Pokémon is one of those things that has irrevocably ingrained itself within mainstream culture during its run. For 30 years now, this gaming franchise has practically become its own area of media, separate from gaming. This is not just because of its widespread into areas of entertainment and game cards, but through its overall exposure and marketability. At this point, this odd series about monster fighting is something that’s recognized and understood by most casual people despite its more niche subject matter regarding its foundation. With all that said, it’s funny to look back at the original games, seeing how comparatively quaint they are compared to the franchise behemoth we see in front of us, compared to its impact and where it is now.

Developed from creator Satoshi Tajiri’s childhood love of bug collecting, Pokémon Red and Green (Blue here in the states) didn’t reinvent the wheel with gaming RPGs. Series like Final Fantasy had already pushed forward with deeply layered games as far back as the NES days. Plus, the original games were not the most polished releases. Glitches were abundant, the spite art was not the best, and the game balancing was nonexistent, given how dominant Psychic types were. However, what Pokémon did provide was something that both had depth and was easy to pick up and understand. RPGs are an acquired taste, at least the ones that are more traditional. Many of them are staggering in their sizes and have so much to offer in terms of what a player can do and which paths they can take. It makes sense that something a bit more straightforward like Pokémon, while having a learning curve and its own school of knowledge, latched onto the kids of the 90s like nothing else.

The success of the franchise was helped by the memorable roster of creatures and the Anime which both allowed immense exposure and marketability. While Pokémon is everywhere to some extent now, it was even more exposed in the late 90s to the point that most believed it would just be a fad, given it was following similar trends of other brands that had a lot of attention and then fell off the map. However, I feel that while the original games were a bit rough even for the time, the fundamental elements were extremely strong, and the long-term ability to build off of them was why Pokémon stuck around even after the craze died out. The fact that Pokémon, while not as insanely overexposed as it was before, is still culturally relevant even 30 years later is a testament to its core elements. Plus, I do find it funny how the franchise was initially met with confusion by adults over the bizarreness of the premise (highlighted most famously by the South Park episode Chinpokomon), but over time, it’s just been accepted, even if the premise is odd when you think about it in a vacuum.

I was born after the initial craze, and while I had exposure with the 3rd generation, I didn’t fully get into the series until Diamond and Pearl. As such, my connection to Pokémon is more generally grounded as a fan of the series and not as a kid who was swept up in the cultural osmosis of it. However, I still feel that the series means a lot to me and has impacted me a lot. Just as the Looney Tunes impacted my love of animation and film, my initial exposure to Pokémon was what got me into video games. My first real gaming memories came from the Game Boy Advance and DS games, and continuing to follow the series since. It was the first time I was willing to look into the deeper elements of a game, learn more about the franchise on my own time, and follow the series consistently in multiple avenues. It was one of the first game series I got attached to, and it allowed me to get into gaming as a whole by being an entry point. I don’t think I am alone in this as well, since Pokémon is very likely the gateway for many people into gaming due to its widespread appeal and broad popularity. It probably created a lot of new interests for many through its varied aspects, whether it be design, game development, or other creative avenues.

I admit, it would be easy to discuss the current state of the franchise in that while it’s still prevalent, its age is starting to show. Game Freak has struggled to adapt in making a more modern and large-scale Pokémon game since both Gen 8 and Gen 9 have been flooded with controversy and feel a bit held back by the mandates of scheduled releases. Admittedly, though, I still feel that the franchise will find its footing again. After the initial Pokémon bonanza died off, people assumed it would go away as a fad in the early to mid-2000s. And yet, it managed to adapt and evolve forward (no pun intended). It’s been 30 years since the first games, and while I have no idea what the future of the franchise holds, I feel that it will get to a better place simply because of the love and support the world it created still has. Pikachu has basically become as ubiquitous as Mickey Mouse or SpongeBob, even more so than Mario or Sonic to an extent. This franchise has grown a lot in its life, and I still feel that there can still be more to gain from it. So, here’s to 30 years of the bizarre and wonderful serie,s and here’s to 30 more.