Pokemon Generations: How the Game Saga That Gave Us Pikachu Was Created. This unexpectedly large and detailed tome is devoted to the history of the Pokémon franchise, covering everything from the main games in the series to its numerous media offshoots. In Russia, most people know Pokémon primarily through the anime adaptation, making this book particularly useful for readers who want to explore the games about pocket monsters but aren’t sure where to start.

Pokemon Generations serves as a comprehensive encyclopedia, analyzing the intricate world structure of the Pokémon universe, detailing notable creatures, and even highlighting unique bugs in each game. The authors deserve praise for the in-depth chapters on Game Freak’s development, especially the one focusing on the now-forgotten games that the studio released before Pokémon became a global phenomenon¹.

However, the book has two minor but noticeable flaws: it is somewhat outdated, covering games only up to 2016, and it lacks pictures. Due to its encyclopedic nature, readers might expect more graphics and illustrations to complement the text, but the book includes very few visuals².

Despite these shortcomings, Pokemon Generations provides an invaluable resource for both new fans and long-time enthusiasts who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the franchise’s development and evolution. It offers a thorough exploration of the Pokémon world and its creators, making it a significant addition to any Pokémon fan’s collection.

Footnotes

1. Game Freak – The video game developer responsible for creating the Pokémon series. Before Pokémon, they developed various other games that are briefly covered in this book. ↩
2. The book’s lack of pictures and illustrations may be a drawback for readers who prefer a more visually engaging presentation. ↩