Like the wise saying claims, "pobody's nerfect." This applies tenfold to brands and corporations, and when we idolize our favorite product or brand, we run the risk of anthropomorphizing them and disregarding their misdeeds, mistakes, and ill-intentions. Pokémon, 🉐Game Freak, and Nintendo are not above such criticism, as many fans and critics alike have ꦡmade clear in the franchise's history.
Some controversies regarding Pokémon have come from far-fetched claims and those intent on taking down the franchise. Others are valid🔥 complaints and concerns from fans and community members alike. Whate🍒ver the case, there are plenty of examples to examine when it comes to Pokémon.
10 ꦇ Pokémon UNITE Announcement
The announcement of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon Unite was not the success that Nintendo presumably hoped for. Not only does the announcement video on YouTube have a higher dislike amount than likes, but the channel has refreshed likes and reuploaded♑ the video in﷽ order to reset the likes counter altogether.
It's not just the lack of type advantages and disadvantages that upset fans; the presence of microtransactions were the most frustrating aspect of this game's trailer. Many fans also see it as a disappointing reskin of League of Legends with overused, popular Pokémon such as Charizard and Lucario. It has to be wondered if Nintendo could have predicted this backlash ahead of time by taking into account other game companies' missteps🐈.
9 Jynx
Jynx is most commonly known for its complicated origins and problematic original design. Some say its design comes from the Japanese fashion trend of ganguro, where others say Jynx has blackface and minstrelsy elements that make it a racist caricature. This controversy prompted Jynx's sprites to be changed for the international release of Pokémon Gold and Silver. Regardless of the intention, Jynx's original design has elements considered racist by people of color, and ܫthat alone justifies alterations.
8 Porygon Episode ✤
The 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon anime, as successful and longrunning as it has been, is no stranger to controversy, especially back in its early days. Episode 1.38 of the anime, "Electric Soldier Porygon," had a sequence in whi🤪ch Pikachu shocks missiles being fired in cyberspace, causing them to explode in a red-and-blue strobe effect.
This strobe caused 685 seizures in children who were triggered by photosensitive epilepsy, with the later aired explanation being that the rapidly switching colors at a rate higher than 24 frames per sec🐠ond was the🦋 main cause. This episode was recut and made safe but was rarely ever shown again, having put the show on hiatus and in the center of controversy. Porygon never got a major spotlight in the anime again.
7 Dexit
When the news broke that not every Pokémon in the national Pokédex would be returning in the Switch's Pokémon Sword & Shield, fans practically rioted. This anger gave birth to what is now referred to as Dexit, with many lamenting how their favorite Pokémon were 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:absent from the Pokédex.
Fans have called the Pokémon company lazy for not attempting to include all of the 900+ Pokémon into the Generation VIII g🐻ames and many consider the move to be a mistake, hence the referential name of "Dexit."
6 Lenora'🍬s Design
Lenora is a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:formidable gym leader from the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Unova region whose original design seemed to embody both the Mammy stereotype and the strong Black woman stereotype simultaneously. Character designer Yusuke Ohmura stated in an that the team had "received orders that she should have a strong sort of body type and some motherly qualities." Fans rightfully criticized this representation of a Black woman, and both her apron and references to cooking were edited out/altered in future releases of games and the Pokémon anime.
The lesson to learn here is that taking action without/before heavy backlash and criticism by others shows a genuine commitment to inclusivity and justice, rather than the performative nature of responding to backlash in order to appease the market audience. Doing so implies tha𓂃t things would have never been changed if it weren't for the threat of negative press and loss of sales.
5 Burger King Pok🥂émon Toys
A promotional tie-in between Burger King and Pokémon led to an unfortunate tragedy back in 1999, with a plastic Pokéball toy leading to the suffocatio⛎n of a 13-month old child in their crib. Each meal came with a plastic ball containing a Pokémon figurine, and Burger King had stated the toy passed all choking tests for children. The problem was suffocation due to the halves of the ball covering the mouth, causing the company to recall an estimated 25 million balls. This story highlights not only the importance of child supervision but the possible flaws in a toy design that can go unseen until it's too late.
4 💝 Satanism Claims ♉
Most Pokémon fans have heard of claims by fundamentalist Christian groups that Pokémon promotes Satanism and the devil, especially during its early years of popularity. The main argument was often that Pokémon are demons to be captured and controlled, and that evolving Pokémon was promoting the scientific theory of evolution, often disbelieved by fundamentalists, specifically fundamentalist creationists. While plenty of media has been demonized and hailed as evil propaganda, Pokémon got more th🌸an its fair share thanks to its widespread popularity.
3 Pokém꧃on GO Deaths
The absolute craze that is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon GO swept the entire world into its hands, with players from every continent spending hours playing and traveling to new locations just to catch Pokémon. Unfortunately, the app had incidents of spawning Pokémon at inappꦐropriate and unsafe locations, such as Holocaust memorials and train tracks.
Many deaths and accidents have been attributed to people playing Pokémon GO, giving t🌼he game a notorious reputation for those already skeptical of video games and phone technology in general.
2 Gambling Elements ꦦ
Ever since the original Pokémon Red and Blue, gambling and casino-esque games have🔯 been a part of the series. Players were required to enter the Celadon Game Corner in order to progress the story, and using the slot machines could make unlocking Pokémon and prizes much easier.
Never did gambling become a problem until Generation IV, when the standards of PEGI (Pan European Game Information) changed, causing Game Freak to edit out the slot machines in order to be released in Europe under the same rating. Though the Japanese version of HeartGold and SoulSilver kept the slot machines, every other version has the mini-game Voltorb Flip. After this, slot machines were never again present in the serꦐies.
1 ꩲ Fascist Imagery
The Pokémon Registeel has become widely known for its unfortunate Pokémon Diamond and Pearl sprite pose: with one arm up and one arm down, the pose resembles a Nazi salute. Though the company said it was meant to be a battle stance, it was altered in the European release of the games, and all editions of Pokémon Platinum and HeartGold and SoulSilver had different sprites of Registeel.