemon, and for the longest time, outside of nostalgia, these games had a reputation within the diehard fanbase of being pretty trite games.
Now in the modern day, I think people are willing to admit they were much too hard on these games. Nowadays the hate is more directed towards the modern games, whether justified or not. But now I think a lot more people are willing to love these broken busted games, glitches and all, and mainly because its a game that is holding itself together by the seems of insanely thin code, that can break at a moment's notice.
Of course, the reason for such thin coding is because, this is one of the most ambitious games to have been created for its era. At the time, the Game Boy was going through its dry spell of not having many notable titles, due to it being very outdated hardware in a time of pretty rapid growth. Then comes Pokemon, a fairly lengthy, insanely marketable, and most importantly, very endearing and charming game about catching all sorts of lovable and unique creatures that, while simple, have enough depth to really flesh itself out.
It cannot be understated how much the original team knocked it out of the park in terms of their framework right out of the gate. Most first entries in a franchise this ancient have to deal with the growing pains that come with the era, and in many ways, Pokemon had it even tougher, working with hardware even more limiting than the Famicom. And sure, the first generation of Pokemon is buggy, and insanely unbalanced, and in many ways, many of the types have not even scratched the surface of their potential. But also, most of what we recognize this franchise for, is here, works in a casual context, and is simple but engaging and loaded with customization to really express yourself right out of the gate. Pokemon has had roughly the same foundations ever since this game, and a lot of that is due to just how smartly designed it all was right away.
The designs for this game are really the selling point though, and that can definitely go for the whole franchise. Even now, the original 151 are some of the most cherished and recognizable “characters” in the entire medium. And there are such a wide variety of designs, from cute, to cool, to weird, to ugly. And the way they convey this through such minimal sprite work, while definitely very rough around the edges now, and really can only be truly appreciated with adaptations like the anime (at the time), are so charming and fun, and most of all, they really express what a Pokemon is all about, without saying anything, but just having a dynamic and memorable pose. The same applies to trainers in some regards, but I would argue that wouldn’t matter as much until much later in the series, and really only applies to the original Indigo League anime adaption, but I think it does deserve some highlight.
I think another thing that makes Kanto such an interesting place to revisit, is how nonlinear most of the game was, especially for the time. After the first two badges, you’re basically let loose to do whatever you desire for the most part. If you want to skip Lt. Surge until you decimate Team Rocket as a ten year old, and then beat the seventh gym, you are more than free to do so. Along with the Pokemon at your disposal, it makes Kanto such a fun place to go and visit, and it gives the region a very distinct feel, even if the areas themselves are mostly basic with exceptions to highlights like the Cinnabar Island. It kind of shocks me the series didn’t play more into this aspect until… well just this year to do more of what you want. I get this series is obviously made for younger audiences, but Red and Blue still give a good idea of what you should be doing in the intended way, that I think you could’ve absolutely integrated it for some of the future entries.
Also with how quaint this first outing is, you can still get some good laughs in this game still. Even outside of seeing stuff like MissingNo. or seeing the game be beaten in under a minute through just some inputs, this game has very simple dialogue, and playing this game with some friends can give some amazing laughs in the right crowd. Every Rocket and Channeler dialogue was an absolute treat to see some of the most unhinged one to two word dialogue that they could cram into this game.
And honestly, that I think is what makes these games special even now. They were so ambitious, and for the most part, they scored a slam dunk. You can gamble with slot machines, trade with other copies of the game, initiating an entire cultural shift in which everyone would be playing and trading their new creatures, and even when you finish the game, you still have the Legendary birds and Mewtwo to hunt down, before you become a true Pokemon master. Even now, Generation 1 is beloved and I think coming from someone who has affinity for the later entries, I can greatly appreciate and love what these games are, both back then, and in the modern day. The remakes typically get the most attention as the definitive way of playing through the Kanto region, and while I do get why, I think FRLG and Let’s Go do have quirks that don’t make them my preferred way of returning to Kanto. I think despite and in part, because of its flaws, Red and Blue endear as not just cultural milestones, nor just great games. But a true change for games, as it started the most popular, and for many, a very personal and important franchise, that continues to endear and appeal even now. And I think for that, it deserves praise.