Pokemon geeks forever

Pokemon may be two decades old and designed for kids, but those who grew up with it are having a hard time letting it go.

While iPhone launch days and big gadget reveals represent some of my most anticipated events because I’m a tech blogger, a day like today can still awaken just as much excitement. Today is the launch day of a new Pokemon game, you see – the newest installment of the “Catch ‘Em All” franchise, Pokemon X/Y for the Nintendo 3DS, hits store shelves and is being delivered to pre-order customers everywhere. Kids are choosing from three new starter Pokemon, and beginning a familiar adventure all over again. And a fair amount of adults like me are, too.

I’ve played every single Western-release Pokemon title in the main franchise (not all of the spin-offs, sadly) since Pokemon Red and Blue were introduced back in 1998. When those games made their North American debuts, I was 15 years old – probably a little above the target age group of the games, but a lot closer to them than I am now, starting Pokemon Y at the ripe old age of 31.