The colours of the Pokeballs are actually based on Cambell's soup cans
Gold and Silver were meant to be the last Pokémon games, but people wanted more!ĭeveloped by just four programmers, the 1999 games were originally intended to be the last in the series, but they were met with such acclaim that they decided to make more! It's hard to imagine the series ending so soon after it had begun! 12. In fact, last year, over 20 years since it first came out, Pokémon was still the best selling game! It's not hard to see why - the endless types of Pokémon and scenarios means Pokémon has a lot to offer! 11. Only Mario has sold more video games than Pokémon Apparently Lapras and Clefairy were also early designs It may be lost to the mists of time! 10. Some people say it was Rhydon, some say Arceus. In fact, it's hard to know for sure which one was. It's hard to say what the first Pokémon ever created wasĪlthough most people probably think of Pikachu when they think of the first Pokémon, Pikachu wasn't the first one designed. Some of the rarer cards have become so sought after that they go for thousands of pounds, and tournaments are played all over the world. Pokémon cards are very popular - so popular, in fact that since they were first released in 1998, they've sold billions worldwide! The card game is similar to the video game, except it's played in real life. Over 30 billion Pokémon cards have been sold We're glad he decided to work in video games instead! 8. Bug', and he originally wanted to become a bug scientist - or entomologist, to give it its proper name. In fact he spent so much time doing it, his friends called him 'Dr. As a boy, he would spend hours finding and collecting bugs and insects. Satoshi's idea about collecting animals in Pokémon came from his love of being in the garden as a child. The 'Gotta Catch 'Em All' ethos has a back story Sadly, the Dolly Pokémon never happened, but there IS a sheep Pokémon - but it's called Wooloo, not Dolly! 7. You may have heard of Dolly - she's no ordinary sheep! Dolly was the first ever mammal to be cloned, in Scotland in 1996, and was therefore very popular and well known in the 90s. There was originally a Pokémon based on Dolly the Sheep, but it was scrapped. Satoshi didn't even take a salary during this time, but eventually the game was released and became a huge success! 6. At first, no body really understood Satoshi's Pokémon idea, and the company struggled trying to produce it. He was inspired by the fact that Gameboys could communicate, and began dreaming up a game that would link two Gameboys. He first thought of the idea way back in 1990.
Pokémon was created by a video game designer called Satoshi Tajiri in 1995 Which other clever names can you spot? 5.
Squirtle is a reference to the fact that he's a turtle who can squirt water, and Charmander is so -called because it's a fire Pokémon which can 'char' you. And Sudowoodo? 'Psudo wood', or fake wood.
Lots of Pokémon names are punsįor example, the powers of Mimikyu are literally to 'mimic you'. Put them together and you have Sparkle Mouse Noise! For some reason. 'Pika' is from 'Pikapika' which means 'glitter or sparkle' and 'chu' is from 'chuchu' the noise a mouse makes. If you ever wondered where the Pokémon names come from, Pikachu is a good example of how random they can be. Pikachu directly translates as 'Sparkly mouse noise' Luckily the country is becoming a bit more relaxed about it, and younger fans can finally see what all the fuss was about! 3. You can still watch Pokémon in Saudi Arabia, but only in English. Apparently Pokémon was promoting polytheism (Belief in more than one god) and other things the government weren't happy about. Saudi Arabia aren't famous for being super relaxed about stuff. Because they fit in your pocket, of course! Although luckily they live in Poke balls, imagine the mess if they used your pockets as a loo.Ģ. Pokémon is an abbreviation of 'Poketto Monsutā' which means 'Pocket Monster' in Japanese.
Since it launched in the 90's, Pokémon has gone on to become one of the most popular franchises in the world! From games and card to movies and TV shows, there's nothing that Pokémon hasn't conquered! With nearly 1,000 different Pokémon, the Pokémon universe has endless discoveries to be made! Here are 40 of the weirdest and most wonderful facts about Pokémon, its creators, and of course the Pokémon themselves! Which of these amazing Pokémon facts is your favourite? 1.