User:Pokelego999/sandbox/Test 2

In 2019, Mitsuhiro Arita said that Pikachu and Charizard were "fan favourites" in Pokémon's design on the trading cards. (Use elsewhere if possible)

Conversely, Pikachu was ranked first in AskMen's top 10 of the most irritating 1990s cartoon characters. (Check reliability)

Pikachu Rewrite
Pikachu is a fictional species of Pokémon created for the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy. In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, and some can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution.

During Red and Blue's development, lead designer Ken Sugimori felt that the game needed more "cute" designs and sought the input of female Game Freak staff such as Atsuko Nishida to join the development team. Nishida was tasked with developing the Pikachu species and its evolutionary line with specific gameplay guidelines in mind: its role as an Electric-type, that it evolved twice, and that the final form "look strong". Nishida stated that the initial concept, done in sprite form resembled a "daifuku with ears sticking out of it." Its yellow coloring was also selected in order to emphasize the electricity motif in its design. Originally Pikachu was intended to evolve into Raichu, and then Raichu into a Pokémon called "Gorochu." However, Gorochu was cut due to cartridge space concerns, leaving Raichu to be Pikachu's sole evolution through use of the game's "Thunder Stone" item.

Nishida additionally stated that she was fond of squirrels at the time, and so designed several elements of Pikachu to resemble squirrels. She stated that its tail was chosen because she liked squirrel tails, with the tail being shaped like a lightning bolt due to wanting a lightning motif. Pikachu's cheek pouches were added to reference how squirrels stored food in their cheeks, making Pikachu do the same with electricity. Satoshi Tajiri named the creature, giving it its mouse-like qualities. According to series producer Satoshi Tajiri, the name is derived from a combination of two Japanese onomatopoeia: ピカピカ (pikapika), a sparkling sound, and チューチュー (chūchū), a sound a mouse makes. Developer Junichi Masuda noted Pikachu's name as one of the most difficult to create, due to an effort to make it appealing to both Japanese and American audiences. Pikachu has resemblances to the Pika, which has been described as its "real-life counterpart". Koji Nishino worked with Nishida in the development process, and grew fond of Pikachu as a result. He thus made it more difficult to find in-game as a result. However, its rarity only made it more popular with players.

Pikachu was designed around the concept of electricity. They are creatures that have short, yellow fur with brown markings covering their backs and parts of their lightning bolt-shaped tails. They have black-tipped, pointed ears and red circular pouches on their cheeks, which can spark with electricity. They attack primarily by projecting electricity from their bodies at their targets. Within the context of the franchise, Pikachu can transform, or "evolve," into a Raichu when exposed to a "Thunder Stone." In Pokémon Gold and Silver, "Pichu" was introduced as an evolutionary predecessor to Pikachu. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, gender differences were introduced; since those games, female Pikachu have an indent at the end of their tails, giving the tail a heart-shaped appearance.

Initially considered alongside Clefairy as lead characters for franchise merchandising, Pikachu emerged as the mascot of the animated series due to its popularity amongst schoolchildren and appeal to both boys and girls. It was also selected for the role due to the fact that picking one of Pokémon Red and Blue's three starter Pokémon- Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle- would've created a "gap" with children who did not select the one used in the anime. Pikachu resembled a familiar, intimate pet; the color yellow used in its design is a primary color and easier for children to recognize from a distance. Additionally, the only other competing yellow mascot at the time was Winnie-the-Pooh.

Pikachu's design was initially pudgier in build, but changed overtime to have a slimmer waist, straighter spine, and more defined face and neck; Sugimori has stated these design changes originated in the anime, making Pikachu easier to animate, and were adopted to the games for consistency. The design, nicknamed "Fat Pikachu," was revisited in Pokémon Sword and Shield, where Pikachu received a Gigantamax Form resembling its original design.

For the 2019 live action film Detective Pikachu, the titular character was portrayed by Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds performed the character's voice work, and also did motion capture for the character's face and movements. Due to not being on set, co-star Justice Smith would often act his scenes out to an eyeline representing Pikachu, such as a puppet or a tennis ball. Pikachu's visual appearance in the film was built as if the character was an actual animal, with the visual effects team creating detailed skeletal and muscular systems for the Pokémon. They visited zoos and consulted animal experts to make the movements accurate. Pikachu initially started with rabbit-like movement, but eventually evolved movement-wise to have characteristics of multiple species, namely those of marsupials and marmosets. Its eyes were inspired by those of the sugar glider. In order to ensure the design maintained a line between realism and uncanniness, Pikachu's fur frequently changed design. The team would often bring patches of fur to filming locations to see how the colors would respond to the area's lighting.

Ikue Ōtani has voiced the character since it first appeared in the Pokémon anime. In the anime series, Pikachu only speaks using its name. Ōtani records new lines for many of Pikachu's reappearances, and stated that despite the similar dialogue "“If you don’t have a clear understanding of what you want to say in the scene and come up with a plan for your performance, you won’t convey anything... Because, if there’s the same nuance, then it would just be OK to use [previously] recorded material.” Initially, it was planned for Pikachu to slowly become more adept at human speech as the series progressed, but these plans were scrapped after the producers heard the high quality of Ōtani's performance. Ōtani voiced the character in the main series video games starting in Pokémon X and Y, though her voice was replaced by a digitized "cry" in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This cry had previously been used to represent Pikachu audibly prior to X and Y. For Detective Pikachu, Ōtani voiced the character in a brief cameo appearance. This appearance was retained in all language versions barring the German dub, which used a slightly deeper and more out of breath version of the dialogue. In the Super Smash Bros. series, Ōtani voices the role in all languages, as the Smash Bros. series uses the anime's voice actors to voice the characters. This is unlike other Pokémon voice actors, where the actor is different in each country's anime dub. According to Junichi Masuda, Pikachu's voice was kept consistent across languages so Pikachu's name would be universal across the world.

Promotion and merchandise
As the mascot of the franchise, Pikachu has made multiple appearances in various promotional events and merchandise. In 1998, then Topeka, Kansas Mayor Joan Wagnon renamed the town "ToPikachu" for a day, and the renaming was repeated in 2018 by Mayor Michelle De La Isla with the release of the Pokémon Let's Go games. Another promotional stunt, to promote Pokémon's debut in the United States, involved dropping 700 Pikachu plushes into a field by plane, while skydivers leapt from the planes and drove off in Pikachu themed cars. A "got milk?" advertisement featured Pikachu on April 25, 2000. A Pikachu balloon has been featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2001. The original balloon was flown for the last time publicly at the Pokémon: Tenth Anniversary "Party of the Decade" on August 8, 2006, in Bryant Park in New York City,   with another Pikachu balloon featuring it chasing a Poké Ball debuted at the 2006 parade. In the 2014 parade, a different Pikachu balloon was used, wearing a green scarf and holding a smaller Pikachu snowman. As of 2021, the latest balloon used is that of a Pikachu and Eevee together in a sled. A music video starring Pikachu was released to celebrate Pokémon 's 25th anniversary in 2022. Pikachu was the subject of an internet meme, known as "Surprised Pikachu," where a screencap of Pikachu looking shocked in an episode of the anime is used as a reaction image.

A promotion at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam featured exclusive Pokémon Cards of Pikachu wearing Van Gogh's grey felt hat. It was pulled from the exhibition due to safety concerns after scalpers mobbed the store when it came out. Several employees at the museum were suspended due to reported embezzlement of a large number of the cards. The card was later restocked in an attempt to dissuade scalpers, who had been re-selling cards at high prices. A special card, known as the Pikachu Illustrator Card, became a collector's item due to its rarity, with only 39 being produced as part of a contest to illustrate Pokémon Cards in 1998. One card, sold in 2022, went for nearly one million at an auction. A Nintendo Switch featuring Pikachu was sold by Nintendo in 2024.

Pikachu and ten other Pokémon were chosen as Japan's mascots in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. ANA Boeing 747-400 (JA8962) planes have been covered with images of Pokémon including Pikachu since 1998. In 2021, the first Pokémon Jet (Boeing 747-400D) featuring entirely Pikachu debuted.

Critical reception
Pikachu has been well-received by reviewers; it was ranked as the "second best person of the year" by Time in 1999, who called it "the most beloved animated character since Hello Kitty". The magazine noted Pikachu as the "public face of a phenomenon that has spread from Nintendo's fastest selling video game to a trading-card empire", citing the franchise's profits for the year as "the reason for the ranking", behind singer Ricky Martin but ahead of author J.K. Rowling. Pikachu has consistently been considered one of the top anime, cartoon, and video game characters since its debut. The character has been regarded as the Japanese answer to Mickey Mouse, with Polygon writer Tracey Lien noting that its ubiquity and iconic design helped endear it to audiences, allowing it to attain significant popularity. It was noted as being part of a movement of "cute capitalism". In 2024, a poll conducted by BAFTA with around 4,000 respondents named Pikachu as the twelfth most iconic video-game character of all time.

Zack Zwiezen of Kotaku praised the simplicity of Pikachu's design, describing it as "possibly one of the most iconic characters on the planet" due to the design's appealing features and "instantly identifiable" design. Dale Bishir of IGN described Pikachu as the most important Pokémon that impacted the franchise's history, and further stated that "Its irresistible cuteness, merchandising power, army of clones in every generation... if your mom calls every Pokémon 'Pikachu', then you know in your heart that it is the most important Pokémon of all time." Time Magazine named Pikachu as one of the twelve most influential video game characters of all time, lauding its appearance as the "most recognizable and beloved sidekick in pop culture."

Pikachu's role in the anime has been subject of praise and analysis. Pikachu's friendship with Ash has been analyzed for its similarities to Aristotle's values of friendship, with the reciprocal friendship between the two being highlighted due to the equality between them being the reason for their success. Pikachu's voice has been analyzed for its ability to convey emotion despite only speaking one word, with children being able to determine the emotion of the character based off of how the character sounds. Writer Kallie Plagge, writing for GameSpot, criticized Pikachu talking in a scene in the film Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, stating that it undermined the "literal unspoken bond" between Ash and Pikachu, and that Pikachu was able to effectively communicate with Ash without the need for spoken dialogue. Ash's Pikachu's departure was also met with positive responses, due to the fact that its departure alleviated concerns about how its strength would be handled as the series progressed. The hashtag "#ThankYouAshAndPikachu" trended on Twitter following the announcement of their departure.

In 2016, it was announced that the name of Pikachu and other Pokémon in Hong Kong would be changed in order to unify the names of Pokémon across the various Chinese languages. More than 6000 people signed a petition to keep the names of the Pokémon the same, citing the decision as ignoring Hong Kong's culture, with activist group Civic Passion stating that "Pikachu has been in Hong Kong for more than 20 years... It is not simply a game or comic book, it is the collective memory of a generation." Protests were held, deriding the change in name. Nintendo's Hong Kong office responded by stating that all Chinese Pokémon fans should adopt the unified pronunciation. A later statement clarified that they did not intend to limit pronunciations, and that despite the unified pronunciation being the "official" one, they stated there was no limit on how people could pronounce the character's name.

Kotaku writer Patricia Hernandez criticized Pikachu's over-representation in Pokémon-related media, highlighting Pikachu's constant usage in marketing for the franchise. She stated that Pikachu's overuse detracted from other Pokemon in the series, while also criticizing the overuse for its lack of originality. She further compared it to Mimikyu- a Pokémon who mimics Pikachu in an attempt to be loved- stating that the reason for Mimikyu's popularity inherently lay in how much people were subconsciously aware of Pikachu's overuse.

Cultural impact
In 2008, a ligand believed to provide better visual acuity was discovered by the Osaka Bioscience Institute Foundation and named "Pikachurin", in reference to the nimbleness of Pikachu. The name was inspired due to Pikachu's "lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects". In 2021, the Chilean independent politician Giovanna Grandón famously went to many protests during the 2019–2021 Chilean protests dressed in an inflatable Pikachu suit. She went on to be elected as a member of the Constitutional Convention of 2021–2022, and is known as Aunt Pikachu (Tía Pikachú). In July 2021 during the Group of Seven climate summit, a group of protestors dressed as Pikachu demonstrated on Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth, while in November 2021, a group of activists dressed up as Pikachu to protest Japan's refusal to reduce coal consumption at COP26. A popular Hong Kong horse was named Pikachu, and after its win at a horse race, children cheered for the horse with Pikachu plushes.

In 2016, the Pikachu, also known as the Pokemonument, a fiberglass sculpture depicting Pikachu by an unknown artist, was installed in Lower Garden District, a New Orleans neighborhood. The 5 ft statue of the Japanese icon was erected as an apparent tribute to Pokémon Go on July 31, 2016, in a decommissioned fountain along Terpsichore Street. and was a fiberglass sculpture coated to look like bronze. Within a few days, the sculpture was vandalized by someone with a baseball bat, but repaired. Some two weeks after its placement, the "Pokemonument" was removed, and an online statement from the artist said that the artwork would be auctioned to benefit restoration of the park's fountains.

Half-Life 2 mod
Within two weeks of its release, the mod was downloaded more than 90,000 times. Responses of most players were positive, and Wreden became "an overnight internet sensation among hardcore gamers."

The Stanley Parable mod was acclaimed by journalists as a thought-provoking game, praising it for being a highly experimental game that only took a short amount of time for the player to experience. Many journalists encouraged players to experience the game themselves, desiring to avoid spoilers that would affect the player's experience, and to offer discussions about the game within their sites' forums. Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica noted that while the game purportedly gives the player choice, many of these end up lacking an effect, as "to feel like you're in more control than you are". Brighting's voice work was considered a strong element, providing the right dry British wit to the complex narration. Alex Aagaard from WhatCulture believes that The Stanley Parable "will be regarded as one of the most pioneering games of all time" during video games' transition from entertainment to a legitimate and respected art form.

The game was listed as an honorable mention for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and "Excellence in Narrative" award at the 15th Annual Independent Games Festival. The Stanley Parable received the Special Recognition award at IndieCade 2012.

2013 remake
The 2013 remake has received critical acclaim from reviewers. At Metacritic, as of March 2020, the game holds an 88/100 score based on 47 critic reviews. Forbes listed Wreden in its 2013 "30 Under 30" leaders in the field of games for the success and marketing of The Stanley Parable. For his work on the game, William Pugh was named as one of 18 "Breakthrough Brits" for 2014 by BAFTA. Some critics focused on the game's themes of existentialism. Ashton Raze of The Telegraph considered that the game "offers ... a look at, not a critique of ... the nature of narrative construction" that can be a factor in other video games. The remake won the Audience Award and was nominated in the categories of "Excellence in Narrative" and "Excellence in Audio" along with being named as a finalist for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize for the 2014 Independent Games Festival Awards. The game was nominated for "Best Story", "Best Debut Game", and "Game Innovation" awards for the 2014 BAFTA Video Games Awards, while Brighting's performance was nominated for the "Performer" award. At the 2013 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NAVGTR) awards the game won Writing in a Comedy and Performance in a Comedy, Lead (Kevan Brighting as Narrator). During the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated The Stanley Parable for "Downloadable Game of the Year", "Outstanding Innovation in Gaming", and "Outstanding Character Performance" for the Narrator.

Wreden reported that more than 100,000 sales were made within the first three days of being available; this was far more revenue than he was expecting, considering that sales from these three days would be enough to allow him to live comfortably and become a full-time developer for the next five years. The game had sold over one million copies in less than a year. The game's demo was received similarly well, and Wreden considered it a key part in the full game's success. IGN's Luke Reilly listed The Stanley Parable's demo as one of the top six demos in video games, citing how it is "an entirely standalone exercise designed to prepare [the player] for the unique player and narrator relationship that forms the core of The Stanley Parable experience".

A patch was later released for the game shortly after its release to replace imagery used in a 1950s-style instructional video that some players found racially offensive, with Wreden writing "[W]e always wanted the game to be something that could be played by anyone of any age. If a person would feel less comfortable showing the game to their children then I've got no problem helping fix that!" Following the remake, Wreden began developing his next title, The Beginner's Guide, which was released in October 2015, while Pugh set up the independent studio Crows Crows Crows. Their first game was Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist, released in December 2015.

Ultra Deluxe
The 2022 expansion has also received critical acclaim from reviewers. As of April 2024, at Metacritic the game holds a 90/100 score based on 16 critic reviews.

On the day following the release of The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, Crows Crows Crows announced on Twitter that the game has sold more than 100,000 copies on Steam within the first 24 hours of being available.

At the New York Game Awards, Ultra Deluxe won in the category "Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake".