Now Playing: March 8-14, 2010

I'm sure a lot of it has to do with many of us here on joystiq growing up playing pokemon, for me it was my very first Game Boy game.

I mean if you've played one of the games in the series, you've pretty much know what you're getting into with the rest.

For me the games are still very addicitive, and since Gold and Silver were the best in the series(IMO), I can't wait to pick up the remake!

I've wondered about that myself. I suppose it's something like Mario, where it doesn't have to get darker or more mature for adults to keep playing it, and it rewards that completion-driven part of the brain like achievements or trophies. Never caught the appeal myself, but I was a little older than the intended age group when that craze first hit North American shores.

I just like collecting things and making them fight each other.

...it started with Legos really.

I'd say it comes down to two things:

1. The vast majority of us grew up with Pokemon. Also, as Wardo mentioned, Gold and Silver are widely regarded as the best set in the series. Remakes of those with the additions the Crystal threw in is pretty much a guaranteed sell.

2. The games are just fun no matter your age or how deep you want to get into a game. Pokemon is simple enough that you can go in to it looking for a pick up and play game and you'll get it. There are, also, enough hidden mechanics that control so many things in the game, helped out by breeding, that give those of us who want a deeper game that satisfaction. Then the entire completionist thing is there as well.

Get it. Love it. Live it.

"There are, also, enough hidden mechanics that control so many things in the game, helped out by breeding, that give those of us who want a deeper game that satisfaction."

The problem with that is it's mostly for number crunchers. ...it's much like MMORPG freaks, who try to get the highest stats through extremely-specific methods and training, choosing specific quests in certain orders, picking certain items and powers, etc... all to get slightly better stats than a maxxed out character.
...then those number crunchers complain when someone with lower stats beat them out of "luck".

In the same way, many "masters" of Pokemon number crunch to the point where it makes us "regular trainers" feel rather inadequate in knowledge. We just wanted to play, but the master-trainers just are "perfects"... yes their number crunching is extremely effective at times, but for those of us who just see it as raising a dog: we just want to play, and see them the perfects as snooty breeders.

...the only number crunching that makes a game more fun was for Monster Rancher 2... as number crunching actually helped increase the lifespan of your monster and their characteristics and personalities - which would then be bred down to their fused breeds. Much more obviously than Pokemon. So the "perfects" could still get their perfect stats, but the have-funners could still have satisfaction from number crunching (so their creatures could live longer and be much more personalized).

Soshikitai I understand you totally, I've had like all the Pokemon versions released and I started with the basic but eventually "evolve" to be perfect and get all the IV and EVS but there is nothing like starting a new save file with different Pokemon, and if its in a new game, then I welcome it.

To be fair, I've seen jack-all for advertising of Yakuza 3 in North America thus far. If they don't put money behind it, they can't expect anyone but the (admittedly) minor fanbase to support the franchise. Personally I'm looking forward to the title, the lack of hostess bars is pretty much a positive thing in my eyes, and I vastly prefer native voice actors than cheap dub jobs.