Back in the day, classic Pokemon Game Boy games were a staple in many people's childhood. With all the different Pokemon games, many people would argue about which version they thought was better. Sadly, with modern-day restrictions, these games wouldn't quite be made the same way.
One aspect of the older games that many people enjoy was the Game Corners in Pokemon. These would be areas where trainers could play slot machine games to earn currency to buy powerful TMs, and sometimes even rare Pokemon. Nintendo would later take these Game Corners out of its mainline games to keep maturity ratings low.
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The reason for this exclusion was out of concern for the portrayal of gambling in video games, possibly leading to problematic addictions, especially in minors. And in some regions of the world, such as Europe, gambling in video games now automatically earns an 18+ rating. Meaning, that if Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, or Pokemon Yellow were remade today, they would all have an 18+ rating by today's laws.
These changes all stem from a new PEGI criterion in Europe that states any future game that includes gambling elements or teaches it must now be rated PEGI 18. Before, gambling elements were rated at PEGI 12 or PEGI 16, but this all changed in 2020 to make parents' jobs easier when buying video games for their children. However, there are some criticisms against these changes. Many developers are worried that if their game is aimed at the younger generations but has a scene of characters playing gambling, it will be bumped up to a PEGI 18 rating.
Luckily, the older games' current ratings are still kept where they are at now. Currently, Pokemon games are rated 12+ through Europe. Although, if Pokemon Yellow or any of the other games were remade today and still included the Game Corners, they would jump right up to an 18+ rating. With the release of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl quickly approaching, many fans are wondering what the Game Corner from the original game will now be. Many have thrown out ideas of turning it into an arcade with a bunch of mini-games or a fashion boutique to customize the trainer's Pokemon.
The PEGI 18 rating will only be given to games that teach players how to gamble or glamorizes it in any way, according to the spokesperson for the VSC Game Rating Board. Sadly, that still means that the old Pokemon games still fall under this category for teaching and glamorizing gambling to players. Hopefully, Nintendo will be able to create an alternative method for trainers to win fantastic prizes if it ever decides to remake the games.
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