Pokémon has been entertaining children all around the world for over 15 years. The Pokémon is already considered a household name in the gaming world.
Children have been discovering so many fun activities to do with it. Even parents are now totally aware of the different features of Pokémon. These include the Pokémon animated TV series, video games, movies, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, toys, and many other family products.
Aside from the entertainment, playing games through Pokémon also provides opportunities for learning, such as basic mathematics skills and other strategic thinking games. Many parents nowadays find Pokémon TCG and Pokémon video games to teach and encourage kids to read, noting that reading is important to play Pokémon games.
Pokémon also opens the doors for winning possibilities and good sportsmanship to the players. It can also foster friendship and camaraderie.
Pokémon games are comprised of different creatures of various sizes and shapes. The Pokémon creatures do not talk much in the games except to mention their names. The Trainers are the ones who controlled the Pokémon creatures. During the duration of the games, these creatures grow and change. They also turned into powerful Pokémon creatures. At present, over 700 Pokémon creatures live in their world.
As parents, introducing Pokémon games to the children is challenging and rewarding. As a global phenomenon, Pokémon gaming is something every parent should try to explore.
While some parents might hesitate to introduce the gaming activities to their children, many parents nowadays have come up with several suggestions on the amazing way to appreciate the Pokémon games to their children.
Matthew Newman, a tech-savvy parent who writes for Yattatachi.com, said that “Pokémon was something I wanted to be careful about doing.”
Considering that every household is different, Newman comes up with several suggestions on introducing the games to the children.
The author discussed the importance of reading in playing the games, particularly in introducing any Pokémon RPG games.
To get them acquainted with the characters, the children can play Pokken Tournament (Wii U) for a start.
“The anime is a lot of fun and will get them psyched about the characters and allow them to dig in further as they get older. Believe me, they will be psyched,” Newman said.
In introducing the Pokémon RPGs, the author advised the parents on the different strategies.
“For that, I have three different approaches and suggestions. Each have potential benefits and potential pitfalls so make sure you also consider what equipment you may have at home as well as your own children’s interests first and foremost,” he said.
Some suggestions to parents in introducing Pokémon
1. Start with Generation 1
Starting from the beginning is always an amazing idea when introducing the Pokémon. The Generation 1, with Pokémon Yellow, Green, Blue, and Red, brings back the origin of childhood memories of the games.
The Generation 1 games are available from the eShop. According to Newman, the advantages of Generation 1 games are its simple control, familiar characters, and fantastic plots. It is essential to have a background of the Pokémon games before going to the advanced versions.
“Getting used to the basics of catching Pokémon, searching for Pokémon, and the classic format of Gym Leaders is helpful for younger players,” Newman said.
The Generation 1 games allow the young players to follow the beginnings of the games easily.
While the original games may not too attractive to the children due to their black and white graphics, what makes it more interesting is the nostalgic feeling one gets from playing them.
Compared to the more current games, the original version can be pretty slow to play.
2. Check the current Pokémon Generations of Games (Gen 7)
The newest generation of Pokémon games is always fun-filled and exciting to the children.
The vibrant colors of the games add so much interest to the players. The animations, plots, and online support of the games attract the children nowadays. Not to mention, players can also have online trading and post-game activities with other players. However, Newman cautioned on the overwhelming numbers of Pokémon in the Alolan Pokédex. There are more than 300 of them, to be factual about it. The game may also confuse the children due to the many Pokémon characters during the playing time.
“The game is also filled with a lot of fun callbacks to previous games. For those of us who have played multiple Pokémon games in the past, that’s a lot of fun. For the younger players, they’re just going to be confusing or fly right over their heads,” Newman said.
The current games may be difficult to play for the young players. Newman added that the 3D functionality of the 3DS series of consoles “is not good for children 6 or under.”
“It can cause serious damage to their developing eyes, so be sure to keep the 3D functionality off or (as I did) get a 2DS (or NEW 2DS XL) instead,” he said.
3. Learn to play the Pokémon card game (TCG) with your children
For parents, it is never embarrassing to play Pokémon card game (TCG). The game is fun and challenging. Also, the mechanics of the game is simple. As the game is constantly evolving, it is also essential to catch up with the evolution of the game. Playing Pokémon encourages your children to interact with other people. If your children are about 5 to 7 years old, the game promotes basic math and reading skills.
“If they get into serious competitive play, it teaches them about winning, and losing, and builds independence and self-esteem,” said Tom Otvos, another tech-savvy parent and lover of Pokémon games.
Furthermore, Otvos recommended some amazing sites for the Trading Card Game. The links include http://www.pokemon.com/us/organized-play/, for the information on the league, official rules, and tournament play; http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/, for the Pokémon’s cards and strategies; http://pokebeach.com/tcg/redshark/, to try new card decks; http://www.pokemontcg.com/, for the many Pokémon developments; and http://www.pokemon.com/us/trading-cards/how-to-play/demo/playing once for more helpful tips on Pokémon games.
Despite the plenty of options in Pokémon games, what is important is the parents have available time to play with their children. They can always start from the beginning and end somewhere, but what is essential here is the bond that you share with your kids. Time spent with kids during Pokémon games is pure and magical. And that is what matters most in the end.