I don't really think Pokemon is a game for kids.

[Misheard Whisper]

My eleven-year-old sister is playing Black right now, and . . . frankly, it's painful to watch. She has trouble with the Gym puzzles, gets lost all over the place and comes to me for help constantly. She teaches her starter and team HM moves like Cut and Rock Smash and then refuses to get rid of them even though they're hampering her in moving forward in the game. I remember when she borrowed my FireRed a couple of years back, she made it to the Elite Four with a Charizard that knew Fly, Cut, Rock Smash and Strength and then bombed out miserably.

My point is, does Pokemon require some extra level of . . . I dunno, common sense in order to play it? All the kids I've seen playing Pokemon have struggled to complete the game - a game most of us take for granted as not terribly difficult. My sister, for one, finds it incredibly hard to pick up on the usual sorts of RPG hints, like 'Gee, I wonder if my teammate has come back from Three Island yet?' or 'If you go over the quicksand too fast, you'll fall in', mostly because she doesn't pay any attention to what NPCs say. She's got no concept of how to play a video game past Super Mario Bros.

And she's not stupid, either. I mean, she's a bratty eleven-year-old, but she's relatively intelligent. /ttlycosshegrewupwithme So, do you think there's something to this? Is Pokemon really not a game for kids in this respect? (leaving aside violence or sexual innuendos or whatever) Discuss.

 

[Maggazone]

Just because some 11 year old can't get through the game doesn't mean pokemon is not for kids and besides its all about puzzle solving anyway.

 

[Aether★]

If she's playing it for the first time, it's understandable. But kids can play Pokemon properly. They just can start playing it earlier and earning experience ;f. I remember playing myself Pokemon after a seriously long break. Without reading anything on the net, I was just doing the same things like your sister.

 

[Misheard Whisper]

No, she's played Pokemon before. And I don't mean getting confused with the more obscure things, like Pokemon breeding. She had to come to me after trying for hours because she couldn't get through Arti's Gym - one of the simplest in the game.

 

[Aether★]

Do you try to help her, tell her what she can do/should do, giving her any advice? Or just she don't want any of your help and she want's to do it by herself?

 

[TJgamer]

Pokémon is for all ages in my opinion. Your sister may just need to take it more slowly. After all, RPGs should be thought through a bit and think of strategies to win the battle.
And yes, talking to NPCs would be useful too.
You should see my little sister. She doesn't play Pokémon, but she certainly is slow of mind. Both in games and in school. And she's 12.

 

[Thomas]

I've heard so many people say that B/W is a lot harder and easier than previous entries in the series, but I really don't see it. The game is just different, the difficulty hasn't been shifted in my opinion.

Anyway, I've been playing Pokemon since the first releases in America, and at the time I think I was about 9 years old. I've never had trouble with the games, even back then I can remember never really being "stuck" in the game.

 

[Misheard Whisper]

No, she's continually coming to me for help, and I do help her, preferably without doing it for her, so that she can learn. But this isn't so much a 'jeez my sister is a dumbass' thread as it is a 'my sister doing that made me think about this' thread.

 

[Edsbob]

Ever since I went to the Pokemon Tower back in the first gen, I knew that this game was only for the bravest of adults, clerics and exorcists.

Well, my sister and I never really had a problem with Pokemon since we were young. I think that Pokemon is fine for kids, but you just have to make sure you read things and know what you're doing. Talking to the people in town helps me to this day.

The games you play in the past can influence how well you figure out the puzzles (for instance someone who plays 'The Legend of Zelda' series will have more experience at those sort of puzzles than a kid who plays 'Street Fighter' (though I like both)).

Children learn from trial and error a lot. I think your sister can do it without asking you for help if she tried enough times. You can see what works and what doesn't by playing and reading what's on the screen. Eventually even young children can tell that Lance will use Hyper beam every fourth turn.

I think that the games thoroughly explain the moves these days. In RGBY, it was probably harder for the kiddlywinks to get what they had to do. It is a game for children as well; it's just not as easy for children as it is with the older audience.

 

[Dragonite's Wrath]

You could try giving your sis some in game help. Stuff like 'cover weakness' and 'have an HM slave' and my personal favorite, 'have a specific, but open strategy'. I call my strategy 'Hit and Run' Give her pkmn names(but do it casually so she gets an idea of her own) that go with a loose strategy that can be modified into anything.
As for the sister always coming to you, do what my brother did. Tell her to figure it out on her own. If it works, her mind will slow down, making it easier for her to think more elaborately.

 

[Seeds Horizon]

My eleven-year-old sister is playing Black right now, and . . . frankly, it's painful to watch. She has trouble with the Gym puzzles, gets lost all over the place and comes to me for help constantly. She teaches her starter and team HM moves like Cut and Rock Smash and then refuses to get rid of them even though they're hampering her in moving forward in the game. I remember when she borrowed my FireRed a couple of years back, she made it to the Elite Four with a Charizard that knew Fly, Cut, Rock Smash and Strength and then bombed out miserably.

My point is, does Pokemon require some extra level of . . . I dunno, common sense in order to play it? All the kids I've seen playing Pokemon have struggled to complete the game - a game most of us take for granted as not terribly difficult. My sister, for one, finds it incredibly hard to pick up on the usual sorts of RPG hints, like 'Gee, I wonder if my teammate has come back from Three Island yet?' or 'If you go over the quicksand too fast, you'll fall in', mostly because she doesn't pay any attention to what NPCs say. She's got no concept of how to play a video game past Super Mario Bros.

And she's not stupid, either. I mean, she's a bratty eleven-year-old, but she's relatively intelligent. /ttlycosshegrewupwithme So, do you think there's something to this? Is Pokemon really not a game for kids in this respect? (leaving aside violence or sexual innuendos or whatever) Discuss.

I think it all depends on the person. If they pay enough attention to the game, and try hard enough and with patience, they would be able to beat it, albeit it might take them ages and there could be several new pokemon games before then, but *shrugs*. I remember playing Yellow as a little brat, and made it past most of the gym leaders and I do believe finally beating the E4 for the first time. And I mean, my 5 year old little brother plays White, though he only knows how to battle and use potions and switch out Pokemon and run, and access the PC to withdraw/deposit Pokemon, but if he knew how to read better I bet he could beat the game. Remember, Pokemon was originally intended for players around 10+ years of age, and yeah the gym puzzles are even confusing to me, and m in HS, but you just gotta have patience so anyone could play it.

 

[Sydian]

My brother started playing when he was about 5. He came to me for help a lot, but never THAT much. :( And he hasn't needed help with BW, and he's 10 now. We can't measure common sense on people and bar them from playing a game because they lack enough of it though. If she's enjoying herself, then the purpose of the game has...been fulfilled. If she keeps up in the franchise, she'll eventually realize how nooby she was. For example, I didn't even bother to read game text when I was 7, and didn't realize Electric moves weren't gunna work on Diglett and Geodude.

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

are you sure your sister isn't actually just slow? I mean, if she was seven or eight, I could understand it, but... eleven? ._.

After all, my sister's that age and she's finished the first two Pokemon Rangers and is working on Guardian Signs. I highly doubt she'd have any trouble with the main franchise... I think I started at like 10 and didn't have any actual trouble with it... bad teams and everything, but I didn't actually have trouble at the game (except for the bike puzzles in the Sky Pillar which I got a friend to do).

The game is aimed at kids around 10, although the newer games are pointed slightly above that now to more like 11-12. I'm pretty sure that kids that age would be able to play it without major problems.

 

[pokecole]

i've played pokemon for awhile and i dont think its that hard but at the same time there are some really complex things,but eventually i get through them. My 10 year old brother needs help on certain parts that i can find hard enough for help, like the distortion world on platinum... but eventually i helped him a little bit and he did the rest. BTW: i'm 12...

 

[Seeds Horizon]

are you sure your sister isn't actually just slow? I mean, if she was seven or eight, I could understand it, but... eleven? ._.

After all, my sister's that age and she's finished the first two Pokemon Rangers and is working on Guardian Signs. I highly doubt she'd have any trouble with the main franchise... I think I started at like 10 and didn't have any actual trouble with it... bad teams and everything, but I didn't actually have trouble at the game (except for the bike puzzles in the Sky Pillar which I got a friend to do).

The game is aimed at kids around 10, although the newer games are pointed slightly above that now to more like 11-12. I'm pretty sure that kids that age would be able to play it without major problems.

There is no need for that...Thats just disrespectful. You should never call someone slow, and your reason is because they cant play a game? Like, seriously? Thats just sad bro. Some people arent good at video games, take my sisters for instance..They suck at Video games, and their in 6th grade..And one of my sisters has straight A's...You think shes slow too? And she cant play Pokemon to save her life, and ive tried teaching her countless times. Its just the way their brain works, so all in all its fine if a kid cant play Pokemon, they can always learn, or maybe it just isnt for them *shrugs*

 

[ISA56 2.0]

Pokemon is for kids, at least I think so. I was around 9 years old when I played the game (Pokemon Pearl) for the first time. I don't recall really having any problems with the game, other than how type matchups work. Heck, I had an awesome Legendary team in that ol' Game Card. Makes me wish I hadn't lost it. Many fond memories on that old thing.....:'(

..........I think your sis just might be a bit of a slow learner. When did she start to show interest in gaming? I started at age 5 with Super Mario Brothers, and quite frankly, I'm one of the best gamers at my school.

 

[Misheard Whisper]

Yeah, it's that RPG mindset you need to have, I guess. Took me a few years to develop it. I first started playing Pokemon when I was about eight, and I was so clueless. I never had a team, trying to kill everything with my Blastoise, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I think I've got the hang of it now, though XD

 

[pedrito3_poke]

In my point of view, Pokemon is for kids, because i started playing with about 8 years old and it was almost as easy as it is today (I'm 15 now). The only difficulty was that I didn't understand English, but I already knew the basics, so it was quite easy.

 

[AusDon]

Wait, what. When I was 9, I beat Sapphire in a few days.

Anyways, I think pokemon is a perception sort of thing. (When it comes to enjoying it). I'm sure younger kids don't EV train as much as older kids/adults, and I'm sure on the flip side of the coin, those who are older don't enjoy the musical contest thing as much. (Just for an example).

After all...:

 

[Misheard Whisper]

Hey, would you look at that? She just came into my room again asking how to get out of the first level of Chargestone Cave, which was, ah . . . not difficult, if I remember rightly.