Why do you play Pokemon?

[spectrobespro]

So guys since I like talking to new people and such I was curious as to why you play this wonderful game series of ours. I know that some might play it for nostalgia others to purely pass time. I might as well go into my reasoning for it, I play Pokemon because it helps me with my depression. I don't know what it is exactly about these games but they just make me feel happy. I don't know if it's because I think that those little pixels are real and actually care about me or if it's because I want to feel like the hero and saving the world without fail everytime. That's why when we get this new update I hope we get Waterfall so I can make sure that Amaria and Titania are okay. Oh and please let us use Rock Climb soon. Have a nice day everybody!

[Raviel the Phantom]

I started playing for a number of reasons. Firstly, Pokemon Red and Blue came out and it was the "thing" everyone played. I loved the challenges, picking pokemon and not knowing anything about them, and what they became (You should have seen my face when Magikarp evolved into Gyrados). I was excited to play Silver when it came out, saved up for months ahead of time. After that I kinda went away, thought I was too old for it. But then one fateful day working at a grocery store, a child threw a tantrum and tossed his Pokemon Emerald in the trash. I curiously retrieved it and my passion was ignited agian, though for different reasons. I love the storylines, the new Pokemon, the strategy needed to overcome the gym leaders and Elite Four.

[Abyssreaper99]

I started pokemon because I liked strategy games as a kid (and still do!) and pokemon does require good strategies at times. I became obsessed when I went through a rough patch for a few years and the storyline was interesting along with funny/ well made characters! Emerald was the start for me in my pokemon passion and X/Y nearly killed the joy of pokemon since everyone knows that game was too easy but Reborn has helped me keep that passion plus the characters/storyline is amazing but the laughs are real in Reborn (Cain's attitude/ Terra's awesomeness!) These pokemon games help me to feel better when I'm down especially when I'm feeling powerless! so I guess that's why I play pokemon and I still have to wait until Friday for ORAS to release

[Etesian]

For the thrill/challenge of it. I'm the type that loves being pushed to their limits, having to rack their brain and plan in advance to see what leads to victory using only what is available on-hand (y'know, no rotations and all that). Kinda natural I ended up on Reborn then, eh?

Well, it started off when I was looking for system to emulate after playing PS1 game #59723k on ePSXe/Pcsxr/Zebra. I stumbled upon the GBA, decided to emulate that and checked out the most-downloaded ROM for it, FireRed. I thought that the game is interesting, yet boring due to lack of difficulty. So I got into ROM-hacks to find more challenging Pokemon games, getting a thrill out of those actually hard to beat battles which aren't downright unfair (Snakewood's lvl100 Watson vs lvl30 you, Dark Rising's Dual-Kyurem, etc, etc.). Eventually Reborn happened, followed by competitive battling, as the highest challenge I have yet to surpass in this "series".

[Gaunt]

I started when Pokemon Red/Blue came out and at first i tried it because all my friends were playing it but then (after more than 6 hours, my mother had to take away the game from me ) i was hooked, always liked strategy games and a game where you catch and control "monsters" to battle with them, was innovative (at the time) and addictive to say the least. I played every (main) Pokemon game till now and will continue to do so even if they became a little boring and way too easy (but for that there's Reborn )

[Magus]

I started with blue, I too broke to own a console game system, and I play pokemon now because it is like my crack.

[Deleted User]

Because I can't let all of my childhood go. That's the short version of it. Also cus people I know play it.

[Nan]

Pokemon Crystal was my first pokemon game ever, I was 7-year-old when I first played it.. I always wanted to try pokemon because I saw many other kids playing Red/Blue/Yellow on their GB or GBC and I was jealous because I wanted to play too. When I got Crystal (2002) and GBC I immediately fell love with this game series. I didn't know any English back then but that didn't bother me. And I also borrowed one of my ex-classmates Blue and completed it. Couple years after I got a GBA SP and Sapphire (2003). 3rd Gen has a special place for me because for the first time I didn't know any pokemons like Taillow, Poochyena or Shroomish.. All of them were brand new and I really liked exploring Hoenn but I missed the day/night feature... and Sapphire was the first pokemon game I didn't have any troubles to finish.. I mean Crystal was really difficult for me when I was a kid.. and I went to E4 like twenty times before I destroyed it with my level 75 Onix (I got it from that Bellsprout trade) and level 64 Kadabra... Too bad I don't have this save file anymore because my ex-classmate wanted to borrow my Crystal and she deleted that save file...

Diamond was a disappointment for me but luckily Platinum was way more better than Diamond..

Fun fact: HeartGold was supposed to be my last pokemon game but.... then BW happened... and then BW2 and XY... and this Friday I'm finally going to buy myself AS... and later I'll buy OR for me...

Pokemon games are like some kind of drug for me or have I sold my soul for GameFreak. I don't know.

I probably still play pokemon when I'm like 40.

[krim]

Emerald was my first one, and I believe I was about 5 or 6 at the time. I had gotten a ps1 that year, and loved playing spyro and crash bandicoot, but one day at a yard sale I found an original gba for 50 cents with a copy of emerald and not really knowing what it was, I begged my mom to get it for me. I think I had watched the anime once or twice, but had never really gotten into it much, but when I started up that gba I realized how cool pokemon was. I started with treecko, (Which led to me picking him in AS) and quickly began catching everything once I realized that pokemon could evolve. I wanted to know exactly what each one would turn into. Years later, Diamond and Pearl came out and because of the new pokemon (dialga looked so badass) I begged my parents for a ds. I got one for Christmas, along with a copy of diamond and played every ds spinoff that came out between 4th and 5th gen. Soon, I actually started watching the anime and when the rise of darkrai movie came out I knew instantly that it was my favorite pokemon (And it still is). I even caught a shiny one during the event back on Platinum! 5th gen didnt hold as many special memories for me, but I enjoyed the storyline for both BW and BW2. The current gen has been fun, but way too easy, although Reborn fixes that problem. I would say I love pokemon because it has been in my life for a long time, and has helped me meet many friends I would have never known otherwise, and honestly without it, I think I would be a lot more depressed than I am now.

[FraRPetO]

Because I can.

[TurboAura]

First anime, then Started out with Pokemon Crystal, ah nastalgia. Extreme interest there. Didn't really stop until I got 13 out of 16. I never got to Brock, Blaine and Blue then because... how was I supposed to know the Pokeflute was a Radio Channel when I was under 10!...

Rant aside, that 'keep on playing' mentality combined with the Emerald hype and I've been hooked ever since.

Edited November 25, 2014 by TurboAura

[Hypa]

Like Many of the others on here Nostalgia is a massive part of why i play pokemon hence why ive basically rejected the new gens and why i find it really hard to battle against newer gen poke's coz i dont know their types and abilities. sorry but im just not a fan of the newer gens(stubborn soz). Fun fact i went to the dentist up on his wall there was an ancient pokemon chart of the 1st gen pokemon i was able to name them all and their types lol childhood well spent me thinks

[Xander95]

I started because I loved the show and I saw what people were getting so I decided to give it a try and I'm hooked. I'm already on the Elite Four on Fire Red with over 40hrs gameplay.

[mar_mar]

I like pokemon actually. The battles, these lil' cute or big badass ones..the role that the trainer has..there's nothing that I don't like (maybe except the part that we can't catch Mew in the game without trading or etc in most games). Plus it's a nice game to invest your time in..

[Sheep]

I play pokemon because the idea of capturing fantastical creatures, raising them, and ultimately using them to beat other people in a monster fight appeals to me. I certainly don't play it for the challenge, because in my opinion there's no such thing as a hard pokemon game yet.

[Saber12]

Gee why do I play pokemon? I remember the first time I tried Yellow I thought it was the worst game I ever played. It wasn't until I saw a little bit of the anime, that I was able to fire up my imagination and play through it.

These days I guess I just play to experience a different story from my imaginative perspective. I just think of a new team then replay a game with a different strategy in mind.

Of course I have fun with pokemon though at times I wonder why I choose Pokemon over anything else.

[Ragnar]

Cuz marketing. nostalgic and childhood reasons, cuz every kid wants to be a hero who can take down adversities along the way with his team of magical pet monsters. i mean how cool is that?

[Lost Lore]

Well, there are a few reasons, really.

One of them is most certainly the nostalgia involved. My first game was Gold, and, while I did make those typical mistakes such as raising only one Pokemon to an obscenely high level and neglecting the rest of my team (kind of funny how it's the exact opposite of this now), I was hooked extremely quick.

Another is because of the Pokemon themselves- you can literally build a bunch of different team combinations and try to use new things, which is how you warm up to them and learn to love their designs and unique skill sets. And babying them with entirely too much item use and doing my best to never let them faint. Although there will always be one or two I won't be able to do without. I'm looking at you, oh Meowstic who I have not managed to do a Reborn playthrough without yet. Yes, that means you, Cantus.

Finally, I also really like exploring the overworld and finding hidden items and new locations. The graphics aren't the best compared to some other games, but really, that's not something I could care less about. Which is perhaps why I love the Mystery Dungeon games so much- going through harder dungeons gets you better loot, and the art for those games is different and really a sight for sore eyes.

Tl;dr... I play it because it's Pokemon, with all of its charms. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Chase]

I play pokemon games today, because for the most part, I've played and had a fantastic experience with the franchise my entire life, and everything that the game brings to the table, particularly with the ability to make friends and play as a community, has been enhancing the effect of the franchise for a long time.

I've always wanted to "be the best", ever since link-cables were a thing.

[Zephyrus the Priestess]

Because I can't let all of my childhood go. That's the short version of it. Also cus people I know play it.

^same, most emphasis on the bold text. It all started with Gold and Silver, for me... and even if the game didn't make any sense to me, I still loved it. The anime also got me more into it too.

That and it's like virtual pets but more badass and fun.

[Azeria]

Uncle gave me Red and crystal with a gameboy colour...needless to say i played the shit out of it!

[Amethyst]

Reborn is like 95% of why I do.

But aside from that, I do enjoy exploring, and especially finding new species when new gens come out. Like, hello, what is this thing? Let's learn everything about it.

Also some of these Pokemon things are way too cute. Like Sylveon. like wtf stop being so cute that's illegal

[Felicity]

I 'unno

[Jan]

Started with Pokemon Red, and after a freak accident, my Red copy and my soul were fused into one. Therefore I am Pokemon. Pokemon is life.

[2tousent]

I like the gameplay.