Pokemon: Nintendo's Most Repetitively Successful Franchise

It's been seven years, and it's pretty much the same as the last time you saw it, only with better graphics. That's not always a bad thing-newer gamers get the benefits of better graphics and more mini games/ side quests. In a vain attempt to keep the older gamers hooked, new Pokemon are introduced by the hundreds for each new game so that each new games isn't exactly a copy.

Pokemon Red and Blue for the Gameboy are my two favorites-simple, cute, and just different from everything else that came out around that time. I instantly fell in love with the adorable, super- pixelized "pocket monsters." Discovering all their attacks, strengths, and weaknesses while traveling through an entirely new realm on a journey to become the "master" was more than enjoyable-it was addicting.

Pokemon Yellow still had Team Rocket and took place in Kanto, but the storyline hinted at the anime much more than in the previous games. Plus, you had the option of having Pikachu follow as a separate character on the screen. While there was really no particular benefit to having Pikachu walking around after you, it just served to set Pokemon Yellow apart from Red and Blue.

Next in the long line of nearly identical Pokemon games was Gold and Silver, for the Gameboy Color. Gold and Silver introduced a new region-Johto. It featured a whole new set of Pokemon and a new line of Gyms.

Unfortunately, the plot (or lack thereof) was essentially the same as in Blue, Red, and Yellow: train Pokemon, get badges, beat the Elite Four. Except in Gold and Silver, there were actually five members of the elite four. Go figure. Keeping track of all the 250+ Pokemon must have gotten to their heads.

I was intrigued by this game mainly because after beating the main story in Johto, Gold and Silver allowed the player to re-explore Kanto-only this time in color. Plus, the new legendary Pokemon were a lot nicer looking. Overall, though, I felt like I'd played this game before.

Pokemon Crystal was a waste of a game: it was exactly the same as Gold and Silver, only it allowed you to play as a girl with bizarre blue pigtails. So the developers had to change a few pronouns from "he" to "she," but was it that big a deal? The only great achievement here was the introduction of feminism into the world of Pokemon.

The next installments in the Pokemon saga were Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. There were refreshing new additions: secret bases, beauty contests, double battles, new Pokemon, and a new region-Hoenn. Yet, there was also more of the same: the goal to be the Master, a rival, and an evil Team Something that's always getting in the way and threatening the peace.

Then, Pokemon opted for a flashback to the past with a remake of Red and Blue with FireRed and LeafGreen. Interestingly enough, the original Red and Blue were actually Red and Green but were changed to Red and Blue to Americanize Pokemon.

FireRed and LeafGreen are basically the same thing as Red and Blue, except this time around every single Pokemon in existence to date is available. They can't all be found in the game, though, as the ability to connect to older games is a major factor.

FireRed and LeafGreen also introduced a new type of connectivity-Wireless. While the range wasn't huge and was even shorter through walls, for once you didn't have to worry about all those silly cords getting in the way.

So far, there are a few known facts about the announced titles Diamond and Pearl. They will be on the Nintendo DS handheld, they will take place in a region called Shinou, they will take advantage of the DS's wireless capabilities, and Pokemon sprites will differ between male and female. It sounds good, but will it live up to the expectations that a long line of Pokemon games has set?

So what can we speculate for Diamond and Pearl? Based on the pattern, I'd say just more of the same with a few new additions. But the main objective will always be the same: Gotta Catch 'Em All. So how many is "all"? When will this stop? My guess is as good as yours, but I'd say the world won't see the end of Pokemon until the franchise goes bankrupt.