User:Bearsona/Articuno

Articuno (フリーザー) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Zapdos is one of the three winged mirages along with Zapdos and Moltres. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori. Its name was changed from Freezer to Articuno during the English localization of the series in order to give it a "clever and descriptive name." Its English name is a combination of "arctic" and "uno", the Spanish and Italian word for "one" (one of the artic). Articuno is associated with snow and blizzards, as it creates snow by drawing in surrounding water during winter. Its first appearance was in Pokémon Red and Blue, where it acts as one of the rare legendary Pokémon, and only appears once in the entire game. It has made several appearances since, including in the video game Super Smash Bros. Melee. It is central to the plot of the anime film Pokémon The Movie 2000, and has been seen in the series various anime and manga spinoffs.

Since first appearing, Articuno has received mostly positive reviews. IGN has called it one of the best Pokémon, both fast and powerful, while other editors have called it a particularly beautiful character. It has been compared to both Tokusatsu film monsters and creatures from Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird. It has been featured in multiple pieces of merchandise, including in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and on a line of clothing made for adults. Articuno has been criticized as a legendary Pokémon that could not compare to other powerful characters and as annoying in its movie portrayal.

Design and characteristics
Zapdos was one of 150 different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue. Originally called "Freezer" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species more "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. Articuno's English language name is derived by combining the word "arctic" with the Italian or Spanish word "uno", meaning one. David Surman, a professor of animation and design at Swinburne University of Technology, suggests that the designs for Articuno, the other two legendary birds, as well as Mewtwo and other more powerful Pokémon, were largely inspired by Tokusatsu films and television.

Articuno, known as the Freeze Pokémon, is one of the three legendary birds in the games, alongside Zapdos and Moltres, and is the first legendary Pokémon to appear numerically in the Pokédex. It takes the form of a large bird with mostly blue and white plumage. It has a large crest on its head and a long, flowing tail; its beak and legs are light gray in color. During the winter, Articuno gathers the water in the air and freezes it to make snow.

In the video games
Articuno appears in a dungeon on Seafoam Island in Pokémon Red and Blue; it only appears in the game once and is difficult to capture. Articuno has appeared in the various video game sequels as well, including the Red and Blue remake Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Platinum, and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Articuno also appear in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness as part of a boss battle, where it can either be defeated or captured. Articuno also appears in a number of the main series spin-offs. It is one of more than 60 Pokémon that may be photographed in Pokémon Snap. It also appears in Pokémon Pinball and the Pokémon Stadium series.

In other media
Articuno is featured in Pokémon The Movie 2000, where a crazed collector attempts to use it to awaken the powerful Lugia. Its capture unbalances the world's weather, creating global natural disasters. It has also appeared in the Pokémon anime series, particularly in an episode where Articuno battles the Charizard beloning to main character Ash Ketchum. It appeared as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Team Rocket temporarily controls Articuno, forcing it to battle for them until it is defeated and set free by protagonist Blue.

Reception
Articuno has appeared in numerous pieces of merchandising since its first appearance, including plush toys and figurines. Articuno was one of four Pokémon that appeared on shirt designs that targeted adult consumers rather than children. It is also available on a number of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. A special Articuno card was given away to those who saw the film Pokémon The Movie 2000.

Articuno has been described as among the Pokémon "fan-favorites". IGN cited Articuno as among the best Pokémon, arguing that players would find it difficult to acquire another character with the same combination of raw speed and power, though it found Zapdos to be the best of the legendary birds. They later called it a Pokémon players would never want to trade. However, IGN's "Pokémon of the Day Chick" disagreed, saying "Articuno's stats aren't exactly what I would consider truly 'legendary'". She instead praised Articuno as a particularly beautiful and interesting Pokémon. J. Habib of GameSpy cited Articuno as his favorite Pokémon.

GameAxis Unwired praises Articuno, along with the other two legendary birds, for making Pokémon Red and Blue "cool" games. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer editor Paula Nechak compared the legendary bird trio as well as Lugia to the creatures found in Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird. Reeling Reviews editor Robin described the battle conducted between Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres as being similar to battles from the film Godzilla on Monster Island. Access Atlanta editor Bob Longino criticized Articuno's portrayal in Pokémon the Movie 2000, commenting that the its squaking was "way too much for adult ears."