Ash and his Pokémon Pikachu are known worldwide.
On February 27, the series celebrates its 27th birthday.
The original idea for the little "pocket monsters" came from game developer Satoshi Tajiri.
The idea came to him because he was a passionate insect collector.
And that's exactly what Pokémon is about: the passion for collecting still exists today.
Pokémon: manga, games and films
The hype about the little Pokémon started in 1996 with the red, green and blue editions.
Initially playable on the Gameboy, the "pocket monsters" turned into an absolute bestseller.
When the games were finally available in Europe in 1999, they came out almost simultaneously with anime, maps and merch.
The first feature film followed shortly thereafter.
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Pokemon turns 27.
© Andreas Beil/imago
The brand is now such a huge success that there are Pokémon centers, amusement parks and even a Pokémon symphony.
The future of Pokemon
To this day, Pokémon cards are collected and exchanged on social media.
Since 2022 we have arrived in the 9th generation.
The games have also arrived on the current Switch games console.
The latest versions are Pokémon Crimson and Pokémon Crimson.
For the first time, this is set in an open game world.
The principle has remained the same: you collect and breed Pokémon.
To this day, this gaming fun is unbroken, whether on the console or the smartphone.
If you want to go back in time to celebrate your birthday, you can read the old manga at Panini Comics or watch the films on Netflix.
We wish you a happy birthday!
May there be at least another 27 years to come.
And not what Team Rocket had to shout often enough happen:
That was a shot in the oven again...
Team Rocket
List of rubrics: © Andreas Beil/imago