Pokemon
Pokemon
Pokemon TCG Pocket reveals strict trade limitations, players upset
Hannan Mundia
The Pokemon TCG Pocket team has revealed when the game’s trade feature will be introduced and how it’ll work, and players aren’t too happy with its clear limitations. Pokemon cards have seen massive popularity in recent years. Former Pokemon collectors reignited their lost passion and many Pokemon content creators have found new audience sby focusing on opening rare packs. The primary limitation with physical cards is not everyone has access …
Pokemon
Pokemon cards coming to US McDonald’s Happy Meals in January
M Alzamora
The nearly annual McDonald’s and Pokemon card collaboration returns to the US in January 2025, with the release date right around the corner. Pokemon TCG collectors and players alike know the value of an exclusive card, no matter the medium or where it’s found. With the Prismatic Evolution Umbreon SIR going for thousands of dollars and TCG Pocket players spending real money to get a digital Celebi ex immersive rare, …
Pokemon
Pokemon TCG Pocket won’t let you trade for rarest cards
M Alzamora
Players excited to finally trade for an immersive art Mew ex in Pokemon TCG Pocket may have to keep waiting, as it appears trading for the game’s rarest cards may not be an option anytime soon. Since the game’s public release in late October 31, Pokemon TCG Pocket has been downloaded over 60 million times. Fans have praised it for being mostly free-to-play and for simplifying the battling process. TCG …
Pokemon
Fans upset about new premium card in TCG Pocket, here’s why
M Alzamora
The January premium rewards are out for Pokemon TCG Pocket, but some fans are upset over the “free” card for the new month. While Pokemon TCG Pocket is a free-to-play game, many have invested in the premium model for its numerous benefits. These include getting to open a third card pack daily and getting regular access to exclusive rewards. But as the January updates have begun rolling out, some premium …
Pokemon
The best Pokemon cards to pull in Mythical Island
William Davis
Mythical Island has arrived in Pokemon TCG Pocket, and these cards will make the best additions to any player’s collection. Pokemon TCG Pocket’s mini set just dropped, bringing 86 new cards to the popular free-to-play mobile app. Out of the 86 Mythical Island cards, 68 are numbered, six are illustration rare and 10 are special illustration rare variations of those cards, one is an ultra rare immersive, and one is …
Pokemon
Here are all the 2024 Pokemon cards coming to McDonald’s
Steven Rondina
The 2024 set of Pokemon TCG promo cards has arrived in McDonald’s locations in France, giving international fans a look at what’s to come. On an annual basis, Pokemon has partnered with McDonald’s for a line of Happy Meal toys. Though extra trimmings are added each year, the centerpiece is always the lineup of cards. While the prices for these promos aren’t nearly as high as the collector’s pieces found …
Pokemon
M80 absorbs beastcoast; what next for its Pokemon, Dota 2 teams
Steven Rondina
Esports organization beastcoast, known for its Rainbow Six, Dota 2, and Pokemon teams, is no more and will be absorbed by M80. beastcoast founder and CEO Grant Zinn, alongside M80, announced the news on Twitter. M80 has been a staple across multiple esports, most notably Rainbow Six and Valorant. Its Valorant roster disbanded after failing to earn a promotion to VCT Americas. The team finished in second place in VCT …
Pokemon
New Pokemon Legends: Z-A details possibly revealed in anime
Steven Rondina
The Pokemon Horizons anime has been a staging ground for upcoming video game content, and a new Poke Ball shown in the anime may be a key element in the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A. During Ash Ketchum’s 26-year run as the main character of the Pokemon anime, the show was largely separate from the games. They shared Pokemon and characters, but Charizard disobeying Ash even after getting eight gym badges, …
Max Mushrooms coming to Pokemon GO; here’s how they work
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Max Mushrooms are coming to Pokemon GO, but anyone hoping for a shortcut to building up a roster of Dynamax-ready Pokemon will be disappointed. The introduction of Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon to Pokemon GO hasn’t gone especially well for Niantic. The mechanic itself wasn’t especially popular when it arrived in Pokemon Sword and Shield. That was the case with Pokemon GO, too, as fans lamented its general similarity to existing …
Pokemon GO is finally making Gigantamax raids worth doing
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon GO fans have been underwhelmed by the introduction of Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon, but Niantic revealed upcoming changes that will make them more worthwhile. The Dynamax mechanic was a controversial one when it was first introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield. In a flailing hate campaign against the games, fans latched onto Dynamax in particular as something to be mad about. This was because the games marked the end …
Pokemon GO: Best counters to Origin Forme Palkia & Dialga
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Origin Forme Palkia and Dialga are stronger than their counterparts in Pokemon GO, but what’s the best counter to them in raids? The Pokemon Legends: Arceus variants of the gen-four legendaries first arrived in Pokemon GO in January 2024 as part of the Sinnoh-themed Pokemon GO Tour event. While the introduction of new versions of familiar legendaries is always exciting, these two took things a step further. By using candies, …
What is the best deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket?
Jared Wynne
Pokemon
Is there one deck that stands out as the best deck in all of Pokemon TCG Pocket? It depends on who you ask, but there are definitely a few top candidates. Pokemon TCG Pocket has taken the world by storm, with publisher The Pokemon Company already claiming tens of millions of downloads for their new game. Combining elements of the traditional Pokemon trading card game with a simple and user-friendly …
Rumors of updates of a multiplayer Pokemon game sparks buzz
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
A new update has reignited excitement among Pokemon fans, as rumors continue to swirl about a potential multiplayer Pokemon game. Recent leaks hint at a collaborative effort between Game Freak and ILCA, sparking curiosity and speculation throughout the gaming community. Although concrete details remain scarce, the information revealed so far paints an intriguing picture of what could be the next big thing in the Pokemon universe. Related: New Pokemon TCG …
New Pokemon TCG Pocket leak teases exciting upcoming events and content
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
Pokemon TCG Pocket fans have reason to be excited as recent leaks reveal thrilling updates, hinting at upcoming events and new card releases for the digital trading card game. The game, which brings the beloved Pokemon Trading Card experience to a digital platform, has been well-received by players. However, many felt it lacked enough content and features. Now, these leaks suggest that the developers are working hard to deliver fresh …
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Legendary Raid battle: Shiny Rayquaza
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
Pokemon fans are in for an exciting event as Pokemon Scarlet & Violet prepare to launch a Tera Raid Battle featuring the legendary Shiny Rayquaza. The raid battle is set to take place from December 19, 2024, to January 5, 2025. This gives players a chance to add this rare, shiny form of the Sky High Pokemon to their collection. The details surrounding the event have sparked much anticipation among …
Pokemon GO: Dynamax Drilbur arrives in the latest event
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
Starting November 15, Pokemon GO players will have the chance to encounter a brand-new Dynamax Pokemon, Drilbur, as part of the Simply Groundbreaking event. This thrilling event, which runs until November 17, introduces a fresh layer of gameplay with Dynamax forms, adding a new level of strategy to Max Battles. Trainers level 31 and up also have the opportunity to earn extra rewards, making this event one of the most …
Pokemon GO: Next Season new Community Day dates announced
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
Niantic has shared exciting news for Pokemon GO fans with the reveal of upcoming Community Day dates for Season 17. This new season will kick off on December 3, 2024, and run through February 2025, bringing with it multiple opportunities for players to engage in limited-time events and enjoy special bonuses. Related: Pokemon Go Announces Halloween 2024 Event Part 1 Season 17 is packed with events for players to look …
Pokemon Go Announces Halloween 2024 Event Part 1
Tokoni Uti
Pokemon
It’s October, which means that gaming projects are rolling out their Halloween experiences for fans. Naturally, these have a scary edge to them and try to get fans into the spooky spirit. One of the latest of these comes from Pokemon Go, which has announced its 2024 edition, featuring tons of adventure and even new characters. Pokemon Go’s Halloween event in 2024 will see the debut of Galar rodent creature, …
Game Freak Lead Reveals Pokemon Source Codes, Upcoming Multiplayer Game
Tokoni Uti
Pokemon
As much as gaming studios try to keep certain details of past and future projects under wraps, sometimes leaks happen. When they do, fans get an early taste of what is to come or even unknown facts about projects already launched. Such is the case with a recent leak from Game Freak, the developers of the Pokemon Games. About a terabyte worth of data from the company made its way …
Pokemon leak suggests potential Detective Pikachu sequel
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Movies & TV
The Pokemon franchise has been one of the most beloved video game and anime series worldwide for over two decades. Following the success of the 2019 Detective Pikachu movie, fans have long awaited news of a sequel. Recently, a major leak within the Pokémon community may have revealed clues. The leak points to a second Detective Pikachu film, titled The Great Detective Pikachu. While official confirmations are still pending, the …
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.
