Flashback Friday: Pokemon Blue

Week three has arrived, and we're having a swing at one of the major players! Swaggering up to the plate today is Pokemon Blue, a generation-defining game from the 1990's. It was what truly ignited the mad craze that was Pokemania, a phenomenon that has only grown in might since. While you could argue I should review Red and Blue, I never played Red as a kid and so it wouldn't really be a flashback, would it?

Unfortunately, I had to emulate the original game and so it isn't an exact comparison. But I'm sure you can forgive me. Let's warm up with the graphics. I'm sure I don't need to tell you just how horribly they have aged. Even between Blue and the next generation (Gold and Silver), the change is obvious. So, from that angle, the game doesn't maintain the same allure it once did. But that was to be expected and, blinded by nostalgia, I let it slide.

The gameplay is something I have long-since missed. These were the days before Pokemon Contests or Musicals. It was fresh, it was innovative and it could carry itself with ease. Playing with manageable goals, namely becoming the best Trainer and defeating the Elite Four, gave me a great sense of relief. It was a streamlined experience and one that I relished every second of. However, I did miss the addition of various new types such as Steel and  Dark. But it is a trade-off I willingly gave in exchange for a 'pure' Pokemon game.

On the subject of improvements, I really missed the Running Shoes. I had forgotten just how slow your character moved, as well as how stunted some of the dialogue can be. It felt slightly forced which is understandable considering the lack of real conflict in the game. Minus the somewhat hollow threat that was Team Rocket, the game was very self-motivated. There was no over-ruling villain to defeat as such, no evil minions. The story in the series has strengthened over time, I concede that much. This was addressed in Yellow, the third game of Generation 1, which seems to cling closer to the anime of the same name.

So, to wrap this review up, Pokemon Blue is still very much the classic it was. But, like all classics, it does not appear healthy to the modern eye. It is very aged, very brittle and does not offer the 'variety' that the modern games do. In a society where more is more, it's little more than a doodle on a napkin. But to those who were there for the first 151, it will always be a Picasso, a bizarre blend of ideas that shouldn't have worked which formed a global gaming giant. While it is not a game that will last generations, it is a game that will last the ages.