Generation I: Difference between revisions

|battlearena=[[Pokémon Stadium (English)|Stadium]]

Beginning with {{game|Red and Green|s}}, and later joined by third version {{v2|Blue| (Japanese)}} and special edition {{v2|Yellow}} in Japan, the Generation I games were developed beginning as early as 1990 from [[Capsule Monsters|an idea]] that [[Satoshi Tajiri]] had thought of and pitched to [[Nintendo]] with the help of [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]. The inspiration for many of the key mechanics introduced in this generation came from Tajiri's childhood interest in bug collecting, with the [[trading]] system between two [[Game Boy]]s being thought of when he imagined a caterpillar crawling across the [[link cable]] between two systems.

This generation was localized into English, with initial attempts to keep the Pocket Monsters name for international use blocked due to the {{wp|Monster in My Pocket}} franchise leading to the release as "Pokémon". Further alterations made in the localization included the combination of Red, Green, and Blue into the English versions of {{game|Red and Blue|s}}, using Red and Green's wild Pokémon encounter lists but Blue's slightly improved graphics. Despite this, the simultaneous release of the games and {{pkmn|anime}} led to an almost-overnight surge in popularity that raised [[Pokémon controversy|some parental concern]], often dubious, and cemented the Pokémon franchise firmly as a Nintendo mainstay alongside {{smw|Mario (series)|Super Mario}} and {{zw|The Legend of Zelda (Series)|The Legend of Zelda}}.

* A [[link cable|linked]] [[trade]] and battle system between two [[Game Boy]] systems, allowing players to exchange Pokémon they caught for a Pokémon owned by another person or to battle against each other to test their skills. Some Pokémon have to be traded so that they can evolve.

The eight Kanto [[Gym Leader]]s each specialize in a different type of Pokémon. Each gives out a [[Badge]] and a [[TM]] on their defeat.

When the games were first released, despite their inferior graphics and sound compared to other games of the time, they were revolutionary, firmly rooting the Pokémon series as one of [[Nintendo]]'s mainstays alongside Mario and The Legend of Zelda.

 

Throughout the six generations so far, Pokémon has continued to build on the successes of Generation I's system, while addressing the drawbacks and errors made in the development of the games. Many of the Pokémon world's standards were set in the first generation, including the first five [[HM]]s, all of which, with the exception of {{m|Flash}}, remain tools required for the game's completion in [[Generation V]].

Not only were gameplay aspects of the world set in Generation I, but also the storyline aspects. Each region since Kanto has had a local [[Pokémon Professor]] named after a tree who gives the player a [[starter Pokémon]], an [[villainous teams|evil team]] whose goal is to rule the world, and many other things that are now integral to being a [[core series]] game.

** {{type|Psychic}} Pokémon had virtually no match because their moves were resisted by no types other than itself and their only weakness was to the {{t|Bug}} type, of which there were only three damaging moves: {{m|Leech Life}}, {{m|Pin Missile}}, and {{m|Twineedle}}. Additionally, most of the Pokémon that learned these moves were part {{t|Poison}}, and therefore weak to Psychic types. {{type|Ghost}} moves are also completely ineffective to Psychic types instead of being super-effective, due to what may be a programming bug. This made it easy for the player to catch a {{p|Drowzee}} or {{p|Abra}} relatively early into the game, evolve it, and teach it the powerful move {{m|Psychic}}, allowing it to easily defeat most opponents.

* Except for the Elite Four, there were no Trainers who could be rebattled, meaning that, barring winning expensive TMs at the Game Corner and selling them or using {{m|Pay Day}} many times, the amount of money that a player could earn before reaching [[Indigo Plateau]] was limited.

* The {{stat|Special}} stat represented both Special Attack and Special Defense, meaning that a Pokémon with a high Special stat had a decisive edge in battle. For example, {{p|Venusaur}} had a [[base stats|base]] Special stat of 100, used {{type|Grass}} (considered "[[Special move|Special]]") moves, and was weak to mostly Special types (except for {{t|Flying}} and {{t|Bug}} types).

* Bad {{status|Poison}}ing would revert to standard poisoning if an inflicted Pokémon was switched out.

* [[Critical hit]] ratios were based off of a Pokémon's speed, allowing fast Pokémon such as {{p|Jolteon}} or {{p|Zapdos}} deal large amounts of critical hits.

** [[One-hit knockout move|One-hit KO moves]]s were also based off of speed, making them useless if the user was slower than the target.

* Due to a glitch, {{m|Focus Energy}} and {{DL|Battle item|Dire Hit}}s ''cut'' the user's critical hit ratio by 75%, instead of doubling it.

* Critical hits would ignore stat-ups from both parties rather than just the target. Three {{m|Swords Dance}}s would allow the user to do more damage normally than a critical hit from a target, allowing for a wide amount of luck-based victories in battles.

* Using {{m|Agility}} or Swords Dance while {{status|Paralysis|paralyzed}} or {{status|burn}}ed (respectively) would negate the status impairments from those effects, then double the enhanced status.

* {{status|Freeze|Frozen}} Pokémon are only able to thaw out from {{DL|Status condition healing item|Ice Heal}} or by being inflicted with {{type|Fire}} moves or {{m|Haze}}.

* {{m|Counter}} can be used in response to {{m|Guillotine}} or {{m|Horn Drill}} to instantly defeat an enemy Pokémon, even if the move hit the user's {{m|Substitute}}.

* Switching boxes required [[Save|saving]].

* {{m|Wrap}}, {{m|Bind}}, {{m|Fire Spin}}, and {{m|Clamp}} immobilized the target for 2-5 turns as a side-effect. If a trapped Pokémon switched out, it'd ''still'' be considered trapped during that turn.

* Although {{m|Rest}} acts as a {{DL|Potion|Full Restore}} with the side-effect of {{status|Sleep|falling asleep}}, it does not alleviate the status impairments caused by burns or paralysis.

* {{m|Struggle}} is programmed with {{type|Normal}} offensive properties instead of being programmed to ignore them, making it ineffective against {{t|Ghost}} types.

* When his with a super-effective move, the message that displays only reflects whether or not the move was super-effective against the target's ''second'' type.

* Overusing stat-ups would eventually cause the boosted stats to roll over into absurdly low numbers.

* Waking up from sleep takes an entire turn all on its own.

* Substitutes do not defend against status impairments. Hyper Beam also doesn't require a recharge if it destroys the Substitute, and {{m|Self-Destruct|Selfdestruct}}ing and {{m|Explosion|Exploding}} does not make the user faint if it destroys the Substitute.

* Using Substitute while having 25% or less of one's maximum HP left inadvertently KOs the user.

* As soon as {{m|Rage}} connects, the user will become disobedient and will be unable to use any other move until it faints. When Rage is used, it only loses the initial 1 PP, and if it misses, its accuracy drops to 1/256.

* {{m|Mimic}} randomly mimics an enemy's move, allowing the user to duplicate the enemy's moveset.

* {{m|Disable}} randomly disables an enemy's move, and also builds the enemy's rage should it be in effect.

* If a {{m|Bide}} user is it with a non-attacking move before its second turn, the damage dealt will equal that of the last attack used against it.

* Multi-hit moves (e.g. {{m|Fury Attack}} or {{m|Fury Swipes}}) deal the same amount of damage for each attack, meaning that if the first move is a critical hit, the next 1-4 turns will be critical hits as well.

The first generation of Pokémon games were more directed towards genetics and engineering. The three starters, {{p|Bulbasaur}} (dinosaur-plant hybrid), {{p|Charmander}} (salamander), and {{p|Squirtle}} (turtle), are all reptilian in nature, and take some elements from the dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are reptiles, and were one of the most successful groups of animals to exist. Bulbasaur, the most similar to dinosaurs of the three, is the first listed in the [[Pokédex]]. Other Pokémon in the generation continue this theme. {{p|Eevee}} is capable of evolving into multiple forms due to its unstable DNA; {{p|Voltorb}} is the result of a Poké Ball experiment gone awry; {{p|Porygon}} is a virtual reality Pokémon. These games also introduce three Fossils, the most introduced of any generation, which can be resurrected into prehistoric Pokémon: {{p|Aerodactyl}}, {{p|Kabuto}} and {{p|Omanyte}}. Finally, out of the five legendaries that appeared, the most powerful was man-made through genetic engineering: {{p|Mewtwo}}. It remains the only legendary Pokémon, apart from {{p|Genesect}}, created through artificial means. The uncatchable legendary, {{p|Mew}}, also has the DNA of every Pokémon in existence.  

[[Bill]] himself invented the sophisticated PC used in most regions, and accidentally turned himself into a Pokémon. {{p|Ditto}} could also mimic the abilities and structure of any Pokémon it encountered, making it capable of breeding with most Pokémon from Generation II and onwards. The [[Master Ball]] is the most powerful Poké Ball in the franchise, and was first engineered by Kanto scientists as well. With this generation the very foundation of the Pokémon franchise, most successors have only expanded upon Kanto's basics such as trading, leveling-up and stone evolution.

| width="14px" style="background: #{{red color}};" | [[File:Japanese RedTitle.png]]

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* Generation I introduced the most moves to the series, with 165.

* Excluding FireRed and LeafGreen (as they are remakes), Generation I is the only generation so far whose [[Version mascot|mascots]] are non-[[legendary Pokémon]].

* Generation I is the only generation not to feature the paired versions' mascots on the title screen, but instead includes the first evolution stage of two starter Pokémon.