Pokemon
Pokemon
How to evolve Ursaring into Ursaluna in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Steven Rondina
Many new evolutions to familiar Pokemon are present in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, but how do you evolve an Ursaring into an Ursaluna? Ursaluna is one of the more prominent additions to the Pokemon roster. The new bear Pokemon serves as another ride Pokemon and replaces the item finder, similar to the rideable Stoutland in Pokemon Sun and Moon. But as with Sun and Moon’s rideable Pokemon, the ones the trainer …
Pokemon
Is Pokemon Legends Arceus a gen nine Pokemon game?
Steven Rondina
Is Pokemon Legends: Arceus the start of gen nine for the Pokemon franchise? The lines between Pokemon generations are blurrier than ever before. Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu, Sword and Shield, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl all have their own unique sets of Pokemon. Some can be transferred between each other, or will be in the near future, but the ability to import an entire PC of Pokemon …
Pokemon
This build lets Trevenant dominate in Pokemon Unite
Steven Rondina
Trevenant has arrived in Pokemon Unite and the spooky Pokemon can have a big presence with the right build. Trevenant is the latest defender in Pokemon Unite. It’s a surprising addition to the lineup given its relative lack of popularity and how sparingly its been used across various Pokemon media. Its relative strength in the Pokemon TCG and prominence in 2021’s Season of Mischief event in Pokemon GO may have …
Pokemon
Aegislash coming to Pokemon Unite soon, all moves revealed
Steven Rondina
A fully playable Aegislash has been discovered in hidden Pokemon Unite game files, likely leaking that it’s the next licensable character in the popular game. Pokemon Unite’s update schedule effectively prevents surprises from being possible, much like Apex Legends. But while Apex Legends revealed the names of upcoming characters and contained hidden files for upcoming abilities, Pokemon Unite is adding fully realized builds of licensable Pokemon. The latest example of …
Pokemon
Here’s the easiest way to evolve Farfetch’d into Sirfetch’d
Steven Rondina
There have been plenty of new methods for evolving familiar Pokemon, but few are as popular as Sword and Shield’s Galarian Farfetch’d and its evolution, Sirfetch’d. With Sword and Shield set in the Galar region, which is based on England, The Pokemon Company added not one but two lines of knightly bird Pokemon. But while getting a Corviknight is a straightforward process of leveling up a Rookidee, getting Sirfetch’d is …
Pokemon
Here are all the Pokémon Center store locations
Steven Rondina
For Pokémon fans that make the pilgrimage to Japan, the Pokémon Center stores are a must-see attraction. The brick-and-mortar retail locations offer some of the most memorable limited-edition items around. The offering is diverse and encompasses every facet of Pokémon merch from apparel to plushies to Pokémon TCG cards. But where are these Pokémon centers? Do any exist outside of Japan? And if not, what other options are there for …
Pokemon
Pokemon Legends: Arceus has multiplayer, but what is it?
Steven Rondina
Pokemon Legends: Arceus will have multiplayer, but it’s still a mystery as to what this will look like. What clues do we have as to what Pokemon Legends: Arceus multiplayer will be? Multiplayer features have been a core feature of the Pokemon franchise from the very beginning. It started as battling and trading over a Game Boy link cable, with more features slowly coming over time. Eventually, ranked leaderboards, wonder …
Pokemon
New Pokemon Legends: Arceus trailer digs into gameplay changes
Steven Rondina
Pokemon Legends: Arceus has finally received its proper official gameplay reveal with a new 13-minute trailer, and there’s plenty to dig into for Pokemon fans anticipating the new game. Though enthusiasm has been generally high for Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the new spin-off game took a backseat behind the launch of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. With the gen-four remakes out the door and likely done from a development perspective, …
Pokemon Unite joins TCG and VGC at World Championship 2022
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
The Pokemon World Championship just got bigger with the addition of Pokemon Unite. In 2020, competitive Pokemon players and casual fans alike were let down when the Pokemon World Championship in the United Kingdom was postponed due to ongoing global health concerns and travel restrictions. Now, a new season of competitive Pokemon has returned, starting with a Regional Championship in Salt Lake City in March. The goal of each regional …
Court rules firing of LAPD officers playing Pokemon GO justified
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
A California court has ruled that the firing of two Los Angeles police officers who were exposed playing Pokemon GO instead of responding to a robbery was justified. Officers Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were fired in 2017 for failing to respond to a robbery at the Crenshaw Mall. The two officers claimed that the department had improperly recorded their private conversation and that no legal or labor representation was …
5 things you should know before getting Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set to be a major departure from the established Pokemon series. While fans have been criticizing the mainline Pokemon franchise for its monotony for some time now, players have the chance to take in what will likely be a radically different experience. But for longtime trainers who have been playing what is effectively the same game for 25 years, there’s a lot to go over. Though …
Here’s how to get Shiny Stones in Pokemon BDSP
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Shiny Stones were introduced in the fourth generation, so it makes sense that they’re a big deal in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The evolution stone is used to evolve two Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. While that might not sound like much, that makes it as important as any legendary for those looking to complete their Pokedex. The good news is that two Shiny Stones can …
Here’s how to get and use Moon Stones in Pokemon BDSP
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
While acquiring evolution stones such as the Thunder Stone, Moon Stone, and Shiny Stone has traditionally been easy, they’re actually quite rare in Pokemon BDSP. The Grand Underground was one of the big additions to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and The Pokemon Company wanted to make sure players spent a lot of time in it. They did this by sticking most of the evolution stones in digging spots …
Here’s how to get the National Dex in Pokemon BDSP
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
One of the first questions players end up asking themselves when playing Pokemon BDSP is how to get the National Dex. The National Dex opens up a lot of content in the post-game of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Most notably, it introduces a load of new Pokemon to the game. The actual list of Pokemon that can be caught in the gen-four remakes is relatively short, with a …
Here are the Pokemon Legends: Arceus pre-order bonuses
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon games have long been giving players incentive to buy copies shortly after release. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is no different, with a mix of physical pre-order bonuses and other special rewards on tap for those willing to commit to buying the new game. The rewards are a mix between cosmetic items, in-game items, and exclusive Pokemon. It’s by far the most robust pre-order offering available in any Pokemon game before, …
These are the three starters for Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set to have an interesting lineup of starters. UPDATE: Hisuian versions of the three starters’ evolutions have leaked. Find out more here. The upcoming Pokemon spin-off game is set to be a major departure from established Pokemon norms, shaking up the series’ battle system in a big way. It will also be introducing a long list of new Pokemon, including both Hisuian variants and new evolutions …
All the Hisuian Pokemon coming in Legends: Arceus
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set to introduce players to the Hisui region, which is rife with a number of new Pokemon and Hisuian variants of familiar ones. The Pokemon Company whetted fans’ appetites by revealing Hisuian Growlithe alongside what will likely serve as the Legends: Arceus equivalent to Ride Pokemon. Since then, a number of brand new Pokemon have been revealed that will help to make the game feel like …
Best of Sword & Shield Brilliant Stars includes Charizard VSTAR
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
The hype around the Pokemon TCG has continued thanks to big influencers like Logan Paul making massive and controversial purchases while streaming pack openings. The competitive Pokemon TCG community is excited for new cards coming out in early 2022 as part of the Sword & Shield — Brilliant Stars expansion. Brilliant Stars is the ninth expansion from the Sword & Shield series. It’s coming out in Japanese on January 14, …
How to get perfect Pokemon in Sword, Shield, and BDSP
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Every Pokemon game, including Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, is about creating the best and most statistically perfect Pokemon. And we can help you do it. While there’s plenty of strategy and mind games in play when it comes to battling, it’s ultimately a battle of numbers. A genius player with mismanaged Pokemon won’t be able to take down an average player that has a lineup with perfect …
The best Dragonite build and items for Pokemon Unite
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Dragonite has arrived in Pokemon Unite and the original dragon Pokemon is an absolute beast with the right build. Dragonite has always looked silly, but the Pokemon is tailor-made to terrorize in Pokemon Unite as part of the new season. With a number of different unique mechanics, it has the highest skill ceiling in the game by a significant margin. This also requires Dragonite to use a different build than …
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.
