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Pokémon Aaah!: Difference between revisions
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Cleaned up some of the text, also added a smidge more details. Removed the stub notice as well. I may go through and thin the text up later.
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mascot={{p|Missingno.}} | | mascot={{p|Missingno.}} | | ||
weblink=[http://pokemonaaah.net/ Main Page] | weblink=[http://pokemonaaah.net/ Main Page] | ||
}}'''Pokémon Aaah!''', or '''PA!''', is a Pokémon website created and mostly maintained by Nick15 that mostly focuses on various off-beat aspects of the | }}'''Pokémon Aaah!''', or '''PA!''', is a Pokémon website created and mostly maintained by [[User:Nick15|Nick15]] that mostly focuses on various off-beat aspects of the franchise, such as [[Fan-made cards|fan made (fake) Pokémon TCG cards]], print run and power creep data for the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]], and statistical data about Pokémon [[types]], among other things. It was originally active between 1999 and 2004, with regular updates beginning again in 2019. | ||
On April 10th, 2020, PA! ''(quietly)'' celebrated is 21st anniversary. | |||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
During its initial 1999-2004 run, PA! was | During its initial 1999-2004 run, although PA! covered the Pokémon franchise as a whole, it was more focused on news and content about the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game|Pokémon TCG]]. PA! therefore maintained a detailed database of each TCG set, as well as provided spoilers for several upcoming sets. Subsequently, when PA! ceased regular updates in 2004, its TCG database would end up forming the foundation of Bulbapedia's own TCG articles. | ||
But perhaps what PA! was best known for was for having popularized graphical [[Fan-made cards|fan made (fake) Pokémon TCG cards]]. This included being the first website to have guides on how to make fakes, blank templates and font files for download, and regular contests to help promote up-and-coming artists. | |||
This interest in faking also meant that PA! had a hit of a mischievous side, creating and maintaining various hoaxes and other fakes to fool the Pokémon community at large. | |||
Since | Since returning to regular updates in 2019, PA! has focused on the more random and off-beat aspects of the Pokémon franchise. For example, with the release of Pokémon {{2v2|Sword|Shield}}, a new "Galar language" was included and used on all signs, posters, etc, in game; PA! began work on decoding what the language is saying, and has gone further than any prior attempt. PA! also has plans to return to making fake cards, as well as release a regular YouTube series. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Original Run (1999-2004)=== | ===Original Run (1999-2004)=== | ||
PA! started in April 1999, initially titled ''Pokémon AAAH! TCG America''. The site's name was a reference to Pokémon's initial fad status, as if someone was screaming the name of Pokémon out of | PA! started in April 1999, initially titled ''Pokémon AAAH! TCG America''. The site's name was a reference to Pokémon's initial fad status, as if someone was screaming the name of Pokémon out of shock and/or fear—''"Pokémon?! AAAH!!"''—as well as its focus on the Pokémon TCG's release in the [[Pokémon in the United States#Pokémon Trading Card Game|United States]]. As it would turn out, spoilers for the {{TCG|Jungle}} and {{TCG|Fossil}} sets would be the site's breakout hit, as those sets had yet to be released in English, thus giving new fans of the TCG a chance to see what's to come. This in turn would inspire Nick15's work on Pokémon TCG fake cards, which encouraged visitors to visit regularly, thus building the site's fan base. During this early stage, Nick15 was joined by his best friend, IVIegaX. | ||
When [[Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions|Pokémon Gold/Silver]] had initially released in Japan in November 1999, PA! worked with [[Pokémon Forever (site)|Pokémon Forever]] and Meowth346 to share and analyze all the new characters, events, locations and Pokémon from the new game. | |||
In June 2000, Nick15 completed the first-ever ''graphical'' Pokémon TCG fan made fake card, ''Fake Edition''. The set contained 200 cards total and took one year to create. | In June 2000, Nick15 completed the first-ever ''graphical'' Pokémon TCG fan made fake card, ''Fake Edition''. The set contained 200 cards total and took one year to create. | ||
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2002, however, turned out to be an ''annus horribilis'' for PA!. First off, rising server costs would cripple [[The PokéMasters]], forcing it to shut down in February 2002. This in turn took PA! offline. To make matters worse, the copy of PA! that PMX had was also accidentally deleted, leaving PA! offline and without a site. This prompted Nick15 to return to help with rebuilding. Unfortunately, PMX would leave in October 2002, making Nick15 sole webmaster once more. But just when "Version 7" was about to go online, a hard drive crash deleted all of Nick15's work, taking PA! once again offline. It wouldn't be until January 2003 that PA! would be back to stay, finally with a new dedicated host and site design. | 2002, however, turned out to be an ''annus horribilis'' for PA!. First off, rising server costs would cripple [[The PokéMasters]], forcing it to shut down in February 2002. This in turn took PA! offline. To make matters worse, the copy of PA! that PMX had was also accidentally deleted, leaving PA! offline and without a site. This prompted Nick15 to return to help with rebuilding. Unfortunately, PMX would leave in October 2002, making Nick15 sole webmaster once more. But just when "Version 7" was about to go online, a hard drive crash deleted all of Nick15's work, taking PA! once again offline. It wouldn't be until January 2003 that PA! would be back to stay, finally with a new dedicated host and site design. | ||
In 2003, PA! would release spoilers for the upcoming EX/ADV-era sets (starting with {{TCG|EX Ruby & Sapphire}}). What made these spoilers special was that they were actually posted on PA! ''before'' even their actual Japanese release, ensuring PA! was the first stop for any TCG player wanting a sneak peak of what's to come. | |||
The last major change for PA! came in February 2004, when Nick15 created FakeCard.com, with the goal to cover creating fan-made fake cards for other games along with Pokémon, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! and the newly released Duel Masters. PA! thus become a section of the larger website. However, this version of the site would be short lived, as Nick15 was ready to move onto other projects, and regular updates would ultimately end the following May. | The last major change for PA! came in February 2004, when Nick15 created FakeCard.com, with the goal to cover creating fan-made fake cards for other games along with Pokémon, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! and the newly released Duel Masters. PA! thus become a section of the larger website. However, this version of the site would be short lived, as Nick15 was ready to move onto other projects, and regular updates would ultimately end the following May. | ||
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===Interbellum (2004-2019)=== | ===Interbellum (2004-2019)=== | ||
Although PA! would cease regular updates, versions of the site would remain online for nostalgia purposes. | Although PA! would cease regular updates, versions of the site would remain online for nostalgia purposes. Doing so ensured that PA! would become one of the few remaining primary sources of Pokémon news and events from that period of Pokémon's history. | ||
In December 2009, "pokemonaaah.com" was re-acquired by Nick15 | In December 2009, "pokemonaaah.com" was re-acquired by Nick15 after having been owned by domain squatters for several years. The domain was lost during the confusion of PA!'s ''annus horribilis'' of 2002—thus ensuring that "pokemonaaah.''net''" would be the site's primary URL—but it would later be recovered by DarkPikaMew, long time fan of the site who also happened to run a domain name registrar. The "pokemonaaah.com" domain name would later be attached to a March 2001 archive of PA!. | ||
In January 2012, PA! finally returned as a website that would ''update'', albeit only as a simple blog for Nick15 to share Pokémon-related ideas | In January 2012, PA! finally returned as a website that would ''update'', albeit only as a simple blog for Nick15 to share Pokémon-related thoughts and ideas. Initially the site's main focus was to record and analyze print run data for current TCG sets, but it later expanded to cover reviews and info about the then-current gen Pokémon game. For example, Nick15 created an [[AR Marker]] Generator utility for the [[Pokédex 3D]] and [[Pokédex 3D Pro]] app for the Nintendo 3DS. | ||
===Current Run (2019- )=== | ===Current Run (2019- )=== | ||
When ''Sword and Shield'' was released in 2019, PA! was updated once again to cover Nick15's research on the | When ''Sword and Shield'' was released in 2019, PA! was updated once again to cover Nick15's research on the Galarian language. However, this research proved to be extremely popular, and so it helped convince Nick15 to start updating the site again on a regular basis. | ||
Work on this new content is still in a preliminary stage, but Nick15 absolutely plans on seeing things through. Some of the new content planned or released includes: | |||
* a "ColorDex", covering the kinds of colors used to depict each [[Type|Pokémon type]] | |||
* a webcomic series titled ''Adventure Battlemon'', which is intended to be a parody/homage of Pokémon in the vein of "Galaxy Quest" | |||
* a new TCG fake card set based on prototype Pokémon seen in the 1997 "Space World" versions of [[Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions|Pokémon Gold/Silver]] | |||
What also inspired Nick15 to return was the fact that Pokémon did not fade into obscurity since 2004; frankly, Pokémon is probably more popular than it's ''ever'' been, thus ensuring that PA!'s return won't be so much of an uphill battle. Furthermore, since sites like [[Bulbapedia]] and [[Serebii.net]] focus on regular Pokémon news and data, PA! can focus on more unique content as it won't need to focus on covering stuff that other sites are better at. | |||
PA! was later joined by Nick15's best friend, IVIegaX | PA! was later joined by Nick15's best friend, Teslalyte (formerly IVIegaX); Teslalyte will be focusing on PA!'s Discord server and helping out with other "under the hood" work. | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
===Current Sites=== | ===Current Sites=== | ||
*[http://www.pokemonaaah.net/ '''PokemonAaah.net'''] - Pokémon Aaah! The | *[http://www.pokemonaaah.net/ '''PokemonAaah.net'''] - Pokémon Aaah! The (currently updating) Website | ||
*[https://www.facebook.com/pokemonaaah '''Pokémon Aaah @ Facebook'''] - Official Facebook page for PA! | *[https://www.facebook.com/pokemonaaah '''Pokémon Aaah @ Facebook'''] - Official Facebook page for PA! | ||
*[http://www.twitter.com/AaahPokemon '''Pokémon Aaah! @ Twitter'''] - Official Twitter account for PA! | *[http://www.twitter.com/AaahPokemon '''Pokémon Aaah! @ Twitter'''] ''(@AaahPokemon)'' - Official Twitter account for PA! | ||
*[http://discord.gg/34xKQf2 '''Pokémon Aaah! Discord Server'''] - Official Discord server for PA! | *[http://discord.gg/34xKQf2 '''Pokémon Aaah! The Discord Server'''] - Official Discord server for PA! | ||
===Archives and Nostalgia=== | ===Archives and Nostalgia=== | ||
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{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
{{Project Fandom notice}} | {{Project Fandom notice}} | ||
[[Category:Fan sites]] | [[Category:Fan sites]] | ||
