The core gameplay loop of Pokémon, involving catching creatures and battling them, shares similarities with the Shin Megami Tensei series, particularly its early entries which featured monster collection and battling.
Ever wondered what game did Pokemon copy? Many people speculate about the origins of the iconic monster-collecting formula. It’s fascinating to consider the influences that shaped such a beloved franchise.
This conversation often brings up games that predate Pokémon’s release. Exploring these inspirations helps us understand Pokémon’s unique blend of ideas. Let’s delve into the roots of this popular genre.
What Game Did Pokémon Copy?
When Pokémon burst onto the scene in the late 90s, it was like nothing we’d ever seen before. Catching creatures, battling gym leaders, and becoming a Pokémon Master – it was an instant hit! But, with its innovative gameplay, people couldn’t help but wonder: did Pokémon borrow ideas from somewhere else? It’s a natural question, especially when something feels so new. Let’s dive deep into the world of gaming history and find out where Pokémon’s inspiration might have come from.
The Core Concept: Collecting and Battling
At the heart of Pokémon lies the idea of collecting and battling. You explore a world, find wild creatures, and then use those creatures in battles. This combination of exploration, collection, and combat was not completely new to gaming, but Pokémon did bring a unique spin to it. Let’s explore some of the elements that make up this core gameplay and see where similar concepts existed before.
Monster Collection: Beyond Pokémon
While Pokémon is famous for its “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” slogan, the concept of collecting monsters, pets, or allies in a game existed much earlier. Games like Megami Tensei and Dragon Quest Monsters featured recruiting and battling with creatures long before Pikachu’s arrival. Megami Tensei, first released in 1987, was a series which is known for its demon-collecting mechanic, where players can recruit enemies to join their party. This series focused on building a team through negotiations with demons and battling. Dragon Quest Monsters, which came out in 1998, also had a creature taming aspect, where monsters could be bred and trained for battle, these were very influential in the genre.
- Megami Tensei Series: Allowed players to negotiate with and recruit demons, which could then be used in battles. These games also had a large focus on strategic combat using these collected creatures.
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Focused on taming, breeding and training monsters, which then were battled against other monsters.
- Other Influences: The idea of befriending or capturing creatures is also seen in other older works including books, anime and folklore.
So, while the specifics of Pokémon’s catching system were unique, the foundational idea of gathering creatures wasn’t entirely new.
Turn-Based Combat: A Familiar Battlefield
Pokémon’s battle system uses turn-based combat, where players and opponents take turns choosing moves. This is a very common method in many older RPGs (role-playing games). Games like Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest extensively used turn-based combat. These games relied on tactical decision making using menu-based action selections. What Pokémon did, was introduce a simplified version of this, which was more suitable for a younger audience. The type matchup system was also something that added a layer of complexity, while still remaining accessible.
- Final Fantasy series: A very popular series with turn-based battle system where characters attack in turns.
- Dragon Quest series: Another series well known for turn-based battles and strategic approach.
- Other turn-based RPGs: Games like Chrono Trigger, and Golden Sun also feature turn-based combat and strategic gameplay.
Pokémon’s turn-based combat is a well-established method in RPG history, and the basic system in Pokémon is definitely inspired by earlier games in the genre.
Specific Games and Possible Inspirations
Now that we’ve looked at some of the core elements of Pokémon, let’s explore some specific games and franchises that might have provided inspiration. It’s important to note that game development is often an iterative process, with creators drawing ideas from many sources.
The Shin Megami Tensei Influence
As mentioned earlier, the Shin Megami Tensei series, particularly the earlier games, has often been brought up as a potential influence on Pokémon. The demon-collecting mechanic in Shin Megami Tensei is where players can negotiate and recruit demons to their party, shares similarities with Pokémon’s core gameplay. However, Shin Megami Tensei series has been known to be more complex, darker and more mature themed compared to the child-friendly Pokémon series.
Here’s a breakdown of why Shin Megami Tensei is seen as a possible influence:
- Recruitment of Monsters: Like Pokémon, Shin Megami Tensei allows you to recruit your opponents to your party.
- Strategic Battles: Shin Megami Tensei also features turn-based battles, where team setup and monster attributes are important for success.
- Demon Fusion: One of the distinct features of Shin Megami Tensei is the ability to fuse demons to create more powerful monsters, which is not present in Pokémon.
While the core idea of collecting creatures is similar, the mechanics and overall experience differ significantly. Shin Megami Tensei focuses on darker themes and complex systems, while Pokémon is geared towards a younger audience with simpler mechanics and a lighter tone.
The Dragon Quest Connection
Dragon Quest is another RPG series which has been known to have influenced the Pokémon series. The creature collecting and battling in Dragon Quest Monsters series are specifically seen as some of the inspiration for the Pokémon series, these games were also developed by Enix (which later became Square Enix) which was the publisher for Pokémon Red & Blue in Japan. Dragon Quest Monsters had a lot more emphasis on the breeding of monsters rather than capturing them. Many people assume this was a major inspiration for Pokémon, but these two games released around a similar time frame and so the influence would be the other way around. Dragon Quest Monsters released after Pokémon Red & Blue, so technically Pokémon inspired Dragon Quest Monsters.
- Monster Taming: In Dragon Quest Monsters, players tame wild monsters and raise them as party members.
- Breeding Mechanics: Dragon Quest Monsters has a breeding system which allows players to create new monsters through combining different ones. This was not present in the initial Pokémon releases, but was introduced later.
- Turn-Based Battles: Like Pokémon, it uses turn-based battles, focusing on strategy and monster selection.
While Dragon Quest Monsters shares similarities with Pokémon in monster collection and battles, its gameplay is distinctly different. And because it was released after Pokémon, we can conclude Dragon Quest Monsters was more likely to have taken inspiration from Pokémon rather than the other way around.
Other Potential Influences
It’s important to remember that video games often build on existing ideas, blending and evolving them into something new. Pokémon likely drew from many different sources, not just one or two specific games. Here are a few other potential influences:
- Tabletop Games: Games like Dungeons & Dragons with their emphasis on exploration, character building, and strategic battles might have provided some inspiration for the overall structure of Pokémon.
- Collectible Card Games: Games like Magic: The Gathering, with its focus on collecting cards and using them in battles, could have influenced the concept of collecting and battling with pocket monsters.
- Anime and Manga: The general theme of collecting fantastical creatures can also be found in many anime and manga series from the era. Some people say that Yokai Watch and Digimon were influenced by Pokémon and that Pokémon wasn’t copying them. But actually Digimon is also around the same time period as Pokémon and it could have potentially been an influence on Pokémon.
The Uniqueness of Pokémon
While we’ve talked about some potential sources of inspiration for Pokémon, it’s important to highlight what makes Pokémon so unique. It wasn’t simply copying existing game formulas. Pokémon blended many concepts into a single cohesive game with innovative gameplay.
The Design of Pokémon Creatures
The adorable designs of the various Pokémon creatures is one of the main reasons that it was so popular. The sheer variety of different Pokémon, each with its own unique look, abilities, and evolution lines, made for an amazing experience for all fans. This careful design and attention to detail is one of the core elements to its success and is something that no other franchise was doing at the time.
The Trading System
The trading mechanic, which was facilitated by using the Game Boy Link Cable, allowed players to connect with their friends and trade Pokémon. This social element was a game changer, encouraging players to work together to complete their Pokédex. This social element which Pokémon promoted, helped create the strong fan base that it has today.
Accessibility
One of Pokémon’s greatest strengths is its accessibility. The simple gameplay, cute designs, and clear objectives made it easy for players of all ages to pick up and enjoy. It combined the core mechanics of RPGs into a format that was very accessible to young people. This opened up the genre to a much wider audience and made it a cultural phenomenon.
What Pokémon Did Differently
To summarise, while Pokémon borrowed ideas, it also created something totally new and unique. It mixed the core elements of exploration, turn based combat, collecting and made it into something that was accessible for all ages. This was something that other games at the time were unable to do.
In conclusion, while Pokémon shows influences from many earlier games, it does not simply copy any single one of them. Instead, it brings in a variety of concepts, blends them together and creates something entirely its own. It made the monster collecting genre more appealing to the masses and created a new standard for the genre. The trading and social aspect of the game is also one of the main reasons why it was such a hit, especially when the original games were released on the Game Boy. So, while we might find echoes of other games in the design of Pokémon, the final product is a testament to the creativity and innovation of its creators.
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Final Thoughts
The clear inspiration for Pokémon comes from the earlier Megami Tensei games. These games, particularly Shin Megami Tensei, featured monster collecting, battling and fusion. Pokemon significantly simplified this formula and aimed at a younger audience.
The core loop of capturing creatures and battling existed in Megami Tensei first. The elemental types system and some monster designs share similarities. So, what game did pokemon copy? The most appropriate answer is definitely Shin Megami Tensei.
