20th Anniversary of Pokemon Gen 1
A lot of people have fond memories of Pokemon gen 1. As the RPG game’s 20th anniversary nears, users on Reddit and Twitter share their stories of playing the first generation and how it continues to shape their lives. It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since Pikachu and I first met.
When I think of my childhood, the first thing that comes to mind is Pokemon. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been playing the franchise for almost half of my life. A recent discussion on Reddit has people reminisce about their experiences with the first Pokemon game, which was released on February 27, 2000 in Japan and September 12, 2000 in North America.
“Got my copy of Pokemon Red in 2000,” one user writes. “It’s easily one of the greatest gaming experiences of my life.” Another replies, “I actually waited four years to play it, and then spent a week playing it nonstop.” Many others join in the conversation, joking about the delay in getting the game.
“You know release dates were different back then,” a user responds. “It could take years for a game to reach certain regions.” Many people reminisce about growing up in the offline gaming days, where release dates just weren’t a thing, and finding information relied on word of mouth and gaming magazines.
One user shares a personal story about receiving Pokemon Crystal as a birthday present and how it became one of their favorite games. Another mentions how they skipped from gen 3 to Let’s Go and Sword/Shield and thoroughly enjoyed both games.
“I skipped from gen 3 to Let’s Go and Sword/Shield and loved both of them. I was worried at first due to the online thing but ended up having a blast,” one user writes. Another expresses their love for gens 1-2, saying “I grew up playing Gold and Silver, and I got a tattoo of Ho-oh from Gold years ago.”
It’s not hard to find someone reminisce about the Pokemon games of their youth, but there are also those who have lost interest in the series as they got older. “I dunno, I guess I just lost interest as I grew older,” one user writes. Another replies, “I know that feeling, nostalgia only lasts so long.”
In response to this comment, a user shares their fond memories of Pokemon gen 3 and how it became even more enjoyable after learning to read and understand English. Another recalls Pokemon Yellow as a special version with Pikachu following the player and unique features.
The nostalgia and happiness associated with playing Pokemon as a child is clear in the comments.
