Pokemon
Pokemon
What is the spotlight hour in Pokemon Go?
William Davis
There is never a dull week in Pokemon Go. With special events, Community Days, and spotlight hours, Pokemon Go promises something new to do every week. The spotlight hour, as its name indicates, is an hour when the featured Pokemon spawns more frequently. It works similarly to a Community Day, the main difference is that it lasts just an hour and happens every week, instead of once a month. The …
Pokemon
Meet Greavard, a new addition to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
William Davis
A new Pokemon from the Paldea region has been unveiled. Greavard is the most recent addition to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The release date for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is getting closer and more details about the game are getting revealed. Despite not having voice acting in the game, Pokemon put out another video with a talking character. A student from Naranja Academy and a member of the Ghost type …
Pokemon
All the details that make each Pokemon region unique
William Davis
The first Pokemon game came out in 1995 and it took players on a journey through the Kanto region. Since then, the universe has expanded to nine Pokemon regions, over 900 Pokemon, and over 100 games. The main games follow a similar storyline with a trainer working to become a Pokemon Master. They must travel across the region, battling Gym Leaders and completing the Pokedex in the process. The story …
Pokemon
How to get Gengar in Pokemon Go without using candies
William Davis
If you are looking for a spooky Pokemon Go companion, look no further than Gengar. Here is everything you know need to know about Gengar in Pokemon Go. Number 94 in the National Pokedex and originally from the Kanto region, Gengar is the very first spooky Pokemon. This smiley purple ghost was the blueprint for all spooky and scary Pokemon in the next generations. As part of the first generation, …
Pokemon
Pokemon Go Raid Battles, time, participation method, and more
William Davis
Catching Pokemon and fighting Team Rocket grunts is fun, but no Pokemon Go experience is complete without Raid Battles. Raid Battles happen when Boss Pokemon take over a Gym for 45 minutes. This is a great opportunity for trainers to get strong Pokemon in their teams. Depending on the level of the raid, the Boss will be a common Pokemon or Legendary. Raid Battles can run at any time between …
Pokemon
Pokemon Go players are begging for Team Leader Blanche to be fixed
Olivia Richman
Pokémon Go players are sick of the new Team Leader looks and are begging Niantic to change Candela, Blanche, and Spark back to their original costumes. Pokémon Go’s trainers were given a completely new look during Fashion Week. The in-app event featured costume-clad Pokémon and new outfit options for trainers. It also changed the look of the three Team Leaders. And, for some reason, these outfits have been a source …
Pokemon
What is the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go?
William Davis
Over 900 Pokémon are available in Pokémon Go but, like in a regular game, some are harder to catch than others. Here are some of the rarest Pokémon in Pokémon Go. In Pokémon Go, the rarity of a Pokémon is determined by whether on not it spawns in the wild and the steps necessary to find it if it doesn’t. Some Pokémon are available only in very specific circumstances and, …
Pokemon
Best attacker and defender Pokémon in Pokémon Go
William Davis
Battles are a fundamental part of Pokémon Go, whether it is against other trainers, Team Rocket grunts, or raids, you need the best team. Here is the ultimate list of the best Pokémon in Pokémon Go. Getting the perfect team requires strategy and hard work. Knowing what Pokémon to hunt, train and power up will make the difference in Pokémon Go. A good Pokémon has a powerful attack, so it …
What is the Community Day in Pokemon Go? Timing, date, and more
William Davis
Pokemon
Community Days in Pokemon Go happen every month and are the perfect opportunity to meet other fellow trainers. Here we’ll tell you all you need to know about the event. The Pokemon Go Community Days only happen once every month. It starts at 2 P.M. local time and runs for three hours. During this time, the spawn percentage of a specific Pokemon increase as well as the chances of finding …
How to catch Ditto, the trickiest Pokemon?
William Davis
Pokemon
Some Pokemon are harder to catch than others, but none is trickiest in Pokemon Go than the elusive Ditto. Ditto is part of Pokemon’s first generation. The number 132 in the National Pokedex, its first appearance was in Pokemon Red and Blue. Ditto is type Normal but this Pokemon is anything but. Ditto is the only Pokemon that can transform into an exact replica of an object or living creature, …
How to get Sylveon in Pokemon Go
William Davis
Pokemon
Pokemon Go has an Eevee evolution for every taste. From the classic Jolteon to the mysterious Umbreon, all are available. One of the most-wanted, however, is Sylveon. Sylveon is one of eight possible Eevee evolutions or Eeveelutions as fans call them. Sylveon is part of Pokemon’s sixth generation and could be first found in Pokemon X and Y. The number 700 in the Pokedex is a fairy type. Despite its …
The best tips and tricks to earn stardust in Pokemon GO
William Davis
Pokemon
Pokemon Go encourages trainers to explore the world around them, visit gyms, take part in combats, and complete their Pokedex. Here is how to obtain the most important resource in the game, Stardust. Stardust is used to power up Pokemon, in combination with candies. Players will earn candies when they catch a Pokemon, transfer it, or walk with it.A trainer will power up their Pokemon in order to be more …
Will Scarlet and Violet have all Pokémon? Here’s what’s confirmed
William Davis
Pokemon
The release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is fast approaching, and it remains unclear if the game will have all Pokemon. The Paldea region will be the stage for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the first installment of Pokemon’s ninth generation. This region is based in the Iberian Peninsula with deserts, mountains, and valleys. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet feature considerable upgrades to the Pokemon universe, like the Terastal Phenomenon and the …
What is the difference between Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?
William Davis
Pokemon
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet will be released on November 18, and these are the differences between the two titles. Since its first launch in 1995, Pokemon releases its games in pairs. Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet both take place in the Paldea region where players start as students at the local academy. There are small but important differences that will make each title unique. In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, …
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet won’t have voice acting, here’s why
William Davis
Pokemon
The Pokemon franchise has come a long way since its first title back in 1995. The universe has expanded to nine regions and over 900 Pokemon. After so many innovations, it’s unclear why Pokemon doesn’t have voice acting. Pokemon started as a black and white, 2D RPG with text on the screen. Through the years, as gaming consoles evolve, so did Pokemon, adding color, animation, and most recently, cinematics. Pokemon …
Is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet an open world game?
William Davis
Pokemon
The release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is getting closer, and the main question in players’ heads is if it will be an open world game. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the first installments in the ninth generation, taking players to the Paldea region. Several of the new features of the game have been revealed, like the intriguing Terastal Phenomenon and reworked TM Machines. The game takes the Pokémon franchise …
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leader Iono revealed
William Davis
Pokemon
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have introduced a new Gym Leader, the electric streamer-themed Iono. The highly anticipated Pokémon Scarlet and Violet keep revealing new content about the Paldea region and its habitants. In the most recent trailer, players got to meet Iono. Iono is the leader of Levincia’s gym where she trains Electric-type Pokémon. Iono is a streamer and influencer in Paldea with thousands of followers and fans. Iono dresses …
What is the Terastal Phenomenon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
William Davis
Pokemon
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are bringing the term “shiny” to a new level with the Terastal Phenomenon. The Paldea region, the location for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, keeps innovating with features like the TM Machines and the Terastal Phenomenon. This trait guarantees that Pokémon will not only be prettier, but also stronger. All Pokémon in the Paldea region can Terastallize. When they do, a crown-like Tera Jewel will appear on …
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet introduces new TM Machine
William Davis
Pokemon
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are introducing the TM Machine, a new system to craft Technical Machines. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are two of the most anticipated titles of 2022. The first installment in the ninth generation of Pokémon is taking players to the Paldea region, inspired by the Iberian Peninsula. Like every Pokémon title, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet bring new characters, new Pokémon, and stories for the players. One of …
How to get Ditto in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Getting Ditto is important for both IV breeders and shiny hunters, but Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have a new way of acquiring it than in the original DS games. Ditto does not become available in Pokemon BDSP until the Sinnoh Dex has been completed. Unlike in other Pokemon games, this can be done by only seeing the Pokemon versus having to catch them. This means the Pokedex can …
Pokemon stands as the largest cross-media IP in the world by a comfortable margin, but how did it make such explosive gains?
For a long while, pivoting a video game franchise into a larger brand seemed impossible. Iconic titles like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Resident Evil received TV and film adaptations, with the most common result being catastrophic failure. That was the norm from the 1990s all the way into the 2020s; and it probably shouldn’t have been.
While Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li and Silent Hill: Revelation were irredeemably bad, Pokemon showed that a video game series can be adapted into many different mediums. Here’s a quick history of the franchise and its future outlook.
Pokemon explodes with Game Boy games, quickly expands
Pokemon first arrived in Japan in 1996 with the release of Pokemon Red and Green; a pair of titles for the Nintendo Game Boy. The two games were largely identical, but each one had a handful of Pokemon that were exclusive to those titles. This encouraged players to collect and trade these monsters with others who purchased the games.
Later on in 1996, the game was reimagined as a trading card game. Then in 1997, an anime adaptation launched in Japan.
Both of those rapid-fire expansions earned strong success domestically. More importantly, it primed Pokemon for an overwhelming global push.
In 1998, the franchise officially crossed over into North America, Europe, and Australia. The games were killer apps for the Game Boy but it wasn’t just a video game. An accompanying anime aired new episodes daily, and the trading card game exploded out of the gate. This made it difficult to ignore Pokemon to the point where characters like Ash Ketchum and Pikachu were universally recognizable. Just like that, the franchise was unstoppable.
Pokemon expands beyond Nintendo consoles, grows even further
For decades, Pokemon video games were among the top-selling games each year they came out. The Pokemon TCG was one of the biggest in the industry. The anime was a constant, without even mentioning its many spin-off movies. Licensing characters for toys and apparel was a golden goose for all involved.
But the franchise was still positioned to grow further.
Almost all of the games were exclusive to Nintendo’s gaming hardware, but mobile gaming was on a sharp rise of its own. The franchise also released a long list of spin-offs, successfully turning the series into everything from a pinball game to a beat ‘em up. The Pokemon Company had dabbled with PC and mobile games previously, but started actively partnering with other studios in the 2010s.
The biggest example of this was Pokemon GO. The Pokemon Company partnered with AR game studio Niantic was an instant hit, being downloaded hundreds of millions of times. It was far from alone, however. Battling-focused gacha game Pokemon Masters, MOBA adaptation Pokemon Unite, and puzzle game Pokemon Cafe launched in the following years.
It wasn’t just licensed mobile games, though. Games like Detective Pikachu and New Pokemon Snap gave players fresh and varied ways to enjoy the familiar franchise.
Modern Pokémon games see mixed response, but sales remain strong
Though Pokémon has many lifelong fans, the mainline releases have long attracted controversy within the fandom. Though the first few generations were generally beloved, opinions on new and modern games releases vary wildly. Starting with the Nintendo Switch, critical response to the games wavered.
Reviews for Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee were lower than previous entries in the series. That pattern held with Pokémon Sword and Shield, which were also met with extreme backlash on social media.
Though each mainline game made every monster from previous generations available up until Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, this ended with Sword and Shield. Several fan favorites, including Beedrill and the Unovan starters, were made unobtainable in the game. The mega evolution and Z-move battle mechanics were also removed from the games. It’s unclear why or what methodology was used to determine which of the little monsters were left out.
Reviews sank further from there, with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, then Pokémon Scarlet and Violet garnering the lowest review averages for mainline games.
Despite this, the games were still an enormous commercial success. Pokémon Sword, Shield, Scarlet, and Violet ranked among the best-selling games in franchise history. Its publisher may have heeded some of the fan criticism however, as the company opted against releasing a new mainline game or expansion in 2024. This was the first year without a major game release since 2015.
