Nintendo of America Almost Ruined Pokemon

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Nintendo of America Almost Ruined Pokemon

Key Takeaways

  • Nintendo almost changed iconic Pokemon designs before the series’ US launch, risking backlash.
  • Pokemon Red and Green sold over 10 million units in Japan, their success inspiring expansion to other regions like the United States.
  • Nintendo of America tried to replace Pokemon’s cuter designs to suit US audiences, but the new ideas were ultimately rejected.

As a veteran gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but shake my head in disbelief at Nintendo’s near-fatal blunder with Pokemon. Can you imagine a world where Pikachu looked like a cross between a tiger and a Cats character? The mere thought is laughable!

A recent report reveals that Nintendo of America had considered altering the designs of popular Pokemon characters like Pikachu prior to the U.S. debut of Pokemon. Given that Pokemon now boasts over 1,025 unique monsters and is lauded for its distinctive visual design, such a change could have significantly damaged Nintendo of America’s reputation if it had been implemented.

There’s no denying that Pokémon has a massive following in Japan. The initial games of this franchise, named Pokémon Red and Green (with Blue being known as Pokémon Blue in the western world), have sold more than 10 million copies within Japan itself, making them the top-selling games in the country for many years. Given this success, Nintendo of America aimed to replicate it in the United States. One of the early tasks for their team was figuring out how to tailor Pokémon for Western audiences.

Currently, a dedicated Pokémon enthusiast named Jack_Hardin stumbled upon an intriguing tale first published by Time magazine back in the year. This article delves into various aspects such as the reason behind the marketing team opting to launch Pokémon Red instead of Green, and the methods used to translate some creature names. However, one of the most captivating tidbits is that Nintendo of America contemplated making significant visual alterations to the Pokémon series. The marketing team at Nintendo of America aimed to recreate the game’s Japanese popularity in 1998, and initially believed that fresh designs with a graffiti-inspired aesthetic would strike a chord with local audiences.

Nintendo of America Wanted Alternative Designs for Pokemon

In the passage given by Jack_Hardin, it’s clear that the initial Pokémon designs were deemed “too cutesy” by Americans, prompting Nintendo of America to redesign them. The CEO of The Pokémon Company, Tsunekazu Ishihara, expressed his disapproval, claiming they had transformed Pikachu into something resembling a tiger with oversized breasts, similar to a character from the musical “Cats.” Fortunately, these designs were abandoned, and the games were released featuring their original artwork. If these new designs had been kept, it’s possible that Pokémon’s popularity in America could have been at risk due to its exceptional creature designs today.

Ultimately, just names were swapped out, and no modifications were made visually, which helped make Pokemon a worldwide sensation that moved more than 480 million units across all games. The upcoming installment in the series, tentatively titled Pokemon Legends: Z-A, is anticipated to drop sometime in 2025. Regrettably, whispers suggest that the release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A could be delayed until the latter half of 2025; however, it’s expected to be a highly sought-after game among enthusiasts.

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2024-09-26 23:34