When I was looking over last week’s April NPD numbers, one game jumped out at me: Pokémon Platinum Edition, checking in with sales of a nifty 433K. OK, the fact that a new Pokémon game has cleaned up on the charts isn’t surprising in the least. (Still, approaching half a million units in one month — wow.)
But it made me think of how badly I misjudged this series. When Pikachu and Co. bounded onto the scene in the late ’90s with Pokémon Red and Blue versions, I wasn’t surprised. To me, it seemed like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for a younger generation. Hearing that it all stemmed from a good game didn’t dissuade me too much from brushing it off as a fad.
For a while, though, I was pleased that it brought gaming into the public eye. In fact, I would go so as far to say I was mildly thrilled when one of the early round questions on Who Wants to be a Millionaire (we’re talking vintage Philbin era), asked which of four bizarre names was not a pokémon. Hooray, games!
In ’99, when it snagged an EGM cover (No. 124, Nov. 1999), I was still intrigued and impressed by its humble-origins story. I even picked up my first Pokémon game around this time, Pokémon Pinball, which remains one of my all-time favorite Game Boy Color games. But by the time the next EGM Pokémon cover hit (No. 134, Sept. 2000), I was embarrassed to carry the issue around. At that point, it was like any fad that dragged on too long — I was hoping for its merciful demise just so it wouldn’t be so prevalent. Since I was sick of it, I assumed everyone else’s thoughts would soon follow.
Of course it never did die. Each new game brought in ridiculous more bank for Nintendo. Movies and a television series expanded its appeal. The merchandise continued to make the rounds. 
I even ended up with a handful of stuff, not even knowing where all it comes from. Check out the pic on the right. That guy on top: an E3 giveaway. The game (which I enjoyed): a gift. That Pikachu in between: My parents gave it to me last time I was home, saying it was mine. I didn’t argue — they must have been right — but I have no recollection of when or how I got it. I wasn’t even a fan and I accumulated the stuff.
I made a Target run yesterday and stopped by the trading-cards section. Pokémon cards dominated the real estate. People still buy these things? I was prepared to mock, but then I realized I was looking at that section to see whether a new Garbage Pail Kids set had come out….
At this point, I’m simply impressed by what this series has done. No hate for the players, no hate for the fact the game is essentially a remake each time. This franchise has had a longer and more lucrative career than most professional athletes, and that’s a nice comparison because at some point, even with hated players, you can’t help but pay respect when they accomplish something so statistically amazing. Pikachu now stands along gaming’s greats and (with apologies to Bill Simmons) would have to be on the Mount Rushmore of Nintendo icons, right?
Much like with Wii Play and Mario Kart DS (Nos. 4 and 8, respectively), I expect to see Platinum Edition on the charts for countless months to come, and I’m OK with that. I may delve into this topic deeper soon, but in the meantime, I’m wondering what thoughts you all have on this Pokémon now-bigger-than-just-a-fad phenomenon, Bitmob community?