Ever wondered why the Pokémon games are turn-based and why Pikachu was championed in the series? Find out inside.

Junichi Masuda and Mana Ibe have discussed the history of the Pokémon series with Gametrailers and provided some interesting insights into the franchise we have come to know and love.

According to Junichi Masuda the original Pokémon games, Red and Blue (or Green if you wish to be technical) were designed to be easy enough for everyone to play but they also wanted to feature a complex battle system so that different fans could appreciate the games on different levels. This is one of the reasons the battles are turn-based, rather than real time, as it allows the players to take a moment to consider what to do.

Mana Ibe discusses how Pikachu was initially rare and fans would enjoy encountering this cute Pokémon and want to catch it. The fact Ash also has one in the anime series helps cement this idea that Pikachu is a worthy Pokémon and travel companion and these reasons led to his worldwide popularity. However, Game Freak did worry that his cute design may be off putting in the West as at the time many Japanese RPGs were not doing too well. In spite of this they chose to release the games as they were in the West, rather than make amendments, and Mr. Masuda claims he thinks this is why they have ended up so popular.

Fans will also be pleased to hear that Junichi Masuda claims that while future titles may not feature a complete online system they certainly do plan on expanding and improving upon the online experience.