Win a Manaphy

Welcome to the first issue of Pokemusings. Each week, we'll be taking a closer look at the wonderful world of Pokemon. From competitive battling to WiFi Pokemon training to speeding up happiness evolution and more, this column will help you get the most out of your Pokemon. To borrow the immortal lyrics of Extreme, this column will be "More Than Words." You see, we'll be giving away some very special Pokemon each issue - some will be legendary, others will be tough to obtain, some will be blasts from the past, and others will come attached with valuable items. All you have to do is come back and keep reading. Easy enough, right?

Above: We've spent close to 1000 hours on Pokemon games, and now we're passing on the fruits of our crazy fanaticism to you

While our coverage of the game has been thorough (check out ourreview,walkthrough/strategy guide,post-game guide,Pokedex, andPokemonRadar features, toname a few),there's still so much to talk about. Pokemon has been going strong for well over a decade and millions of people still love the games. Did you ever stop to think about why?

One of the reasons is its incredibly gratifying sense of attachment. As you're playing through this excellent role-playing game, it's hard not to get attached to your team as your adventure progresses. You feel fantastic when yourGarchompis finally able to learn the devastating Draco Meteor attack. Your heart swells with pride when your Pupitar finally hits level 55 and becomes a menacing Tyranitar. Watching your Pokemon progress and learn makes them endearing and personal in a way few videogame characters can touch.