Not playing Pokemon? Shut up.
Whenever a new Pokemon game arrives, it once again becomes a hot topic all across the internet and the fans are vocal enough be noticeably present in real life situations, especially college where the fans get excited for Pokemon all over again. Then there are the former fans- people who claim to not care about the new Pokemon. They will say that only the original 151 matter and the evolution of the series led to their current disinterest. Nothing is more obnoxious than having a conversation about a current Pokemon game with someone, only to have someone else butt in and mention how only the original Pokemon matter.
I don’t buy this Pokemon elitism for one minute. Nostalgia for the originals is very sensible and expected, but should not keep a person from appreciating the obvious advancement of the games. Most of these additions that have appeared over time are very natural extensions of the original concept; the kinds of things that kids would think to themselves “Sure would be swell if I could do that”. The new Pokemon themselves are often less aesthetically desirable than the the simplistic charm of the first set (nosepass… really?), but there are excellent and likeable additions that flesh out the gameplay that should not be overlooked.
I am completely convinced that these people almost always became disinterested in Pokemon on their own. Many fans in their early years treated Pokemon more seriously than just a passing childhood fad, and are still devoted players to this day. They look back fondly at Pokemon’s past, while also anticipating the future and still enjoying the games. However, plenty others got over Pokemon. As they grew older, they became less and less involved with Pokemon and moved onto new interests. Not wanting to completely reject something they loved so much as children, they hold on to the nostalgia and claim that its the modern Pokemon that keep them from enjoying the new games. Pokemon becomes like Barney and Power Rangers for them- relics of their childhood. There is nothing wrong with changing interests, but do not blame Marril and Togepi, when it is your own losing interest at fault. Unless you are actively playing the Red, Blue, and Yellow that you cherish, don’t look down upon my Diamond, Pearl, SoulSilver, and HeartGold.
Tagged with: Pokemon • Pokemon Diamond & Pearl • rant
I’m kind of mixed on this issue. I’m with you on that the whole “Only Red/Blue/Yellow matter” thing (Actually, I’ve seen the second generation thrown in there often as well) is pretty self-centered and I can’t help but get the feeling they haven’t really invested time with the newer ones. I’ve noticed this amongst several game fanbases (most notably the bitter Donkey Kong Country guys), and I think it should be obvious by now that a lot of video game fans have a habit of refusing to move on. For example, my cousin doesn’t play any Pokemon games past Silver, but he still embraces the first two series (not to mention the latest remake).
Personally, I’ve actually grown disinterested in the series myself, but that’s only because of the direction that Pokemon itself has taken. I’m one of the scant few who tell you that Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald were the peak of the series and the following Diamond/Pearl/Platinum games were boring. Maybe it’s because it didn’t expand on the absolutely gorgeous landscapes Ruby provided, I don’t know. It just didn’t capture me.
I think Black and White look great, though. My only real compalin is that I don’t think the new Pokemon designs, sans the awesome legendaries, look very good. You think Nosepass looks bad? Take a gander at that gear one.
In the meantime, I’d better get back to playing Soul Silver…it’s been like a month.
I ignored the new gen games until LeafGreen got me playing again. Last year’s Platinum just blew my mind how awesome it was, I logged 300 hours easily playing it. SoulSilver…didn’t have quite the impact. 65 hours and I lost interest, but admittedly…the nostalgia had somewhat worn off.
But Platinum…that was a truly amazing experience.
Nosepass rocks!