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A monster-taming game (also known as a monster-catching game, and sometimes a Pokémon clone) is a subgenre of role-playing video games that most notably includes the Pokémon franchise. While Pokémon is the most recognizable example of such a game to Western audiences, the origins of the genre were in the Megami Tensei series, which involved fighting, negotiating with, and recruiting demons and other mythological beings.

Monster-taming games share core mechanics such as being able to capture creatures, train them, and use them in battle against similar creatures.[1] In many such games, these creatures are the only means of combat, although the darker-themed Megami Tensei series also allows the player to participate in combat, using weapons such as guns.

History

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The origins of the genre lay in the Megami Tensei or MegaTen series, beginning with Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (1987). The games feature a system in which players can entice demons to join their party and battle alongside them. Due to the Satanic panic of the 1980s, the occult-themed series remained exclusive to Japan for many years and it was slow to enter Western markets.[2][3] In Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna (1987), monsters can be summoned and made to join the player"s party. Dragon Quest V (1992), another title exclusive to Japan at the time, featured monster recruiting and training mechanics that inspired monster-collecting RPGs such as Pokémon, Digimon, and Dokapon.[4][5] It spawned the Dragon Quest Monsters spin-off series in 1998.

Robotrek (1994) was another early title similar to Pokémon. It was a predecessor to the core gameplay of Pokémon in that the protagonist does not himself fight, but instead sends out robots, which are kept in capsules outside of battle.[6] There was a resemblance in functionality between these capsules and the Poké Balls used in Pokémon.[7][8] Robotrek may have been the partial inspiration for Robopon, a 1998 RPG featuring customizable robots.[9][10]

The Pokémon series, which debuted with Pokémon Red and Green in 1996, was largely responsible for popularizing the genre. Pokémon was many players" first experience with monster-taming games, and it remains the most successful franchise in the genre.[2][3]

The contemporaneous Digimon series, which debuted in 1997, also featured similar monster-taming mechanics.[11] Another early entry in the monster-taming genre was the fantasy-themed Jade Cocoon (1998) by Genki, which saw a cult classic 2001 follow-up, Jade Cocoon 2.[12][13]

While Pokémon and Digimon continued to release new games throughout the ensuing years, in 2011, Level-5 developed the monster-taming game Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, which was heavily inspired by the works of Studio Ghibli.[14] They subsequently developed Yo-Kai Watch as a competitor to Pokémon, with its popularity exploding in 2014, and the franchise becoming a cultural phenomenon. However, its popularity declined significantly by 2018, attributed to a variety of factors.[15] In the United States, Studio Wildcard developed and released Ark: Survival Evolved (2015), an open-world monster-taming game themed around prehistoric life.

Many spin-offs from major series revolve around taming monsters, including World of Final Fantasy (2016) and Chocobo"s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy! (2019), based on the long-running Final Fantasy series of Japanese role-playing games, and Monster Hunter Stories (2016) and its sequel, based on Monster Hunter, a best-selling series of action role-playing games.[14]

Nostalgia for the Pokémon series resulted in a wave of indie monster-taming games. Siralim Ultimate (2021) built on its longtime community for success, while Monster Crown (2021), despite Game Boy Color-inspired graphics, had an intentionally dark narrative.[14][16] One of the more popular examples, Temtem (2022), sold more than 500,000 copies in a single month on Steam. Coromon (2022) passed 100,000 sales on Windows and Mac, with more on other platforms. However, there has not been a mega-hit comparable to the influence of Stardew Valley (2016) in the farming sim genre, which developers blame on Pokémon"s huge cultural impact. The developers see terms such as "Pokémon-like" or "Pokémon clone" as derogatory, implying they are attempts to cash in on the popularity of Pokémon rather than unique games of their own.[16]

Palworld, a game centered around monster-catching, skyrocketed to the second most-played game on Steam after it was released for early access in January 2024.[17] The game was nicknamed "Pokémon with guns".[18][19][20] On September 19, 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair for infringement of patent rights.[21][22]

References

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  1. ^ Werner, Jillian (2013-01-09). "5 Genres that have Reached Their Limit". Gamezebo. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  2. ^ a b Parish, Jeremy (2018-08-01). "The Shin Megami Tensei games beginner"s guide". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  3. ^ a b Wallace, Kimberley (2012-10-21). "Games That Influenced Modern Genres". Game Informer. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  4. ^ Kalata, Kurt. "The History of Dragon Quest". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on October 26, 2019. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
  5. ^ "Monster Collecting". Gaming"s most important evolutions. Gamesradar. 2010-10-08. Archived from the original on 2013-11-07. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  6. ^ Keiser, Joe (July 8, 2005). "Unsung Innovators". Next Generation. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on October 28, 2005. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  7. ^ admin (July 12, 2017). "Robotrek". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  8. ^ Scribner, Matthew. "Robotrek - Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  9. ^ Statt, Nick (April 18, 2019). "One of the Game Boy"s weirdest games was a Pokémon clone with built-in infrared". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  10. ^ Jankiewicz, Joshua (June 2, 2018). "Robopon". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  11. ^ Wald, Heather (2022-11-11). "10 games like Pokemon for the discerning trainer". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  12. ^ IGN Staff (1999-07-31). "Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu". IGN. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  13. ^ Satterfield, Shane (2001-05-19). "E3 2001 Hands-on Jade Cocoon 2". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  14. ^ a b c Maher, Cian (2022-09-11). "The 7 best Pokémon-likes to play while you wait for Scarlet and Violet". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  15. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (2019-02-13). "Pokémon"s Former Rival Yokai Watch Is Having A Terrible Time In Japan". Kotaku. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  16. ^ a b Reyes, Jessica (2022-09-07). "Why has no Pokémon clone taken off like Stardew Valley?". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  17. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2024-01-23). "Palworld Overtakes Counter-Strike to Become the Second Most-Played Game Ever on Steam". IGN. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  18. ^ Small, Zachary (22 January 2024). "Mocked as "Pokémon With Guns," Palworld Becomes an Instant Hit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024.
  19. ^ Stuart, Keith (23 January 2024). "Pokémon with guns: why Palworld could become 2024"s biggest game". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024.
  20. ^ Klee, Miles (22 January 2024). ""Palworld" is a Smash Hit. Gamers Claim It"s "Pokémon With Guns"". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024.
  21. ^ Stedman, Alex (19 September 2024). "Nintendo and The Pokémon Company Officially Suing Palworld Developer Over "Multiple" Patent Infringements". IGN. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024.
  22. ^ Peters, Jay (19 September 2024). "Nintendo and Pokémon are suing Palworld maker Pocketpair". The Verge. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024.
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