«« You’ll Be Sorry When I’m Gone »»

Pokémon, (Japanese for Pocket Monsters) swept up a nation of kids in a heartbeat. Are the games total rip-offs? Is it really worth the extra $20 - $30 to go buy your kids a game pack?

Pokémon (Pocket Monsters) is a not only a hit TV show, but it also comes in the forms of games, cards, Game Boy cartridges, N64 games, etc. Pokémon are small animals, and each of them contain special "elemental" (grass, psychic, fire, ice, water etc.) powers. The basis of the show and the game is to catch all 151 species of Pokémon. You can link up to your friends to trade or even battle the Pokémon you've caught against your friend's Pokémon.

Pokémon can be caught in wild areas, as you are supposed to "catch" them. Once you catch them, you can have them battle against other "wild" or "trained" Pokémon to make them get stronger. You travel around the world to battle "gym leaders", and, after you win, they give you "badges" which will let you enter the Pokémon League. There are 8 badges in all, and once you win the Pokémon League you become the "Pokémon Master."

The "Pokémon Master" is looked up to in society (in the game), much like a legendary celebrity such as Elvis or Frank Sinatra. Much like the game, children often look up to whoever is the "Pokémon Master", and since most children have beaten the game, they all want to earn the "celebrity-like" aspects of training better Pokémon than their friends.

Parents who complain about the Pokémon phenomena are throwing away a perfectly good oppurtunity to teach your child some responsibility skills.

Instead of just going out and buying your child the Pokémon Game Boy Game, have them save up their money. You could give them tasks to do, such as cleaning up the house or washing up the car, and build a little "account" of money going towards the Pokémon Game. Once they've earned it (and not before) you could take them to the toy store and reward them by buying them the game.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day your children will realize what good parents you were when you put up with this Pokémon phenomena.

Overall, the rating of the game was a perfect *10*, in my standards anyways.

Graphics were as good as Game Boy could get, and the Pokémon portraits were pretty good relative to the TV show (with the exception of Pikachu, Charmander, and Squirtle).

The story was also pretty good, it didn't get too in detail but the main function of the game is to walk around and catch/raise all 151 species of Pokémon.

Music could get annoying at times, but what game doesn't have annoying music?

The main function of the game was phenomenal! Parents, have you ever sat down and actually played the game, knowing what the story is all about? If you haven't, I just explained the main story up there. You will be instantly hooked! I know I was, that is I played the game before I wrote this epinion.

So, in conclusion. I would like to tell the parents that they are being great role models for their kids for putting up with this Pokémon "Phenomena", I'm sure your kids will do the same for theirs now that you have showed them the way. Make sure they don't go too hard on you, though, and always make sure they say "Please" and "Thank You".