Final Fantasy VII tends to get all the credit for bringing Japanese RPG game design to the West, but that's forgetting the double-whammy of Pokémons Red and Blue; some of the finest, most enjoyable and perfectly packaged turn-based role-players of all time. For anyone with a Game Boy this was the title to own, and aided by the overwhelming success of 'Pokémon fever' that spread from TV screens to merchandise and even Hollywood for a second, the games embodied the spirit of the original show in earnest. You were free to name your character, your nemesis (damn you, Boobman) and every creature you came across. There were gym leaders to take down, badges to earn, rare Pokémon to catch, items to collect and a whole world that oozed character in every pixel. Its score was positively delightful, and even if you look at the newest entries in the series, they're still completely faithful to everything these originals set in motion way back in 1996. Now that's good game design.
