Tales From The Game Grid #5

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The Pokédex stated; Pikachu the Mouse Pokémon, when several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity could build and cause lightning storms. This Pokédex entry from Red version was the first thing I ever learned about Pikachu and when I saw it I knew i had to have one. The hype for the game didn’t help as it fueled the want and it only got worst as the release date came closer and closer. This hype included the show starting to air on TV, articles in video game magazines, and the internet, which was just becoming another source of pictures and other information. Just before the game came out I made a list of Pokémon that I wanted to capture and Pikachu was number one on the list.

As an Artist I love Pikachu’s design, it is simple and iconic. Like so many characters that had come before it, Pikachu’s silhouette is instantly recognizable. Some great examples of this is Mickey Mouse, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pac-Man. Nintendo couldn’t have chosen a better mascot for the Pokémon franchise; it is a perfect representation of what a Pokémon is. Its color scheme, the orange yellow fur, bright red cheeks, brown stripes, and black tipped ears just pop. Game Freak, the creators of the game know this so every generation they make what I like to call, a Pika-clone game. Some great examples of these Pika-clones are Pokémon like Emolga a flying squirrel Pikachu, or Plusle and Minun twin Pikachu look a likes. Even Japan’s Official soccer team agreed to make Pikachu their mascot for the FIFA World Cup in 2014.

It took me a while but when I finally caught one I got right into training it. I learned quickly that it wasn’t the powerhouse Pokémon that they showed on the anime. Now I am not saying that he couldn’t be used in competitive battling. What I am saying is that there are other Pokémon that have the same electric typing but are much stronger. I think Game Freak realized this so they started to create special Pikachus that could do moves that normal ones couldn’t. A great example is the subject of today’s comic the Surfing Pikachu; literary a Pikachu that knows the water type move Surf. No matter what special moves he has you just can’t get around those mediocre stats.

Whether Pikachu is your favorite or not the facts are clear this Pokémon may not the best in the game but is a very iconic mascot. The very simple design and color scheme makes Pikachu very identifiable even to people who do not play the games. Moreover, this is why Game Freak tries to make a new Pika-clone every new game. They try to capture the lighting in a bottle (pardon the pun) again. Most of all let’s face it, who doesn’t want to have an electric generating mouse as a pet

Tales From The Game Grid title and comic are copyright of Joshua Jordan. Pokémon and Pokémon characters are copyright Pokémon/Nintendo

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