For the first article in this series, I conducted a survey to determine what college students’ favorite video games are. From the sample size of fifteen students, Pokémon was found to be the most popular. In total, the video game series was mentioned five times and two of which were Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Emerald.
Pokémon is the highest-grossing media franchise of all time and the third best-selling video game franchise. The first game released in 1996 as Pocket Monsters Red and Green in Japan, but the franchise’s development company, Game Freak, has released 122 Pokémon games as of today. Six of them appear on Wikipedia’s list of best-selling video games of all time. Pokémon Go, an augmented reality mobile Pokémon game, is the second most played mobile game by player count. In addition to Pokémon’s main series games, the franchise has a trading card game, anime series, and dozens of movies.
But what exactly makes this franchise so popular?
Pokémon’s catchphrase illustrates one reason why the franchise’s games have been such a success: “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” As of Pokémon Sword and Shield, the world of Pokémon contains 892 magical creatures representing various unique concepts. With every main series game title that releases, this number continues to grow. Every pocket monster has been creatively designed to be adorable, fearsome, or bizarre. In the main series games, the player sets out on an adventure to catch, train, and use Pokémon to battle against other trainers, aiming to be the very best in the region. However, the player can also choose to connect with other people from around the world to battle or trade their Pokémon. Due to the vast array of Pokémon with different rarities, there are countless ways to form your team and play each game.
Many college students had positive comments about the Pokémon games. One anonymous statement from the sample survey said, “The story, characters, music, and environments of the Pokémon games are amazing. They’re such an important part of my childhood.” Another answered, “I enjoy the fantasy aspect of training monsters to grow into different forms. The games’ battle mechanics are also fun.” Various other comments were made about the excitement of discovering new Pokémon along each journey the player takes. Video games are frequently described to “relieve stress and distract” and “provide a place to relax” when playing them. A handful of the college students comment on the world building that Pokémon develops throughout its games. After seeing all of these responses, it is no wonder that this video game series is so well-received.
Upcoming Releases
The Pokémon Company recently announced four upcoming titles at the beginning of this year. The first two, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, are remakes of the very popular Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. The third, New Pokémon Snap, is a remake of the original GameCube game, Pokémon Snap. Finally, there is Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the most anticipated upcoming video game amongst the fifteen college students. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is going to be a world-building prequel to Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, taking place in the same region of Sinnoh.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maggie Spring
Student Author - Spring 2021
