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How Pokemon and Resident Evil rewrote gaming history

Great ideas, when handled with care, don’t get old.

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Pikachu and flesh-eating zombies might seem to have little in common. But they show that great ideas, if handled with care, don’t get old.

Pikachu and flesh-eating zombies might seem to have little in common. But they show that great ideas, if handled with care, don’t get old.

PHOTOS: AFP, SCREENGRAB FROM RESIDENT EVIL/YOUTUBE

Gearoid Reidy

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In the space of just 23 days three decades ago, two initially unassuming releases changed video games forever.

On Feb 27, 1996, Pokemon Red And Green first hit Japanese shelves. The role-playing titles were the original entries in a series that would grow to become what is now considered the top-grossing media franchise in the world, worth more than Mickey Mouse or Star Wars. 

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