If I were a young child and only got a few games per year, I could easily see the appeal of the glut of content. On top of the core systems for catching, battling and leveling up Pokémon, there are myriad mini games, a virtual petting zoo for you to play with your critters, crafting, berry collecting, secret hideout scouting and decorating, and so much more. I had no idea how many features and mechanics were in the game. Especially considering its usual demarcation as a "kid's game." Six thousand things to do But going in completely fresh, I was almost stunned by that depth.
This probably sounds redundant to anyone who has experience with the series. I went from "oh, this is cute," to "oh my god, I love this," within the span of a couple of hours. That, coupled with the fact there are hundreds of different creatures to catch and level up, makes for a shockingly deep and customizable game.
Managing a team of six, all with their primary type (there are a dozen, including fire, water, flying, dragon, etc.), and getting a feel for how to effectively match them against opposing types is immensely satisfying. You move in and out of battles quickly, and most of the turn-based affairs only last a couple of turns. What I didn't know what just how snappy and addictive the gameplay would be. And I knew that the series is insanely popular, with a new game or a remake of an older version just about every year. I could pick Pikachu - and maybe a few other high-profile pocket monsters - out of a lineup. I knew it was a fairly light JRPG with turn-based battles, and I knew there were hundreds of adorable elemental monsters to collect.
I'm almost embarrassed to admit the full level of my Pokémon ignorance, before going in. Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and it's twin, Omega Ruby turned me into a raging Pokémon addict. I often go back to that statement now, when I'm feverishly grinding at 4am instead of sleeping. That all changed when I was introduced to the latest chapter in the series. I was 14 when the original Pokémon Red and Blue hit the US, possibly just a hair too old to be in the original target demographic, and while I've always been curious about the franchise, I never really dove in.
Sure I'd faced off against the handful of Pokémon that show up in every iteration of Super Smash Bros., and I always found the monster designs interesting and cute.
Until very recently, I had never touched a Pokémon game.