Legions of Pokemon fans around the world first became hooked on the Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue games released by Nintendo over ten years ago. Following on the heels of the original Pokemon games was the animated series which opened the floodgates for a world of pokemon products. Pokemon Pokedex products like the Official Pokemon Pokedex, Pokemon action figures, and Pokemon toys like the Pokemon Battle Dome Play Set flew off store shelves. In 1999, when the Pokemon craze was sweeping the globe and gamers were just discovering the exciting and challenging world of online video games, Pokemon Crater appeared.

Playing Pokemon Crater did not require gamers to own any fancy equipment; all they needed to play this online Pokemon game was a mouse. The creator of Pokemon Crater was ambitious and inventive enough to create his very own unique Pokemon Crater characters. There was Dratinice, a Dragon/Ice Pokemon, and Dratilic, an Electric/Dragon Pokemon. Over time, Shiny Pokemon, Metallic Pokemon, Dark Pokemon, and Ghostly Pokemon were added, and these various characters, each with their own powers and weaknesses, enhanced the Pokemon Crater gaming experience even more. Pokemon Crater experts relied on maps to explore territories and find Pokemon, then trained them to be as powerful as possible, and battled against other trainers to make their Pokemon even mightier. In early versions of the game, it was possible to battle against computer players only, but battles against live players were possible in later versions. Pokemon Crater players had different goals. One common one was to secure a coveted spot on the Top Trainer's List. This list featured only the 25 top players on the entire site, and considering the number of Pokemon Crater gamers, this really was a big deal. Completing the Pokemon Pokedex was also a goal for many devoted Pokemon Crater players. Being in possession of all Pokemon featured in Pokemon Crater was a lofty goal, one few people ever achieved. So if you ever found your name on the list of top trainers or filled the entire Pokedex, give yourself a pat on the back and rest assured that you can count yourself among the best Pokemon Crater gamers around.

Pokemon Crater Shuts Down After Eight Years of Pokemon Fun
After December 1, 2007, fans of Pokemon Crater who tried to visit the Pokemon Crater site to play their favorite online Pokemon game made a horrifying discovery. Pokemon Crater had disappeared. Troubled, countless Pokemon Crater fans began posting on message boards and forums. Where is Pokemon Crater? Is it my computer perhaps? Or maybe the site is just down for a few days. No, as it turned out, Pokemon Crater was to be shut down forever. Slowly, a message that had been posted on the Pokemon Crater site began to circulate through cyberspace. It was written by none other than the person who had created the successful online Pokemon game, known to fans as simply Webmaster Aaron. The Pokemon Crater creator was about to graduate from college. He felt that the demands of post-college life would simply be too much, and he would no longer have the time required to maintain the free Pokemon Crater game. This message informing fans of the news and thanking them for their loyalty was posted in mid-November of 2007. On December 1, Pokemon Crater was gone forever.

New Online Pokemon Games for Pokemon Crater Fans
Given the enormous success of Pokemon Crater, it should have come as no surprise when new online pokemon games soon appeared in cyberspace. TPPC, a free online Pokemon game, was one of Pokemon Crater's early successors. Like most offline and online Pokemon games, the goal is to become the top trainer. Gamers can choose between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle when they sign up, and badges are collected by winning battles. Pokemon Black has over 300,000 registered players, many of them former Pokemon Crater fans no doubt. The real time battles and tournaments have allowed this site to amass a loyal online Pokemon game following. Most recently, Pokemon Indigo was introduced. With almost 500 Pokemon, the ability to have up to six trained Pokemon on a single team, and over 200,000 registered players, Pokemon Indigo may prove to be the Pokemon Crater replacement hundreds of thousands of Pokemon fans were hoping would one day arrive.

Missing the original Pokemon Crater? Not interested in playing on-line? Regular Pokemon cards not your style? Take a look at some of these offline Pokemon Games

• Pokemon Diamond
• Pokemon Pearl
• pokemon ruby products
• Pokemon: Ruby
• Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
• Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire

Want to expand your Pokemon world, or do you need a Pokemon Pokedex to aid you in becoming a Pokemon Master? Try these Pokemon Pokedex Products

• Official Pokemon Pokedex
• Pokemon Pokedex Collector's Edition
• Pokemon Master Pokedex
• Pokemon Pocket Pokedex
• Pokemon Pocket Pokedex
• Official Pokemon Full Pokedex Guide