Although the video games tend to be rated E, Pokémon is a franchise that has attained popularity across multiple generations, finding fans in early childhood as well as adulthood. Back when Pokémon Red and Blue were first released, the franchise was still figuring out its market, so they weren’t necessarily kids’ games at that point (remember how terrifying Lavender Town was, or the creepy old man peeping on the all-women gym?). Since then, the franchise’s target audience has kind of settled on around the 6-10 age range. But that doesn’t mean that people outside that range can’t still enjoy the games or trading cards or even the TV show. Hell, I’m 23 and I still play the mainline games whenever they come out.
If you’re an older Pokémon fan and have a young kid that you want to get into the franchise too, or if you have a kid who’s already into it, then you might want to check out the newly announced Pokémon Playhouse. The game was revealed today (September 21) and is currently available to purchase for iOS and Android devices. It’s a game targeted towards kids aged 3-5 and doesn’t require reading or math skills. Instead, kids who play the game will make Pokémon friends and explore an area called the Playhouse where they can participate in a number of different activities, such as grooming or feeding their Pokémon, playing flashlight tag and making music. You can watch the trailer for the game below.
