The world of Pokémon has evolved from its beginnings in Japan. I remember watching Pokémon on Cartoon Network with Ash from Pallet Town who gets a Pikachu as his first Pokémon. Now Pokémon the anime is in its 12th season in Japan; spawning various manga, movies, merchandise, and the ever popular videogames (Pokémon Snap or Stadium ring any bells on the N64?). On Sunday, Pokémon Platinum is released in the US on the Nintendo DS; easily selling like hotcakes (just went to my local Best Buy and found scarce amounts of Platinum lying around).
What brings them gamers of all ages coming back to Pokémon is the games simplicity. Junichi Masuda says that the game is approachable by anyone, he goes on to say:
Junichi Masuda, a member of the Pokémon design team since the first title (as well as a board director of Game Freak) who's held duties ranging from scenario director to music composer, obviously knows the game very well. When asked what he thought the major reason that people still eagerly await the release of each new title, his immediate response was its simplicity. "Pokémon games don't focus just on hardcore players; they're accessible, approachable by everyone. Anyone can pick up and play the game without feeling overwhelmed. When you focus too much attention on just the hardcore, things get complicated." And, obviously, with its cute graphics, Saturday morning cartoon tie-ins, and watered-down narrative, the game is skewed toward a younger audience. But it remains almost as popular among adults, and the reasons for that come down to strong game design.
While the game does have the same elements at in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl; it brings the sense that it's a sequel and it has some updated features. By the way, I will be getting Pokémon Platinum by the end of the week, so I can pack my DS with me on my Spring Break trip.
Read more from the source article here: http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3173364
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