My inner child is doing a happy dance right now.
When I was a youngster, my parents were apprehensive about buying me and my brother game systems.
We did get Game Boys but were only allowed to use them on road trips, or we smuggled them to our bedrooms or to school.
I have fond memories of hiding under a blanket, playing “Super Mario Bros.” or “Pokémon” late into the night.
Among all the nostalgia-inducing games I played as a kid, the franchise that will stick with me for life is “Pokémon”.
One thing Nintendo and GameFreak have done well is keep the brand relevant with new games and merchandise.
Pokémon is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, and the companies have announced some celebratory releases happening during the year.
The release I can’t stop thinking about is the Red, Blue and Yellow versions of “Pokémon” for Nintendo 3DS.
Digital copies of all three versions will be available for download Feb. 27, which is the same day the original Pokémon was released in Japan 20 years ago.
I’m looking forward to it because they are unadulterated copies of my two favorite versions: Red and Blue.
The only difference is that the developers have added trading between players using a wireless connection instead of the original cable connection.
Knowing that I’ll be able to revisit one of my favorite franchises is an exciting idea.
To say I was obsessed with “Pokémon” as a child might be an understatement.
My bedroom walls were covered with hand-drawn and colored pictures of generation one, the first 151 Pokémon. My brother and I begged our mom to take us to Target for more Pokémon trading cards on allowance day.
Afternoons were spent in front of the TV watching the original show. Instead of dressing up as a princess or kitty cat for Halloween, I went as a Pokémon Master. You could say I was a PokéManiac.
Many of you who love Pokémon can probably relate to these stories.
Although I’ll never be as sentimental about the games that came after generation one, there is special place in my heart for anything Pokémon-related.
Hunter Evans, a sophomore business administration major from Provo, said he has been a fan of Pokémon since he got Pokémon Emerald for his eighth birthday.
“I like that Nintendo is bringing back the old games and staying true to the original games,” Evans said.
As for me, I’ll be counting down the days until the 27th. I know it’s my destiny.
