10 "Assumed To Fail" Video Games That DESTROYED Expectations
1. Pokémon Red & Green
When you think of Nintendo, three things probably spring to mind. Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Pokemon. You can probably walk up to any stranger on the street and ask them "what's Nintendo?" and they will most likely respond with Mario or Pokemon first.
So it comes as a major shock to learn that the original Pokemon games, Red and Green at that time, we’re expected to be massive failures.
Nintendo was initially confused when Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri pitched them a game called capsule monsters, where players captured and traded monsters along with other players using the original Gameboy’s link cable.
Development of Red and Green was also extremely touch an go, and without legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto, Pokémon would never have existed.
Miyamoto helped develop the game, and was also the one who pitched Tajiri the idea that there should be a “pair” of games to build interest.
By the time the games were ready for release, many at Game Freak had quit because they just weren’t getting paid, including Tajiri himself.
Pokémon Red and Green were barely marketed by Nintendo, even when they released, leading to the game’s real marketing coming from players telling their friends to get these new games on a console people were not interest in.
Somehow though, Pokémon pulled through.
The two games' rising popularity lead to the release of a third title, sold as an exclusive magazine subscription reward, called Pokémon Blue, with updated graphics and bug fixes.
The rest is history.