Is Pokemon Art?

Lately, people have been asking if video games are art. I think so. However, is Pokemon?

Someone argued validly that Pokemon can't be art because it has no atmosphere. Which I guess is kind of true. Pokemon isn't well known for stunning visuals. In fact, Pokemon in the first generation is very bland when it comes to atmosphere. Every location looks practically the same. In fact, a lot of the locations are just cities.

Later games improved on this with quiet snowy areas, serene forests, threatening volcanic mountains, frightening haunted houses, gorgeous bridges, techno towns, and bustling cities. Islands are usually hit-and-miss, but there's something there.

Still, does it have atmosphere? Does atmosphere even qualify Pokemon as art, or anything? Well, I think X & Y might finally be onto something. There's diagonal movement, which means more exploration. In fact, the ways to explore have been changed. Instead of simple running and bicycling, we have rollerblading and Pokemon-riding. In fact, you can change your own character to better reflect you. It's too soon to tell, but from what I've seen, Pokemon might finally be nearing that atmosphere it so needed.

Actually, two games come to mind when discussing Pokemon as art. For me, at least. Pokemon in Gen V really tries to bring the beauty of the Pokemon world to the player. Zoom outs and ins are prominent while traveling, in order to let the player perceive the amount of detail that went into the game. For once, I actually don't spend my time flying everywhere. Sometimes, I just run around enjoying the scenery. In that sense, I think Pokemon really captures the meaning of art.

Before that, one game DOES capture the atmosphere it tries to portray: Pokemon Colosseum. It moves diagonally, so again, you can travel more. But it goes beyond that. The tone of the game is dark, and the loneliness of the scenery really captures that. So if there's one game that captures art, it's Colosseum.

But I don't feel that atmosphere alone says what is and isn't art. Choosing a Pokemon team is art. It shows what choices you make as a person, and the preferences of what you feel makes a good companion. Art is more than good looks. It's about personal connection, and Pokemon really manages to capture that, no matter how lousy people feel each passing game may be.

Well, this got kind of preachy. Hopefully next time will be an update on X & Y. Watch out for that Table Pokemon!