| Squirtle | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Squirtle artwork byKen Sugimori | |
| First game | Pokémon Red andBlue (1996) |
| Designed by | Atsuko Nishida[1] |
| Voiced by | Eric Stuart (English, 1998-2006) Michele Knotz (English, 2006-present) Rikako Aikawa (Japanese) Tomoe Hanba (May's, Japanese) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Pokémon |
| Type | Water |
Squirtle (/ˈskwɜːrtəl/ ⓘ), known asZenigame (Japanese:ゼニガメ) inJapan, is aPokémon species inNintendo andGame Freak'sPokémon franchise. It was designed byAtsuko Nishida.[1] Its name was changed from Zenigame to Squirtle during the English localization of the series in order to make it "clever and descriptive." In animated appearances, Squirtle is voiced in Japanese byRikako Aikawa and in English localizations byEric Stuart, and laterMichele Knotz.
In the main series games, Squirtle can evolve intoWartortle, and can then further evolve intoBlastoise. It is one of the three first partner Pokémon obtainable inPokémon Red, Blue, and Green, the first games in the series. Squirtle has received a mostly positive reception since its debut. A group of specific Squirtle, known as the Squirtle Squad, additionally developed a strong popularity as a result of their appearance in thePokémon anime. Squirtle has gone on to make playable appearances inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Squirtle is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for thePokémon media franchise. Developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video gamesPokémon Red andGreen for theGame Boy, which were later released in North America asPokémon Red andBlue in 1998.[2] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process calledevolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[3] Each Pokémon has one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[4] A major goal in each game is to complete thePokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[3]
Squirtle was designed as one of the starter Pokémon ofPocket Monsters Red andGreen byAtsuko Nishida, who based its design on its final form,[1] a turtle-esque Pokémon called Blastoise. Squirtle, in the games, can evolve into Wartortle and then into Blastoise.[5] Originally called "Zenigame" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "cleverly descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children.[6] Squirtle's English name is a portmanteau of the words "squirt" and "turtle."[7] The idea to feature Squirtle and the otherRed andBlue starters in a significant role inPokémon X andY came about a year and a half into the development of the games. The Mega Evolutions for the three Pokémon's final forms were created, and the designers decided that they should give players an opportunity to receive one of these Pokémon in order to see their Mega Evolved form.[8]Eric Stuart[9][10] andMichelle Knotz[11] have voiced the character in English, whileRikako Aikawa,[12][13] andTomoe Hanba have voiced the character in Japanese.[14]
The first video game appearance of Squirtle was inPokémon Red andBlue, alongside the other two startersCharmander andBulbasaur.[15] It since went on to appear in various games following this, such asPokémon X and Y,[16]Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!,[17]Pokémon Sword and Shield,[18] andPokémon Scarlet and Violet.[19] Outside of the main series, Squirtle appears in a wide variety of spin-offs, such asPokémon Snap,[20] thePokémon Stadium series,[21] thePokémon Mystery Dungeon series,[22] thePokémon Rumble series,[23]Pokémon Café Mix,[24]Pokémon Masters EX,[25]Pokémon Go,[26]Pokkén Tournament,[27]New Pokémon Snap,[28] andPokémon UNITE,[29] among others. InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, Squirtle is a playable character under the command of thePokémon Trainer,[30] alongsideIvysaur andCharizard which must be switched between in order to avoid fatiguing the Pokémon.[30] Squirtle returns as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate for theNintendo Switch, once again playable with Ivysaur and Charizard.[31]
In theanimated series,Ash Ketchum,Brock, andMisty encounter a gang of five Squirtle known as the Squirtle Squad in their debut episode "Here Comes the Squirtle Squad!". They first appear as delinquents, but their interactions with Ash and Co. result in them becoming honorary firefighters of their town.[32][33] The squad's leader eventually decides to join Ash and his friends journey throughout the Kanto and Johto regions until reuniting with his squad in the episode "The Fire-ing Squad".[34][35] Ash's second female companion,May, also owned a Squirtle.[36]Green, the original female protagonist inPokémon Adventures, stole a Squirtle fromProfessor Oak's laboratory. It was not seen until Chapter fifteen, "Wartortle Wars", by which point it had evolved into aWartortle, nicknamed Turtley, which she used as a major member of her team.[37] Squirtle later appeared as background elements in the live action movieDetective Pikachu.[38]
Squirtle has been featured in several forms of merchandise, including figurines, plush toys, and thePokémon Trading Card Game. Squirtle was part of aspecial airplane livery.[39] Squirtle was featured among other Pokémon as part ofBurger King kids' meal cards.[40] Analysts predicted that Squirtle, along withPikachu,Bulbasaur, andCharmander, would lead the merchandising of the Pokémon series.[41]Squirtle was among eleven Pokémon chosen as Japan's mascots in the2014 FIFA World Cup.[42][43]
Since it appeared in thePokémon series, Squirtle has received generally positive reception.[44] According toTime magazine, Squirtle was considered one of the "more popular" in the original series,[6] whileIGN ranked it the 46th best Pokémon ever, noting that it was "instantly recognisable."[45]GamesRadar editor Brett Elston noted that whileCharizard and Bulbasaur get "big props" fromPokémon players, Squirtle appears to be "more popular" from people who are not fans of the series, suggesting that its appearance may be a part of it.[46]ITmedia also ranked Squirtle as the fourth best first partner Pokémon, primarily due to its familiarity even with those not too closely associated with the franchise.[47]
Ryan Gilliam ofPolygon claimed that Squirtle was the best starter Pokémon, stating that "Squirtle isn’t adorable or fierce like the Charmander line, it doesn’t breed eternal sympathy like Bulbasaur. Instead, Squirtle, Blastoise and even Wartortle are just cool dudes. They’re cool turtles that are just cool together." He highlighted its design in comparison to Bulbasaur and Charmander, praising its simplicity and personality.[48]San Antonio Express-News editor Susan Yerkes called Squirtle "disgustingly cute".[49]GamesRadar editor Carolyn Gudmundson commented that Squirtle was the "coolest" of the three starting Pokémon in the anime, highlighting its association with the Squirtle Squad in the anime.[50]Pocket Gamer listed and criticized Squirtle as the worst Pokémon ever, stating that Squirtle is "just a turtle".[51] It has been cited as more "boring" than other Pokémon due to its similarities to other Pokémon of the same type as it.[52]
The Squirtle Squad characters have been described as fan favorites,[53] and have acted as the subject of severalPokémon GO collaboration events.[54][55]Vice writer Diana Tourjée described the initial episode featuring them as something that scared her as a child, citing that the Squirtle Squad initially appeared terrifying to her. Despite this, she highlighted in a retrospective that the Squirtle Squad's story was a powerful one that resonated with many groups of people. She stated that the attempts of the local police to paint them as a gang showed an unfair prejudice against a group that did not deserve it, and how it built the family dynamic between the Squirtle Squad members.[32]TheGamer's Khee Hoon Chan cited similar sentiments, stating that despite their initially menacing appearance, the Squad had a powerful backstory and a strong popularity among fans.[56]
Gabriel Boric Font received a Squirtle plush just prior to his Inauguration asPresident of Chile as a gift from Japan after he stated he was a fan of the series.[57] During a collaboration event inPokémon GO with singerEd Sheeran, Squirtle was a major focus event, which was stated to be due to Squirtle being Sheeran's favorite.[55]
Sugimori: "Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle were all designed by Ms. Nishida."; Nishida: "I created the designs for Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle by working backward from their final forms. I wanted people to be surprised when it evolved into Charizard, so I designed the original Charmander in such a way that Charizard would be unimaginable."
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)The Water Type starter from the first Pokémon generation, Squirtle appears as one of Ash's Pokémon in the anime and is probably instantly recognisable to anyone who has been around an eight year-old at some point in the last 15 years.
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