About a week ago, a new sensation started somewhat quietly on Twitch. Thanks to an IRC script that allowed commands to be relayed, viewers were treated to an interesting experience: trying to go through Pokemon Red with everyone in the chat room shouting out button inputs.

The idea seems simple enough. The aptly named Red currently has four badges and a handful of Pokemon, including a ridiculously overleveled Pidgeot that followers have taken to calling “Bird Jesus.” However, there have been casualties: the starter turned into a Charmeleon, but was accidentally (or purposefully, depending on your point of view) released later on.

Part of the problem here is Twitch Plays Pokemon’s own success. The stream has reached more than 100,000 concurrent viewers and is way over eight digits total. The vast number of users creates an input delay of anywhere between 15 and 45 seconds, so even if everyone wanted to work together, precise movement would be nearly impossible — but more on that later.

Considering that this is the internet, this phenomenon creates some interesting perspectives. For example, some folks exist on the internet only to troll and be pains in the ass. Those folks contributed to making something extremely simple like walking across a path into a nightmare. A narrow stretch required Red to move to his right, but anyone managing to get a “down” input in forced him to jump off a ledge and start the whole thing over again. Later, in the Team Rocket hideout (seen above), the arrow maze forced the collective to spend an entire 24-hour period trying (and failing) to navigate the area.

These complications led to the introduction of a new mechanic: the democracy vs. anarchy slider.

Anarchy is essentially the old method — everyone just typing in whatever the hell they want. It’s certainly the more funny option to watch, as Red stumbles around drunkenly, throws items on the ground and consults the Helix Fossil for battle tips. But democracy allows for some semblance of progression. It’s the only way the hideout maze was solved, for example. And it might be the only chance in hell Red has of getting Surf in the Safari Zone, where you only have a set number of steps to make it to the warden’s teeth.

Still, my favorite part of all this is the internet’s overall reaction. Certain gibberish nicknames have turned into handles for Pokemon on the team. A Rattata named “JLVWNNOOOO” became affectionately known as Jay Leno, although he was later released. The Helix Fossil is a huge meme on its own. Even something as basic as Eevee became the center of controversy when the group realized it needed something to learn Surf. Rather than keeping an open party slot for a free Lapras later on, Eevee was acquired — but when the group went to get a Water Stone for Vaporeon, it bought a Fire Stone (and Flareon) instead. Flareon now gets blamed for other Pokemon or items being thrown away, even after it’s been released as well.

Overall, I’m sure the stream has been successful beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Taken in small doses, it’s extremely entertaining to watch, especially as people try to complain or rally together in the chat while “a b down up up start up a a left b left” pushes messages off the screen in record time.The subsequent

At the time of writing, the collective managed to acquire the Psychic TM and teach it to a Drowzee, all in Anarchy mode, to help tackle the Pokemon Tower and the Gastlys inside. Can the group somehow make it? Hard to say — some might not have even thought four badges were possible. As mentioned, I think the Safari Zone is going to be a huge dumpster fire, but at least it’ll be fun to watch along the way.

To join in on the madness, visit twitch.tv/twitchplayspokemon.