Pokémon Presents: 5 Things We Learned

5. Pokemon Is Kind Of A Big Deal

In 2013, the American Cinema Editors described Steven Spielberg's movies as being "...indelibly woven into our cultural fabric". I mention this because (a) it's a cracking turn of phrase and (b) it perfectly sums up Pokemon's impact on mainstream culture.

Like any other long-running pop-culture phenomenon, from The Simpsons to Star Wars, Pokemon has been so big for so long it's easy to take it for granted. It's only when you take a step back and compare how it started to where it is now that the scale of what Nintendo achieved with the franchise becomes apparent.

This point was brought home in Pokemon Presents stunning intro segment. A five and a half minute supercut charting the history of the franchise, from its monochrome origins on the original Game Boy to last year's jam-packed Go Fest, this was a grin-inducing celebration of all things Pokemon.

Video games, anime, trading cards, arcade cabinets, fashion, food, concerts both real & virtual...

Pokemon has worn many hats in its 25 years, and this segment celebrated each and every one of them (even the toothbrushing app). It was the perfect celebration of Pokemon's past, allowing the rest of the show to set up the series' future.