NOVEMBER 22, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 20

Inside Stuff
What's all the fuss about the game? A seventh-grader explains it for us

Over the past three-and-a-half years, Shota Yonekura has logged more than 1,000 hours playing the Pokémon video game. That doesn't include the 500 hours he figures he has spent playing with Pokémon cards. Players collect monsters by finding them in the video game or buying their card; then they train them to be fighters and confront other players' Pokémons in a match of skills. Shota, a 13-year-old Yokohama seventh-grader, reluctantly pulled himself away from a website devoted to the game to talk with reporter Takashi Yokota. Excerpts:

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TIME: Isn't Pokémon just a lame kiddie game?
Shota: A lot of people misunderstand Pokémon as a babyish game. The stuffed animals and food packaging attract younger kids and tend to keep away older ones who expect the game will be too childish. They never get to understand the depth and strategy involved.

TIME: What is your favorite monster?
Shota: I like to choose weak monsters and develop them into stronger ones. My personal favorite is Nassy [called Exeggutor in the American version], who is slow and weak. He's considered an underdog, but I've developed him into a Pokémon that none of my friends can beat.

TIME: Are there personal styles of playing?
Shota: A favorite Pokémon reflects a player's personality. Active kids usually choose tougher-looking Pokémon, while quieter people, including nerds, choose weak ones.

TIME: How much money have you spent on Pokémon?
Shota: I have more than 500 cards. Including the video games, I think I've spent about 100,000 yen [$950].

TIME: Does Pokémon appeal to adults?
Shota: Some parents actually end up getting hooked after helping their kids search the Internet for Pokémon sites. Adults trade on-line rather than in person. Some web masters set up off-line get-togethers to promote interaction, and some of the adults play with the kids there.

TIME: Is this a game for loners?
Shota: Some people have two Game Boys and two cartridges, and they trade by themselves. These people are usually older, in their 20s and 30s. Because they don't want to be public about their interest in Pokémon, they either play by themselves or on the Internet. There are also some kids who do the same thing, which is sad.

TIME: Did you know the idea for Pokémon came from real insect collecting?
Shota: Yeah, when I went on a vacation to the countryside, the kids there gave me a beetle. I hear they do that a lot in the countryside, and I see Pokémon as the urban version of collecting insects. We collect, nourish and trade in Pokémon, so I think we have a lot in common.

TIME: Is Pokémon violent?
Shota: Even after beating a trainer [human] in the game, you don't feel guilt. Even the bad guys aren't too bad. They're just petty thieves.

TIME: When will the boom end?
Shota: It relies too much on Pikachu, and I believe the true enjoyment of Pokémon comes from the strategy involved rather than the cute looks of the characters. I think Nintendo is running out of ideas. It concentrates too much on gaining popularity among younger children, when kids are more interested in difficult games with flashy graphics.

Images © 1995, 1999 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./Game Freak Inc.; moving images by Adam Connors