I think this has been great for the childhood whimsy of the franchise, though not necessarily great for the quality of the games. It felt like all aspects of Pokemon were primarily designed for the kids - and the adults just had to get on board. Go to the Pokemon World Championships and you’ll find it telling that this is one of the few esports and tabletop competitions that’s flat-out split into age-bracketed categories to ensure that adult competitors don’t just wash away the children who these games are really designed for.įor the longest time, I felt pretty sure that The Pokemon Company was largely content to happily ignore the adult fans. I’m one of those, both for that blue box show and for tossing Pokeballs. It’s like Doctor Who – a family TV show, but one with legions of adult fans who should probably know better but love it intensely all the same. If you know this scene, it's pure nostalgia.īut, you know, like many of the best things for kids, there’s something in it for adults. Catch the debut of Pokemon Trading Card Game Classic here.
This is a franchise in a perpetual Peter Pan-like state of adolescence. A lot of us grown-ups love it, yes, but this isn’t one of those game franchises that has sort of ‘grown up’ with its audience while trying to simultaneously appeal to older fans, like Final Fantasy or Zelda.
