Pokemon Online Games

By Matt

Although the game of Pokemon has been a huge success worldwide, there are some players who want to make games like these available to everyone. Thus, the Pokemon RPG (Role-playing Game) was born. Programmers use sprites from various database sites like Bulbapedia to power their games. What they try to do is replicate the storyline from all the Pokemon games, and maybe add a few slight twists to the game. All of the Pokemon RPGs I have seen have qualities like starter Pokemon, a slightly advanced battle system, and the ability to communicate with other players. Most of the time, it is like a simple game of Pokemon, but a slight change in game mechanics, such as the power of certain moves, or the effectiveness of status conditions. After you get used to it, you can build strategies around them, and create a Pokemon team, although it may not be as greatly detailed as the ones you build with a Nintendo console.

A few years ago, I would play these, since I was impatient for newer games. Two great ones I was a member of were PokemonCrater and TPPC. PokemonCrater was created by Aaron, a programmer who abandoned the site when he graduated from high school. It was exactly like the original games, with the ability to compete with other players, but when he closed down the site for good, people were amazed and confused. Currently, there’s a new PokemonCrater, but nothing will ever replace the qualities of the old.

TPPC is programmed by Andrew “Shrimpy” Stein, who lives in New York. His Pokemon RPG, known as The Pokemon Player’s Corner, is known best for supporting Pokemon whose levels can exceed 100. So far, about 2 million players have signed up, but that was a few years ago, when I stopped playing. By now, its popularity has decreased, and the number of active players are stagnating, since he has not made any changes since Generation IV.

A factor that contributes to its unique gameplay is the fact that your Pokemon could learn just about any move, which could be changed at any time. Pokemon are not only coveted for their Shiny form; in most Pokemon RPGs, they have forms that increase their stats, and have different names and alterations to their sprites. For example, Golden, Metal, Ghostly, and Dark change the Pokemon’s sprite aesthetically, but may or may not have a change. They are hard to find, which makes them the subject of talk in forums. In my opinion, online games such as these should be promoted, even though they are losing popularity because of Pokemon’s various sites, such as an online TCG, or a Global Link with extended features to their games. But I think it was a noble endeavor, and players for generations to come will program their own version of Pokemon games with unique twists.