For some students, Pokémon was a major part of childhood, and now it’s making a comeback.
Recently, the games have had a resurgence and manager at C & C Games Josh Ballmer has noticed.
“It never stopped being popular,” he said. “It’s a customizable, always replay-able game that no one fell out of love with.”
Nancy Down, head librarian at the Browne Popular Culture Library, said Pokémon is so popular because it allows players to use their imagination.
“It is one of those things that became popular because it’s a part of an imaginary world that you can participate in,” she said.
Some students like to play Pokémon because of the way it is played.
“The game play hasn’t changed much from the old versions, so someone who wants to play something familiar can always go to these games,” Ballmer said.
Ballmer said Pokémon is a good game for students who do not like to play games for a long amount of time.
“It’s one of those games that you don’t have to be completely engrossed in,” he said. “You can put it down and come back later.”
Junior Luke Hay said he will consider buying the new Pokémon games.
“I won’t buy the new Black and White games, but if they come out with other ones, I might,” he said.
Freshman Kate Kraatz is uncertain of how she will feel about the new games.
“I don’t think I’ll get as into it now that I’m older, but it’s still kind of exciting,” she said.
Kraatz has been playing Pokémon since childhood.
“I used to play with my brother,” Kraatz said. “We collected cards and dueled with them.”
Sophomore Tianna Johnston said a lot of her friends used to play Pokémon.
“They wanted all the cards: everything. For their birthdays, holidays, all the time,” she said.
Johnston believes Pokémon will continue to be popular with the youngest generation of children.
“People our age will introduce it to their younger siblings and kids,” Johnston said.
However, some students feel Pokémon has stayed popular with some because it reminds them of their childhood.
“It reminds them of the good times; once you’re done with childhood, it all goes down from there,” Kraatz said.
Ballmer said he thinks Pokémon will continue to be popular for a long time.
“I’m sure there will be a point eventually when it stops, but in the next 10 to 20 years, probably not,” he said.