Tuesday, April 13, 1999

Pokemon having monstrous impact

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Little monsters conquer U.S. kids with video games, a TV show, plush toys - and more on the way

BY REON CARTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Hasbro's 8-inch Pikachu Plush will be in the stores in July. Pikachu is the most popular of the 150 pocket monsters. | ZOOM |

        Do you think Pikachu is the sound a sneeze makes? When you hear “master trainer” does Richard Simmons come to mind? If so, you're out of the Pokemon loop.

        Pokemon, pronounced POH-kay-mohn, is short for pocket monsters, the hot little Japanese imports that have captured the imagination of kids — particularly boys — ages 8 and up.

        Poke-mania is here:

        • Pokemon,the top-rated syndicated TV program shown in this area at 6:30 a.m Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. Sunday on Channel 64, will begin airing 11 times a week this fall.

        • Nintendo has sold 1.5 million Pokemon Game Boy cartridges since the cartridge was introduced in the United States last September.

        • The Wizards of the Coast report that 400,000 packs of its Pokemon trading cards were snapped up in less than six weeks.

        • Hasbro's Pokemon action figures have been flying off the shelves faster than the company can ship them.

        • Pokemon creatures, game play tips and strategies will be stamped on more than 50 million packages of Oscar Mayer Lunchables starting this month.

        • A full-length animated feature film is due in theaters later this year.

        Soon parents will have to dig deeper in their pocketbooks for Pokemon key chains, underwear, gloves, hats, towels, bed linens, clocks, watches, temporary tattoos, school supplies, sneakers, socks, comic books, lunch boxes and backpacks.

Early-morning dose
        “Kids found Pokemon for themselves,” says Chris Byrne, editor of Playthings Market Watch, a toy industry newsletter. “It wasn't something shoved down their throats by adults. They've already developed a relationship with the characters, so all the merchandise available will give them more options to extend their play experience.”

        Brian Wolfer, 8, of Alexandria, has no trouble getting out of bed on school days. He has to be in front of the television by 6:30 a.m. for his dose of Poke-power. His Game Boy keeps him going between episodes.

        “It's fun because I can watch Ash (a character from the show) catch his Pokemon, then I can try to catch some myself,” Brian says. “I play with my Game Boy all the time. It's not boring yet.”

        Others say Pokemon has caught on because it combines the high-tech aspects of the Tamagotchi virtual pet, the adventure of role-playing card games such as Magic, The Gathering and the collectible appeal of Beanie Babies.

        Hasbro plans to “retire” some of its action figures as new ones are introduced, a la Beanie Babies, says Elizabeth Gross, vice president of marketing for Hasbro's boys and girls division.

        Pokemon the TV show was introduced in Japan in 1995. It made headlines in the United States two years ago when an episode, which featured flashing strobes, triggered seizures in 700 Japanese children. (That episode did not make it to the United States.)

        As on the TV show, the Pokemon player's ultimate goal is to become a “master pokemon trainer” by capturing as many of the Pokemon beasties as he or she can. There are 150 beasties in all, complete with alien looks and names such as Pikachu, by far the most popular Pokemon. He's the chubby yellow one with big saucer eyes, cherry cheeks and a lightning bolt for a tail. Others include Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, Blastoise, Charmeleon, Poliwhirl and Charilizard.

        Each character has strengths and weaknesses. For example, there are fire, water, ice, plant and rock-type Pokemon. A water-type can conquer a fire-type. A plant-type can conquer a water-type. (The battles might remind old-timers of the scissors, stone and paper game.) Some monsters can morph into something different.

        Because it's not possible to get an entire set of 150 Pokemon with one Game Boy ($29.99) cartridge, a player either has to buy both versions — the red and blue one — or hook up with another Pokemon player to swap. A Game Boy Link connector, which is sold separately, is required for this transaction.

        Jeff Newport, 16, of Madeira, wasn't put off because Pokemon is targeted to younger kids. Since he purchased the game about a month ago, he's captured 138 Pokemon and is close to “world's greatest pokemon master” status.

        “I saw a video preview of the game,” Jeff says. “It reminded me of another game I like a lot called Final Fantasy. I got (Pokemon) because I needed something portable for vacation.”

        He admits to sneaking a peek at the cartoon, out of curiosity, of course, and collecting the cards.

        Nintendo will introduce two more Game Boy cartridges this year, a yellow version of the original and Pokemon Pinball. Those with Nintendo 64 systems should be on the look out for Pokemon Snap.

        Hasbro has extended its Pokemon line beyond action figures to include bean bag/plush toys, a ball, ink stampers and electronic light-up figures.

        “We'll probably add even more merchandise to coincide with the movie's release,” Ms. Gross says.

       

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