30 years of Pokémon: The 'immersive' phenomenon still finding new fans

For Jez Sundqvist, the world of Pokémon remains an unforgettable joy, a sentiment he now shares with his 11-year-old son, Auden. Their journey into the franchise began in 2016 with Pokémon GO, an augmented reality mobile game that encourages players to explore real-world locations. "That's a real-world game," Sundqvist said, highlighting how it incentivizes exploration and discovery. He finds it rewarding to share this experience with his son, noting that it adds a unique dimension to their travels.

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It just brings back all those memories of getting probably, you know, Pokémon Red or Pokémon Blue for the Game Boy and cracking that out of the packet.

Auden's entry into the Pokémon universe was through card collecting, which soon led him to immerse himself in the video games and other collectibles. This shared passion has not only strengthened his bond with his father but has also influenced their travel plans, with trips to Melbourne and Adelaide specifically for acquiring new cards, and visits to Pokémon Centers during holidays in Japan. "I like it as a family thing," Auden remarked.

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That's a real-world game.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the franchise, created by Satoshi Tajiri from his childhood hobby of bug catching. The enduring appeal of Pokémon is evident as first-generation fans like Ebonie Gardiner now share their passion with their own children. Gardiner fondly recalls watching Pokémon as a child and is delighted that her daughter, Cherrish-Lee, is now equally enthusiastic. "It's nice to watch that it travels through generations and hopefully she has some sort of connection with her children," Gardiner said, emphasizing the value of this shared interest.

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It incentivises you to go to different places and do things there because you'll find different Pokémon … it's been really enjoyable to be able to share the joy.