A set of (on average) very well designed creatures to collect, built around a simple-to-understand RPG framework that still has depth for the competitive players, with a surrounding media empire (anime! card game! Spinoff games!) and the ability to retain your collection from game to game - with more games practically guaranteed to come out.

Pretty much this.

Yea this

i think the main draw just comes from collecting a bunch of cool lookin dudes and goin through a, relatively simple, adventure with those dudes.

To me, its a couple of things.

First would be the different monster designs. They’re wild and varied, but they do still generally follow a sense of progression as the pokemon evolve. Its not like digimon where you can go from slime in a bucket to a bunny with a rail gun.

Next there is the story. The “main” plot is rather simple, but its something to work towards. Build a strong or aesthetically pleasing team, complete various challenges to prove your ingenuity or knowledge of the game’s systems and ability to deal with curveballs like the mon you thought you would stomp with a type advantage having a move that can one shot your ace.

But then there’s a B plot. An undercurrent that not all is quite right with the world. You encounter criminal elements acting in secret or the open, and gradually learn what it is they are up to. As the games went on, it became less just wanting to take over the world and a question of various ideologies and points of view, and the lengths people will go to in order to make it happen.

And finally, its just a straight up power fantasy. You’re literally one person. A child in most cases. And yet you can make an actual difference in the fate of the world.

The last two points is why while i thought sword and shield were alright, i didn't fully like them. While you still had that b plot running in the game world, you were deliberately kept out of it until the literal eleventh hour.

i think it's mainly the designs and being a simple rpg plus back then who didn't want a giant pet dragon that shoot fire out of it's mouth

i like some designs! i never quite liked or completed any original pokemon games since rpg like that is not my cup of tea. but i like collecting pokemons that i thikn look cute or neat and giving them games and hopefully doing some minigames together, like some sort of virtual pet

To me it was the creatures. It's probably why i judge each game based on the pokemon introduced.

Easily accessible JRPG that even though there is technically a protagonist, you can build and choose what characters you actually play.

easy "You're ten years old? Here's an animal that breathes fire, now run along junior..."

That is easily the funniest part of the whole series, especially when you consider the fact that their parents are perfectly fine sending their child off on an adventure with a walking flamethrower/electrical powerstation chasing after/catching/playing with creatures capable of reshaping/destroying the planet.

my fav part of the series hands down.

For me it was more in the strategy of it. Getting a well balanced team that could overcome different threats that may ght appear in the wild, adjusting it to better approach the gyms and such, and using my smarts to work my way to the finale. Least when I played. There's so many damn pokemon that it's gotten a bit ridiculous. Hell, half are just random shit the guy making them saw in his daily life. We literally have a floating ice cream cone and a literal pile of garbage for Pokemon. I kinda saw it was going downhill from there for me.

If looking into what caused the franchise to take off I would focus on the original games. The formula hasn't changed too much sense then, it has only expanded over time. Simplicity is always the best starting ground when attracting a new audience. Pokemon had charm, a combat system that was easy to get into and time consuming to master, and I think most importantly it had a great set-up for community interaction.

Nowadays it's hard for me to see the appeal of the new pokemon games past the nostalgia factor. But the original games just had an atmosphere that appealed to a large audience. As a kid, the idea of being given the means and permission to just explore the world was very appealing. The world is our own with the caveat of pokemon being a core part of society. It makes it recognizable, relatable, and yet new and exciting.

The combat of the game is a huge selling point as well. The type matching system, in its simplest form, is a tried-and-true system for turn based combat. They did a really good job of introducing the mechanic in a closed system at the start of the game and slowly expanding on it as the game progresses. You start with three basic types and pokemon in the starting areas don't even use type based attacks, they're typically normal or status affect moves. Additionally, early on the game forces you through areas filled with mostly a single type of enemy, forcing you to learn their strengths and weaknesses. Later in the game they begin to introduce mixed types, more pokemon use moves that don't align with their type, keeping the player on their toes. Despite all the nuances to the combat, it allowed you to persevere through grinding and brute strength. Most people had a pokemon(normally their starter) that they kept with them the whole game and used whenever possible, even if it wasn't the most tactical decision. The ability to persevere through brute strength or tactical planning made it so almost anyone could find enjoyment in the game.

Lastly, the community of the game wasn't a huge selling point, but it was what allowed the series to persist for so long. The wide variety of the pokemon, having multiple game versions housing unique pokemon in each one combined with the trading aspect of the game, and the scattered placement of pokemon encouraging you to seek out the community for assistance in finding a certain pokemon you've been having trouble tracking down. On top of that the forced choice at the beginning of the game has always caused a huge discussion among the community. I feel like the main reason pokemon is as big as it is today, is due to their massive community and the nostalgia that comes along with for old fans.

TLDR: Slow and steady introductions to game mechanics, easy to play, time consuming to master combat, a relatable but unique world, and a strong community is what made pokemon successful.

It's like bug collecting framed around an adventure.

Believe it or not, Satoshi Tajiri apparently collected bugs as a kid, then one day he had a vision of a bug being passed through the cable between two Game Boys. And Pokémon was born!

Everybody has covered things quite well but there is also the pokedex. When you catch a new pokemon you get a little snippet about them which ranges from something normal, like its love of berries, to the more absurd, like I think magcargo's says its core temperature is around 36,000 degrees. There are even horror entries that talk about abducting children.

I feel a lot of people have given better answers than I ever could, especially the first guy up there, but to throw my own two cents into the tip jar:

1. Simplicity & Approachability. Pokemon, as a game, is easy to learn. It has a pretty low skill floor, and the skill ceiling is as high as you want it to be. The only difference between someone spamming the strongest move they have and someone analyzing the very code of the game in order to discover exactly how the AI works is how much time and effort they wanna put into it.

2. Monster Designs. Even when the pool of Pokemon was only 151, there was a good chance that someone's Pokemon was somebody's favorite. Some people like cute Pokemon, like Eevee, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff. Some people like tough, cool, and monster-like designs like Charizard, Nidoking, and Mewtwo. And then there's the weirdos who like Voltorb, Paras, and Ratticate (nothing wrong with those guys-hell, I'm the last guy). Add on the about 900 Pokemon that exist now, and there's literally something for everyone. Even Pokemon that you might find forgettable (or, me, for instance; Lumineon) are bound to connect with someone for some reason.

3. Customization. Not so much your avatar (well, that's been happening lately), but with the Pokemon you can have on your team at any time. In essence, your Pokemon are an extension of the player-both in a mechanical sense and a metaphorical sense. You decide what moves they use, what names to give them, if any, and what you've done with them to train and raise them is all on you. On top of that, with the IV and EV system and Natures, no two Pokemon will ever be the same. Even if they're just ones and zeroes with some nice art, this can make every Pokemon personal to each player.

4. Worldbuilding. Pokemon's worldbuilding ranges from being scenery dressing to being so complex that it goes over the players' heads. But Pokemon is always able to give enough to get the audience invested in the world, while knowing to pull back just enough to allow the imagination to fill in the gaps-whether this is by design or a coincidence is up in the air, it might even be a mix of both.

I just like it because it has been there when I was growing up through hard times then, and then whilst in the service and we had our govt. lock-downs, I had it then. And even now I still play it ( Nintendo, not the cards) As for the appeal other than that I do like the RPG aspect of it it kinda reminds me of FF5-7 with it being its own thing. Sure the creatures are also nice, we all have our love with critters but that aside, I think it being a RPG that is more than just a loot sim, and something that has a more random aspect ( besides the gyms) where you have to have some Pokemon types vs some other types presenting a little challenge. That is my take on it for whatever that is worth.

I like the simplicity. Some people really enjoy complex mechanics and games that have you spending more time doing homework than actually playing the game.
Personally I like the simplicity of Pokemon game mechanics, the simple colourful art style, the designs of the monsters, the fact it's relaxing more than it is challenging.

There's still room to go full-dive and nerd out over strategy/mechanics/stats for people who are into that, but it isn't necessary to complete and enjoy the game, which is nice.

fire lizard goes brrr~

the collecting of the monsters, also their cute designs, searching for you're favorite.
If the game would be single player I like the mechanics of Digimon dusk, where you can evolve and devolve you're digimon to make them stronger no matter the evolution level.
my favorite digimon was impmon (rookie evolution) and it felt great that I could use him against bosses, instead of the much stronger evolutions, because there was nu cap on his stats.
yeah, it takes more time to farm, sure. but I'd rather use mij favorite then just the strongest/ last evolutions.

Because it's the best.
The very best.
Like no game ever was.

I like it for the same reason I like old N64 games like Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo-Kazooie: it appeals to my OCD-induced drive to Catch 'Em All