Magikarp
Encyclopedia
Magikarp, known in Japan as is a Pokémon species in Nintendo
and Game Freak
's Pokémon
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori
, Magikarp first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Known as the Fish
Pokémon
, Magikarp is found in many bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, and ponds.
, and their remakes
, an NPC
will sell the player a Magikarp. A similar character appears in Pokémon Black and White
. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
, Magikarp appear flopping around in a dried up lake. Outside of the main series, in Pokémon Stadium
, Magikarp featured in its own mini game called "Magikarp Splash", in which players must Splash high enough to hit the button at the top of the screen as many times as it can.
, Misty
and Tracey help a Pokémon Watcher named Darcy Quinn observe the migration and evolution of a school of Magikarp. Another, in Ya See We Want an Evolution, was nicknamed the strongest Magikarp. This Magikarp was unique in that it was in fact able to battle surprisingly well, even giving Pikachu a hard time.
described it as "[t]he ultimate in useless Pokémon", though noted its evolution Gyarados
as one of the "most well-known" characters in the series. IGN
called it "possibly the most docile, unassuming, and weak of all the monsters in the Pokémon world". They further described it as serving solely as comic relief
, until its evolution into Gyarados. IGN further criticized it as the worst Pokémon ever, citing its low statistics and inability to learn moves from Technical or Hidden Machines, calling it a "Water wussymon." An IGN guide jokingly noted a trainer in Pokémon Platinum
as having the best team among those in the area due to having six Magikarps, five of which being unable to attack. The book Gaming Cultures and Place in Asia-Pacific cited it as an example of a common recurring and weak element in the games, whose presence rather than function was to emphasize the exclusivity and strength of other, rarer creatures for players to find. Loredana Lipperini, author of the book Generazione Pokémon: i bambini e l'invasione planetaria dei nuovi, described it as "innocuous-looking." Kotaku
's Stephen Totilo also gave criticism to Magikarp, commenting that the using it as his character in Pokémon Rumble
made him learn the "hard way" that he "couldn't have had a worse idea." ABC.com's Good Game praised PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure for its faithfulness to various Pokémon's abilities; while Torterra and Hitmontop were described as using Razor Leaf and Rapid Spin, they merely described Magikarp's actions as just "being Magikarp." The web site Bright Side of the Sun used an analogy involving Magikarp, commenting that the words "defense" and "rebounding" were "tossed around" more by their coach to them than "a Magikarp card at a Pokémon convention in 1997." 1UP.com
included it on its poll of the least popular video game characters; it won in the first round, and lost in the second.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
's Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
, Magikarp first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Known as the Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
, Magikarp is found in many bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, and ponds.
Design and characteristics
Magikarp is a reddish-orange, medium-sized fish. Its notable characteristics include large, heavy scales. Its fins are primarily white, but it has two stiff, three-peaked fins on its back and stomach which are both yellow. It also has long barbels, which are white on females and tan on males. Although this Pokémon is capable of surviving in even the most polluted ponds, it is usually overlooked by trainers because it is pathetically weak. Even in the heat of battle it will do nothing but flop around. They are normally seen using Splash, which is unusual, as it makes them easy targets to predators. Before the species multiplied, it is believed that the ancestors of Magikarp were actually much stronger than the Magikarp seen today, and this belief has led scientists to research this species. Long-lived Magikarp are able to utilize their immense splashing power to leap high enough to jump mountains. Magikarp is found in many bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, and ponds. It is not a strong swimmer, and currents in the water will sweep it downstream.In the video games
In the video game series, Magikarp is seen commonly when fishing with an Old or Good Rod. In Pokémon Red and BluePokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
, and their remakes
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
are enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
, an NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
will sell the player a Magikarp. A similar character appears in Pokémon Black and White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
, Magikarp appear flopping around in a dried up lake. Outside of the main series, in Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium, known as in Japan, is a strategy game developed by Nintendo EAD with the assistance of Creatures and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released on April 30, 1999 in Japan, February 29, 2000 in North America, and April 7, 2000...
, Magikarp featured in its own mini game called "Magikarp Splash", in which players must Splash high enough to hit the button at the top of the screen as many times as it can.
In other media
In the anime, Magikarp has appeared several times, most notably as the subject of a running gag in which a salesman attempts to trick Team Rocket into buying Magikarp in various guises, the first one being in Battle Aboard the St. Anne. In The Joy of Pokémon, a Nurse Joy from the Orange Islands befriended a giant Magikarp that saved her as a child. It evolved into an equally large Gyarados, but it remained friendly. In The Wacky Watcher, AshAsh Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as for all appearances in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He was created by, and named after, Satoshi Tajiri as the protagonist of the anime and manga series, as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise...
, Misty
Misty (Pokémon)
Misty, known as in Japanese versions, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise. She has appeared as a Gym Leader in the Pokémon video games, several seasons of the Pokémon anime, The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, the Ash & Pikachu manga, toys, books, and other media.-Design:Misty's...
and Tracey help a Pokémon Watcher named Darcy Quinn observe the migration and evolution of a school of Magikarp. Another, in Ya See We Want an Evolution, was nicknamed the strongest Magikarp. This Magikarp was unique in that it was in fact able to battle surprisingly well, even giving Pikachu a hard time.
Reception
GamesRadarGamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
described it as "[t]he ultimate in useless Pokémon", though noted its evolution Gyarados
Gyarados
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Gyarados first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise....
as one of the "most well-known" characters in the series. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called it "possibly the most docile, unassuming, and weak of all the monsters in the Pokémon world". They further described it as serving solely as comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
, until its evolution into Gyarados. IGN further criticized it as the worst Pokémon ever, citing its low statistics and inability to learn moves from Technical or Hidden Machines, calling it a "Water wussymon." An IGN guide jokingly noted a trainer in Pokémon Platinum
Pokémon Platinum
is a title in the Pokémon series of video games. It was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is an enhanced remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald were for their respective games...
as having the best team among those in the area due to having six Magikarps, five of which being unable to attack. The book Gaming Cultures and Place in Asia-Pacific cited it as an example of a common recurring and weak element in the games, whose presence rather than function was to emphasize the exclusivity and strength of other, rarer creatures for players to find. Loredana Lipperini, author of the book Generazione Pokémon: i bambini e l'invasione planetaria dei nuovi, described it as "innocuous-looking." Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
's Stephen Totilo also gave criticism to Magikarp, commenting that the using it as his character in Pokémon Rumble
Pokémon Rumble
Pokémon Rumble is a Pokémon video game for WiiWare. It was developed by Ambrella. Pokémon Rumble was rated "E10+" by the ESRB, making it the first Pokémon video game to be given an ESRB rating higher than "E" for Everyone...
made him learn the "hard way" that he "couldn't have had a worse idea." ABC.com's Good Game praised PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure for its faithfulness to various Pokémon's abilities; while Torterra and Hitmontop were described as using Razor Leaf and Rapid Spin, they merely described Magikarp's actions as just "being Magikarp." The web site Bright Side of the Sun used an analogy involving Magikarp, commenting that the words "defense" and "rebounding" were "tossed around" more by their coach to them than "a Magikarp card at a Pokémon convention in 1997." 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
included it on its poll of the least popular video game characters; it won in the first round, and lost in the second.