One of the strangest things to happen in the late 1990's was when a small Japanese development studio produced a simple RPG for the Game Boy fronted by a yellow mouse, and it grew into a massive worldwide phenomenon.
In the Pokémon games you play as a young trainer who lives in a world populated by animals called Pokémon. They will attack you, and you have to defend yourself with your own Pokémon. The twist comes in how you acquire them - you can capture any of the wild specimins you meet, so long as you weaken them first, and have a Poké Ball to spare. Can't find the Pokémon you want? Then trade with your friends using the Game Boy link cable.
As well as the games, Pokémon appeared on TV and in cinemas with a long-running animated series, as a collectable card game and on thousands of pieces of merchandise, from toys to cars. Even today, Pokémon events continue to be held around the world, celebrating the latest releases.
