Pokémon.com
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This article is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this article to add missing information and complete it. Reason: History section |
Pokémon.com, known as Pokémon World prior to 2000, is the official international Pokémon website which was created on January 8, 1998[1]. It has gone by many different names throughout its history, such as Pokémon-games.com and Go-Pokemon.com, though has finally settled on the simple Pokémon.com nominer. Most iterations have had an online Pokédex. On January 11, 2010, the website was overhauled, now having full episodes, new online games, and Trading Card Game information, among others. The design was overhauled yet again on January 27, 2014, were the basic layout was "simplified" along with further linking the official website with the TCG site (such as now incorporating the same avatar system). This also updated the Pokédex to contain all Pokémon up to Generation VI and the showed the return of the "Gotta catch 'em all!" slogan.
History
Sections
Online Pokédex
The site features an online National Pokédex.
It, like all other Pokédexes allows the user to search for Pokémon by name (Basic Search Mode), and also by type, Ability, or size (Advanced Search Mode). The search function is in the left column. Search results for the basic mode are displayed in the left column itself, but results for the advanced mode are displayed in the middle column.
The middle column displays the Pokémon's image, info, type, Abilities and weaknesses. It has three colors, blue for displaying results of the advanced search mode, grey for the Pokémon's info, and orange for showing evolutions.
The right column shows height, weight, species, HP, attack, defense, special attack, special defense, speed, and a dark silhouette of the Pokémon. It also gives the user an option to add that Pokémon to their favorites (if registered on the site) and to search the whole site for that Pokémon.
- For Generation V Pokémon, there are entries from both Black and White versions.
After the 2014 January update, the Pokédex was completely redesigned and now includes Generation VI Pokémon. The new interface has a grid-like structure and a much more advanced search system. As to coincide with the new Generation VI games, each Pokémon has a choice of either their X or Y Pokédex entry.
What was also added was further options below the basic Pokédex info, including the ability to share the selected Pokémon via several social media and included a list of all currently aired Anime Episodes and available Trading Cards including that Pokémon.
Video games
Before the overhaul, the video games section had information of the games, with some of them having mini-sites and sub-sites. After the overhaul, the section was expanded to include game strategies, and information about video game Organized Play. However, many of the game mini-sites were removed.
Trading Card Game
Before the overhaul, most TCG news was on Go-Pokémon.com. However, after the overhaul, the TCG was brought to Pokémon.com. The Trading Card Game section of the site includes sets from EX Ruby & Sapphire to the current set, strategies, and news. Most news articles and images from Go-Pokémon were not transferred over, and thus have been lost.
Pokémon TV
Before the overhaul, the television section simply had synopses of almost every anime episode. After the overhaul, a changing selection of episodes can be viewed, along with summaries and screenshots for every episode and movie. Rather than separating the episodes by seasons, each are categorized by 'region'; with the current options being 'Kanto Channel', 'Johto Channel', 'Hoenn Channel', 'Sinnoh Channel' and the 'Unova Channel'.
An Pokémon tv mobile app was also incrtoduced, and can be downloaded for free on the Apple App Store and through Google Play.
Pokémon Fun Zone
The Pokémon Fun Zone contains games, wallpapers, and screensavers. Before the 2010 update, the games were mostly based on Generation III and Pokémon Platinum; after the update the games featured a larger number of Generation IV Pokémon, all translated from the Japanese Pokémon Daisuki Club. The games released after the site revamp are interactive, and allow players to earn Trainer Tokens, also brought over from the Pokémon Daisuki Club. The games that were previously available on the site are not available any longer.
News & Events
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Prior to complete transformation in 2010 (if it existed) |
The News & Events section has news about events and other things. It currently has news that dates back to September 2011.
Pokémon Trainer Club
The Pokémon Trainer Club is the equivalent of Japan's Pokémon Daisuki Club. Many features have been brought over from the Pokémon Daisuki Club, including customizable Trainer personalities for each user. Outfits and accessories are bought with Trainer Tokens, which are rewarded when playing the online games. Users must have a Pokémon Trainer Club account in order to register high scores in the online games or to earn tokens. Anyone who has a Pokémon Trainer Club account can also keep track of their Organized Play statistics.
Defunct sections
Pokémon Center
The Pokémon Center was an online store where people could buy different kinds of Pokémon merchandise over the internet. It also featured exclusive items only available at the online store. The store closed on January 31, 2008. When it was closed, it was claimed that Pokémon merchandise would now be mainly distributed by other retailers.
Mailbag
The Pokémon.com mailbag was an official source of information from the company directors. Fans could write in and ask questions about the games, anime, and other aspects of the franchise. It had been updated quite regularly, often providing information that was not available in other sources (such as the English name of one character from the eleventh movie), but the last update came in October/November 2009. When the site was revamped in January 2010, the mailbag section was removed.
Media player
The site once contained a media player that played music from the Pokémon X collection. Like the mailbag, it was removed in the revamp.
Errors
Throughout Pokémon.com's lifespan, it has been notorious for errors. Some of these are as minor as referring to Team Galactic as Team Rocket, others as important as stating that Phione was a legendary Pokémon (although this is a subject of debate). Other errors are stated below.
- After the 2010 overhaul, in the Advanced Generation series's overview in the animation section, Mt. Coronet was noted. However, Mt. Coronet is in Sinnoh, and is in the Diamond & Pearl series. This was later fixed, with Mt. Chimney being noted instead.
- The site once stated that Jessie was 12 years old.
- Pokémon.com also mentioned that the shadowed figure in Unbeatable (and, by source, Pokémon Symphonic Medley) was Red Lightning, although the character did not appear in an episode until after Unbeatable ended its run as an opening theme.
- In an article for Jumping Rocket Ship!, the site referred to Ash's at-the-time Staravia as Staraptor.
- On the subpage for Pokémon Red and Blue Versions, Pokémon.com made these two statements:
- "And if they're really lucky, they might even be able to catch the elusive (and powerful) Pokémon, Mew!" despite the fact that Mew cannot be found in the wild.
- "Catching the Legendary Mew will require lots of luck!" while showing a picture of the Mewtwo encounter in Cerulean Cave.
- Similarly, a comment for an image on Pokémon Emerald Version's subpage states "The Kanto region has never looked better!". Pokémon Emerald took place in Hoenn.
- In the game Gothita's Portrait Panic sometimes a picture of Victini will be displayed, but it will say Foongus in the caption underneath.
- In the Trainer store, a Scraggy costume was labeled "Scrafty Costume," and a Roserade costume was labeled "Roselia Costume."
- The episode guide for New Places...Familiar Faces! identified character of the day Nanette as Natasha.
- The Pokémon section in the preview of Pokémon X and Y shows Spritzee using Aromatherapy and labels the move as Draining Kiss, a move seen in Swirlix's section.
- A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle! was referred to as the fifteenth episode of Pokémon the Series: XY instead of the fifth.
Trivia
- Several (but not all) Pokémon namespaces (such as "bulbasaur.com") redirect to either Pokémon.com or Nintendo.com, and others, such as Manaphy.com and Darkrai.com, redirected to their respective minisites. After the update in January 2010, many links became broken as the respective pages no longer exist at the same location. Such namespaces have since been changed to redirect to the website's Pokédex page on that Pokémon.
- Despite the overhaul the site received in early January 2010, the old version was made available for a limited period of time at http://origin.pokemon.com/. This also affected links that got broken with the revamp, making them available again, only at a different address.
- However, since the old version is no longer available, all old links are once again broken.
- A minisite about Darkrai which originally appeared in 2008 was located at http://origin2.pokemon.com, but has since been taken down.
- The only time the site refers to itself as "Pokémon.com" (with the e acute) is if the user clicks on an external link on the HeartGold and SoulSilver website.
External links
- Pokémon.com
- Current Pokedex
- Archive of the first Pokémon.com site
- The 2005 version of the Pokédex from the website
- Pokémon.com YouTube Channel
