STACK #136 Feb 2016

GAMES FEATURE

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That

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Who’s

Pikawho? Chariwhat? If you’ve somehow managed to avoid the phenomenon second only to the overall-clad plumber in the Nintendo hall of fame, never fear – we’re here to help. Here’s your dummies’ guide to Pokémon.

The Journey Departing from your home town, it is your job to take on the world and become the Pokémon Master – obtaining all the badges from the Pokémon Gyms in your region, and eventually taking on the Pokémon League to become the most powerful of all the Pokémon trainers. Most of the towns you encounter on your travels will have a Pokémon Gym – a structure filled with enemy trainers using predominantly one type of Pokémon (yes, they have different types), with a Leader that you must defeat in order to earn a badge and continue on your way to the Pokémon League. The Pokémon League itself is comprised of the Elite Four – four specialised trainers with expertly-trained Pokémon – and a Champion – the current Pokémon Master and strongest trainer in the region. Defeat them and become the new Master. Along the way, you are tasked with “catching ‘em all” – obtaining (at least briefly) all 721(!) Pokémon to help the Professors of the regions with their research. It’s no mean feat.

The Concept Pokémon was spawned from the mind of Satoshi Tajiri. A childhood insect collector, he created the first Pokémon games for the Game Boy in 1996; originally “capsule monsters”, then pocket monsters, the games have spawned countless manga and anime adaptations, and have taken the world by storm. The titles revolve around the capture and training of Pokémon – monsters that co-inhabit the world of humans. As the protagonist, you embark on your quest to become “the very best, like no one ever was”, and eventually take on the Pokémon League and become the Pokémon Master.

GAMES

The Impact Since its debut back in ’96 (20 years ago!), you’d be hard-pressed to find a soul who hasn’t heard the term, or wasn’t familiar with the “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” tagline. The anime is broadcast in over 70 countries, there are real-life Pokémon Gyms, Pikachu is as much a household name as Donkey Kong or Sonic. And that doesn’t even begin to touch on the Trading Card Game, plushies, custom planes, hotels, theme parks, and even events like Twitch Plays Pokémon, that have taken over the world as we know it.

The Pokémon Scattered around the world are Pokémon – battle them, train them, and evolve them as you take on other trainers and try to fill your Pokédex: a comprehensive journal of all the Pokémon you’ve encountered on your travels. Pokémon are caught using Pokéballs – small, capsule-like devices

Who's that Pokémon?

that store your Pokémon and keep them cozy while they’re not battling. Battling with your little pocket monsters levels them up, and when they’re experienced enough, they can “evolve” to become an entirely new Pokémon. Battling them isn’t the sole method of evolution, however; the little critters sometimes need the use of special stones, or even times of day or location to reach the next stage of evolution.

FEBRUARY 2016

60

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