Pokémon is a phenomenon in almost every sense of the word. The original Japanese game – called Poketto Monsuta (‘Pocket Monsters’, contracted to Pokémon) – began life quite modestly as a title for Nintendo’s handheld Gameboy system. By 22 November 1999, when Time magazine featured on its cover Pikachu, one of the player-controlled ‘Pocket Monsters’, it was a commercial success the world over. It has spawned countless video games, comic books, Web sites, video tapes, magazines, clubs, music CDs, books, trading cards, two cinema films, and, of course, an animated television series.

For kids, Pokémon is an engaging pastime; for its makers, Nintendo, it’s a multi-billion dollar money-maker and possibly the largest marketing effort in the history of toys.