New eSports Sensation - Pokémon

The Nintendo brand has brought countless extremely popular franchises to the world. The proof of this is that throughout the world his characters are known by young and old. It is very difficult to find that person who does not know Mario, Luigi, Link, Princess Zelda and other members of the colorful cast of the renowned video game brand. However, among its many intellectual properties, we find one which has managed to survive the test of time, becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Pokémon, the little monsters that are captured and trained, have become for almost three decades an obligatory reference in video games and more recently in eSports. Today dear readers, with the permission of DrJuego.com , we summarize your article about the history of this great franchise and how it has gone from being a small step for Nintendo to a media giant that covers almost all areas of entertainment.

A little history

Although the Pokémon franchise began as stories in Japanese manga from Nintendo, its creator Satoshi Tajiri undertook the task of introducing his little fighting monsters into the world of video games, starting the franchise with 3 games on the Game Boy. Color: Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Red and the special edition Pokémon Yellow. These games introduced the new generation to the mechanics of Pokémon battles, battles that are relatively simple when seen from above, but once you delve deeper into the subject, you notice the complexity and the need for a strategy on the part of their trainers.

Fights and a Dream

The games put us in the shoes of a teenager who is on his way to fulfilling his dream of being a great Pokémon trainer. In order to fulfill it, he must defeat the 8 gym leaders of the region in Pokémon battles, thus achieving 8 medals with which to enter the Pokémon league and challenge the regional champion. Initially, the three versions of the games had a total of 151 catchable and trainable Pokémon. However, as time has passed and new generations of Pokémon games are released, this number has increased exponentially, reaching a total of 905 Pokémon in existence over 8 generations so far.

The battles

The combat system in the Pokémon games is quite simple. Battles are turn-based, with the opponent's Pokémon and the player's Pokémon taking one or more turns performing an attack. The attacks vary according to their type and style, having physical attacks, special attacks and much more. Although so far everything seems quite simple, it is at this point where the complicated begins. Each Pokémon has or belongs to a specific elemental type, which can have advantages or disadvantages over the others. So do their attacks and special abilities.

Weaknesses and strengths

The Pokémon type system is balanced in a sense similar to the famous game of rock, paper, scissors; one type of Pokémon is superior against another type and is weak against a third. That might be easy, if it weren't for the fact that there are a total of 18 different types of Pokémon, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this, Pokemon tend to belong to more than one type, so the combinations are complex and being able to properly prepare for a battle becomes much more complicated. After each battle, the Pokémon or Pokémon gain experience by becoming stronger, learning new abilities, and even, in some cases, even evolving into new, more powerful forms.

eSports

It is this last complexity that has given rise to the so-called eSports based on Pokémon confrontations. Players train and create their Pokémon teams taking into account many variables, teams based on different personal and known strategies. The almost infinite variety of combinations that exist, the application of strategies, the dedication of its players and the popularity of the franchise, have given rise to it, little by little, entering the world of eSports. Although this franchise is not as well known in eSports as other giants (League of Legends), little by little it is becoming more and more well known. New amateur and professional Pokémon competitions are organized every day, even creating professional combat circuits. In addition to this, Nintendo has been the organizer and sponsor of many professional and semi-pro tournaments, so the future of Pokémon in eSports is quite bright.

Pokémon Tournament

Although the main focus of the franchise has been classic video games, Nintendo released a version of a fighting game in which the famous characters of the franchise are used in much more dynamic combat than is normally the case. Pokken Tournament has been on the market for almost 8 years, becoming a milestone in popularity among fans of fighting games and Pokémon fans. Deviating from the established formula of turn-based combat, in this game you face the Pokemon one against one in the best Street Fighter or Tekken style. This gives a tone of dynamism much greater than the normally known turn-by-turn style of previous games, which is why Pokkén Tournament has become such a success, being included in the game roster of the famous EVO combat video game competition..

More than Games

While one of the biggest attractions of the Pokémon franchise is video games, this is far from the only foray the franchise has had into the entertainment market. An anime series that already has more than 24 seasons on the air, hundreds of manga chapters, 23 animated movies and counting, Pokémon is a cultural phenomenon that encompasses both adults and children. Many of those who are adults today grew up watching the adventures of young Ash in the Pokémon world along with his friends Misty, Brock, and his inseparable Pikachu. His quest to be a Pokémon master, to be better than anyone else, has drawn generations into the world of Pokémon. Many of those who are professionals in Pokémon battles today started simply out of curiosity to see the series, and the continuous innovation that Nintendo brings only increases the number of fans.

a future pokemon

Taking us in each new iteration to new regions, bringing to the world new creatures, new combat modes, new stories, and much more, we can rightly say which Pokémon belongs to the most important intellectual properties in entertainment. Only the future will tell us how these little friends will continue to grow within the industry.