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  1. Games
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Pokemon developer confident it can keep making new pokemon forever

News
By Matt Cundy published 9 October 2012

Game Freak points to bugs, goats, cows, pretty much anything at all as a source of bottomless inspiration

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“Can we keep designing pokémon forever? Yes, in a way,” said Game Freak director Junichi Masuda. “Because I come to Europe and they have different goats or different cows, and they have very different species that aesthetically look different; they live in different places. And I enjoy that diversity, its fun and it’s important to have that sort of diversity in Pokémon. In Japan there are a multitude of different bugs and things, and these things have always been an inspiration.”

Game Freak graphic designer Takao Unno also offered his thoughts on the subject.

“Influences for the design of pokémon are everywhere. I look at living things but I look at the design of anything and think, ‘Why is that?’ ‘Why is that designed that way?’ And then sometimes I’m thinking about that and maybe an idea is compatible with my line of thinking for a certain pokémon. And that’s how pokémon are designed. Points of inspiration and influence never really stop.”

You may like
  • Pikachu facing an angry Raichu in the Pokemon anime series. Game Freak can't add hundreds of new Pokemon and more Types every generation or else new games would take too long
  • Pokemon Red and Blue key art Pokemon boss has a very straightforward plan for future releases: "keep making fun games"
  • Blastoise seen in the Pokemon Origins anime series. Pokemon Red and Green boss says the RPGs needed "a great deal of trial and error" to realize the devs' "simple concept"

At the time of writing there are 649 different pokémon.

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CATEGORIES
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Matt Cundy
Matt Cundy
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I don't have the energy to really hate anything properly. Most things I think are OK or inoffensively average. I do love quite a lot of stuff as well, though.
Read more
Pikachu facing an angry Raichu in the Pokemon anime series.
Pokemon Game Freak can't add hundreds of new Pokemon and more Types every generation or else new games would take too long
 
 
Pokemon Red and Blue key art
Pokemon Pokemon boss has a very straightforward plan for future releases: "keep making fun games"
 
 
Blastoise seen in the Pokemon Origins anime series.
Pokemon Pokemon Red and Green boss says the RPGs needed "a great deal of trial and error" to realize the devs' "simple concept"
 
 
Black Kyrum leaps against a black, lightning background, from Pokemon Black and White 2
Pokemon These five Pokemon Black & White features took a fresh approach to evolving the series, setting a new standard for gens
 
 
Pokemon Pokopia screenshot
Pokemon Pokemon devs "wanted to create a different type of game that's not an RPG" with Pokopia, but that "was a challenge"
 
 
A screenshot of Pokemon Pokopia showing Ditto and Bulbasaur growing more grass in a blocky, green field
Pokemon Pokopia lead wants to "scale" games "aside from battling," as "there are also lots of different ways to enjoy Pokemon"
 
 
Latest in Pokemon
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Pokemon "The biggest time save in nearly a decade of Pokemon speedrunning" has been discovered in FireRed
 
 
Ditto and Onix in Pokemon Pokopia
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  1. Zoomed-in, cropped box art for Pokemon FireRed shows Charizard roaring.
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