So as the post says, why is Pokemon so popular? I've never understood it. Maybe its because I never got into it as a kid whenever it first came out, and now that I'm an adult and, gasp, almost 30, it just doesn't appeal to me at all.

So correct me if I'm wrong, but you collect these cutesy little creatures and level them up, and fight? And they've made like 20 games on all this? Just wondering why it is as popular as it is, I've never understood.

Why is Pokemon important to you? Convince me and I might give some of the games a shot.

jparks34 : I got to say, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I just do not get it!

I think it appeals to different people for different reasons.
Part of it is the immersive world. So many different types of Pokemon that make up an actual ecosystem
Mechanically though, it's essentially a turn based rpg with tons of playable characters.
The game itself is very easy, but when playing friends or difficulty hacks, it offers a lot of strategy and diversity in tactics.
The different Pokemon have very different move sets, abilities, and different stats.
They also have different ways to build them
It makes selecting the proper team with care very important, and victory against another person very satisfying.
Plus, it gives a feeling of accomplishment when you've built one of these Pokemon up from a small form
only to see him get stronger and stronger, and eventually become a member of an effective, deadly team.
Of course most of the challenge here will be found outside the game, rather than in it, as these games are meant to be beatable by children.
Although the game itself offers a bit of nostalgic charm.
However, I generally go for Pokemon hacks that increase the difficulty of the game significantly.
Thereby forcing me to be careful in battle, and make sure i have a well built team.
Also hacks that offer more double, or even triple and rotation battles
as they spice up combat, and make strategy even more important.

I'll answer this as simply as possible.

Because it is fun.

It's simple. Anyone can get into it. Anyone can beat it. It's very much a casual game.

There's a level of competition though for people who are exceptional and take it seriously though, and there's enough buried complexity for people who want a hardcore spin.

I am going to agree with Leggy, and with you.

As for Leggy's statement, it in a way has the same level as some of the final fantasy games, it's simple to start off, but the player my change how they play to offer greater challenges, and as for what you said, most people like the games because of nostalgia, they played it when they were young and the game stuck with them. There's just as many older teens and adults who still like the games because they were addicted to it when they were young as there are new young players.

Pokemon is so freaking popular because everybody plays it. Well, not everybody, but I think you know what I mean. 
And just like leggy said, it is indeed fun. 

Pokemon is a very popular franchise whether it would be from the games to the tv show series. It suits for all ages in the audience. It also has more than one purpose as well. It provides competitive battling, training to be the best, breeding, collecting, having a great Pokemon team, beating the game, and much more. Not to mention that it is also a good turn based strategy game with desired move sets.

Not everyone has to like and play Pokemon. I understand that there are other people who would prefer to play other games besides Pokemon. Everyone has their own opinions on things.

I guess it depends on taste. In my opinion, the Pokemon franchise, like others, developed an exceptional formula for their games. For me, it's not just the games, its some of the aspect behind it. For example, Pokemon is one of the few games in which you have to interact with other Pokemon players in real life to trade and battle Pokemon on their games. Then there's also other things such the concept of creatures based on animals wielding exceptional powers, from the cute little ones to the strong powerful ones. Add all the merchandising and marketing, and you have a solid franchise that everyone can enjoy.

I'm one of many that grew up with the Pokemon franchise in the early years of its popularity in North America. I guess its popular for 90's babies such as myself since it was a craze sweeping the nation at the time, and a lot of us were 6-10 years old when it became mainstream.  It's one of the reasons why, at 22 years old, I'm still an avid player.

The only difference to me is that, while it's still popular, it probably may never reach the level of popularity that it did during 1999-2001. That was back when Pokemon went as far as movies being shown in theaters (now they're just TV premiers on Cartoon Network).

It's fun, replayable, got great lore, great villains, it's very deep, especially comp-pokemon and every new party is a new experience, it's just great.
I've been playing Pokemon Fire Red sense I was 12, and I still play it every now and again. It also got me into RPGs, my second favorite genre now (next to 4X strategy). I can understand why people might not like them, but man, the games have changed my life.

Pokemon is popular because...
1. It provides a real sense of adventure in an exciting world that we all wished we lived in.
2. It is simple on the surface, but is also very complex.
3. It's very fun and very addictive.

Kids like it because there are cute collectible monsters and it's not that hard to play.

Older gamers like it because they grew up with it and especially because it is deceptively deep and offers a very strategic and rewarding multiplayer experience for battling.

So basically, it's popular because it targets two large groups at once.

I remember when red and blue launched. It wasn't proven over here that it would sell like japan. I got red because of the over 100 pokemon. Huge numbers. The trade aspect was just icing on the cake.

So you have been convinced yet? Have you tried a Pokemon game yet?

It's okay if you don't like the game since everyone plays different games.

jparks34 : Hello, I'm PokePal435. There are many things about Pokemon that make it popular. Think back to when it first came out for the Gameboy Color. Almost everyone wanted to play it when it first came out. Then came the newer games. People play Pokemon because of the story-line. I started playing Pokemon because it looked like a fun game to play. Look at me now, 23 years old and still playing Pokemon. It goes to show how popular Pokemon has become since it came out like 20 years ago.

Pokemon can also teach you things. Pokemon are just like pets. You need to care for them in order to keep them happy. You feed them so they are full of energy. If they don't have any energy, how do you expect them to get stronger? They also need that energy to battle. They become stronger by battling with other Pokemon. You also need to show your Pokemon respect. If you don't respect your Pokemon, they will disrespect you back. Disrespect will lead to disobeying Pokemon. So alway take good care of your Pokemon and love them like you would a household pet.

If Pokemon are injured you take them to a Pokemon doctor. You can call it a vet for Pokemon. Pokemon Centers are located in cities like doctors/vets are for us in real life. If you don't heal your Pokemon after battling, then your Pokemon won't be suitable for battling. You should never let your Pokemon come down to this state. Letting it battle when it's injured enough. That's not what a responsible person would do.

Well i could go on for awhile with this but, I don't wanna get carried away. So, I'm gonna take my leave now.

~PokePal435 has left the building~

Well... It's not just about catching and training the animals, although that's the gist of it. There are a lot of things that you have to keep in mind, everything from what Pokemon you catch to what you buy at the marts. Really, the thing I love about it is the amount of strategy. And the farther you go on in the series, the more strategy they add. Every single thing about your Pokemon effects how they perform in battle. And no two games will be the same. You will NEVER have anywhere near the same game twice. It's very hard to explain, but if you like strategy games then this will be a good game for you.

I'd say it's so popular because the games deliver a genuine sense of adventure, has a fun collecting system, has a combat style that is simple on the surface but at the same time, very deep. All of this greatness on portable platforms. That's why it's so popular, I'd say.

Eh the same thing could honestly be said about quite a few games that seem to always continue on and on and on...like Call Of Duty is one of the games that practically never changes if you think about it,it's just a new mission over and over,along with new guns that you can use and what not. There's barely any changes in Call Of Duty despite the story and the maps and what not. Though I just can't play it online,cause it's much more of a pain to even enjoy it...though pokemon is always enjoyable it seems,it's hard for me to explain,but I just love pokemon,it's a calm and peaceful game and you're not exactly forced to do a five hour campaign lol you can actually explore and what not to a point. Other than that you'd probably have to ask someone else for a better explanation of Pokemon. Other than that I just know they're quite a few games that continue on and never wanna end it,though the series seems to be literally boring lol though despite Pokemon among with the other games Pokemon actually has a tv show/anime that a bunch of people tend to enjoy! It's technically better than most the stuff they show on TV,but that's just me and I'm not that much of a fan of watching regular television. 

jparks34 : Ok when some of us where children we where more likely to be dawn in by these evil terrible plagues upon humanity, these shows from japan was there response to us nuking Hiroshima so god help me i swear to you