September 28, 1998: Two games first appeared on the shelves of stores across the USA. Back when Brazil only had 4 World Cup wins, Celine Dion was topping the charts, and Kobe Bryant's biggest accomplishment was winning a Slam Dunk Contest. Little did we know Nintendo had prepared an even bigger slam dunk through Pokemon Red and Blue. You embark on a Pokemon journey, pick 1 of 3 starter Pokemon, with goals of filling out a Pokedex, exploring an incredible region, and become a Pokemon Master. And the rest is history. A tale not quite as old as time but one that resonates fondly by millions of gamers in every corner of the globe. So in celebration of an anniversary that no Pokemon fan should overlook, I'll go over some of the aspects of these games that started a phenomenon as well as the legacy they left on the rest of the series as well as Nintendo and gaming as a whole.

151 Original Pokemon

If you haven't played Pokemon in a while, try not to spit out your beverage when I tell you there are 721 Pokemon as of Pokemon X and Y versions (released in October 2013). Did I mention TMs (technical machines, items players can obtain as a method of teaching their Pokemon certain moves) are reusable and there are 18 types of Pokemon?

Before all of that was the case, we begin with the class of '98 ('96 in Japan). Including the difficult to obtain without glitches/cheating Mew, there were 151 Pokemon that spanned 15 types (Pokemon can either have 1 type, such as the water Pokemon Psyduck, or two types, such as the Bug/Flying Pokemon Butterfree). Yes many were simple in design or just very random (such as the tri-magnet Magneton, 3 moles Dugtrio, 3 headed coconut tree Exeggutor, and 3 headed dodo bird Dodrio; for some reason Gamefreak really liked Pokemon with 3 heads at this point in time) and many of them had goofy names like Koffing, Weezing, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan (those two named after Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan), and then there’s Seel (a seal Pokemon; yeah not Gamefreak’s finest hour. Imagine the duck Pokemon Psyduck instead being named Dukk. However I’m used to it by now and Seel is cute). Especially compared to more recent games where you can obtain 200-400+ Pokemon before the main storyline is finished, 151 Pokemon doesn't seem like too much, especially since types like Ice, Ghost, and Dragon were very underrepresented. However, at the time 151 Pokemon was more than enough.

I remember playing Pokemon Ruby for the first time and everything was new aside from the Pokemon I had in the form of Pokemon cards. Encountering new Pokemon, discovering new areas, forming my own team (Blaziken, Azumarill, Kecleon, Pelipper, Tropius, Groudon), and just becoming the very best like no one ever was. Now multiply those feelings by 100 for the non-Japanese world in 1998. Having 151 Pokemon available to players allowed for lots of creativity in terms of lineups; you were definitely going to find 6 Pokemon you would enjoy battling alongside. 151 Pokemon? In Mario games so far, you were able to play as Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and technically Yoshi. Zelda has Link, Punch Out has Little Mac, Metroid Samus, and Donkey Kong Country has their DK crew (and their now famous Monkey Rap). So instead of choosing 4 characters in Super Mario Bros 2, you can choose so many Pokemon. It was revolutionary then and still makes Pokemon special now.

Mechanics

Pokemon's battle system to this day feels unique. In theory, it is simple. Pokemon take turns attacking each other in order to lower the opponent's hit points (HP, energy) to 0. At this point, Once a trainer's entire roster is unable to battle. Your Pokemon level up and you earn money in the case of in game, and bragging rights and the satisfaction of knowing your strategy and team building skills are good in link battles (remember in 1998 you had to use a link cable to battle and trade Pokemon; wireless came 6 years later and WiFi 3 years after that).

However when you add the 4-move limit, the varying types of Pokemon as well as attacks, and the varying stats (attributes that determine a Pokemon's prowess in terms of Attack, Defense, and Speed) and winning battles becomes easier said than done. A player is forced to consider many things when assembling a team of 6 Pokemon. Does my team have a well rounded collection of types? (Don't follow Misty's lead and use all Water types or be extremely vulnerable to Electric type attacks) Do my Pokemon have even HP and defense to withstand attacks? Can their Attack power deal enough damage? Will my Pokemon be fast enough to strike first? Although Red and Blue had some odd components to the battle system such as the critical hit ratio and certain moves failing every time (such as Roar), it was the prototype for a crucial aspect of Pokemon that would evolve over the subsequent games.

Speaking of evolving, evolution is an important aspect as well. In Red and Blue, Pokemon evolved in 3 ways: leveling up (Oddish evolves into Gloom at level 21), the use of a special stone (Gloom evolves into Vileplume via the Leaf Stone), or trade (Haunter must be traded in order to evolve into Gengar). So aside from catching Pokemon, a large number are exclusively available through evolution. Makes things more interesting than just throwing Poke Balls over and over.

Story

Even great games have their weaknesses. Some Pokemon games excel in this category but generally I don't think I would be lying if I said story was the biggest weakness in Pokemon games. It's simple, it's easy to wrap your head around and of course has a lot of room for imagination. A 10-year-old boy (officially named Red, though you can input any name within 7 characters. Sorry Emmanuel and Leighton) and his rival begin their Pokemon journey in Pallet town. Each selecting one of three starter Pokemon (the rival always choosing the one with the type advantage), they head off to explore the region of Kanto and become the best Pokemon Trainer while completing the Pokedex. After conquering 8 gyms specializing in various types as well as thwarting the plans of the Mafia esque organization known as Team Rocket, the player character reaches the Pokemon League. There reside 4 Pokemon Masters and defeating them would make you the Champion. However, after defeating those 4 (known as the Elite 4), the two rivals face off in the most important battle of the game. When the player triumphs, his Pokemon and himself are immortalized into the Hall of Fame. This allows him to face and capture the strongest Pokemon, Mewtwo, in Cerulean Cave.

source: comicvine.com

The faces, places, and Pokemon change throughout the games but ultimately this plot sequence remains in tact. While other series like The Legend of Zelda boast varying and in depth storylines, Pokemon decides to stick to this formula. It's not so bad. As the saying goes, "If it's not broken, don't fix it". The plots of the various Spider-Man, Batman, and other movie re-adaptations and sequels don't change but they keep making money. Also important is how the protagonist is a normal human kid. Not bounty hunter raised by aliens or a pink ball with legs and a huge appetite, a human. That helps the players relate to the game more. A big issue being only one gender option being available, but that would be corrected in Crystal, with further player customization options available in Pokemon Battle Revolution as well as Pokemon X and Y.

The Power of Friendship

The creators of Pokemon made it clear that their ultimate vision for the Pokemon franchise would not be complete if everything in the games could be accomplished alone. The version exclusive Pokemon, the Pokemon that evolve via trade, as well as the scarcity of Pokemon such as Eevee was a nightmare for the poor unfortunate souls who did not live near anyone else who had the game. But many people knew at least one other person who had the opposite versions were able to accomplish the main goal of the game (Gotta Catch Em All). Here is a prime example of something Nintendo has always done very well: bring people together through great games. There's no telling how many friendship Pokemon likely has started; likely hundreds or even thousands. There's always something special playing video games with friends and/or family you cannot enjoy while playing alone.

Legacy

17 years later, these games are still widely revered. These games forever changed the gaming landscape all over the world. The "E" for everyone rating is quite literally: anyone can play these games. Just like watching SpongeBob, Phineas and Ferb, or Survivor brings something different to audiences of different ages or backgrounds, the same goes for Pokemon. From battling to collecting to embracing an amazing world and the just as amazing characters who inhabit it, there is much to enjoy and admire about these games. This can possibly begin to explain why clubs like Nintendo Club at UC Davis exist in many schools. Nintendo has an amazing collection of games, but in this room of gems that would make a bride wish her groom went to Gamestop instead of Jared's, Pokemon Red and Blue shine among the brightest. And their light lead the way for an amazing series to unfold.

Thank you Pokemon Red and Blue for having an influential part of my video gaming passion and probably even my life. I know millions of people feel the same way. Here's to next year #18. Adulthood will be an interesting transition, I'm sure.