Generation I: Difference between revisions

{{Unknown name}}

|tertiary=Blue

|pair2={{v2|Yellow}}

|region=Kanto

|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}}.

Two battle arena games were released in this generation: the mostly-incomplete [[Pokémon Stadium (Japanese)]], which went unreleased outside of Japan and only allowed use of 42 Pokémon, and the improved {{eng|Pokémon Stadium}}, which featured several special battle modes and a [[Gym Leader Castle]] where players could take their fully-trained teams for matches against the Kanto [[Gym Leader]]s, [[Elite Four]], and {{pkmn|Champion}}.

* The {{player}} has a party of up to six {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} with them, which can be used in {{pkmn|battle}} against opponent [[Pokémon Trainer]]s or [[wild Pokémon]].

* A [[PC]]-based [[Pokémon Storage System]], made up of 12 boxes of 20 Pokémon each and developed by [[Bill]], a Pokémaniac, is available to store reserve Pokémon not in the party (up to 240 total).

** 165 unique [[move]]s, restricted to four per Pokémon, each with its own type, [[accuracy]], and base [[power]].

* 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.

==Regions==

====Starter Pokémon====

The starters of the Kanto region began the three-type trio that is still followed in Generation VI of {{t|Grass}}, {{t|Fire}}, and {{t|Water}}, with the player's choice being between {{p|Bulbasaur}}, {{p|Charmander}}, and {{p|Squirtle}}. Much as in later generations as well, the [[rival]] will choose whichever of the three has the type that is super effective against that of the player.

The choice of a starter can make the beginning few [[Gym]]s change in difficulty, but it does not affect much in the long run aside from the rival's party. Bulbasaur is known by many to be the easiest to start with, as its Grass-type weakens the first two Gyms and resists the attacks of the third. Squirtle is known as the second easiest, as Water types also weaken the first Gym; however, it can prove difficult mid-game if the player has not caught a Pokémon that can resist the later Gyms. Charmander is widely regarded as the hardest of the trio, as Fire-type moves do little damage against the first two Gyms' Pokémon, and there are few opportunities to capture a Pokémon that can counterbalance its weaknesses against the first several Gyms.

In {{game|Yellow}}, instead of the normal trio found in Red, Green, and Blue, players can only start with the {{type|Electric}} Pikachu, which likewise has difficulty with the first Gym. The rival will take Oak's {{p|Eevee}} and evolve it into one of its three [[Evolutionary stone|stone]]-based evolutions depending on the results of the player's battles against him.

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.

{{gldr|type=Electric|pic=Spr Y Lt Surge.png|ldr=Lt. Surge|djap=マチス|drm=Matis|loc=Vermilion City|cjap=クチバシティ|crm=Kuchiba City|bdg=Thunder}}

{{gldr|type=Poison|pic=Spr Y Koga.png|ldr=Koga|djap=キョウ|drm=Kyō|loc=Fuchsia City|cjap=セキチクシティ|crm=Sekichiku City|bdg=Soul}}

==Discussion of Generation I==

{{cleanup|section}}

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.

The games proved popular enough that, eight years after their original release, they received [[remake]]s in the form of {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s}}, as the original versions are incompatible with [[Generation III]] and onward.

 

* {{type|Psychic}} Pokémon had virtually no match because their moves were resisted only by other Psychic types 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 moves. {{type|Ghost}} moves were also completely ineffective against Psychic types instead of being super-effective, due to what may be a programming bug.

* The {{stat|Special}} stat represented both Special Attack and Special Defense, meaning that a Pokémon with a high Special stat had an 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.

* [[Critical hit]] ratios were based on a Pokémon's speed, allowing faster Pokémon to deal more critical hits.

===Other issues===

* The [[Bag]] had only 20 slots, and each stack of items (including key items) occupied one slot. This forced the player to constantly store obsolete key items, TMs, and HMs into the PC in order to make space for new ones.

* 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.

* If a {{m|Bide}} user was hit with a status move before its second turn, the damage dealt would equal that of the last attack used against it.

* If a Pokémon's HP was 255 or 511 points below its maximum, {{m|Recover}} and {{m|Soft-Boiled|Softboiled}} would fail.

====Other in-battle issues====

* Critical hits would ignore stat increases from both parties rather than just the target.

* As soon as {{m|Rage}} connected, the user would become disobedient and would be unable to use any other move until it fainted. When Rage was used, it only lost the initial 1PP, and if it missed, its accuracy dropped to 1/256.

===Kanto thematic motif===

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.

==Japanese title screens==

<!-- Green is already included above !-->

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

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

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

* 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]].

* Prior to [[Generation VI]], Generation I had the most extra space in the Pokémon Storage System if the player captures one of each Pokémon, with 240 spots available for 151 Pokémon, leaving 89 extra spots.

* 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.

* Generation I is the only generation without a playable female character, although evidence of an intended female player character has been discovered.

* Generation I is the only generation that [[List of Pokémon by index number (Generation I)|indexes]] its Pokémon in order of creation instead of by Pokédex number.

[[es:Generación I]]