Magikarpe Diem! (The Origins of Pokemon's Magikarp)

This wriggling mass of derp is Magikarp, Pokemon's ultimate useless Pokemon.  The only attack it was capable of learning the original games was "Splash", which was a completely useless move.  Actually, "Splash" was an erroneous translation of the Japanese word for "Hop" but that is neither here nor there.  Of course anybody who knows anything about Pokemon also knows that Magikarp eventually becomes this mass of epicness:

PlayStation: The Bastard Child of Nintendo and Sony

It's definitely up for debate, but I think it's safe to say that most people feel the SNES produced higher fidelity sounds than its main competition, the Sega Genesis.  That's because the SNES has a Sony sound chip in it.  Developed by Ken Kutaragi in secret due to the fact that Sony had zero desire to do anything related to video games, the chips success softened Sony executives enough to consider developing a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo called the Play Station.

What Does Skyrim Share with Super Mario 64?

Charles Martinet is a name that any hardcore Super Mario fan is familiar with.  Since 1996 he has provided the voice for Nintendo's portly mustached plumber.  His voice has become instantly recognizable and it's now hard to picture Mario without hearing his signature "Itsa me, Mario!"

Gunpei Yokoi - The Father of Game Boy

One morning, over 30 years ago, Gunpei Yokoi was on a train, traveling to work.  As he sat on the train watching his fellow passengers his eyes fell upon a business man who was casually playing on his calculator to pass the time.  It was then that Yokoi, who worked for a prominent Japanese toy company, was struck with an idea for a product that would forever change his career, the company he worked for, and the lives of millions of commuters, gamers and bored children in the backseats of cars during long road trips.

How Pikachu Became the Face of Pokemon

Editors Note:  I realize that many of you reading this will be Pokemon fans.  This post is mainly written for people who did not board the Pokemon Hype Train until well after the series' humble Gameboy beginnings, so for you Poke-Veterans out there, this post will contain a lot of information you already know.  Please understand.

Pikachu is the face of Pokemon.  People who don't know the name of any other monster, or even the basic plot of the games or TV show know who Pikachu is.  It's easy to see why; he's cute, he's powerful and he's happy.

The original games let players choose Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander as their starter Pokemon, the cute, yellow...er I guess then it was more monochromatic green, mouse was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the game did not let players catch Pikachu until the reached Viridian Forest, about twenty to thirty minutes in to the game.

Pikachu became the face of Pokemon because of the anime based on the games.  The creators of the anime wanted the main character, Ash to have a Pokemon that would appeal to girls as well as boys.  Interestingly, Pikachu was not the first choice for Ash's starter.  Clefairy was the first choice.

Clefairy.

This thing:

The idea was that Clefairy would appeal to female viewers of the show.  The creators eventually ans smartly decided that such a choice would alienate male viewers and so they settle on the more broadly appealing Pikachu.  Thank heavens they did, because if Clefairy had been chosen there is no way I ever would have started watching the show, which means I wouldn't have gotten into the games, which means that I wouldn't have gotten into the cards, which means I would have had more focus as a student and an athlete, and would most likely have finished college sooner, landing a better job and being much richer than I am now.  You know what?  Screw you Pikachu!

Source: didyouknowgaming.com

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