# Pokémon’s original US presentation reveals the secret of the franchise’s success

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/pokemons-original-us-presentation-reveals-the-secret-of-the-franchises-success/
- Published: 2026-07-28T12:18:19+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T13:06:45+00:00
- Original publisher: Polygon
- Original article: https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-original-e3-presentation-1998/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Gaming

## Key points

- Footage of Pokémon's 1998 US E3 debut has resurfaced online.
- Nintendo touted huge Japanese sales figures to build US hype.
- Same event also revealed Game Boy Color and Ocarina of Time.

## Summary

The Video Game History Foundation has published early E3 event recordings, including Nintendo's May 1998 US presentation that first introduced Pokémon to American audiences after it had been a Japan-only phenomenon since its 1996 launch. The clip, which shows the Pokémon segment between the 23 and 29-minute marks, sheds light on how Nintendo used the franchise's explosive Japanese success to build anticipation ahead of its American debut, a strategy that helped Pokémon go on to become a global phenomenon.

The presentation included a promotional video citing striking Japanese sales figures achieved within just two years of the franchise's creation, such as over 8 million Game Boy game copies sold, more than 300 million trading cards sold, and the anime becoming the country's top-rated cartoon. The same E3 1998 showcase also featured the reveal of the Game Boy Color, priced at $79.95, and an appearance by Shigeru Miyamoto introducing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which the public got to play for the first time.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.