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[[File:Satoshi Tajiri 2016.jpg|thumb|213px|Satoshi Tajiri on February 25, 2016]]
[[File:Satoshi Tajiri 2016.jpg|thumb|213px|Satoshi Tajiri in 2016]]
'''Satoshi Tajiri''' (Japanese: '''田尻 智''', born August 28, 1965) is the creator of [[Pokémon]], responsible for the initial concepts which would lead to the metaseries as it exists today. Currently, he works as the CEO of [[Game Freak]].
'''Satoshi Tajiri''' (Japanese: '''田尻智''' ''Tajiri Satoshi'', born August 28, 1965) is the creator of [[Pokémon]], responsible for the initial concepts which would lead to the metaseries as it exists today. Currently, he works as the CEO of [[Game Freak]].


==Early life==
==Early life==
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In the early 1990s, when Tajiri first saw two children playing together with [[Game Boy]]s using the [[Game Link Cable]], he imagined insects crawling along the cable between the two systems. As he thought about the capabilities of the Game Link Cable, his idea for Pokémon grew, as he wanted to give modern children the chance to hunt for creatures as he did as a child.
In the early 1990s, when Tajiri first saw two children playing together with [[Game Boy]]s using the [[Game Link Cable]], he imagined insects crawling along the cable between the two systems. As he thought about the capabilities of the Game Link Cable, his idea for Pokémon grew, as he wanted to give modern children the chance to hunt for creatures as he did as a child.


He pitched the idea for ''Pokémon'' to Nintendo, and although they didn't fully understand the concept of the game, he was given some initial funding anyway and concept work from another game design studio, [[Creatures, Inc.]]. Tajiri spent the next six years working on Pokémon. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], the man behind {{smw|Mario}}, {{zw|The Legend of Zelda (Series)|The Legend of Zelda}}, {{smw|Pikmin}}, and {{dk|Donkey Kong}}, was assigned to help in the development of the initial [[Core series|version]]s of Pocket Monsters, {{2v2|Red|Green}}. During this time Tajiri came to admire Miyamoto as a mentor. As a tribute to Miyamoto and Tajiri, the {{ga|Red|main character}} of the games and {{ga|Blue|his rival}} have "Satoshi" and "Shigeru" among their default names, while the main character of the anime, [[Ash Ketchum]], and his first rival, [[Gary Oak]], are named the same, respectively.
He pitched the idea for ''Pokémon'' to Nintendo, and although they didn't fully understand the concept of the game, he was given some initial funding anyway and concept work from another game design studio, [[Creatures, Inc.]]. Tajiri spent the next six years working on Pokémon. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], the creator of {{smw|Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario}} and {{zw|The Legend of Zelda (Series)|The Legend of Zelda}} (among other Nintendo series), was assigned to help in the development of the initial [[Core series|version]]s of Pocket Monsters, {{2v2|Red|Green}}. During this time Tajiri came to admire Miyamoto as a mentor. As a tribute to Miyamoto and Tajiri, the {{ga|Red|main character}} of the games and {{ga|Blue|his rival}} have "Satoshi" and "Shigeru" among their default names, while the main character of the anime, [[Ash Ketchum]], and his first rival, [[Gary Oak]], are named the same, respectively.


After six years of development, [[Pokémon Red and Green Versions]] were completed. Although the Game Boy's hardware was becoming outdated, the game still grew steadily in popularity because younger children could not afford brand-new console games so they turned to the inexpensive Game Boy games.
After six years of development, [[Pokémon Red and Green Versions]] were completed. Although the Game Boy's hardware was becoming outdated, the game still grew steadily in popularity because younger children could not afford brand-new console games so they turned to the inexpensive Game Boy games.


The success of Pokémon led to various {{pkmn|manga}} adaptations, an {{pkmn|anime}}, and more Pokémon games and spinoff games.
The success of Pokémon led to various {{pkmn|manga}} adaptations, an {{pkmn|anime}}, and more Pokémon games and {{spin-off games}}.


==Game credits==
==Game credits==
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* '''[[Pokémon Stadium (Japanese)]]''' (1998) - Original Game Design
* '''[[Pokémon Stadium (Japanese)]]''' (1998) - Original Game Design
* '''{{game|Yellow}}''' (1998) - Director, Game Design, Game Scenario, Map Design
* '''{{game|Yellow}}''' (1998) - Director, Game Design, Game Scenario, Map Design
* '''[[Hey You, Pikachu!]] (1998) - Pokémon Creator
* '''[[Hey You, Pikachu!]]''' (1998) - Pokémon Creator
* '''[[Pokémon Trading Card Game (game)|Pokémon Trading Card Game]]''' (1998) - Pokémon Original Story
* '''[[Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game)|Pokémon Trading Card Game]]''' (1998) - Pokémon Original Story
* '''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''' (1999) - Original Game Staff ("Pokémon" Game Design, Direction)
* '''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''' (1999) - Original Game Staff ("Pokémon" Game Design, Direction)
* '''Click Medic''' (1999) - Concept
* '''[[Pokémon Snap]]''' (1999) - Pokémon Creator
* '''[[Pokémon Snap]]''' (1999) - Pokémon Creator
* '''[[Pokémon Stadium (English)|Pokémon Stadium]]''' (1999) - Original Game Design
* '''[[Pokémon Stadium]]''' (1999) - Original Game Design
* '''{{game|Gold and Silver|s}}''' (1999) - Director, Game Design
* '''{{game|Gold and Silver|s}}''' (1999) - Director, Game Design
* '''{{game|Crystal}}''' (2000) - Executive Director
* '''{{game|Crystal}}''' (2000) - Executive Director
* '''[[Pokémon Stadium 2]]''' (2000) - Original Game Design
* '''[[Pokémon Stadium 2]]''' (2000) - Original Game Design
* '''[[Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!]]''' (2001) - Pokémon Original Story
* '''[[Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!]]''' (2001) - Pokémon Original Story
* '''[[Pokémon Party mini]]''' (2001) - Original Pokémon
* '''[[Pokémon Party mini]]''' (2001) - Original Pokémon
* '''[[Pokémon Pinball mini]]''' (2001) - Original Pokémon
* '''[[Pokémon Pinball mini]]''' (2001) - Original Pokémon
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* '''[[Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness]]''' (2005) - Pokémon Games Designer
* '''[[Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness]]''' (2005) - Pokémon Games Designer
* '''{{wp|Drill Dozer}}''' (2005) - Executive Producer
* '''{{wp|Drill Dozer}}''' (2005) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Trozei]]''' (2005) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[Pokémon Trozei!]]''' (2005) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team]]''' (2005) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team]]''' (2005) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''{{game|Diamond and Pearl|s}}''' (2006) - Executive Producer
* '''{{game|Diamond and Pearl|s}}''' (2006) - Executive Producer
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* '''[[PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond]]''' (2011) - Original Pokémon Director
* '''[[PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond]]''' (2011) - Original Pokémon Director
* '''[[Pokémon Conquest]]''' (2012) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[Pokémon Conquest]]''' (2012) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''{{game|Black and White|s|Pokémon Black 2 and White 2|2}}''' (2012) - Executive Producer
* '''{{B2W2}}''' (2012) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Dream Radar]]''' (2012) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Dream Radar]]''' (2012) - Executive Producer
* '''{{wp|HarmoKnight}}''' (2012) - Executive Producer
* '''{{wp|HarmoKnight}}''' (2012) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity]]''' (2012) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity]]''' (2012) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''{{game|X and Y|s}}''' (2013) - Executive Producer
* '''{{g|X and Y}}''' (2013) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Battle Trozei]]''' (2014) - Pokémon Games Original Director
* '''[[Pokémon Battle Trozei]]''' (2014) - Pokémon Games Original Director
* '''[[The Thieves and the 1000 Pokémon]]''' (2014) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[The Thieves and the 1000 Pokémon]]''' (2014) - Pokémon Original Director
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* '''{{wp|Tembo the Badass Elephant}}''' (2015) - Executive Producer
* '''{{wp|Tembo the Badass Elephant}}''' (2015) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon]]''' (2015) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon]]''' (2015) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[Great Detective Pikachu ~Birth of a New Duo~]]''' (2016) - Original Pokémon Director
* '''{{OBP|Detective Pikachu|video game}}''' (2016) - Original Pokémon Director
* '''{{game|Sun & Moon|s}}''' (2016) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Sun and Moon]]''' (2016) - Executive Producer
* '''{{wp|Giga Wrecker}}''' (2017) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon]]''' (2017) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!]]''' (2018) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''' (2018) - Original Game Supervisor
* '''{{wp|Giga Wrecker|Giga Wrecker Alt.}}''' (2019) - Executive Producer
* '''{{wp|Little Town Hero}}''' (2019) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Sword and Shield]]''' (2019) - Executive Producer
* '''[[New Pokémon Snap]]''' (2020) - Pokémon Original Director
* '''[[Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl]]''' (2021) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]]''' (2022) - Executive Producer
* '''[[Pokémon Scarlet and Violet]]''' (2022) - Executive Producer


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
* Tajiri's favorite Pokémon is apparently {{p|Poliwag}}, and he says that the swirl on its belly is meant to be its intestines, representing the fact that a tadpole's internal organs are able to be seen when it is picked up and inspected.
* Tajiri's favorite Pokémon is {{p|Poliwag}},<ref>Interview with Satoshi Tajiri on ''Game Center CX'' (Japanese TV) 2004</ref> and he says that the swirl on its belly is meant to be its intestines, representing the fact that a tadpole's internal organs are able to be seen when it is picked up and inspected.
* In an interview with {{wp|Time Magazine}} in 1999, Tajiri stated that he sleeps for 12 hours, and then works on his games for 24 hours straight. He says that the irregular schedule helps him think of new ideas for games.
* In an interview with {{wp|Time Magazine}} in 1999, Tajiri stated that for the last three years, he slept for 12 hours, and then worked on his games for 24 hours straight. He said that the irregular schedule helped him think of new ideas for games.
* A biography of Tajiri entitled ''[[Satoshi Tajiri: Pokémon Creator]]'' was published in 2008 by {{wp|KidHaven Press}}.
* A biography of Tajiri entitled ''[[Satoshi Tajiri: Pokémon Creator]]'' was published in 2008 by {{wp|KidHaven Press}}.
* In the {{Gdis|Battle Tower|II}} in {{game|Crystal}}, there is a {{tc|Bug Catcher}} named '''Tajiri'''.
* In the {{Gdis|Battle Tower|II}} in {{game|Crystal}}, there is a {{tc|Bug Catcher}} named Tajiri.


==External links==
==External links==
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[[Category:People|Tajiri, Satoshi]]
[[Category:People|Tajiri, Satoshi]]
[[Category:Game cast and crew|Tajiri, Satoshi]]
[[Category:Game staff|Tajiri, Satoshi]]
[[Category:Anime cast and crew|Tajiri, Satoshi]]
[[Category:Animation cast and crew|Tajiri, Satoshi]]


[[de:Satoshi Tajiri]]
[[de:Satoshi Tajiri]]
[[es:Satoshi Tajiri]]
[[fr:Satoshi Tajiri]]
[[fr:Satoshi Tajiri]]
[[it:Satoshi Tajiri]]
[[it:Satoshi Tajiri]]
[[ja:田尻智]]
[[ja:田尻智]]
[[pl:Satoshi Tajiri]]
[[zh:田尻智]]
[[zh:田尻智]]

Latest revision as of 23:13, 31 August 2024

Satoshi Tajiri in 2016

Satoshi Tajiri (Japanese: 田尻智 Tajiri Satoshi, born August 28, 1965) is the creator of Pokémon, responsible for the initial concepts which would lead to the metaseries as it exists today. Currently, he works as the CEO of Game Freak.

Early life

Satoshi Tajiri was born in Machida, a suburb of Tokyo. His father was a Nissan salesman and his mother cared for him at home. As a young boy, he loved to explore the outdoors and was especially fascinated with insects. He loved to collect insects, hunting for them in ponds, fields and forests, constantly looking for new insects and coming up with new ways to catch insects such as beetles. He had such an interest in collecting and studying insects that he earned the nickname "Dr. Bug" among his peers.

In the late 1970s, the fields and ponds that Tajiri loved as a child were paved over by apartment buildings and shopping centers. At this time, Tajiri's passion for insects moved to video games and arcades.

Game Freak

Tajiri got into games when he was at technical school, spending all his time in arcades. He did not like school, and began skipping classes to spend more time at the arcades. This confused and upset his parents, who felt he was throwing his future away. Tajiri spent so much time playing games that one arcade gave him a full-sized Space Invaders machine to take home.[1] Eventually, Tajiri graduated from a two-year program at the Tokyo National College of Technology. His father wanted him to be an electrical utility repairman, but this is not what he wanted.

In 1981, when he was sixteen years old, Tajiri won a contest sponsored by Nintendo rival Sega for a game design concept. A year later, in 1982, Tajiri and his friends formed a gaming magazine by the name of Game Freak. A friend and contributor to Game Freak was Ken Sugimori, who would later become the illustrator and designer of all of the Pokémon images, as well as the human characters and other aspects of the games. Throughout the 1980s, the Game Freak magazine had modest sales, and became quite popular among the gaming crowd. Originally, the magazine was written by hand, but as it grew more popular Tajiri began having it printed professionally. A typical issue cost ¥300 (around US$3.00) and was approximately 28 pages long.

As Tajiri learned more about games, he became more interested in making them. He felt that the games on the market could be better than they were. He learned how to write software by first taking apart a Nintendo Entertainment System to see how it worked and then learning how to program for it.[2] The programming language he used initially was Family BASIC, an implementation of the BASIC programming language for the Famicom.[3]

In 1987, Tajiri published his first game, Quinty (Mendel Palace in North America). Two years later, he officially founded the company Game Freak, named after his magazine. Tajiri and Game Freak continued to develop many titles for companies such as Nintendo and Sega, such as 1991's Jerry Boy (which won Tajiri the Character Design Award from the Multimedia Content Association of Japan), and Yoshi, 1993's Mario & Wario, and 1994's Pulseman.

In 1990, Tajiri published a book entitled Catch The Packland — Stories of Videogames from Youth. It contains sixteen stories about Tajiri's memories of playing arcade games when he was in high school and college. It was published by the Japanese Information and Culture Center.

Pokémon

Tajiri in 1999

In the early 1990s, when Tajiri first saw two children playing together with Game Boys using the Game Link Cable, he imagined insects crawling along the cable between the two systems. As he thought about the capabilities of the Game Link Cable, his idea for Pokémon grew, as he wanted to give modern children the chance to hunt for creatures as he did as a child.

He pitched the idea for Pokémon to Nintendo, and although they didn't fully understand the concept of the game, he was given some initial funding anyway and concept work from another game design studio, Creatures, Inc.. Tajiri spent the next six years working on Pokémon. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda (among other Nintendo series), was assigned to help in the development of the initial versions of Pocket Monsters, Red and Green. During this time Tajiri came to admire Miyamoto as a mentor. As a tribute to Miyamoto and Tajiri, the main character of the games and his rival have "Satoshi" and "Shigeru" among their default names, while the main character of the anime, Ash Ketchum, and his first rival, Gary Oak, are named the same, respectively.

After six years of development, Pokémon Red and Green Versions were completed. Although the Game Boy's hardware was becoming outdated, the game still grew steadily in popularity because younger children could not afford brand-new console games so they turned to the inexpensive Game Boy games.

The success of Pokémon led to various manga adaptations, an anime, and more Pokémon games and spin-off games.

Game credits

Trivia

  • Tajiri's favorite Pokémon is Poliwag,[4] and he says that the swirl on its belly is meant to be its intestines, representing the fact that a tadpole's internal organs are able to be seen when it is picked up and inspected.
  • In an interview with Time Magazine in 1999, Tajiri stated that for the last three years, he slept for 12 hours, and then worked on his games for 24 hours straight. He said that the irregular schedule helped him think of new ideas for games.
  • A biography of Tajiri entitled Satoshi Tajiri: Pokémon Creator was published in 2008 by KidHaven Press.
  • In the Battle Tower in Pokémon Crystal, there is a Bug Catcher named Tajiri.

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Pokémon: The Soap Opera! Part 1" PoJo's Unofficial Pokémon News & Price Guide Monthly Dec. 1999: 38.
  2. ↑ Mortensen, Lori. Satoshi Tajiri: Pokémon Creator. Farmington Hills: KidHaven Press, 2009. Print.
  3. ↑ Szczepaniak, John. "Before They Were Famous". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (35): 75.
  4. ↑ Interview with Satoshi Tajiri on Game Center CX (Japanese TV) 2004
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