Pokémon Project Studio
{{Infobox video game
|title = Pokémon Project Studio
|image = Pokémon_Project_Studio_Cover_art.jpg
|caption = Red and Blue cover art
|developer = Leisure Concepts
|publisher = {{vgrelease|NA|The Learning Company|EU|Mattel Interactive}}
|series = Pokémon
|released = {{vg release|NA|November 9, 1999|EU|2000}}
|genre = Educational
|modes = Single-player
|platforms = Windows
}}
Pokémon Project Studio is a creation studio package for Microsoft Windows, released on November 9, 1999, in North America. It was licensed by Nintendo of America, Inc., developed by Leisure Concepts and published by The Learning Company, with their then-parent Mattel Interactive handling distribution and publication in Europe. The package has two versions, Pokémon Project Studio Red and Pokémon Project Studio Blue, and includes the Pokémon from the Game Boy games Pokémon Red and Blue along with art of human characters from the Pokémon anime series.{{cite web|title=Gotta make 'em all |url=http://www.learningco.com/news/news99/991117.htm |publisher=The Learning Company |date=November 17, 1999 |access-date=November 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000229073612/http://www.learningco.com/news/news99/991117.htm |archive-date=February 29, 2000}}
Gameplay
From the main menu users can choose the type of media they wish to create including greeting cards, signs, birthday kits, banners, photos, stationery, envelopes, calendars, paper crafts, certificates and stickers. The user can use several included images and templates or they can import custom images into the picture. Each CD contains 81 different Pokémon.{{cite magazine|title=Poké Mart |url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-official-magazine-uk-97-october-2000/page/68 |magazine=Nintendo Official Magazine |issue=97 |publisher=EMAP |date=October 2000 |page=69}} The kind of Pokémon they get depends on whether they are running the Red CD or the Blue CD. For example only the Red CD has Mewtwo, while Raichu only appears in the Blue CD.
Educational goals
The package was targeted at families with the aim of introducing the Pokémon franchise to parents unfamiliar with it, while children enjoy exercising their creativity and imagination.{{cite web|title=Pokémon invades PCs |url=https://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9911/01/pokemon.idg/index.html |last=Needle |first=David |publisher=Cable News Network |date=November 1, 1999 |access-date=November 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030825192422/https://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9911/01/pokemon.idg/index.html |archive-date=August 25, 2003}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| Allgame = {{Rating|4|5}} (Red){{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20703&tab=review |title=Pokémon Project Studio Red - Review - allgame |author=Brad Cook |publisher=Allgame |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115075453/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20703&tab=review |archive-date=November 15, 2014}}
{{Rating|4|5}} (Blue){{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20702&tab=review |title=Pokémon Project Studio Blue - Review - allgame |author=Brad Cook |publisher=Allgame |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116144506/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20702&tab=review |archive-date=November 16, 2014}}
| rev1 = Superkids
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.1|5}} (Blue){{cite web|title=Superkids - Pokémon Project Studio Blue |url=https://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/art/3/pokeblue/merge.shtml |access-date=November 3, 2020}}
}}
=Critical reception=
The game received favorable reviews, from parents and children alike.{{cite web |title=Cyber News - Pokémon Project Studio Red |url=http://www.cyber-reviews.com/feb00.html |date=February 2000 |access-date=November 3, 2020 |archive-date=June 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615211953/http://www.cyber-reviews.com/feb00.html |url-status=live }} Kids Domain praised the game for its easy navigation and attractive look, while irritated by the inability to access the ready-made content.{{cite web|title=Kids Domain: Pokémon Project Studio – Blue Version |url=http://www.kidsdomain.co.uk/reviews/a_pokmon_project_studio_blue_version.html |publisher=Attitude Network, Ltd. |date=November 2000 |access-date=November 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010111051900/http://www.kidsdomain.co.uk/reviews/a_pokmon_project_studio_blue_version.html |archive-date=January 11, 2001}} One disappointment highlighted by a PC Accelerator reviewer was the inability to use all the available Pokémon without having to swap CDs.{{cite magazine|title=Pika-Stew! Gotta Bake 'Em All! |url=https://archive.org/details/PCXL18Feb2000/page/n103 |magazine=PC Accelerator |issue=18 |publisher=Imagine Media |date=February 2000 |page=102}}
=Commercial performance=
In November 1999, the Red and Blue editions of Pokémon Studio were both among the top ten best-selling PC games of the month.{{cite news |last1=Takahashi |first1=Dean |title=In World of Video, PC Games, Sequels to Past Hits Rule Sales |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB944084485934204779 |access-date=25 October 2021 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=2 December 1999 |archive-date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025183216/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB944084485934204779 |url-status=live }}
By mid-2000, Nintendo held a Pokemon ProjectROM Contest, which required contestants to write essays on their two Pokémon characters, with the prizes including the two Pokémon Project Studio CDs.{{cite web|title=Pokémon ProjectROM Contest |url=https://www.quia.com/pages/newsarchive.html |date= 2000 |access-date=November 3, 2020}} Both the Red and Blue versions were also sold together as value packs.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/170401962/ |title=Pokémon CD-ROM |date=December 12, 1999 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US }} By December 2000, Hewlett-Packard sold DJ840C ink-jet printers with free copies of the games.{{cite magazine |title=Pikachu printing |url=https://www.vintageapplemac.com/files/misc/MacWorld_UK_Dec_2000.pdf#page=20 |magazine=Macworld |issue=198 |publisher=International Data Group |date=December 2000 |page=39 |access-date=2020-11-03 |archive-date=2021-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613174258/https://www.vintageapplemac.com/files/misc/MacWorld_UK_Dec_2000.pdf#page=20 |url-status=live }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Pokémon Generation 1}}
{{Pokémon video games}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pokemon Project Studio}}
Category:Children's educational video games
Category:The Learning Company games