Pokemon
Pokemon
This is how to get and build Gigantamax Cinderace in Pokemon
Steven Rondina
Cinderace is one of the most powerful Pokemon in Sword and Shield, but how do players get a Gigantamax Cinderace? Cinderace is one of the most popular and deadly additions to the Pokedex from Pokemon Sword and Shield. Its great stat distribution, large move pool, and access to the Libero ability make it a very powerful Pokemon in both singles and doubles. It hits hard, moves fast, and enjoys massive …
Pokemon
These are the strongest Pokemon in the entire franchise
Steven Rondina
The Pokemon franchise spans across many video games, comics, cartoons, movies, and more. With 25 years as a cross-media juggernaut, it’s difficult to keep track of who the strongest Pokemon are meant to be. In reality, the answer varies between each piece of Pokemon content. The games, anime, manga, and movies present different Pokemon in unique ways. On top of this are other factors, like favorites in competitive Pokemon and …
Pokemon
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are coming to Switch, here’s why
Steven Rondina
Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald may be launching on the Nintendo Switch in the near future. Multiple Nintendo Switch data miners have uncovered evidence of a working Game Boy Advance emulator on the console. Files and assets related to a long list of games were uncovered, which included screenshots, standalone apps, and customized multiplayer support. Included in those files were a screenshot and other files that strongly suggest that gen-three …
Pokemon
Use this map to get you through Wayward Cave in Pokémon BDSP
Steven Rondina
The Wayward Cave is one of the most frustrating areas of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, but it’s much more manageable with a map. The Wayward Cave isn’t unique in its design, as it’s the kind of straightforward maze that appears in almost every Pokémon game. What sets the Wayward Cave apart from other similar areas in past Pokemon games is the fact that it requires the use of …
Pokemon
Here’s how to catch Arceus and Darkrai in Pokemon BDSP
Steven Rondina
At long last, the final two gen-four mythical Pokemon are set to arrive in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Here’s how Pokemon BDSP players can catch Arceus and Darkrai. The mythical Pokemon are being added to the gen-four remakes, allowing players to add two more rare Pokemon to their collection. Though both appeared in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, this will mark the first time in years that either Pokemon will …
Pokemon
Here’s how to find the full Unown alphabet in Pokemon BDSP
Steven Rondina
While it’s always been a quirky Pokemon, Unown has taken on renewed relevance over the last year. In both Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Symbol Pokemon Unown was given a special place in the game. Pokemon Legends: Arceus saw Unown and Spiritomb at the center of different collection quests. But Pokemon BDSP goes in a very different direction. Instead of being a collect-a-thon, Unown …
Pokemon
Pokemon Go Safari Zone returns with new location and schedule
Olivia Richman
Pokemon Go Safari Zone is coming back this year. Safari Zones can be found in most Pokemon games. These are locations that have rare Pokemon that can’t be encountered anywhere else in the game. Trainers cannot battle in the Safari Zone since it’s a type of sanctuary for Pokemon. Safari Zones have even been added to Pokemon Go, allowing trainers to take part in Safari Zone events with other players. …
Pokemon
These are the 5 most expensive Pokemon TCG cards of all time
Steven Rondina
Pokemon cards are skyrocketing in price, but which Pokemon card is the most expensive of them all? Select Pokemon TCG cards have been climbing in price for years, but an infamous series of Logan Paul videos kicked that price increase into overdrive. This came along a massive inflation of the price for these cards, with his boisterous overvaluations of his collection driving up prices for everyone. But with the Pokemon …
Here’s how to play the best Pokemon TCG deck in format, Mew VMAX
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
The Pokemon TCG meta changes with each expansion, with each one changing the best deck with the release of new mechanics. In 2022, the best Pokemon TCG deck is set to be the one based around Mew VMAX. Mew VMAX dropped with the Fusion Strike expansion, which is part of the Pokemon Sword & Shield card collection. The Fusion Strike battle style is all about “teamwork and adaptability,” according to …
Shaymin now available in Pokemon BDSP with mystery gift item
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
At long last, the mythical Pokemon Shayman has arrived in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Legally, that is. Shaymin has technically been available from the start for everyone that owns Pokemon BDSP. A variation on the menu glitch that allowed players to freely duplicate Pokemon also allowed players to glitch their way into almost completely unrestricted movement in the game. This allowed players to manipulate their way into catching …
How mass outbreaks are changing in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon Legends: Arceus may not be getting DLC anytime soon, but the addition of new mass outbreaks should keep fans interested for a while longer. During the Pokemon Day event, The Pokemon Company officially revealed a massive update to the latest installment in the series. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is getting updated to version 1.1.0, entitled “Daybreak.” The update is a significant change of pace from Game Freak and Pokemon games …
Pokemon Presents reveals Duraludon, brings Hoopa to Unite
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
The Pokemon Presents brought some official roster news to Pokemon Unite players with the reveal that Duraludon is coming to Pokemon Unite. Duraludon is a Steel and Dragon-type Pokemon that basically looks like a robotic dragon-like entity. It’s the signature Pokemon of Sword and Shield’s eighth gym leader, Raihan. Despite its solid appearance and the fact it’s made of metal, the Pokemon is apparently only 88 pounds. Duraludon is definitely …
We may know when Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are coming out
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were officially revealed and while it wasn’t announced, the release date is likely set as well. Pokemon Presents showed off a number of smaller updates to established Pokemon games. The showcase likely would’ve been blasted by fans if it didn’t close with the massive announcement of gen-nine games alongside a trailer. This was even enough to make players forget about the AWOL announcements of Pokemon Legends: …
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starters revealed in official trailer
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Gen-nine Pokemon is coming later this year, with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and their starters being revealed during Pokemon Presents. Pokemon Presents announced a number of small and medium-sized updates including the arrival of Alolan Pokemon in Pokemon GO, Duraludon’s impending release in Pokemon Unite, and the Daybreak update to Pokemon Legends: Arceus. That would’ve been a decent amount on its own, but the traditional “one last announcement” turned out …
Here’s what you need to know about Tsareena’s Queenly Majesty
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Queenly Majesty is potentially one of the strongest abilities in Pokemon today, but how can Tsareena get it? At present, Tsareena is the sole Pokemon that has this ability. At face value, it’s one of the most powerful abilities in the game, negating priority moves such as Quick Attack and Protect. Queenly Majesty also protects the user and its allies from attacks given priority from other abilities such as Prankster …
Here’s how to read Pokémon’s Unown alphabet
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
The Unown alphabet returned to Pokémon thanks to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl (BDSP) and Pokémon Legends: Arceus, in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Since then, though, the alphabetic Pokémon has been largely absent. Unown was one of the many different Pokémon that got put on the shelf in Pokémon Sword and Shield. This made more sense for Unown than for most other shelved Pokémon since Unown’s only move was …
Pokemon BDSP update stops trades of duplication glitch clones
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s duplication and cloning bugs threatened to kill any value for shiny Pokemon, but developers have found a way to protect against it with a new update. In the new update for Pokemon BDSP, the developers began laying the foundation for exporting Pokemon out of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and importing Pokemon into them using Pokemon HOME. Included in that is a coding string …
Here’s how to find and get Darkrai in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Players can catch Darkrai in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, but that’s easier said than done. Darkrai has been one of the most sought-after mythical Pokemon of all. Its spooky looks stand apart from prior mythical Pokemon like the cutesy Celebi, Shaymin, and Jirachi. This is reinforced further by its pure dark typing. The cherry on top is its strong base stat distribution, standing as a proper special attack sweeper rather than …
How to check and raise friendship in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Ever since Pokemon Gold and Silver, select Pokemon have needed more to evolve than just trading, stones, or leveling up. This is also the case in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, with checking and raising friendship being a requirement to evolve many different Pokemon. The trouble is that friendship has always been a hidden mechanic within the Pokemon franchise of games. Pokemon Legends: Arceus does have the standard ways available to check …
The best move, item builds for Aegislash in Pokemon Unite
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Aegislash is a unique Pokemon in the franchise that requires a different build than one would expect, and this hasn’t changed in Pokemon Unite. First introduced in Pokemon X and Y and the first in a trio of new releases, Aegislash is built around its Stance Change ability. Stance Change sees Aegislash swap its offensive and defensive stats based on the attacks it uses. King’s Shield switches it to Shield …
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.
