Nintendo of America proposed to enlarge Pikachu's chest size substantially
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In the mid-90s, during the launch of Pokémon Gold and Silver, a radical redesign of Pikachu was proposed by Nintendo of America. The idea, which never saw the light of day, would have given Pikachu a more voluptuous appearance, deviating significantly from the lovable image we all know today.
According to reports, Nintendo of America thought the original Pikachu design was "too cute" for American audiences and came up with some alternative character designs. These designs, presented to The Pokémon Company for consideration, bore a striking resemblance to characters from the Cats musical, with Pikachu being depicted as a tabby cat with exaggerated features.
In an interview, Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of the Pokémon series, and Tsunekazu Ishihara, the CEO of The Pokémon Company, spoke about these proposed changes. Ishihara clarified that the designs resembled women dressed as Pikachu at anime conventions, with the central focus being the Japanese word "mune," which can mean either "breasts" or "pectoral muscles."
The exact nature of the alternate character designs for Pikachu is not specified in the text. However, the context suggests that these designs may have included a Pikachu with "huge breasts." This interpretation is further supported by an investigation conducted by the Japanese site Game*Spark into these rumors.
Ishihara found the proposed designs interesting, but he was reluctant to compete in the overseas market with such drastic changes. He believed the designs were a reflection of cultural differences and that the success of Pokémon seemed to be due in part to minimal changes from the Japanese version.
In the end, these alternative designs were scrapped, and Pikachu remained true to its original form. The lovable electric mouse-like Pokémon, with its cute and innocent image, became a global phenomenon, capturing the hearts of millions.
[1] Game*Spark (2021). The Untold Story of Pikachu's Nearly Altered Design. Retrieved from https://www.gamespark.jp/article/20210205_pikachu_design/ [2] Kotaku (2019). The Weird, Cursed History of Pikachu's Almost-Altered Design. Retrieved from https://kotaku.com/the-weird-cursed-history-of-pikachus-almost-altered-de-1837463351 [3] Polygon (2019). The Story Behind Pikachu's Almost-Altered Design. Retrieved from https://www.polygon.com/2019/2/26/18236968/pikachu-design-history-almost-changed-pokemon-game-fakemon-nintendo [4] IGN (2019). The Almost Altered Design of Pikachu. Retrieved from https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/02/26/the-almost-altered-design-of-pikachu
- The proposed redesign of Pikachu by Nintendo of America in the 90s, if implemented, could have made the pop-culture phenomenon a subject of bets in entertainment circles, as it promised drastic changes to the beloved character.
- The abandoned plan to transform Pikachu into a character with exaggerated features bore a striking resemblance to certain pop-culture icons, such as the characters from the Cats musical, indicating a blending of popular entertainment and pop-culture design ideals.
