As today marks the 30th anniversary of Pokémon and the release of the first-ever LEGO® Pokémon sets, the latest ‘Beyond the Bricks’ is a little different as I reminisce about my Pokémon journey. Long before the internet became the go-to place for everything, my generation gained its news from monthly magazines. The likes of CVG, GamesMaster and the Official Nintendo Magazine were all a flutter about a hot new Game Boy game released in Japan called Pocket Monsters. The game was released there in 1996, and back then, global releases were a pipe dream. But the game became a sleeper hit, prompting Nintendo to release it outside Japan. Renamed Pokémon, the game was released in North America in 1998. Two versions of the game were released, Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Red. As a Nintendo gamer, I was equally excited to try out this intriguing new game. But it wasn’t expected to appear in the UK and Europe for a while.
Thankfully, Leicester was home to a shop called Beatties. It offered an odd mix of model-making kits and video games. Upon my frequent visits to the store, I spotted a battered copy of Pokémon Blue, imported from the US. Thankfully, handhelds weren’t region-locked so that they would work on my Game Boy. Little did I know I would be one of the first people in Leicester to own the game, and it was as awesome as the magazines had foretold.
From that moment on, I was a Pokémon fan. I watched the original cartoon, saw the first Pokémon movie in the cinemas several times and collected countless pieces of merchandise. My prized possession remains a full set of Pokéball-encased gold cards from Burger King. Even to this day, the first Pokémon album, 2BA Master, remains one of my favourite albums. Go listen to it, it’s still awesome.
After failing at being a paperboy, my first part-time job was working in a Video Store. Long before you needed several streaming platforms to watch a movie, you could rent them on VHS and DVDs. My local store also had a healthy games rental business. I suggested we also start to sell Pokémon Trading Cards. Which led to being named the best independent video store in the UK. I still have a packet of original Pokémon trading cards, which includes a rare misprint. If only I knew where they were.
It still amazes me that Pokémon has managed to stand the test of time. Seeing a new generation fall in love with Pokémon again has been delightful. But nothing compares to the original Gen 1 monsters and games. They may seem basic by today’s standards, but they offered some escapism and brought people together.
Now, almost 30 years since I became a budding Pokémon trainer, yet another bygone passion of mine has crossed paths with LEGO. I’m glad to see they lean into the nostalgia of the original games and characters. It’s a shame that the most impressive of the three retail sets is so expensive. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and it’s why the first LEGO sets are aimed at adults. But I am looking forward to seeing more Pokémon creatures being transformed into future sets.
Happy Birthday Pokémon!
