Magikarp

Magikarp, known in Japan as Koiking (コイキング, Koikingu) 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, especially lakes, rivers, and ponds. It holds the distinction of being mostly useless, until it evolves into the superior Pokémon Gyarados.

Description

Magikarp is a red-orange, medium-sized fish. Its notable characteristics include large, heavy scales. Its fins are primarily white, but it has a stiff, three-pointed fin on its back and, a four-pointed fin on its stomach which are both yellow. The shape of the dorsal fin resembles a crown, leading to its Japanese name Koiking. 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,^[1] it is usually overlooked by trainers because it is pathetically weak.^[2] 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.^[3] Before the species multiplied, it is believed that the ancestors of Magikarp were actually much stronger than the Magikarp seen today,^[4] and this belief has led scientists to research this species.^[5] Long-lived Magikarp are able to utilize their immense splashing power to leap high enough to jump mountains.^[6] Magikarp is found in many bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, and ponds.^[7] It is not a strong swimmer, and currents in the water will sweep it downstream.^[8]

The concept of Magikarp evolving into Gyarados is loosely based on the Chinese mythological tale of the Carps leaping over the Dragon Gate. According to the legend, carps that leap over a legendary waterfall, referred to as the Dragon Gate, are transformed into dragons.

Appearances

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 Blue, 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.

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.^[9] 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.^[10] In The Wacky Watcher, Ash, Misty and Tracey help a Pokémon Watcher named Dr. Quackenpoker observe the migration and evolution of a school of Magikarp.^[11] 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 very well, even knocking out Pikachu.^[12]

Reception

GamesRadar 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.^[13] IGN called it "possibly the most docile, unassuming, and weak of all the monsters in the Pokémon world"^[14] and further described it as serving "solely as comic relief", until its evolution into Gyarados.^[15] IGN criticized Magikarp as the "worst Pokémon ever", citing its low statistics and inability to learn moves from Technical or Hidden Machines, calling it a "Water wussymon."^[16] 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.^[17] 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".^[18] Loredana Lipperini, author of the book Generazione Pokémon: i bambini e l'invasione planetaria dei nuovi, described it as "innocuous-looking."^[19] 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."^[20] The Australian Broadcasting Corporation'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."^[21] 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."^[22] 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.^[23]

References

Further reading

• "Magikarp: The most useless-seeming monster in the Pokeverse hides an awesome secret". Edge (249): 122–123. Jan 2013. 

External links

• Magikarp on Bulbapedia