Back Voltorbe French Վոլտորբ Armenian Voltorb Italian ビリリダマ Japanese Voltorb Malay Voltorb Dutch Voltorb Turkish 霹靂彈 ZH-YUE
| Voltorb | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Voltorb artwork by Ken Sugimori | |
| First game | Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) |
| Created by | Ken Sugimori[1] |
| Designed by | Ken Sugimori (original)[1] |
| Voiced by | JA: Katsuyuki Konishi[2] |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Pokémon |
| Type | Electric Electric and Grass (Hisuian) |
Voltorb (/ˈvɔːltɔːrb/ ⓘ), known in Japan as Biriridama (Japanese: ビリリダマ), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. First introduced in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue, they were created by Ken Sugimori, appearing in the earliest design document for the game. Since their initial appearance they have appeared in multiple games including Pokémon GO and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as various merchandise related to the franchise. While Katsuyuki Konishi has been credited for voicing the species in Japanese, no English voice actor has been attributed to or taken credit for them.
Classified as an Electric-type Pokemon, Voltorb is a spherical species that resembles an item in the game's universe, a Poké Ball. Often confused for them, they will emit electricity or explode when jolted. A regional variant was added later in Pokémon Legends: Arceus called Hisuian Voltorb, resembling the Poké Balls of that region and classified as both an Electric- and Grass-type. Either Voltorb can evolve into a stronger Pokémon, Electrode, through experience or the use of a "Leaf Stone" item respectively. Voltorb has seen use in promotions across Japan, as a mascot of the franchise.
Voltorb has been heavily criticized for its simplistic design, which has been called one of the franchise's worst, and more so an example of the shortcomings of Red and Blue's Pokémon designs as a whole in contrast to what came in later games for the series. However, some critics still praised aspects of the species, not only in comparison to Electrode but also due to its role as a mimic from classic role-playing games. Other outlets praised it for helping to define later Pokémon designs based on objects, and how fandoms used theories about them to explore more depth in the franchise. Hisuian Voltorb by comparison was more well received, with praise given to its cheerful demeanor as well as the questions it raised on which came first, the Voltorb or the Poké Ball.
- ^ a b "増田氏が語る、ゲームフリークが 世界で通じる会社になるまで". Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 1590. May 23, 2019. pp. 98–106.
- ^ "こにし かつゆき 小西克幸". Maumau (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.