What Made Early Pokémon Magical // Gen 1-3 Retrospective

[@ApostateOfMind42]

This is the first video I've seen that talks about these sort of feelings I had while being a kid playing these games. Fantastic work.

[@humblemudgames]

Hey, thank you. This comment meant a lot to me because it was exactly what I was trying to do with this video. Piece together all the little things that made Pokémon "click" in the hearts and minds of kids all over the world. Thank you.

[@ShmurkyDurky]

I could tell by the intro music it was gonna be a fire video haha

[@johnanderson6124]

Same

[@turntsnaco824]

I've seen at least one other like it, couldn't tell you what it was off the top of my head, but it is a really unique and refreshing way to talk about them. I can picture the other video in my head but I don't remember the channel or video name. But I remember thinking the same thing the first time I heard someone talk about this....not what the games were like objectively, but how it felt to be someone who played the game.

[@Autotrope]

Yeah this was an insta-subscribe for me. Spoken so well.

[@extraplain2412]

Being born in the 90's really was brilliant for a childs imagination. Growing up watching the Star Wars OT on video, seeing The Lord of the Rings in the cinema and playing Pokemon. Such an incredible time of excitement and escapism that I still love to this day.

[@humblemudgames]

It really is, I'm often jealous of those who grew up with the 80s movies being a 90s kid myself but truth is, we had a lot of good stuff too.

[@ZonamaPrime]

Not to mention the prequel trilogy and every GAME those spawned.

[@kristopherwillis8075]

Same here I was born in '93 😊

[@wishiwasamuffin]

I'm a woman and I agree with your take wholeheartedly. My pet cat was my best friend, and he would follow me on adventures. We had both a secret base AND a tree house, and I spent most of my time outside with my cat. There is just something so universal in the world to want to have your own space tucked away, where no one can find you, and you can pretend you're anywhere doing anything.

[@humblemudgames]

YES! You really put that feeling succinctly here!

[@ChristopherMaier.]

"My pet cat was my best friend" Bro, just end it all

[@nessyno-name3855]

@@ChristopherMaier. Damn bro. What a mean spirited thing to say. Are you okay?

[@CynthiaLabyrinthia]

I'm a woman from Europe and I got Pokemon Red about as soon as it came out when I was about 10-11 years old. I remember the enchanting music, the exploration of the world, the sense of adventure and accomplishment of winning battles and progressing to the next area. I spent hours scouring the landscape for Pokemon and items, secretly playing at night when I should have been sleeping. It was my escape from a brutally overwhelming reality, it was one of the few places I had access to at the time where I was actually able to win my own battles. The game helped me so much during a time when I needed support, and those are the best kind of games.

[@kaydog890]

All I took from that was you're a man pretending to be a woman.

[@mbe102]

Pokemon Silver saved my life. I loved Blue, but Silver just had it all. And *spoilers* going back to Kanto from Johto on the Bullet Train was just the coolest thing. To see everything that had changed and to see with new eyes all the old places you adventured through with your Squirtle in what, at the time, felt like forever ago. Its been 23 years lmao...

[@ChristopherMaier.]

Silver evolved you into MEGA INCEL

[@solidwegy61]

Same here, man. I remember picking up Blue at toys r us (always found Blastoise cooler than Charizard), and then my dad brought Silver. What a childhood that was.

[@NSixtyFour]

​@@ChristopherMaier. if only you evolved into something interesting to say

[@TheYessie08]

I remember vividly rushing to grandma's house after school to watch Pokemon 😅

[@eziostone1109]

I had to be more like you, I was always late at home :(

[@Xylus.]

Good times

[@sabath15]

Yeah that and Dbz on toonami for me.

[@robsensei2839]

Espania ajajjaa 🎉

[@positronicbeats7496]

I remember my abuelita telling me they were Chinese cartoons of the devil ❤️ which just made me wanting to watch it more as the 5 year old edge lord I was, shout-out to her

[@MykeG]

I'm a 32 year old working class guy and I still to this day love and enjoy Pokemon..my friends in the same boat do as well..there was an authenticity that will never be diminished.

[@Specterno1]

Same boat dude. My cousin introduced me to blue Christmas day and I grabbed yellow shortly after. Loved it ever since. Planning to replay yellow this Christmas on the chromatic.

[@dragoon1090]

Same here.

[@s.k.6100]

I honestly cried for this video. It really spoke to the feelings I had as a kid and how I always felt in a way I never really realized. Pokemon Silver was my favorite version of any of the three, but I think I spent the most time in Sapphire. It was something all of my closest friends were into and we all had link cables and game boys so we could share the experience together and trade and battle. It was always great. Pokemon Red was the first video game I ever properly owned and I had it for the Gameboy Pocket. While it was never the franchise that truly captured all of my in-between gaming, it did capture a lot of it. Zelda has and always will be my #1 but when I think of my shared experiences in video games, Pokemon was it. Zelda was my not really private passion, but just solo, whereas Pokemon was truly a group thing for me. I remember competing with my friends to see who would beat their game first. For us, it was always competition to see who was truly the best.

[@humblemudgames]

Welcome to the House of Humble, my friend. I loved reading this.

[@Zearo298]

i always loved that you had all this in the palm of your hand. it really did feel like a whole nother world in there

[@humblemudgames]

I think that's definitely a part of what made it feel special. The platforms Pokémon was developed for were perfect

[@LITTLE1994]

Those were the peak days of Pokemon. Fun times.

[@Kino_pup]

It’s because they weren’t all cutesie fully. They actually had some attitude other than “hey look how cute I am! I’m a creature that fights for a living! We aren’t really supposed to be all cute!”. I really do dislike that the Pokémon are tiny and their purpose is to be cute. I want them to fight and be a little mean.

[@GenkoNoMiko]

As a female growing up in the 90’s, I agree with all the points you mention but for me personally, there was one more childhood fantasy that Pokemon fulfilled: the desire to have a pet (specifically a trained pet). I was not allowed to have pets as a child because my parents thought I wasn’t ready for the responsibility and while they probably were right, I remember longing for the companionship of an animal. Pokemon gave me the ability to befriend and train any animal I wanted without actually having to worry about it dying from neglect *looking at you, tamagotchi!* Not to mention, the games make you feel like your Pokemon actually love and trust you. As their trainer, you are responsible for their care and in return they fight for and protect you. With every victory or area explored, I bonded with my Pokemon and there was just something so magical about that.

[@princesspikachu3915]

Fun fact: that was partially what inspired Pokémon.

[@conversepromise]

I remember in like elementary school if I wasn’t talking about Sonic I was usually talking about Pokémon 😂 the impact it had on my childhood is pretty insane looking back. I always wanted to be Misty too as a little girl and have the most cute and badass Pokémon lol. I think this was such a cool way to talk about the nostalgia of those early games and it got me to reminisce how meaningful it was to my childhood. May have also almost shed a tear from the nostalgia feels not gonna lie 🥲

[@princesspikachu3915]

I started out as a Sonic fan who quickly took to Pokémon in 1998.

[@OfficerGranite]

This really hit the nail on the head. I was born in 92 and still have very strong feelings about these games to the point where I make animatronic Pokémon and I’m 32 years old.

[@humblemudgames]

animatronic Pokemon sounds really cool!

[@cammyy4472]

I loved pokemon and still do to this day! I felt every single feeling you spoke about and still do today, always taking my game boy out to play pokemon while sat in trees just made it feel that much better and real! Quite depressing to realise how amazing our imaginations where are kids now we are adults we literally don’t have one anymore 😢

[@humblemudgames]

The world can absolutely be depressing, but I try really hard myself to still search for that magic in games and let my imagination flow. Imagination comes from sustained boredom and a lack of distractions (like cell phones) in my experience. It's still there. Just a little harder to find it, especially if you're out of practice.

[@EddEttor]

Every day before grade school my mom woke me up and made me breakfast as I watched Pokemon. It's unbelievable how far it's come and the influence it has had on culture.

[@PanLift]

I can only half-answer your question since I'm not from across the pond, but still: your points majorly resonate, at least to me. My (and my sister's) childhood home was a small cabin surrounded by forest, but our parents' jobs required a lot of traveling, so in a weird way the GBA Pokemon games were a reminder of home as much as their own adventure. Time and weather have no doubt eroded my real life Secret Base, a cozy spot behind some thick trees near a river bank, but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it when next I visit my folks, just in case. They were also some of the only games (along with Metroid) that let you play as a girl. It's not such a rare thing nowadays, but it felt like it at the time! Bonus memory: my dad found Crystal on the ground outside a gas station. I'll always remember it as the game my big sis pretended not to care about (even though she loved Pokemon) so that I could have it. That was huge, especially being the little sister where most of my stuff had always been hand-me-down. Getting my own little journey that even my older sibling didn't know the details of felt really important to me.

[@humblemudgames]

I love this, thank you so much for responding and sharing all of this. I bet it was really cool being the one to experience Crystal first even though you were the younger sister. I received lots of hand-me-downs when I was younger so I absolutely understand that.

[@Soafia]

The getting to play as a girl thing is so true. I feel like most games back then that let you play as a girl where as just like a playable character that’s one of many, or the girl is just like a side character or something, but Pokémon really gave an experience where you really got the same game regardless.

[@jamesstone404]

That “Between Game” time where all you think about is the game, I thought they was just me hyper fixating. Glad to know I’m not alone. I’m in the middle of a shiny hunt for the roaming legendary beast in HeartGold and I just constantly find myself thinking about it & imagining how it would look in the anime or what the lore is of me just constantly chasing the beast

[@humblemudgames]

Honestly I imagine everyone does it -- I like to put terms to things so that I can better understand them and talk about them easier. I'm surprised there was never a term made for it. But yeah, I've done that my whole life. If it's something I really enjoy, chances are I'll think about it a lot when I'm doing other things.

[@jamesstone404]

@@humblemudgames same! Great video! Looking forward to more regarding pokemon

[@humblemudgames]

@@jamesstone404 This is my first Pokémon video, I talk about a little bit of everything 😅 Hope you choose to stick around!

[@jamesstone404]

@@humblemudgames I will definitely check out some more videos. Im open to knew things, & I may discover something else to obsess over. lol

[@PKMNTrainerCal]

This is a great video, you raise a lot of really interesting points that I've never seen anyone else discuss. The thrill of going out exploring in nature has always been one of my favourite things about Pokémon, and may have even helped to cultivate my love of doing the same in real life. I think one of the reasons Pokémon is so good for "in-between gaming", at least in Gen 2 onwards, is the clock-based events. While you're away from the game day turns to night, berry trees grow, and events like the Bug Catching Contest come and go. This makes you feel like the world has a life of its own.

[@humblemudgames]

Thanks so much! Yeah, I think the clock-based events really helped flesh out the Pokémon world and make it feel more real. It was definitely something I missed in Ruby/Sapphire, but I also liked the fact that I didn't have to wait until nighttime to catch a nocturnal Pokémon or whatever.

[@DrPOP-jp7eb]

I love your concept of "in between gaming". Its absolutely true. Even today, I barely play the games but love watching Gen 3 retrospective and trivia videos. Immersing myself in these worlds (beyond just playing the games) is the purest form of escapism.

[@humblemudgames]

Honestly I do the same thing with so many franchises. It just helps to have a term for a thing sometimes.

[@beachside_Reptiles]

I used to wake up early before elementary school to watch the original show. nothing could wake me early those days. Pokémon have such great memories.

[@AliLiz91]

Woman viewer here (: I'm very happy I was old enough to experience Pokémon when it first came to America in 1998. I was 7 years old and I remember just seeing it show up at the store and then on TV and I was instantly hooked. I knew it was something unlike anything we've had and so many peers around me got into it. I tuned into the anime because i didnt have a Gameboy yet. My grandmother had a super Nintendo and a game boy adapter to play game boy games and she had Pokémon Red and Blue and she would let me play it at her house. Pokémania was certainly a time to be alive. It spread like wildfire 33 years old and I'm still loving Pokémon to this day and still playing (:

[@SnuubScadoob]

@AliLiz91 For me, I think I was 11 around 1998, and it started with the games, then I discovered the anime. Pokémon.. man… it shaped my childhood. I enjoyed it with friends, go shamed for it endlessly by my parents and bullies, and now - years later - here I am, still enjoying it with friends and millions of people online.

[@princesspikachu3915]

I was 10 in 1998. I started with Red version but eventually I had Blue and Yellow as well. I had 2 GameBoys and a link cable. I was obsessed with Pokémon as a kid. Even now that I’m 36 I still enjoy it and I have since introduced my daughter to the games. I started her with a copy of Red.

[@PKInTheUniverse]

Obligatory fake outrage , how dare you not mention Pokémon Stadium on N64 or the transfer pack or the surfing Pikachu mini game. All right now that I got that out-of-the-way , this is a really dang good video man! I never really thought about when I was a kid how it really was marketed to youngsters who had this desire to go out and explore. And we are really like that when we ask questions like that in who would win in a fight, a bear or a gorilla . I never knew the story about the collecting bugs either from the creator . When I was a kid, I sure did love to collect things whether it be pogs or baseball cards or whatever. I have a lot of fond memories trading Pokémon with my buddy Andy. And I remember watching him play the game on the super game boy as well. Thanks for this video man, I appreciate it.

[@tibi20024]

I may not have grown up with Pokemon all that much(most of my experience with it as a kid were the DP anime, the Adventures manga and some toys I had) and I may have only started playing any Pokemon games relatively recently(2021 or 2022 I believe) but something about this game just resonates with me on a personal level. Because Pokemon always seemed so cool and magical to me as a kid and even now. I mean exploring a wonderful new world and making a team of superpowered pets to fight other trainera is just something else and even after playing so many other games I can say that there still is something special about Pokemon that most other monster taming games don't offer. As for other game series that made me do as you put it "in-between gaming" probably have to be Yo-Kai Watch, Dragon Quest and The Legend of Zelda as those series are the only ones besides Pokemon to have given me that special feeling of exploring a grand world full of whimsy and magic at your own pace and thinking of what you'll do next in the game even if you're not playing it at that time. This feeling is just...something else that I can't even explain into words and that I think is great.

[@humblemudgames]

@@tibi20024 Thanks so much for being the first to talk about in-between gaming with me! Yeah, Pokémon is really great at making you feel like you were on a grand, big adventure. I also really enjoyed Yo-Kai Watch, I used a song from that game in one of my most recent videos. I can definitely see Legend of Zelda -- those games are just full of wonder and mystery. And Dragon Quest is such a phenomenal series too.

[@UnimpressedViking]

what made it special: it was fresh

[@southmcwow]

I was in the thick of the Pokémon mania back in the day. Freshly turned 8 years old less than 2 months before receiving Blue for Xmas. I was basically addicted for the next 4 years to Pokemon. I eventually lost interest in Pokemon a little bit but always sort of loosely paid attention. I’m in my 30s now and I know this series still means so much to me because last year, I came across an instagram post. The post wasn’t Pokemon related, but it had the original Azalea Town tune playing on it. The feeling I felt when I heard that song again for the first time since probably 2000, was pretty indescribable. All these emotions of how much I once loved the series came back instantly. That post is why I bought boxed copies of Gold and Silver. Gen 2 was and still is my favorite generation. It’s why I rediscovered my lost love of the TCG and started collecting again over the year. I’m happy I found my way back.

[@marcellusrobinson1465]

I know the feeling of being in the thick of it! I was 9. Do you remember seeing Pokémon the first movie. Every theater was packed with kids!

[@Tamed_Delirium]

YOU SAW the anime air in US? Man I wish I was old enough for that. youre the OG brotha the pokie man edit got me so good lol satanic panic in pokemon was so real in my family, i remember my brother literally begging and convincing them until gen 4 AINT NO WAY you did that to castform, i never looked at him like that until now, I cant unsee it I totally agree on the waiting time period and the whole thought processes I swear you come up with some of the greatest words and terms in videos, and they genuinely make sense to the point where i can use them and ppl know what im saying for the most part without any context I CANNOT wait to hear you talk more about pokemon and the other gens. the gen 2 remakes are my personal fav games of all time again i love how you mention and credit everything for a hot min i was like what game is that at 18:10 but all it took was a quick glance at the description and i knew i was persona 3 reload. Thank you, you have no idea how nice that is

[@TheDronitus]

I recently completed the pokedex in pokemon blue and crystal. It was a blast playing these oldies! I never really got the social experience of trading and link battling but being a part of the fandom on the internet was always special to me. Watching videos about the games, reading wikis and forums to figure out stuff was a huge part of my childhood

[@humblemudgames]

What you described about watching videos, reading wikis and forums and stuff -- THAT is in-between gaming, like I was trying to describe! Thank you for this!

[@skycloud4802]

I don't think it's an experience that translates so well today. Sure there's online play from home now, but physically carrying a Gameboy to school as well as your friends and playing over a link battle was a magical feeling (remember this was a time before smartphones, or even kids having phones in general). It was also a time for collecting at school in general eg Pokémon cards, pogs, tazos, football stickers etc. the vibe was awesome.

[@HollowRick]

Born in 92 I was the perfect age for Pokémon I remember getting Pokémon red with a grape purple Game boy color for Christmas I was hooked all the way through Gen 3 Then fell off after that until my girlfriend got me back into the series with black and white 2 :)

[@humblemudgames]

Same story here, more or less! Born in 93. I liked gen 3 and then stopped playing, I didn't like a lot of the monster designs in Diamond and Pearl. Came back during X and Y.

[@PUZZLEcheese]

Hey, a female fella from Europe here, trying to give you some insight as you asked. :) I mostly agree with your experience/feelings, especially the adventure, nature, film/anime and cute monster parts. I think, Pokémon has a good variety of cute AND badass monsters, unlike Digimon and Yugi-Oh; that's why the game is so accessible to boys AND girls. Don't underestimate that. I really liked that with Pokémon, I had a common interest with the few male friends I had. I also liked that there were some really strong female characters (Gym Leader, Elite Four) in the game - oh and how happy I was when I finally got to play as a girl in Crystal! Sadly, I never experienced the schoolyard rumours back then because most Girls in my hood still weren't interested in Pokémon and Gameboys, but I adopted these chitchats quite early in the internet of the early 2000's. What an exciting time! I remember trying out some of those glitches (Missingno, Sunny Town, etc.) and I think that was the basis of my later interest in technology.

[@humblemudgames]

Thanks for reaching out! Yeah, I think you're totally right -- in the same game we have Eevee, we also have Nidoking, for example. I think Pokémon gaining popularity right at the dawn of the Internet really helped its impact as well. It's awesome to see the barriers Crystal was able to break down 😊

[@LordofDestruction123]

I recently restarted playing gens 1 and 2. I had never completed the gen 2 pokedex before, and the battery in my Yellow version had died as well. My quest to complete the pokedex has really changed the way I play Pokemon. It's much more thought out. As a kid, if a move didn't do damage, I didn't use it, with exceptions for hypnosis and mean look for special use cases when trying to catch difficult pokemon. I recently battled Whitney again, while almost 10 levels underlevelled. The amount of strategy needed and the feeling of accomplishment afterward is something I missed when I was a kid, just playing for the story. But at the same time, being able to experience those stories again is really something special.

[@MacUser2-il2cx]

Rollout is like Rage so if you can take out Miltank before it uses it too many times, you're good.

[@humblemudgames]

Whitney was definitely the Pokémon Dark Souls boss for kids everywhere back then, lol. I think a lot of us didn't appreciate status moves until we got older.

[@LordofDestruction123]

@@MacUser2-il2cx I had a Geodude max out on defense curl while tanking the weak rollout hits, and then healed right before the last one to just wall her completely in one of the games.

[@zachariousmccool5768]

I (like you) was there from the begining. There are 2 things that really stick with me. 1 is the animations. Psychic was so cool with its wavy effects and Fire Blast with its Kanji symbol. But more importantly was Pokemon Crystal. It was the first time I ever had a choice to play as a boy or girl. I am a boy but after all of the games forcing me to play as a dude I got to pick a girl and to this day whenever I get the option I will always pick girl...because Pokemon Crystal gave me that option......its small but important. Fantastic Video. You can feel the love from it.

[@MacUser2-il2cx]

Hyper Beam is so damn cool! That sound effect too!!!

[@livviloolah]

I feel compelled to comment as a lady in her late 20s from the UK who loves pokemon and still plays... I have always loved animals/wildlife and disney. my favourite VHS tapes were pokemon, the land before time and the lion king. like many children in the UK still to this present day, my preferred media was american, and this largely shaped my interests. so I believe your analysis is accurate, children who were hooked on pokemon have shared interests like adventure, nature and animals. I laughed out loud at your bear vs gorilla fight question, as a child I came across the "animal face off" series on TV and it was simply breathtaking to me 😂 like someone had hopped into my mind. my love for animals also meant even in gen 1, I had a dislike for magnemite, voltorb, porygon etc. thank you for your video as it has helped me reflect why I love pokemon 🌈

[@humblemudgames]

I'm glad the bear vs gorilla joke got you 😂😂 I'll never forget the time I was in a conference room and we were all just talking and I randomly brought that up. I didn't know how it was going to go, and then there was this pause... and then someone was like, "well, I'd say the bear, probably...." and then someone else was like "gorillas have THUMBS, though, dude" and then I knew I asked the right question 😂 The Land Before Time is one of my favorites too!!!

[@BobbyFlay14]

Land before time was the best! Little foot and the gang

[@wagenbach]

Woman from Scotland here, was 'too old' for pokemon when it got big because of the cartoon around 99/2000 but I still watched it after my paper round and then dug out my old gameboy to play the games as a teen and I was obsessed! It was so much fun!

[@RebornAudio]

I’m literally at the start of this video, and the sounds you’ve used for your ident scratched such an odd itch in my brain. Fantastic.

[@humblemudgames]

Thank you! They are amongst my favorite noises in gaming. Some others always play at the end of my videos 😊

[@bradleyoldford7754]

+1 sub that was a great watch thank you. Loved the edit of the 9 games in a circle there at the end when all the Pokemons tears were going into Ash.

[@gemlik_rogue]

I'm a woman in her very late 20s. Pokémon Yellow was my first pokèmon game and I remember the pokemania being huge in Italy as well. I was always fascinated about the mysteries surrounding the pokémon games from gen 1 to gen 3. I remember I spent hours trying to search a way to get the skeleton versions of Kabutops and Aerodactyl because I thought you could catch them at some point or thinking that if I could complete the 151 pokedex I could get that golden bird from the anime. I consider myself lucky for being able to experience all this with other friends and daydream about what to do next on our cartridges.

[@gamerdude612]

I Remember how I'd rush home after school to catch that intro when you get in the door just in time and hear I want to be the very best like no one ever was it felt so rewarding then after it goes off rushing through the homework and dinner to go play Pokemon I loved it then now and forever I mean you see my Pidgeot it's something I'll always hold dear reminds me of a simpler time.

[@humblemudgames]

That was me with Dragon Ball Z.

[@AB-qe8cs]

Core memory unlocked .. wow I had forgotten what life really was like back then!!!

[@gamerdude612]

@@humblemudgames I Love DBZ as well haha

[@gamerdude612]

@@AB-qe8cs The Best times little did I know back then

[@sslocke]

Being there from the beginning was truly magical. Everything was brand new and no one had a clue what they were doing. The internet was still in its infancy and not many people even had a home computer let alone the internet and understood how it worked. If you got stuck you couldn't just hop online and quickly find the answers. Even most strategy guides you found in stores would leave off a lot of info to still allow you to explore and learn things for yourself. The best way to learn was by doing and then pooling your knowledge together with your friends to connect all the pieces. Rumors were all over the place and you always wanted to be the first to accomplish something major and show it off to your friends the next day. We will never experience that again so being a 9year old at the time Pokemon first came out was one of my fondest memories.

[@austingood22]

373kb… but we had 150 Pokémon. That’s crazy. The world also felt huge, like you said.

[@humblemudgames]

Yeah, the file sizes of these older games are just bonkers to me. EarthBound, for example, is only the size it is because of the large amount of music it has -- the music of EB is either very close to the size of or maybe even bigger than the size of the actual game, if I remember correctly

[@femtrooper]

Great video! It is definitely a series that still keeps me young! To this day I love it because you go on a big adventures and that's my favourite type of JRPG! Keep them coming!

[@humblemudgames]

I'm so glad you liked it! Pokémon truly felt like no other, and it along with EarthBound were my first modern day setting RPGs. 💜

[@codinginflow]

It has been almost 30 years since I first played Pokemon Blue and I'm still obsessed with this game.

[@humblemudgames]

I'd highly recommend watching Jrose11's single Pokemon speedruns on KZbin then! he does a lot of Pokemon blue/red

[@AliLiz91]

I'm really happy Pokémon came into my life. It made me feel like I was a part of something special. I was a lonely child. I had two older siblings but they were 10 and 11 years older and didnt have much in common with. And i was also the quiet kid at a catholic school and had no friends really. My parents had to work a lot. They by no means neglected me but I understood they needed to do what they needed for my wellbeing and i love and respect them for it. I'm thankful to them for allowing me to enjoy Pokemon. They would spoil me with Pokemon stuff on Birthdays and Christmases. It's definitely been a fun ride. Even in my 30s, i embrace Pokémon and that will never disappear. I didn't grow up, I just evolved. Sorry for the long comment (:

[@kristoffercedric4565]

This video brought childhood, nostalgic tears to my eyes. It literally translated my feelings when I first saw the 'I would do anything to experience playing Pokemon for the first time again' meme. That magical, unexplainable feeling of going on an adventure with just a Game Boy and a cartridge; this video explains that feeling all too well.

[@cecillewolters1995]

Awesome video man, you bring a lot of interesting stuff to the surface I never actually thought really deep about. Thanks ^^

[@humblemudgames]

That makes me happy to hear! (or, read rather 😅) thank you!

[@ThatReplyGuy]

Obligatory comment for Algorithm-sama. No game recommendations this time, sadly (unless you want some more mainstream ones; I've been trying to stick to niche games only) but this was an excellent video. I also grew up playing pokemon, ever since it first came to the US, and upon reflection, you're about about how it made me feel and all of the different itches it tried to scratch. I've only recently gotten back into the franchise recently after dropping it at the end of Gen 4, and have been enjoying it more or less.

[@ThatReplyGuy]

Oh wait, I lied, I DO have a recommendation. I was really into these monster battling games as a kid thanks to pokemon, and I played a shit ton of other franchises, too. Two I would recommend are Dragon Quest Monsters 1 and 2 on GBC and Magi-Nation on GBC.

[@pattyg1184]

Awesome video. Randomly popped up on my KZbin feed. Can't wait to see more.

[@humblemudgames]

I'm so glad you liked it! I have a ton of stuff out and try my best to get a video out each week. I'm glad people are seeing this now because for the first couple of days it actually kind of flopped! It 10x'd today so I guess the algorithm blessed me.

[@pattyg1184]

@@humblemudgames keep shooting for the moon 🌙

[@abrahamlinkin2414]

This video was pretty neat! I wasn't expecting such a neat reference.

[@jessicasretrolunacy]

Hi Humblemud, this is your first vid that I've watched, I really like your presentation and thoughtfulness. I'm probably the wrong person to chime in to the comments here as I'm not a Pokemon fan, I tried Red/Blue, they failed to grab me and the business model of having to buy more to get everything rubbed me the wrong way; and I was forced against my will to watch marathons of the cartoon, so my opinion is a bit acerbic. That said, I absolutely see way more appeal in the early gen Pokemon than more recent entries, and you raise a great observation about how well Pokemon touched on the natural childhood inclination to explore all of the world's strange creatures and collect things that speak to them.

[@humblemudgames]

Thank you so much Jessica! I hope you choose to stick around. It's really cool to read the perspective of someone who was enamored by Pokémon like I was. Truth is, I never really liked the multiple versions concept of the games myself, despite some of the benefits that I mentioned in the video here. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, share your thoughts, and for the kind words as well!

[@jessicasretrolunacy]

@@humblemudgames I plan to, I really like your perspective and you vocal presentation has a chill, soothing quality, I can tell you put effort into getting it dialed in right.

[@eriknava2024]

Man You nailed it! My first game was Pokemom Yellow. My beloved childhood movie Pokemon. Nailed it!

[@CapnDredd]

Born in 88 and I spent hundreds of hours in the Kanto region. I still spend time there to this day. The music tugs on my heart taking me back to a time where life was so much simpler and things just seemed right

[@solidwegy61]

Same for me. Only difference is, in my case, it's Joto.

[@lazyhippie6139]

I'm a girl, and agree with all of this, really. I felt there must be something more to life, and sometimes still do. That was Pokémon for me. You are so right about Pokémon perfectly capturing children's imaginations. Finding little secrets here and there was so cool (also, why aren't secret bases a mainstay?). Never thought about in between gaming, but that makes a lot of sense. I guess I technically spend tons of time doing that. Despite having the time, I don't game nearly as much anymore, but I still enjoy thinking about and discussing the games.

[@armorykittington]

Dude, me and humblemud had the exact same childhood lol. I can relate on every single level. Gens 1-3 are easily my favorite, and I still apeedrun them for fun. Then, even as an adult I was blown away after watching a KZbin video that you could legitimately catch Mew early in the game. Great video, cheers!! ^__^

[@jspur6]

I remember playing before the internet was available to my town. The surprises around every corner were amazing. I miss the feeling of discovery from finding the simplest of game secrets, being an adult sucks lol

[@filo5930]

Pokemon was like a mythic thing for me being a kid, i loved it so much, made me love animals in real life and always wanting to have a pet with me, its so good. The first time i got a gameboy with pokemon red, oh boy

[@ZaffreRevolution]

fantastic video, and i think these general feelings of discovery and childlike wonder remained in the gen 4 titles as well. maybe not so much gen 5, but those games are great for their own reasons. i've been getting back into this series a bunch lately for the exact reasons you laid out here, although i don't think i've seen it be put as eloquently as you laid out, so kudos! this video was awesome

[@humblemudgames]

Thank you! I remember being pretty blown away by the scope of the cities in gen 4-5. I just personally didn't like a lot of the evolution designs in Gen 4. Ambipom really stands out to me as a worse design than Aipom, for example.

[@goldiegrace]

I‘m a European woman in my early thirties and only recently fell out of love with Pokemon because I realised at some point that I only bought new titles out of obligation to my undying nostalgia even though they got really really bad but I will always have a special place in my heart for effectively all generations until 6. However nothing hits as hard as the OG games. It’s exactly what you said: the schoolyard rumours got crazier every day and at some point someone told me I could visit Kanto in my Silver Game? That sounded as scammy as the guy in the pokecenter at Mt. Doom who tries to rip you off with Magikarps. And then it turned out to be true! Wtf!!! I also think back really fondly of the mystery surrounding the Regis in Hoenn with the braille rocks and Relicanth at the first position of your team and Wailmer at the last? That was still a day in Pokemon game development that wasn’t ruined of all the handholding of the later games and I love them more for it. I still would call G/S/C my favourite Pokemon games of all time even though the 2nd generation is canonically bad with the weirdest level curve, most gym leaders using only Kanto Pokemon, many Jotho Pokemon not even appearing before fighting the League and everything else that leads to Jotho being nothing more than an extension of Kanto but still. I obviously didn’t care about any of that as a kid and that’s testament as to how great these games were and how they permanently rewired my brain. I also fully agree with the in-between time. Nothing made me obsess as much over a game I was not currently playing as that shitty little Pokemon Channel game for GameCube. And it wasn’t even good! But it successfully made my entire little world revolve around it down to the exact minute. But Nintendo pulled that off several times (in my case) with their franchises, another one being Animal Crossing.

[@_sacredseven_]

Born in 95. The year pokemon came out in the US. Names Ashden. Naturally I spent my childhood feeling like the show was about me. Especially since my main interest were insects and animals. It was Uncanny. Pokemon and Dragonball are the two most influential and Iconic popculture franchises for millennials by far. Even in the west. First game I played was Crystal on Gameboy color. Then Ruby that a friend gave me in 4th grade. Then my aunt got me Fire Red and Emerald for my Birthday shortly after. The first game I ever played all the way through.

[@humblemudgames]

Yeah, Pokémon, Dragon Ball, and I'd probably also include Sailor Moon, were really just revolutionary for anime in the US. Then we got InuYasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, One Piece, etc. I don't know if you got to that part yet in the video but I do specifically shout-out DBZ 😊 I was born in 93, so I'm right there with you.

[@RestorationRelaxation]

This editing is too good!

[@adamlattea3483]

As a young boy, I hated going through caves. Especially the ones that required flash. I remember being so bull headed through one play through I forced myself to go through the cave without the HM. Back then I didn’t understand what repels did lol good times, I got my blue game boy color along with pokemon blue for my 7th birthday in 99

[@humblemudgames]

I've heard stories of people making it through the cave without Flash but never did it myself!

[@lordofchaos97]

Man, Gen 2 is so special to me. Crystal was one of my first games, and got me hooked into the franchise, then when Platinum and Soulsilver came along, they solidified the feeling that this franchise is great. Even now, I still get the same or similar feelings when replaying them, or doing things I missed out on, and when away, I find myself thinking of them rather often. For all the faults and limitations, the odd or questionable decisions, the games for the most part are still some of my most treasured memories and adventures.

[@humblemudgames]

Crystal has a lot of magic to it for sure. I don't know if you ever went back and tried Red/Blue, but that's where I started. Fire Red and Leaf Green were great remakes and I've heard good things about Let's Go as well. When I was making this video, I realized how much I love Gen 3. And I couldn't pinpoint it before, but now I realize it was the coziness and attention to detail of that gen. If you go back in this video and rewatch some of those clips I've got of the area around Fortree City... it's a beautiful game. I really love the shot where the character steps onto the bridge and the clouds float overhead that's in this video.

[@raulbarros8077]

Man I gotta agree, having a secret base in emerald might be considered a “useless” mechanics nowadays, but damn that is so awesome, I wish all games pokemon games moving forward would have that

[@Ic3Man_Gaming]

A Neature Walk and Dude Where's My Car reference in the same video? We got a man of culture on our hands.

[@humblemudgames]

Someone gets it 🤜🤛

[@josephforjoseph]

You puting words to the feelings of adventure... I always think im kinda crazy in how i still hold that restlessness i had as a kid, now an adult. Every day I feel the desire to go on an adventure. Interestingly having grown up and see what the world is like, that feeling burns even brighter but with limited interpretation to acheive it. After all, in this day and age, what would constitute exploring a ruin to find something of significance to the world (truly) or physically doing something that carries significance. If only life were more clear in defining ways we could truly go on adventures.

[@fran3ro]

Trees ARE, in fact, really cool. Some are huge HUGE living beings that people give for granted. I sometimes stop and look at some particularly big exemplar and become astonished at the height or how some branches extend long distances like from one sidewalk across the street. Really cool inded.

[@humblemudgames]

I really want to visit the Redwoods in California one day.

[@CrispusGames]

You've made some pretty interesting points. Great insight! I can relate 100% to your experiences. I have a very vivid mental image of the 2nd generation areas, as if they were real places and it's nostalgic to even walk through the forests and towns every couple of years, as if to visit my old hometown. The mystery and exploration aspects were pretty important, but for me the bond to ones own monsters is of equal importance. My Suicune for example has a special place in my heart as a real partner that helped me through hard in-game trials and quests. It felt like it was more than just a pile of data ...

[@CrispusGames]

I also think there is something intrinsically Japanese about this whole exploration aspect and the mystery surrounding nature.

[@swagbear9965]

Great video. Gens 1-3 were so amazing. Gens 2 and 3 are the most repayable for me. I must have played each one 20-30 times through since I was a kid. Not sure what it is, but those games just look good, sound good, and bring me so much joy to play them again and again. I miss when Pokemon was in its prime! There was so much mystery and excitement for the games/lore

[@humblemudgames]

Thank you!! You know, my gut reaction when someone asks which game my favorite is has always been to say Ruby, but I was never able to identify why until I went back to capture footage -- like you said, the games just look SO good. Especially around the Fortree City area. I captured the scenes in the video so you can see what I'm talking about if you missed it, but the changing weather and the way the clouds are overhead and you can see your reflection in the water ... I know RSE aren't everyone's favorite, especially compared to Gold/Silver/Crystal, but man are they cozy games.

[@swagbear9965]

@@humblemudgames yes for sure! Gen 3 (Hoenn) games just look absolutely amazing, the best in the series in terms of design, music, and overall sense of adventure. Fortree city, Lilycove, underwater, the desert, and meteor falls are all such incredible areas

[@Mike0193Azul]

Story, gameplay and difficulty. Fell off after Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

[@ELGIL92]

I disagree because Pokémon black 2 and white 2 had a difficulty at the same level or even higher than gen 4 and you could even play a hard mode. Gen 6 with the exp share for the whole team is what destroyed any sort of challenge

[@adrenaliner91]

I wanna be the very best like no one ever was! (Even though that was not my language 😅 I grew up with 'Ich will der Allerbeste sein, wie keiner vor mir war!', but it's the same) I probably have played Gen1 and 2 and it's Remakes more than any other Gen in my life.

[@whimsicalVanilla]

I saw the pokemon anime first and didn't have any gaming system until I was 10, so the first pokemon game I ever played was Leaf Green. As a girl, I liked how pokemon were cute or cool, and animal like. I enjoyed seeing how they interacted with the world around them, and I loved how the original anime was filled with adventure as well as a sense of mystery and wonder. I was so excited to finally go on my own adventure in Leaf Green, and remember getting lost in Mt. Moon. A lot of the battles were really difficult for me, because I didn't know all of the type match-ups and only really trained 3 or 4 pokemon (Blastoise, Clefable, Pikachu, and I think Pidgeot). I don't know why I didn't have a Ninetails on my team, when Vulpix is one of my favorites. I remember getting so invested in the gym and elite 4 battles that I'd cheer on my pokemon out loud, believing that they could actually hear me saying "C'mon, knock out that Onyx!" and work harder for my sake. Then when the gen 4 starters were announced, something seemed off about their designs to me. It seems like the starters for each generation, from gen 4 onwards, look less and less like pokemon (the first time I see them) and it takes me a while to warm up to them. The new games are fun too, but I feel like I can't get as absorbed in them. Maybe it's because they took away our ability to pet our pokemon and hold treats for them to eat? Or maybe it's because all of the houses in Scarlet/Violet are fake and there's hardly any NPCs to talk to or trade with or hear lore from? It just doesn't feel as immersive or real anymore.

[@humblemudgames]

I'm so glad you eventually got to have that experience of playing the games for the first time, even if they were a little difficult at first. Cheering your mons on like that is adorable. I agree with you that the newer games & starters just feel like they're missing some secret sauce. I love certain ideas they have, like regional variant forms, but I'm a little iffy on a lot of other elements

[@nessyno-name3855]

My admittedly American but "non-stinky boy" experience with the appeal of Pokemon as a child was definitely the draw of nature as you put it, but to me, less so than seeing cool monsters battle the thing that appealed to me was the animal companionship. I loved the idea of having cool pets to dote on and learning about their unique abilities and taking care of them the same way I took care of my dog and cat, with the added bonus that they could be like magical familiars that helped me explore the outdoors in new ways. I lived in the country as a kid and so sometimes I would go walking around in the field or the woods and I would imagine the interactions I would have with wild pokemon or my party and what habitats I could come across. The magic of pokemon was kind of marveling at nature and complex ecosystems to me, even as a child.

[@humblemudgames]

Absolutely. The animal companionship component is one thing I wish I had touched on a bit more in my video in hindsight. A lot of people have offered their opinions on things they think I should have or shouldn't have included, but your suggestion is the one thing I'd have actually changed.

[@vinnie830]

I was a kid in the 90s and used to take my dog for a walk and explore the forest we had near our house (I remember grandmother cooking something tasty and putting it in my backpack for me to eat something when im outside). When my dog passed away I cried for days and then suddenly i saw Pokemon on TV... That first season with Ash, Misty and Brock wandering around forests/countryside and being lost or finding new creatures and new friends during their adventures with their pets/friends - that was exactly my childhood. Pokemon helped me to deal with a trauma caused by the loss of my friend and healed me. PS: i remember one time in the the forest, I met two kids. They thought my dog (German Shepherd) is cool and we talked, they came to play with him and we sort of became friends for "one episode". It was so magical - just like on Pokemon when Ash met someone during next episode where he was walking through Beedrill forest... You won't see such situations these days i think...

[@humblemudgames]

I'm sorry for your loss. I'm curious if you are a fan of Mightyena. That Pokemon always reminded me of German Shepherds. And yeah, I feel like a lot of kids don't have the same adventures that 70s/80s/90s/00s kids did.

[@rakeguy7703]

​@@humblemudgames I'm not that much of a fan, but still, in that gen I was always giving Mightyena my dog's name.

[@JAFarrow]

Hi I'm British and I'm a girl! Except when I was a kid everyone spent all their time trying to convince me I was not a girl which was pretty traumatic. Pokémon was a great safe place to get away to

[@humblemudgames]

I'm so sorry for what you went through, but I'm glad you were able to find comfort in the game.

[@1trevor30]

Convince you're not a girl? I've never seen parents try to do that unless their child was trans. Logically speaking it makes no sense for a parent to do that otherwise.

[@JAFarrow]

@@1trevor30 I am trans

[@PerilsAbound]

My childhood franchise was Dragon Quest, I remember taking my dad's remote while he went to the restroom and getting his party killed in Dragon Quest VIII-good thing he saved a lot back then. Some of the memories and moments that shaped me were directly correlated to Dragon Quest games, especially the first 9 games.

[@hhaammzzaattaarraaff3313]

Hi it's me the guy who never stops recommending weird games like of course KNIGHTS IN THE....... sorry I'll stop My point is this is a great video I have zero Pokémon experience but I can see how much people hold those games in high regards despite being older than me but most people hold Thier first experiences to heart yours maybe Pokémon and mine is KNIGHTS IN THE NIGHTMARE. Final fantasy Tactics Blazblue central fiction Gungnir (cool PSP game check it out) Just to name a few The point is there's a lot of incredible video games out there I love recommending Knights in the nightmare because I believe it's a very unique and weird game you probably won't find much like it also it helps to deflate your brain like it did to mine while trying to understand WTF is happening on the screen BTW have you checked Knights in the nightmare tell me how long have you lasted

[@naejimba]

I think the evolution mechanic is some of the magic. Most of my time away from the games was spent wondering what they would evolve into and drawing pictures based on those ideas. It is such a great surprise the first time it happens, and what a unique and exciting means of progression in an RPG game. It is a huge part of the "unknown" which is what makes an adventure so exciting. This also mirrors our own growth and wondering what we will be and do when we grow up. I mean, it turns out being an adult sucks, but at the time it seemed like endless possibilities.

[@awa0927]

Although I loved the first 3 gens of Pokémon, I believe it only peaked at Gen 2. When gen 3 came out I remember so many of my friends and family members saying “Yea… I’m done with Pokemon. It’s just the same old stuff” or “OMG gen 3 Pokemon design are so ugly!!”

[@kylehewson6258]

I grew up in germany and it was huge on the playgrounds. We got the link cable and battled, used the rare candy trick on candies and masterballs and battled with all legendary teams. It was a big deal to train your pokemon as well. I still at 34 years old start a new play through on red, blue gold or silver on my GBA emulator. I miss those days

[@armorbearer9702]

Excellent video! I agree that Pokémon hit the market hard. The anime, games, and card game was all great. The manga was not too bad as well.

[@ndn624]

The replay value on these games then & now is still one of the best all time!!!

[@AgeAwkward]

That aspen tree reference was pretty neat.

[@Bonswap]

That Neature Walk reference threw me for a loop

[@zeo797]

the PSO sounds get me everytime :) I love it

[@bizzy5439]

You get an automatic like for the aspen joke lmao cool video dude thank you

[@MichiNguyen]

Born in 94' and it was Red, Silver and Sapphire for me Those were my Big Three (Also Shoutout to Golden Sun goated game)

[@humblemudgames]

I'm actually playing Golden Sun now for the first time because I did a poll recently and asked my audience which RPG I should play next and it won. So I'll prob have a review on that sooner rather than later! I'm about 9 hours in so far. I had Blue, Crystal, and Ruby so we could've traded Pokémon back then haha. Born in 93.

[@MetalAriel]

I was a kid from Poland, that moved to Germany during the Pokemania. Blue edition taught me more German than any school, it was such a fascinating game - the lore was great, but also the cool rpg design got to me.

[@humblemudgames]

EarthBound, Pokemon, and Super Mario RPG basically taught me English better than school ever did, so I feel you in that!

[@razdewitt4786]

these games and the anime captured me in a way no other media franchise did at ages 8-12. I was obsessed with Spyro, Sonic, Megaman, Crash Bandicoot, Ocarina of Time, and a great many other gaming franchises, but none of them even held a candle to the grip Pokemon had on me in those times of "in-between gaming" (brilliant term btw). today, this franchise no longer holds the same magic imo. but I imagine it still appeals to the children of today all the same. regardless, these are fond memories, indeed. the best are of playing pokemon yellow on GBC in my own "secret base" - a large camping tent put up in the yard.

[@humblemudgames]

I'm so glad you resonated with this! these were the types of comments I was hoping to see. A handful of people have disagreed with me here or there but there's a good bit of you that have experienced a lot of the same things, and I tried to communicate those sorts of interests that lots of kids have but don't often express. I see your profile picture is of Raz! I just played and beat that game for the first time this year!

[@razdewitt4786]

@@humblemudgames nice! yes Psychonauts is such a hidden gem, I missed the boat at the time of the OG release but got into it in 2021 ahead of the sequel coming out - instant favorite.

[@smz257]

Legend Of Dragoon sighting!! great vid my friend

[@lucasdahl1118]

These are the reasons the first 3 gens won’t leave my mind. I hope someday to make my own creature collector inspired by the first 3 gens, whiteout getting sued into oblivion

[@ericlivingston8027]

My opinion on what made gen 1-3 so big was each was a expansion and change on the Pokemon franchise with little if no internet access. Gen 4 expanded on the older generations by doing previous mechanics and allowing us to see gen 2 in a updated world but still little internet connection at the time. I think as I grew up the internet became a 3rd and all seeing eye into these franchises. Your comment on having a hard time waiting is nill in my life. In my life time passes by so fast that I have very little time to think. It is the big difference to when I was a kid vs late 20s. As a child reaching noon felt and I thought was a entire other day. As a adult noon is the start of my day and by the end of the day I am left very little time to ponder.

[@cococosmic3030]

I wouldn't forget the first time my neighbor lend me her gameboy color she said she already finish it (pokemon yellow) and i can play it i never really finish it cause i only had it for like 5 hours,but i really fell inlove and so drawn to it i didn't notice its already dark,it just feel so magical the first time. ❤

[@dr3dg352]

I've been doing *so much* in-between gaming as I've been finally playing through the campaign for Dawn of War II! It's such an engaging Warhammer 40,000 story, and I find myself frequently strategizing about my load out for that next mission. I'd love to explore the wikis and pages for the game, but adamantly want to avoid spoilers. 😅 I'm very much looking forward to playing its online co-op mode with the guy I like. 🥰 I was also around for Pokemon's beginning, but weirdly played the main games very little. The TCG was my main point of interaction with Pokemon, and is honestly what I credit with making me good at math in school. I was also a very big fan of the two Pokemon stadium games. Gen 2 is my absolute favorite, I used to love going through the third Pokemon handbook to see all the Joto monsters!

[@humblemudgames]

I do the same sort of strategies outside of gaming too, especially with RPGs! And yeah, I think the trading card game attracted a lot of people who may have never played the games. I know a lot of people who like Pokémon but only know the TCG or the anime or the games, it's not always all of them together!

[@HayenMill]

Can confirm I did cry in the year 2000 when I saw the first movie on the cinema in my home country, during the ash sacrifice scene

[@eggintheshell9801]

From a female whos always loved pokemon- some of my earliest memories was of counting pokemon cards with my older sister. Pokemon has always been a part of my life, but i think what draws me to it is the designs and my love of animals.

[@humblemudgames]

thank you for sharing! the Pokemon card art was top notch 💜

[@CodyTyler94]

When I was a kid in the late 90s early 2000s, my grandmothers neighbors had recently moved from Mexico. They knew little to no English but the kids were my age and we were able to link up and trade and battle Pokemon and I don’t think any game could capture what that experience was like at that time.

[@Xylus.]

As soneone who stopped playing after gen 3, this video feels tailor made for me.

[@Encephalophage]

4:00 Wow, I definitely remember hearing about the store sign ninja, but didn't realize that happened in my hometown!

[@MeowXMeowXBI7CH]

Man where I grew up I was thee only one into Pokémon. So I missed out on a lot of really cool stories like with the rumors, trading & battling etc etc. Instead where I’m from the kids were all crazy for ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ And I had similar experiences but instead of Pocket Monsters it was Monster Cards. I remember the playground and pretty much anytime really in between we’d always talk about our cards, show off our Monsters, share with eachother where in town there were deals for starter type decks that were dedicated to specific dueling styles. And where others would talk about Legendary Pokémon & Charizard / Mew Two we were talking Egyptian God Cards, & Obelisk. And where others were obsessed with hunting down specific Pokémon in trades, WE were battling eachother over the rarest of cards and trying to get all 5 pieces of Exodia. Heck I even remember we used to walk around school and pretty much anywhere and everywhere with our very well thought out (Or so we thought) 40 card decks ready for Duels like they could happen at any time and at any moment someone would challenge you for your rarest card hahaha. One of my favorite memories was of me being the first to ever have Obelisk AND SLIFER The Sky Dragon! In the whole school and for breaks and lunch kids just wanted to stare at the card and would all share stories about the cards or what they saw on the anime or how much they thought the God Cards are, and then every one always wanted to challenge for the God cards and would put up crazy collateral! Good times. And last funny story.. we all got Duel Disks around the same time for Christmas as well so if someone entered our little town it be like they stepped into “Domino City” 😂😂

[@albatross1779]

What also probably elevated Pokemon early on is that it was an open-world type game, on the Gameboy of all things, while such games weren't very common at all on N64 or PS1, with JRPGs probably being the closest equivalent, but even then, Pokemon was second to none in its emphasis on exploration. These games may look primitive now, but they were way ahead of their time.

[@humblemudgames]

Yeah, that's what I was trying to get at with the "going on an adventure" and "exploring nature" concepts, because more than any other game on those platforms they really captured that feeling! Great points you make here ✌️

[@halwis]

Oh my god, Pikablu. When I was a kid I believed so hard that if you cut the link cable while you were trading, the pokemon would come out. I would kill to have even an ounce of that wonder back.

[@humblemudgames]

Who's your favorite Pokémon and why?

[@tibi20024]

Mine is easily Piplup and ita evolution line. I dunno something about badass yet cute penguins just vibes with me and Piplup was one of the first Pokemon I knew of as a kid after Pikachu and whenever I play Gen 4 or its spinoffs I usually pick Piplup as my go-to starter

[@eziostone1109]

Pikachu: Cute. Gyarados: Strong and its dragon zero to hero lore.

[@humblemudgames]

@@eziostone1109 thanks to Sirfetch'd, you can say the same thing about Farfetch'd now 💜

[@lazyhippie6139]

Umbreon. I've always been drawn to it. I guess it's partially nostalgia.