Pokemon
Pokemon
Pokemon GO November 2024 Community Day dive
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Niantic has officially revealed Mankey as the featured Pokémon for the November 2024 Community Day in Pokémon GO. Although Mankey might not be the most thrilling choice at first glance, this event brings a major twist. Primeape and its evolved form, Annihilape, will gain access to the newly introduced charged move, Rage Fist. This addition could significantly shake up Pokémon GO’s current battle landscape, making this Community Day one to …
Pokemon
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: What are the Kitakami Pokedex rewards
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet The Teal Mask DLC, completing the Kitakami Pokedex offers a fulfilling experience for dedicated trainers. The region, introduced in this expansion, is home to 200 unique Pokemon, including new evolution lines and Legendaries. Completing this Pokedex requires significant time and effort. And players must track down both familiar faces and version-exclusive Pokémon. However, the rewards for this accomplishment make the challenge worth undertaking. Related: Infernape …
Pokemon
Pokemon GO: New Safari Ball tease – Wild Area 2024 Event
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Niantic has recently revealed the introduction of the Safari Ball in Pokemon GO, which will debut during the Wild Area 2024 event. This new Poke Ball is expected to bring an interesting twist to the game, as it offers players a chance to catch powerful Pokemon more easily. The announcement has sparked excitement among players, as this is the first time the Safari Ball will be introduced in Pokemon GO. …
Pokemon
Pokemon GO guide – How to defeat the Ke Ke Ke Grunt
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
In October 2024, Pokémon GO players will encounter the infamous Ke Ke Ke Team Rocket Grunt, who specializes in Ghost-type Pokémon. Defeating this opponent can be challenging, but with the right strategy and Pokémon lineup, you can take down her team efficiently. In this guide, we’ll explore the best counters to use, focusing on type advantages and the potential rewards for emerging victorious. Related: Mega Mawile joins Pokemon GO in …
Pokemon
Pokemon GO: new Dynamax forms for Falinks and Galar starters
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon GO has officially announced the introduction of Dynamax forms for four new Pokémon. Falinks, Scorbunny, Sobble, and Grookey will be getting their Dynamax forms starting on October 1. This addition comes as part of the new season, “Max Out.” Players will now be able to participate in Max Battles, offering a more strategic, turn-based experience in contrast to the usual raid system. Additionally, the upcoming event is expected to …
Pokemon
Pokémon GO bug removes Power Spot Bonus
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
A recent bug in Pokémon GO has left players unable to receive candy from Power Spots. Candy is a crucial bonus for enhancing Pokémon in Dynamax battles. The issue has made it difficult for trainers to power up their Pokémon, as candy is essential for leveling up Dynamax moves. The bug impacts one of the game’s most important mechanics, preventing players from adequately preparing for Dynamax encounters. Power Spots were …
News
Palworld developer Pocketpair sued by Pokémon and Nintendo
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Palworld, an indie game developed by Pocketpair, is getting sued by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. This legal action follows a similar case where The Pokémon Company won a lawsuit against a Chinese developer for copying character designs in their game Monster Reissue. Now, Pocketpair finds itself in a legal battle over Palworld, a game that some say resembles Pokémon in certain aspects. The lawsuit, filed on September 18, 2024, …
Pokemon
How to get Golden Lure Modules in Pokémon GO
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
In Pokémon GO, Golden Lure Modules are rare and highly valuable, attracting specific creatures and offering extra rewards. Unlike other Lure Modules, the Golden Lure focuses on attracting a unique Pokémon, Roaming Form Gimmighoul, while also providing Gimmighoul Coins. Here’s how to get and use Golden Lure Modules in Pokémon GO. Regular Lures are quite easy to obtain. They are available in the Shop and can be gained from Research …
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Serperior Tera Raid Boss
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
News
The world of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is gearing up for an exciting September with the announcement of a new Seven-Star Tera Raid boss, Serperior, the Unrivaled. This means, trainers will have the chance to face off against this regal Grass-type Pokémon during September 2024. This means, Trainers will have ample opportunities to catch this powerful starter Pokémon. As a Seven-Star Tera Raid boss, Serperior is expected to present a …
How to get Passimian and Oranguru in Pokémon GO
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
News
Passimian and Oranguru are two intriguing Pokémon introduced in Generation 7 of the Pokémon series. Both Pokémon made their debut in Pokémon GO during the Sustainability Week 2022 event. Fortunately, they have since appeared in various in-game events. If you’re eager to add these unique Pokémon to your collection, this guide is all you need to know. Firstly, Oranguru is a dual Normal/Psychic-type Pokémon known for its serene and wise …
Exclusive Pokémon manhole cover at Kyoto’s Nintendo Museum
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
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 …
Pokémon GO “Psychic Spectacular” event returns – Hatenna debuts
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
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 …
Mastering the Falinks raids: Counters and tips
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
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 …
Is Darkrai ready to haunt Pokémon UNITE? Release date revealed
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
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 …
How to get Wooloo in Pokémon GO: Can it be Shiny?
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
Wooloo, the sheep Pokémon introduced in the Galar region, is a fan favorite in among Trainers in Pokémon GO. Whether you’re looking to add this adorable Normal-type Pokémon to your collection, or hunting for its shiny variant, here’s everything you need to know. Niantic is going all out, with the appropriate named GO All Out event. This event is going to showcase a variety of Pokémon from the Galar region, …
Pokémon GO – Two new Shiny Pokémon coming in Max Out
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
News
Pokémon GO is gearing up for an exciting new chapter with its upcoming Max Out season, bringing two fresh Shiny Pokémon to its augmented reality universe. The anticipation is building as these new Shiny variants prepare to make their debut, adding a splash of new color in the virtual Pokédex . Scheduled to launch alongside the new season at the end of the week, these Shinies are sure to captivate …
Pokémon GO Dynamax arrives – GO Big event
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
News
Nostalgia returns, as Niantic reveals Pokémon “GO Big” event. The event will be bringing Dynamax and Max Battles into the magical world of Pokémon GO. This is all you need to know. For the first time, trainers will get to experience Dynamax in Pokémon GO. Dynamax was first to introduced in Generation 8, that allowed Pokémon to temporarily grow to enormous sizes during battles, granting them enhanced stats. After the …
Ponyta Community Day enters Pokémon GO as the next event
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
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 …
Pokémon TCG Pocket pre-registrations open alongside new trailer
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Pokemon
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 …
The worst Pokemon in PokeRogue
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
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 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.
