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Can we catch ‘em all?: Generation I (view source)
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tagline=Versions, remakes, and media archaeology | | tagline=Versions, remakes, and media archaeology | | ||
blurb=In the second of seven articles, Pokémon Professor and Archaeologist | blurb=In the second of seven articles, Pokémon Professor and Archaeologist Becks takes you on a journey into Generation I core series games through the lens of media archaeology. }} | ||
{{CategorizeIn|Games|11|14}} | {{CategorizeIn|Games|11|14}} | ||
{{CategorizeIn|Columns|11|14}} | {{CategorizeIn|Columns|11|14}} | ||
"Tajiri had a novel idea: to utilize the tsushin keburu [Game Boy Link Cable] for ‘communication’ instead – for exchanges between players in which the objective would be to barter with, rather than eliminate, an opponent by training monsters.” | "Tajiri had a novel idea: to utilize the tsushin keburu [Game Boy Link Cable] for ‘communication’ instead – for exchanges between players in which the objective would be to barter with, rather than eliminate, an opponent by training monsters.” - Anne Allison, ''Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination'' <ref name="Allison, ''Millennial Monsters.''">Anne Allison, ''Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006).</ref> | ||
Twenty years ago, many players first encountered a video game through its advertisement campaign. Nintendo, in particular, was notorious for tightly controlling advertisement through censorship of unwelcome critiques in Japanese gaming magazines. This control went even farther in the United States, where the company-run {{bp|Nintendo Power}} essentially functioned as a subscription advertising campaign. As a result, marketing controlled how players understood their games.<ref name="Allison, ''Millennial Monsters.''"/> Nowhere is this more obvious than in {{bp|Generation I|Generation I core series titles}}. | Twenty years ago, many players first encountered a video game through its advertisement campaign. Nintendo, in particular, was notorious for tightly controlling advertisement through censorship of unwelcome critiques in Japanese gaming magazines. This control went even farther in the United States, where the company-run {{bp|Nintendo Power}} essentially functioned as a subscription advertising campaign. As a result, marketing controlled how players understood their games.<ref name="Allison, ''Millennial Monsters.''"/> Nowhere is this more obvious than in {{bp|Generation I|Generation I core series titles}}. | ||
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Before applying media archaeology methodologies to these versions, it is helpful to look at Nintendo’s advertised descriptions of versions as described in Nintendo Power. | Before applying media archaeology methodologies to these versions, it is helpful to look at Nintendo’s advertised descriptions of versions as described in Nintendo Power. | ||
[[File:GenIOfficialVersionTreeV2.png|Generation 1 Official Version Tree]] | [[File:GenIOfficialVersionTreeV2.png|thumb|Generation 1 Official Version Tree]] | ||
According to Nintendo's official publications and advertisements, Pokémania began with the Japanese release of {{bp|Pokémon Red and Green Versions|Pocket Monsters: Red and Green}} for the {{bp|Game Boy}} in 1996.<ref>http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gb-rg/</ref> A minor revision, {{bp|Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|Pocket Monsters: Blue}}, was released later in the same year as a gift to loyal {{bp|CoroCoro Comic}} subscribers.<ref>http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gb-blue/</ref> Red and Blue were translated into English, with no other changes made to the games themselves, and released in | According to Nintendo's official publications and advertisements, Pokémania began with the Japanese release of {{bp|Pokémon Red and Green Versions|Pocket Monsters: Red and Green}} for the {{bp|Game Boy}} in 1996.<ref>http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gb-rg/</ref> A minor revision, {{bp|Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|Pocket Monsters: Blue}}, was released later in the same year as a gift to loyal {{bp|CoroCoro Comic}} subscribers.<ref>http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gb-blue/</ref> Red and Blue were translated into English, with no other changes made to the games themselves, and released in Australia and United States in 1998 as {{bp|Pokémon Red and Blue Versions|Pokémon Red and Blue}}<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/19990501171038/http://www.nintendo.com/corp/press/100298.html</ref> followed by {{bp|Pokemon in Australia|Australia}}<ref>http://m.ign.com/articles/1999/09/01/pikachu-down-under</ref>. Some advertisements noted the existence of a secret third version known as Green in Japan, but little to no information was released on that title. Once successful in the United States, Europe received its translated versions in 1999.<ref>http://www.pokemon.com/uk/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-red-version-and-pokemon-blue-version/</ref> | ||
The popularity of the anime series throughout the world happily surprised Nintendo, which decided to treat its fans during the long wait until {{bp|Generation II}}. Therefore, {{bp|Pokémon Yellow|Pocket Monsters: Pikachu}} was released in Japan in 1998.<ref>http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gb-pikachu/</ref> Renamed {{bp|Pokémon Yellow|Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition}}, it was released in the United States in 1999<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20000621205847/http://www.nintendo.com/corp/press/100499.html</ref> followed by Europe | The popularity of the anime series throughout the world happily surprised Nintendo, which decided to treat its fans during the long wait until {{bp|Generation II}}. Therefore, {{bp|Pokémon Yellow|Pocket Monsters: Pikachu}} was released in Japan in 1998.<ref>http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gb-pikachu/</ref> Renamed {{bp|Pokémon Yellow|Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition}}, it was released in Australia and the United States in 1999<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20000621205847/http://www.nintendo.com/corp/press/100499.html</ref> followed by Europe in 2000.<ref>http://www.pokemon.com/uk/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-yellow-special-pikachu-edition/</ref><ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20000614202450/http://www.nintendo.com.au/games/gameboy/games/pokemon_yellow.html</ref> All of these international versions were marketed as exact translations of the original Japanese titles.<ref>In the United States press release cited above, Nintendo stated Pokémon was "already part of a thriving phenomenon in Japan" and noted the number of product sold. There is no indication of any difference between the Japanese and American products, heavily implying they are the same game (albeit translated).</ref> Though these versions were all compatible with the new {{bp|Game Boy Color}}, they were not designed for that system. | ||
Players soon discovered that Nintendo’s statements did not mesh with reality. In Japan, players noticed that {{bp|Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|Pocket Monsters: Blue}} was a significant departure from the previous versions. Graphics received a major overhaul, and a number of glitches were neutralized. Players with access to both the Japanese and North American titles discerned that the international localizations did not resembled {{bp|Pokémon Red and Green Versions|Pocket Monsters: Red and Green}}.<ref>http://bulbanews.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_sprites,_art_evolve_over_the_years</ref> | Players soon discovered that Nintendo’s statements did not mesh with reality. In Japan, players noticed that {{bp|Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|Pocket Monsters: Blue}} was a significant departure from the previous versions. Graphics received a major overhaul, and a number of glitches were neutralized. Players with access to both the Japanese and North American titles discerned that the international localizations did not resembled {{bp|Pokémon Red and Green Versions|Pocket Monsters: Red and Green}}.<ref>http://bulbanews.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_sprites,_art_evolve_over_the_years</ref> | ||
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How can a player make sense of this confusion? Why are Nintendo’s statements nonsense when compared to the obvious reality of versions? For a more honest breakdown of versions, we must look at links within the source and executable code itself. | How can a player make sense of this confusion? Why are Nintendo’s statements nonsense when compared to the obvious reality of versions? For a more honest breakdown of versions, we must look at links within the source and executable code itself. | ||
[[File:GenIUnofficialVersionTreeV2.png|Generation I Unofficial Version Tree]] | [[File:GenIUnofficialVersionTreeV2.png|thumb|Generation I Unofficial Version Tree]] | ||
The diagram | The diagram to the right demonstrates the actual connections between versions from a media specific, code-based examination using fan sources such as The Cutting Room Floor.<ref>http://tcrf.net/The_Cutting_Room_Floor</ref> Media archaeology is critical to make sense of the differences between this diagram and the previous, official diagram of versions taken from Nintendo advertisements. | ||
{{bp|Satoshi Tajiri}} hand-coded the original Pocket Monsters over a period of six years. This limitation of resources resulted in well-known {{bp|glitch|glitches}}.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20071212005118/http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/99/1122/pokemon6.fullinterview1.html</ref> The purpose of {{bp|Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|Pocket Monsters: Blue}} appears to be a much-needed overhaul of problematic source code, neutralizing {{bp|glitch|glitches}}. What is so impressive about this version is that such an overhaul is invisible; more precisely, these structural changes appear minimal to players but radically altered the structure of the game’s code underneath the surface. | {{bp|Satoshi Tajiri}} hand-coded the original Pocket Monsters over a period of six years. This limitation of resources resulted in well-known {{bp|glitch|glitches}}.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20071212005118/http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/99/1122/pokemon6.fullinterview1.html</ref> The purpose of {{bp|Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|Pocket Monsters: Blue}} appears to be a much-needed overhaul of problematic source code, neutralizing {{bp|glitch|glitches}}. What is so impressive about this version is that such an overhaul is invisible; more precisely, these structural changes appear minimal to players but radically altered the structure of the game’s code underneath the surface. | ||
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In many ways, this article adds nothing new to fan knowledge. It does not discuss {{bp|Pokémon data structure in Generation I|data structures}} or {{bp|trade}}. Such factors are best discussed in the context of inter-generational trade beginning in {{bp|Generation II}}. Instead, what is most significant about this generation is that it lays the base for how Nintendo communicated Game Freak’s products to their fans. Reality within code and reality within advertising are not the same, and if players do not consider media specific ideologies, the truth is quickly obscured. | In many ways, this article adds nothing new to fan knowledge. It does not discuss {{bp|Pokémon data structure in Generation I|data structures}} or {{bp|trade}}. Such factors are best discussed in the context of inter-generational trade beginning in {{bp|Generation II}}. Instead, what is most significant about this generation is that it lays the base for how Nintendo communicated Game Freak’s products to their fans. Reality within code and reality within advertising are not the same, and if players do not consider media specific ideologies, the truth is quickly obscured. | ||
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=References= | =References= | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||