Wednesday, April 13, 2022

The Type Icons, A New Standard

Besides being able to be identified by colors, and specific ones at that, the types that a Pokémon may have can evidently be identified by icons or symbols. A set of 18 of these icons or symbols, corresponding to each of the types, are used for this purpose. Uniquely, these icons don't appear in just one place, and they can be seen in a number of places besides the one that might be thought of as the primary places. As such, these type icons have the makings of a "new standard".

For many, these icons are likely to have been initially seen in Pokémon Go, where they are prominently used for type identification in different places, and remain so even today. The next most likely place that they can be seen is in the eighth-generation main series games (Sword and Shield) on the Nintendo Switch, where they are used for certain identifying elements. Those who watch the anime starting from the "world saga" or Journeys will also see the type icons appropriately identifying Pokémon in the Rotom Phones of various people. Though nothing states that they are a definite standard, these appearances suggest that they are apparently as such.

It's easy to see why they've become a standard across (some of) the games and even the anime. The symbols are succinct and identifiable, as with Grass (a leaf), Fire (a flame), and Water (a drop) for the basic three types. For higher types, the identification is a bit more abstract - as with Psychic (a swirl), Steel (a nut - as in the partner to a bolt), and Fairy (a "sparkle") - but the purpose is still achieved. Even without actual establishment, the usage in Pokémon Go alone, hopefully without change, establishes them in a kind-of "de facto" manner, even for future usage elsewhere.

These type icons or symbols are a minor thing, but as all Pokémon fans know, type and typing is still key even if it's not the be-all and end-all. There would have to be a way to distinguish them somehow, even if colors have been designated for that purpose, and the type symbols fit that purpose very nicely. In the end, they're still major in their own way just like how types are of the exact same quality.

Two years ago: Pokémon Helmet Covers?
Four years ago: Go at Home
Five years ago: Paint It, Picross

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