Pokemon
Pokemon
Exclusive Pokémon manhole cover at Kyoto’s Nintendo Museum
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
An exclusive Pokémon-themed manhole cover is set to be revealed at Kyoto’s Nintendo Museum. The unique street décor is a tribute and homage to the massive success and love in fans eyes. This new addition highlights the museum’s commitment to celebrating Nintendo’s rich history and the Pokémon franchise. The Nintendo Museum will not be the only place showcasing these distinctive Pokémon manhole covers. Known as “Poké Lids,” these artistic manhole …
Pokemon
Pokémon GO “Psychic Spectacular” event returns – Hatenna debuts
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokémon GO has teased the upcoming “Psychic Spectacular” event, set to run from September 18th at 10:00 a.m. to September 22nd at 8:00 p.m. local time. This new event promises to introduce exciting features and Pokémon, including the debut of Hatenna, for trainers to explore. One of the main attractions of the Psychic Spectacular is the introduction of Hatenna, a Psychic-type Pokémon making its debut. Hatenna evolves into Hattrem and …
Pokemon
Mastering the Falinks raids: Counters and tips
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Falinks, a Fighting-type Pokémon from the Galar Region, is featured as a 3-Star Raid Boss in Pokémon GO. With a maximum Combat Power of 2665 and stats of 193 ATK, 170 DEF, and 163 STA, it can be a challenging opponent. Here’s how to prepare for and defeat the Falinks raids effectively. Before tackling Falinks, understanding its weaknesses and resistances is important. Using the moves with weaknesses can grant you …
Pokemon
Is Darkrai ready to haunt Pokémon UNITE? Release date revealed
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Exciting news for Pokémon UNITE players: Darkrai is set to join the game’s roster soon. The battles are going to turn spookier than Ghosts themselves. Here’s all you need to know about it. Pokémon UNITE is the first strategic team battle game by The Pokémon Company. In this MOBA-style game, teams of five battle to score points on opponents’ goals. Released in July, 2021, the game is available on Nintendo …
Pokemon
Ponyta Community Day enters Pokémon GO as the next event
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokémon trainers rejoice! Niantic has hinted at the beloved Ponyta Community Day on social media. Recently, Niantic shared a teaser video revealing Ponyta and a Galarian Ponyta. This event is most likely as soon as the next month of September, 2024. Pokémon GO took the internet by storm when it was released in 2016, urging all players to catch their favorite Pokémon nearby. Published by Niantic, Pokémon GO is a …
Pokemon
Pokémon TCG Pocket pre-registrations open alongside new trailer
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Calling all Pokémon Trainers! The wait is almost over as pre-registration for the highly anticipated mobile card game, Pokémon TCG Pocket, is officially live! The Pokémon TCG Pocket is the official mobile version of the beloved Pokémon Trading Card Game, allowing you to battle anyone from the comfort of your phone. With all the bells and whistles of the decades old physical game, it caught the eyes of a huge …
Pokemon
The worst Pokemon in PokeRogue
Olivia Richman
PokeRogue is heavily inspired by Pokemon, having you catch and fight Pokemon, although it’s done a bit differently in this level-focused browser game. Just like the mainline games, some Pokemon are better than others. Recently, PokeRogue players debated some of the worst Pokemon in the game. Here are some of the Pokemon that were mentioned so you can avoid putting them onto your team as you climb floors. Related: PokeRogue …
Pokemon
What is an Elite Raid in Pokemon GO?
Olivia Richman
The next Elite Raid is here in Pokemon GO. Wondering what’s in store and how to get these rare Pokemon? Here is your guide to Elite Raids in Pokemon GO. Mega Rayquaza is the current Elite Raid in Pokemon GO. The event will take place 12 PM PST to 6 PM PST. Mega Rayquaza will appear more frequently in Elite Raids at the following times: 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 5:00 …
Every Pokemon type and what it’s weak to
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Pokemon has over 1,000 monsters by now and they range from adorable little fuzzy electric squirrels (yes, Pikachu is a squirrel) and massive god-like dragons. Every Pokemon has a type and that determines not only what their attacks are but what their weaknesses and strengths against other Pokemon are. Here’s what you need to know about Pokemon types and their weaknesses. There are 18 Pokemon types. More and more types …
PokeRogue players want these features added to the game
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
PokeRogue is a roguelike game that focuses on the battle component of Pokemon. The unofficial browser game has you duking it out with bosses at each level, building a strong team of Pokemon as you go. While it has gained a steady following, some Pokemon trainers have ideas that they feel would improve the game. The discussion gained a lot of traction on Reddit. Also Read | PokeRogue keybinds you …
PokeRogue keybinds you need to know
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
PokeRogue is a browser-based roguelike game inspired heavily by Pokemon. You battle Pokemon as you climb up 200 levels, an addicting and straightforward concept that has trainers obsessed with the Egg Gatcha mechanic. Right now, you can’t change any of the controls in PokeRogue. Want to better understand the PokeRogue keybinds so you can focus more on building strong teams and exchanging Egg Vouchers for Egg matcha tries? Here are …
Are PokeRogue servers down?
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
PokeRogue is the latest Pokemon craze taking over browsers everywhere. Are you having trouble opening the game? PokeRogue servers may be down. While it’s not an official game from The Pokemon Company, PokeRogue has been a huge hit with fans and streamers alike. The game is full of strategy and battles, creating some exciting level climbing action right on your browser. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t always load as intended. On …
How to beat Eternatus in PokeRogue
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Have you reached Level 200 in PokeRogue? A lot of trainers have been experiencing a bit of a roadblock at this point due to the tough battle with Eternatus ahead. Here is how to beat Eternatus in PokeRogue. Ask anyone who plays the browser game PokeRogue how they deal with Eternatus, and you’ll get a different answer. But here are some of the best strategies for taking down this difficult …
How to get vouchers and hatch eggs in PokeRogue
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
PokeRogue is an unofficial browser-based Pokemon game that has trainers grinding battles to reach the 200th level and become a Pokemon champion. Looking to get vouchers and hatch eggs in PokeRogue? Here’s how to do it as quickly as possible. Like the traditional Pokemon games, you’ll begin your journey with a starting Pokemon. But it’s much different from there! In PokeRogue you will battle someone at every level with a …
How to climb floors in PokeRogue
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
PokeRogue is a new roguelike Pokemon game where you must climb up floors by beating trainers and bosses to reach the top ranks. If you want to be a Pokemon Master in PokeRogue, here’s exactly how to climb the floors and get to the top. At the start of PokeRogue, you will be assigned a starter (you can’t choose one). Every Pokemon has a different value, with common and weaker …
How to evolve Combee into Vespiquen in Pokemon GO
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Bug Out 2024 is coming to an end. If you haven’t gotten a Vespiquen in Pokemon GO just yet, you might be a bit panicked. But don’t worry, here’s how to evolve Combee into Vespiquen before the event is over. Pokemon GO is celebrating Bug-type Pokemon from April 12 to April 17, 2024. That means the event is ending tomorrow. During this time, you can fight Bug-type Raid Bosses and …
Pokemon Go Community Day leak hints at featured Pokemon
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
The Pokemon Go Community Day for April may have been leaked. A since-deleted post showed that a Kanto Pokemon is the possible focus of the next Pokemon Go Community Day. Pokemon Go Brazil posted a teaser for a Grass-type Pokemon but deleted it soon after. Luckily, sharp-eyed trainers saw it just in time. So who is the focus of the upcoming Pokemon Go Community Day? We have a few guesses …
How to defeat Mega Charizard X in Pokemon GO
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Mega Charizard X has returned to Pokemon GO. From April 4 to the 13th, there will be Pokemon GO Mega Raids featuring the X version of Mega Charizard, a powerful Fire monster that gives you Mega Energy. If you want to beat this iconic and imposing Pokemon, here is what you’ll need to do. Related | How to get Rayquaza in Pokemon GO Mega Charizard X is a Dragon and …
How to get Rayquaza in Pokemon GO
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Rayquaza is one of the most popular Legendary Pokemon, thanks to its incredible design and powerful attacks. Pokemon GO players have been getting terrorized by this dragon and are wondering if they can catch it for themselves. Rayquaza is a Pokemon in Pokemon GO. Mega Ray was released on August 4th, 2023, as part of the Pokemon GO Fest 2023: Osaka. The Shiny form was also released that day. Rayquaza …
What is Pokemon Legends: Z-A?
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Pokemon Presents celebrated Pokemon Day with a handful of new game and event announcements. The most exciting was a reveal at the end for a game called Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Here’s everything we know so far. Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a new Legends-style game that will bring trainers to Lumiose City. This big city was first introduced in Pokemon X & Y and it will now be the entirety of …
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.
