In the 90's, I was a perfect example of a kid but heavily by the Poke' bug. If I wasn't playing one of the games then I was watching the show, collecting and playing the cards, playing with a Pokemon toy, or even reading a Pokemon book. And my diet? Pokemon cereal, Pokemon Eggo waffles, Pokemon Macaroni and Cheese, Pokemon fruit snacks. You name it, I ate it. Luckily, I wasn't alone. My best friend at the time was also a Pokemon maniac, so I had someone to share the obsession with. And it was also thanks to Pokemon that I came across my first internet forum.
I also have Pokemon Blue to think for gaming being a huge factor in my life. It had always been a hobby, but Blue was the first time I stayed glued for hours and hours at a time. Eventually, say around the time I hit puberty, I just started losing interest. The show was getting stale, the cards were starting to disappear from stores, the movies were becoming direct to DVD and the then upcoming GBA games were looking like more of the same. Eventually, Pokemon became something I just remembered from my childhood. But fondly.
And now, HeartGold and SoulSilver are beckoning me to come back in. Damn you Nintendo for making nostalgia half of your business plan!