Generation I

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Generation I
Pokémon Blue Version
Title screen of Pokémon Blue Version
DebutENSeptember 28, 1998
JAFebruary 27, 1996
Pokémon151
Main gamesRed, Green,Blue, andYellow(Japan)
Red, Blue, andYellow(International)
Region(s) introducedKanto
Battle arena gamesStadium (Japanese),Stadium (International)
Side gamesTrading Card Game,Pinball,Snap,Puzzle League
EndENOctober 15, 2000(748 days)
JANovember 21, 1999(1363 days)

Thefirst generation (Japanese:第一世代first generation;ポケットモンスター赤・緑シリーズPocket Monsters Red and Green Series) ofPokémon games, commonly referred to by fans asGeneration I, is the initial set of Pokémon games released.

This generation released severalcore games, beginning with the Japanese gamesPokémon Red and Green on February 27, 1996,[1] followed byBlue later that year.[2][3] Internationally, these three games were repackaged asPokémon Red and Blue, which were released in North America on September 28, 1998.[4] The final Generation I core game released was the special editionPokémon Yellow, which was released in Japan on September 12, 1998[5] and in North America on October 19, 1999.[6] These core games were all released for Nintendo'sGame Boy handheld console.

Two battle arenaside games were also released during Generation I: theJapan-only Pokémon Stadium, and its sequel, released internationally asPokémon Stadium. These side games were released for theNintendo 64 home console. Additionally, variousspin-off Pokémon games were released during Generation I, including other handheld games (likePokémon Trading Card Game, released for theGame Boy Color) and home console games (likePokémon Snap, released for the Nintendo 64).

Terminology

The term "Generation I" is usually consideredfan terminology. While official sources have used the term "generation" to refer to later groups of Pokémon games, they typically have not referred to generations with Roman numerals. However, the cast ofPOKÉMON Detective Pikachu uses the term in their commentary, and the associated subtitles use the Roman numeral "I," following the fan terminology convention.[citation needed]

The Japanese Pokémon website,pokemon.co.jp, uses the name 「ポケットモンスター赤・緑シリーズ」 (Pocket Monsters Red and Green Series) to refer to thecore gamesPokémon Red, Green,Blue, andYellow, as well as theside gamesStadium (Japanese) andStadium (English).[7][8][9]

History

Origins

Monster sprite designs fromCapsule Monsters, with some recognizable as early versions of Generation I Pokémon likeRhydon,Exeggcute, andGengar

In 1990,Satoshi Tajiri pitched the idea forCapsule Monsters toNintendo, with the help ofShigeru Miyamoto. The Capsule Monsters idea ultimately evolved to become the Generation I games, and the Pokémon franchise generally. The pitch for Capsule Monsters already included key mechanics that would appear in the final Generation I games, with many based on Tajiri's childhood interest in bug collecting. For example, in designing thetrading system between twoGame Boys, he imagined a caterpillar crawling across theGame Link Cable.

Initial releases

Nintendo,Game Freak, andCreatures, Inc. released the Generation I for the Game Boy in Japan in 1996, with the paired gamesPokémon Red and Green in February[1] and the updated gamePokémon Blue later that year.[2][3] These games were released with the name "Pocket Monsters" due to issues with trademarking the Capsule Monsters name. Similar issues arose when localizing this generation's games into English. Because of issues using the Pocket Monsters name outside Japan (due to the unrelated, North American franchiseMonster in My Pocket), the Generation I (and all subsquent games) have been released under the name "Pokémon" internationally.

Internationally, the Generation I games were released in September 1998.[4] However, the original three games were recombined and repackaged for the international release asPokémon Red and Blue. The international versions use theversion-exclusivewild Pokémon encounter lists from the Japanese Red and Green games, while both games use the slightly improved graphics from the Japanese Blue game.

After theanimated series,Pokémon the Series, began airing (in Japan in 1997 and internationally in 1998), the Generation I games experienced major surges in popularity.[citation needed] The explosive popularity of the Generation I games firmly cemented the Pokémon franchise as a Nintendo mainstay, like theSuper Mario andThe Legend of Zelda franchises before it.

The final Generation Icore games,Pokémon Yellow (formally known as "Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition"), is based onPokémon the Series. Released in Japan in September 1998[5] and internationally in October 1999,[6] the game made several changes from the original games. It featuresPikachu as the player'sfirst partner Pokémon (though the otherKanto starters are all obtainable without player-to-player trading), and it made a number of aesthetic, storyline, and location changes. Pokémon Yellow also made a number of gameplay changes, including introducing the mechanic that would becomefriendship exclusively for the partner Pikachu.

Two battle arena games were released in this generation, becoming the franchise's firstside games. The first,Pokémon Stadium, was released in Japan in 1998;[10] this game, which was mostly incomplete (e.g., only allowing players to use 40 Pokémon), never got an international release. Its sequelPokémon Stadium, known in Japan as "Pocket Monsters' Stadium 2," was released in April 1999 in Japan[11] and in February 2000 internationally.[12] This improved game features several special battle modes and aGym Leader Castle, where players could take their fully-trained teams for matches against the KantoGym Leaders,Elite Four, andChampion. As with subsequent side games, Pokémon Stadium allows for direct connections to the core games, allowing players to transfer Pokémon from the Generation I core games.

Legacy

All Generation I core games have receivedremakes in latergenerations:

Later Pokémon games have storylines that either connect to or follow up on the Kanto region storyline from the Generation I games. TheJohto story in theGeneration II games (and theirGeneration IV remakes) is a direct sequel to the Kanto story, taking place three years after the events of the Generation I games. TheHoenn story in theGeneration III games takes place contemporaneously with the Kanto story, as revealed both in Generation III's games based in Hoenn (Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire) as well as its remake games based in Kanto.

Gameplay

Generation I introduced the "standard formula" of Pokémon games: Theplayer character, from a small town in theregion, gets afirst partner Pokémon from a friendly, local authority figure and sets out on a Pokémon adventure, culminating in defeating a team of enemies, aLegendary Pokémon, theElite Four, and the player's own rival. The Generation I games also introduced the early generation formula of game releases, namely a paired set of games (with different sets of availablePokémon), followed by a special follow-up game. However, this formula wasn't as standardized as it would be in subsequentgenerations, given the release of both PokémonBlue andPokémon Yellow followingPokémon Red and Green in Japan.

Theparty interface fromPokémon Red and Blue

Key Pokémon gameplay elements and mechanics from the Generation I games include the following:

ThePokédex interface fromPokémon Red and Blue
  • APokédex that automatically registers information about caught and seen Pokémon
  • A complex Pokémon battle system, with each Pokémon having the following:
    • 5 stats—HP, Attack, Defense, Speed, and Special—which vary for different Pokémon, even those of the same species;
    • 1 or 2 of the 15 Pokémontypes, which affect thepower andeffectiveness of moves; and
    • 4 of the165 unique moves, which each have a separate type,accuracy, and basepower.
  • ThePokémon League challenge, with two main parts:
  • Alinkedtrade and battle system between twoGame Boy systems, allowing players to exchange Pokémon with one another or to battle against each other.
    • Some Pokémon are only obtainable in one game version, and have to be traded to be obtained in the other version(s).

Many of these gameplay elements have persisted through later game generations, with some remaining nearly or even entirely unchanged across games. For example, while the number of types has grown to 18* (as ofGeneration IX), each Pokémon may still only have one or two types at a time.

Region

Kanto

Kanto
Main article:Kanto

Generation I introduced the firstregion to the Pokémon series, which, though unnamed in the original English games, is named in Japanese as Kanto, after theregion of Japan it is based on. The name has since passed into English, first being used inSuper Smash Bros., and subsequently being noted in all games since.

First partner Pokémon

At the outset of the player's journey, he will have no Pokémon on hand, and venturing outside ofPallet Town is impossible, asProfessor Oak will stop him and bring him back tohis lab, where three Pokémon await both the player and his rival.

The first partner Pokémon of the Kanto region began the recurring three-type trio ofGrass,Fire, andWater, with the player's choice being betweenBulbasaur,Charmander, andSquirtle. Much as in later generations as well, therival will choose whichever of the three has the type that is super effective against that of the player.

The choice of a first partner Pokémon can make the beginning fewGyms 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.


Bulbasaur

Charmander

Squirtle
GrassPoisonFireWater
IvysaurIvysaurCharmeleonCharmeleonWartortleWartortle
GrassPoisonFireWater
VenusaurVenusaurCharizardCharizardBlastoiseBlastoise
GrassPoisonFireFlyingWater

InPokémon Yellow, instead of the normal trio found in Red, Green, and Blue, players can only start with theElectric-type Pikachu, which likewise has difficulty with the first Gym. The rival will take Oak'sEevee and evolve it into one of its threestone-based Evolutions depending on the results of the player's battles against him.


Pikachu
Electric

Gym Leaders

The eight KantoGym Leaders each specialize in a different type of Pokémon. Each gives the player aBadge and aTM after their defeat.

Indigo League
Gym Leader
Japanese
Location
Japanese
TypeBadge
{{{size}}}
Brock
タケシ Takeshi
Pewter City
ニビシティ
Nibi City
Rock
Boulder Badge
{{{size}}}
Misty
カスミ Kasumi
Cerulean City
ハナダシティ
Hanada City
Water
Cascade Badge
{{{size}}}
Lt. Surge
マチス Matisse
Vermilion City
クチバシティ
Kuchiba City
Electric
Thunder Badge
{{{size}}}
Erika
エリカ Erika
Celadon City
タマムシシティ
Tamamushi City
Grass
Rainbow Badge
{{{size}}}
Koga
キョウ Kyou
Fuchsia City
セキチクシティ
Sekichiku City
Poison
Soul Badge
{{{size}}}
Sabrina
ナツメ Natsume
Saffron City
ヤマブキシティ
Yamabuki City
Psychic
Marsh Badge
{{{size}}}
Blaine
カツラ Katsura
Cinnabar Island
グレンじま
Guren Island
Fire
Volcano Badge
{{{size}}}
Giovanni
サカキ Sakaki
Viridian City
トキワシティ
Tokiwa City
Ground
Earth Badge

Comparison

Generation I can be considered the template for every generation since. Many mainstays of the main series games were introduced in Generation I.

Some aspects introduced in this generation are found in every generation since, unless otherwise stated:

Some aspects introduced in this generation have been revised since:

  • In Generation I, theBag had only 20 slots, and each item or stack of items occupied one slot. This forced the player to constantly store obsoleteKey Items,TMs, andHMs in theItem Storage System in order to obtain new items. Later games would expand the Bag's storage space and provide additional Bag pockets to organize items. Starting inGeneration IV, the Bag's storage is effectively limitless and can store all obtained items, obviating the need for the Item Storage System.
  • In Generations I andII, the player was unable to capture any more Pokémon if the current box in thePokémon Storage System was full. Starting inGeneration III, the player could usePoké Balls while the current box was full. If a wild Pokémon was captured in this circumstance, the next box would become the current box, and the captured Pokémon would be sent there.
  • In Generations I-IV, TMs are single-use while HMs can be used an unlimited number of times. Starting inGeneration V, TMs have unlimited uses as well (outside ofPokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl).
  • In the Generation I, the HMsCut,Surf, andStrength are required for completion of the games. They may also be used to access optional areas. AllGeneration IIVI games also require some HMs for completion. Starting inGeneration VII, HMs are not present at all, being replaced by thePoké RideSMUSUM/Secret TechniquesPE. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, there is nothing akin to HMs, except for the GalarFlying Taxi, a service where a cab flown by a Corviknight can bring the player anywhere with an open roof. In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, HMs can be accessed through thePokétch.
  • In Generations I-III,physical andspecial moves are determined by the move type. For instance, allFire moves are special. Starting inGeneration IV, physical and special moves are determined by the move itself, rather than their type.
  • Special is a stat that existed only in this generation. InGeneration II, Special was split into Special Attack and Special Defense.

Battle system flaws

The battle system of the original games had some game balance issues, mainly due to the limited variety of Pokémon type combinations and movesets. Additionally, the behavior of multiple mechanics was inconsistent with their implementations in later games. Issues and mechanics that were fixed or altered in either thePokémon Stadium series or inGeneration II are listed below.

Balancing issues

  • Psychic-type Pokémon were strong because their moves were resisted only by other Psychic types and their only weakness was to theBug type, of which there were only three damaging moves:Leech Life,Pin Missile, andTwineedle. Additionally, most of the Pokémon that learned these moves were partPoison and therefore weak to Psychic moves.Ghost-type moves, while meant to be super effective, were completely ineffective against Psychic types due to what may be a programming bug. Even if this were to be disregarded, the only supereffective Ghost-type move would beLick, whosepower was only 20 at the time, and the only Ghost-type Pokémon that existed at the time were also part Poison-type.
  • Normal-type Pokémon were strong, as their only weakness was to theFighting type. Most Fighting-type Pokémon couldn't learn manySTAB moves other thanSubmission, which was inaccurate and dealt recoil damage, and they were difficult to use due to the presence of strong Psychic-type Pokémon. Normal-type Pokémon learn many moves of other types and could often use moves such asEarthquake orBlizzard to defeat Ghost-types andRock-types that resisted their Normal-type moves.
  • The only damagingDragon-type move was the set-damageDragon Rage. This meant that Dragon-type Pokémon could never take advantage of STAB, and that the only moves that could hit them with supereffective damage wereIce-type moves.
  • The strongestPoison-type move wasSludge, which only had a base power of 65 and can only be learned by a fewPoison-type Pokémon.
  • TheSpecial stat represented both Special Attack and Special Defense, giving Pokémon with a high Special stat an edge in battle. For example,Venusaur had abase Special stat of 100, usedGrass-type (considered "Special") moves, and was weak to mostly Special types.
  • Critical hit ratios were based on a Pokémon's base speed, allowing faster Pokémon to deal critical hits more frequently.

Battle glitches

Main article:List of battle glitches in Generation I
  • Leech Seed andToxic used the same damage counter, allowing Leech Seed to drain twice as much damage when a Pokémon was affected by both at the same time.
  • Focus Energy andDire Hit divided the user'scritical hit rate by 4 instead of multiplying it by 4.
  • UsingAgility or Swords Dance whileparalyzed orburned, respectively, would negate the status impairments from those effects and then double the enhanced stat.
  • IfHyper Beam knocked out a Pokémon or destroyed asubstitute, the user would not need to recharge on the succeeding turn.
  • Selfdestruct andExplosion did not make the user faint if they destroyed a Substitute.
  • AlthoughRest removed status conditions, it would not alleviate the stat debuffs caused by a burn or paralysis.
  • If aBide user was hit with a status move before its attacking turn, the damage dealt would equal that of the last attack used against it.
  • If a Pokémon's HP was 255 or 511 (or any number that leaves a remainder of 255 when divided by 256) points below its maximum, HP recovery moves likeRecover andSoftboiledwould fail. This is because the game only checks the low byte of the 16-bit value.
  • When a Pokémon was hit by a move that did not deal neutral damage, the message that displayed would reflect only the matchup against one of the target's types.

Mechanical issues

  • Critical hits would ignore all stat changes, including increases to the attacking Pokémon's Attack or Special and decreases to the target's Defense or Special. This can result in a critical hit dealing less damage than an attack that does not land a critical hit.
  • Counter could be used in response toGuillotine orHorn Drill to instantly defeat an enemy Pokémon, even if the move hit the user'sSubstitute.
  • Moves lost their additional effect after they broke asubstitute, preventing a Pokémon from fainting after usingExplosion to break a substitute.
  • With the exception ofSwift, every attack had at least a 1/256 chance of missing.
  • Wrap,Bind,Fire Spin, andClamp immobilized the target for 2 to 5 turns as a side effect. If a Pokémon that used one of these moves switched out, the target would still be considered trapped during that turn.
  • Struggle was programmed withNormal-type offensive properties instead of being programmed to ignore type matchups, making it ineffective againstGhost types.
  • Waking up from sleep took a full turn.
  • Using Substitute while having 25% or less of one's maximum HP left would cause the user to faint.
  • As soon asRage connected, the user would become unable to use any other move until it fainted. Subsequent uses of Rage would not consume PP, and if the user misses a subsequent Rage due to accuracy reduction or the target's increased evasion, the move's accuracy would become 1/256.
  • Multistrike moves dealt the same amount of damage for each hit in a turn, meaning that if the first hit was a critical hit, the other hits would be critical hits as well.
  • In-game opponents had infinite PP, meaning they could use moves without limit.
  • In-game opponents with certain AI patterns will always use moves typed to be super effective against the target, even when those moves do not deal damage directly.

Kanto thematic motif

The first generation of Pokémon games dealt with genetics and engineering. Several Pokémon in this generation revolve around this theme:Eevee is capable of evolving into multiple forms due to its unstable DNA;Voltorb is the result of a Poké Ball experiment gone awry; andPorygon is a virtual reality Pokémon. These games also introduce threeFossils which can be resurrected into prehistoric Pokémon:Aerodactyl,Kabuto, andOmanyte. Finally, out of the four legendaries that appeared, the most powerful was man-made through genetic engineering:Mewtwo. The uncatchableMythical Pokémon,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.Ditto could also mimic the abilities and structure of any Pokémon it encountered, making it capable of breeding with most Pokémon fromGeneration II onwards. TheMaster Ball is the most powerful Poké Ball in the franchise, and was first engineered by Kanto scientists. With this generation being the very foundation of the Pokémon franchise, most successors have only expanded upon Kanto's basics.

Title screens

The picture used in this section is unsatisfactory.
Please feel free to replace it so it conforms to Bulbapedia conventions.
Reason: Replace with APNGs if and when appropriate

When played on theSuper Game Boy,Super Game Boy 2,Game Boy Tower,Game Boy Color,Game Boy Advance, orGame Boy Player, the games usepredefined color palettes based on the game version instead of displaying in monochrome.

On theNintendo 3DSVirtual Console releases of the Western versions ofPokémon Yellow,Game Boy Color mode is enforced.

English title screens

Game Boy,Game Boy Color,Game Boy Advance, andGame Boy Player

Pokémon Red
Game Boy
Pokémon Blue
Game Boy
Pokémon Yellow
Game Boy
Pokémon Red
Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Player
Pokémon Blue
Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Player
Pokémon Yellow
Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Player

Super Game Boy,Super Game Boy 2, andGame Boy Tower

Pokémon RedPokémon BluePokémon Yellow
Super Game Boy & Super Game Boy 2
Pokémon Yellow
Game Boy Tower

Japanese title screens

Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Player

Pocket Monsters Red
Game Boy
Pocket Monsters Green
Game Boy
Pocket Monsters Blue
Game Boy
Pocket Monsters Pikachu
Game Boy
Pocket Monsters Red
Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Player
Pocket Monsters Green
Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Player
Pocket Monsters Blue
Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Player
Pocket Monsters Pikachu
Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Player

Super Game Boy, Super Game Boy 2, and Game Boy Tower

Pocket Monsters RedPocket Monsters GreenPocket Monsters BluePocket Monsters Pikachu

Trivia

  • Of all thegenerations, Generation I introduced the mostmoves to thecore series, with 165. It is also the only generation in which the total number of moves is greater than the total number ofPokémon.
  • AlongsideGenerations II andV, Generation I is one of the shortest generations in the West and is currently the shortest.
  • Prior toGeneration 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, therefore leaving 89 extra spots.
  • Prior toGeneration VIII, Generation I was the only generation not to feature the paired versions' mascots on the title screens, but instead included the first evolutionary stages of two first partner Pokémon.
  • Generation I is the only generation in which:
  • The Japanese releases of the Generation I games mark the only generation where two solitary core titles were released (Pokémon Blue andPokémon Yellow).
  • Generation I is the only generation to have multiple pairs ofremakes of its core series games.

Character names

References

  1. 1.01.1ポケットモンスター 赤・緑 - Pokemon.co.jp
  2. 2.02.1ポケットモンスター 青 - Pokemon.co.jp
  3. 3.03.1Translation: Forgotten Story of Pokemon Blue’s Release - LavaCutContent.com
  4. 4.04.1Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version - Pokemon.com
  5. 5.05.1ポケットモンスター ピカチュウ - Pokemon.co.jp
  6. 6.06.1Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition - Pokemon.com
  7. Pocket Monsters Red and Green Series - Pokemon.co.jp
  8. Games - Pokemon.co.jp
  9. Game List - Pokemon.co.jp
  10. ポケモンスタジアム - Pokemon.co.jp
  11. ポケモンスタジアム2 - Pokemon.co.jp
  12. Pokémon Stadium - Pokemon.com
  13. ポケットモンスター ファイアレッド・リーフグリーン - Pokemon.co.jp
  14. Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version - Pokemon.com
  15. 『ポケットモンスター」シリーズがNintendoSwitch™に初登場! - Pokemon.co.jp
  16. Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! - Pokemon.com

Related articles

This game-related article is part ofProject Games, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on thePokémon games.