Hi there! My name is David Dudley and I am Melissas boyfriend! I helped Melissa create her new blog layout by showing her around the wonderful tool of Photoshop, and I also have written a wonderful article about bacon. I recommend you go do that if you haven’t already, because it's a pretty good piece. But unlike my last piece where I told you after my favorite delicacy, I'm here to help you this time. I want to show you the magical world of Pokemon and how it could help you become a better person. Now you may already have your opinion on Pokemon or video games in general, but I want you to suspend your prior experience and start a fresh perspective with me for a little bit.
Pokemon was released a little over 18 years ago by the game studio Game Freak. They had made a few games before this, but this was their big breakout. After this, they haven’t done much besides make Pokemon games, because why would you? When your game becomes a cultural icon, you don't stop. 18 years later, and new generations are getting into the game with the latest edition called Pokemon X or Pokemon Y, depending on what version you take. It seems that after 18 years, they've run out of colors to use, and now have moved on to letters. Over 200 million copies of Pokemon have been sold throughout the years, and the game has spawned a cartoon, a trading card game, and all other sorts of paraphernalia for everyone to enjoy
So, why should you care about any of this? Well the first reason is because they are cute. Do you remember having Tamagotchis as a kid? Well now imagine having 6 of them. And you get to choose them, instead of having that lame excuse of a creature that resembles who knows what. The best part is that there's over 650 Pokemon to choose from, so you have plenty to choose from. And if cute isn't your cup of tea, then there’s plenty of Pokemon that range from the embodiment of evil to a turtle with water cannons on his back.
Another reason is that you can play however you want. Pokemon X/Y does a brilliant job of conveying the idea that there’s more to Pokemon than just battling. You have a good of friends that you quest In the first edition it was pretty much all you could do, but now there’s so much more. You can enter your Pokemon in beauty contests, feed them cupcakes, or just show them off to friends. And of course, there’s the quest to be the best, which takes time and hard work, but it can be done, and I have faith in you.
Pokemon can also help you manage your living space and be better prepared in your everyday life and help the world. Now, bear with me on this, but I’m going to send you to one of my favorite TED talks. Jane McGonigal is one of my favorite talkers, and if you have never heard her, I highly recommend you go and look her videos, but the video I’m going to highlight is this one:
It’s an amazing video, and it highlights all the awesome aspects of gaming and how it can help you in your everyday life. Pokemon helps you prepare: “Do I have enough Potions and Pokeballs to make it to the next town?” It gives you determination:”That last battle was really rough, I’d better level up my Pokemon some more before the next Gym Leader.”, which by the way, boosts your willpower. And of course, you have the cuteness of the Pokemon, which boosts your emotional resilience.
One last thing Pokemon can do is expand your social circle. There is a huge community of Pokemon fans who enjoy playing the game. It’s not just kids anymore, the average age of a person who is playing Pokemon today is 19.5, and there’s lots of opportunities to find your own community to play, and make new friends. And you can make new friends on the bus or in class by playing your games and chatting with other people who are playing. Gamers usually love to talk about their games, so this’ll help you make new friends.
As for how to go about playing Pokemon, I highly recommend getting a Nintendo 3DS and getting Pokemon X or Y. The new fairy type of Pokemon and the fact that this version has 650 means you’re bound to find the perfect team for you. However, if you’re skeptical, and you don’t want to shell out big money, go find a used DS Lite (they’re around $40), and get a copy of either Heart Gold or Pokemon Diamond. These both are great starters, and will help get you on your way through the realm of Pokemon.
That’s all from me. Thanks for taking the time to read this! I have a Twitch channel where I stream all sorts of video games at twitch.tv/comehaveabagel and if you follow me, then you will always know when I stream. I stream all sorts of things, and play all sorts of cool music as well so check me out! And if you have any cool friends who play World of Warcraft, or you want to see a toned-down version of Pokemon, I’m doing a Giveaway March 8th at noon, where I’m giving away cool card loot. I’m hoping it works out, because if it does, I’ll start adding cool stuff like plush things. Thanks again for reading!-------
Also! There's a new fun addition to my side bar! You should all go say hey to Pam at Hodge Podge Moments! Pam's blog is about love, friends, life and more! Pam loves going to Olive Garden and eating all the breadsticks (who doesn't)! Later on this year Pam is moving across the country to move in with her boyfriend, their love story is on her blog in segments and I highly recommend that you go check it out! Pam is also a teacher with tons of fun fashion posts on how to dress affordable as a teacher! Go check out Hodge Podge Moments and enjoy!
Keep Calm and Carry On
xoxo
Melissa
I had no idea you could do so much with Pokémon! I learned something new today. :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE this! Perhaps I should tell my man about the blog soon so he can takeover, aye? :)
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