Pikachu315111
Ranting & Raving!
Ah, so they translated it. We actually discussed this stuff when it was first released in Japanese. The link has my original thoughts, though there is some new info:
1. Atsuko Nishida didn't only make Pikachu, she also made the original Starters! Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise already existed, so Nishida worked backwards. Thinking of popular pets such as frogs, lizards, and baby turtles, she made the Starters so players would be surprised they evolved into their final forms (... which was sort of ruined since they used the Starter's final forms as the mascots of the Gen I games...).
2. Thoughts on what makes Pikachu cute and their favorite Pokemon:
... Okay, MAYBE that has something to do with it... OR maybe it has to do with Pokemon being a 20+ year old franchise at that point and many kids who played the original games are now adults, even if they stopped playing Pokemon. Also GO I don't think counts as an RPG, it's a really simple game you can do, well, on the go. So even a non-fan can play the game without ever needing to play the core series. It's why you're making Let's Go, to try and convert the GO players into core series players.
4. When asked if they anticipate anything for Pikachu in the future:
1. Atsuko Nishida didn't only make Pikachu, she also made the original Starters! Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise already existed, so Nishida worked backwards. Thinking of popular pets such as frogs, lizards, and baby turtles, she made the Starters so players would be surprised they evolved into their final forms (... which was sort of ruined since they used the Starter's final forms as the mascots of the Gen I games...).
2. Thoughts on what makes Pikachu cute and their favorite Pokemon:
- Ken Sugimori thinks it's because parts of it look cool, cute, and strong. Favorite is Gengar, also has a preference to Clefairy.
- Koji Nishino thinks it's the proportion of Pikachu's eyes, it's chubbiness (wonder if he doesn't like the slimming down it has gone through), and tiny limbs. Favorites are Clefairy and Snorlax.
- Atsuko Nishida thinks it's the cheek pouches. Favorite is Charizard ().
... Okay, MAYBE that has something to do with it... OR maybe it has to do with Pokemon being a 20+ year old franchise at that point and many kids who played the original games are now adults, even if they stopped playing Pokemon. Also GO I don't think counts as an RPG, it's a really simple game you can do, well, on the go. So even a non-fan can play the game without ever needing to play the core series. It's why you're making Let's Go, to try and convert the GO players into core series players.
4. When asked if they anticipate anything for Pikachu in the future:
THEN STOP GEN I PANDERING!Nishino: “I think Pikachu is already working hard enough! There are many other cute Pokémon besides Pikachu in the Pokémon series, so I would like for them to get some attention, too.”