Satoshi Tajiri facts for kids

Satoshi Tajiri (born August 28, 1965) is a famous Japanese game designer. He is best known as the creator of the Pokémon series. He also helped start and is the president of the video game company Game Freak.

When he was young, Tajiri loved arcade games. He even made his own video game magazine called Game Freak. Later, this magazine became the game company we know today. Tajiri got the idea for Pokémon when he saw two Game Boys connected by a link cable. This reminded him of his childhood hobby: insect collecting. He wanted to create a game where players could collect and trade creatures, just like he collected bugs.

The first Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, took six years to make. These games started a huge, worldwide series that brought new life to Nintendo's handheld gaming. Tajiri directed the Pokémon games for many years. Later, he became an executive producer for the series. He also worked on the live-action movie Detective Pikachu.

Satoshi's Early Life

Satoshi Tajiri was born on August 28, 1965, in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. He grew up in Machida, Tokyo. This area was still very natural and green back then. As a child, Tajiri loved collecting insects. This hobby later gave him the idea for his video games. Other kids even called him "Dr. Bug." He dreamed of becoming an entomologist, someone who studies insects.

As cities grew, many places for bug hunting disappeared. Tajiri wanted his games to let children feel the joy of catching and collecting creatures, just like he did. When he was a teenager, he became fascinated with arcade games. His parents worried about this hobby, but Tajiri loved playing games like Space Invaders. This game made him want to create his own video games. He even took apart his Famicom console to see how it worked.

Because he loved video games so much, Tajiri often missed school. He took extra classes to finish high school. Instead of going to a regular university, he went to a technical college. There, he studied electronics and computer science for two years.

Creating Games

From 1981 to 1986, Tajiri wrote and edited a magazine called Game Freak. This magazine was about arcade games. He made it to help gamers find winning strategies and secret "easter eggs" in games. Ken Sugimori, who later drew the first 151 Pokémon, saw the magazine. He then became its artist.

As more people joined Game Freak, Tajiri and Sugimori realized that many games weren't very good. They decided to make their own games. Tajiri learned how to design games for the Famicom. In 1989, the magazine became the video game company Game Freak. Their first game was an arcade-style game called Quinty.

The Idea for Pokémon

Tajiri first thought of Pokémon in 1990. The idea came to him when he saw a Game Boy and its link cable. He imagined bugs crawling between two Game Boys connected by the cable. This reminded him of his childhood bug collecting. He realized the Game Boy was perfect for a game where players could trade collectibles.

When Tajiri told Nintendo about his idea, they didn't quite understand it. But they were impressed by his past game designs. Shigeru Miyamoto, a famous Nintendo designer, became Tajiri's mentor. He helped guide Tajiri during the game's creation.

The first Pokémon games, Red and Green, took six years to make. Game Freak almost ran out of money during this time. Some employees even quit. Tajiri didn't take a salary, living off his father's income. Money from another company, Creatures Inc., helped Game Freak finish the games.

Pokémon's Success

When the Pokémon games were finally released, few people paid attention. Many thought the Game Boy was no longer popular. Tajiri even thought Nintendo might not like the games. But sales slowly grew. Soon, Pokémon became one of Nintendo's biggest series.

A rumor about a secret Pokémon named Mew helped make the game even more popular. Mew could only be found using special tricks. Tajiri had put Mew in the game to encourage players to trade and interact. The Pokémon series helped Nintendo's sales a lot.

Tajiri made sure his games were not violent. Pokémon creatures would faint instead of dying when defeated. He believed it was important for children not to connect losing a game with death. Tajiri still works on modern Pokémon games. He often works long hours, sometimes for 24 hours straight.

Who Inspired Satoshi?

Tajiri looks up to Shigeru Miyamoto as a big influence and mentor. Because of this, his game design style is similar to Miyamoto's. In the Japanese Pokémon TV show, the main character is named Satoshi (like Tajiri). His rival is named Shigeru (like Miyamoto).

Tajiri also got ideas from old Japanese TV shows and anime, like Godzilla and Ultraman. He has said that if he didn't make video games, he would probably work in anime.

Awards and Recognition

IGN magazine called Tajiri one of the top 100 game creators ever. They praised him for making Pokémon a "worldwide phenomenon." Electronic Gaming Monthly said Tajiri was one of the 10 most important people who shaped today's video game market. In 2011, Tajiri received a special award from the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference. The Economist magazine has called Pokémon "Japan's most successful export."

Games Satoshi Tajiri Worked On

Film Work

See also

In Spanish: Satoshi Tajiri para niños