October2023
Video How Does Detective Pikachu Returns Compare To Its 3DS Predecessor?
Pikachu The Electric Mouse Detective
Detective Pikachu returns in the aptly-tilted Detective Pikachu Returns... today! If you've snapped up the game for yourself — whether you're a first-time detective or you're coming back for a second cup of coffee — you might be wondering what the differences are between the 3DS original and this Switch...
November2022
News Pokémon Dev Job Listing References R&D For Next-Generation Hardware
What is Creatures Inc. up to?
It seems the Pokémon developer Creatures could already looking toward the future of the long-running series. A new job listing at the Japanese company for a 3DCG modeler references "research and development for other next-generation hardware". The same application also mentions the use of Unity and Unreal Engine for...
June2022
Feature A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 8 – 2019 To 2022
Gen-erally speaking
Six years ago, running up to Pokémon’s 20th anniversary, we did a rundown of each of the generations of Pokémon, and then brought it back three years ago to cover Generation 7. Now, we’re truly in the news cycle for Generation 9's Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, so it’s time to take a look back at the last three years,...
May2022
Back Page Pokémon Moms Speak Out About Palindromic Regions And Raising Champions
A trio of Pokémom
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. Some may call it "filler"; we prefer "a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag". We don't have (paper) pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes...
February2022
News Detective Pikachu 2 Is Still In The Works, Apparently
De2ctive Pika2
You may know that Detective Pikachu was a surprisingly high-budget movie with Ryan Reynolds, a lot of CGI, and that uncomfortable scene with a Mr Mime, but you may not have known that it was a spin-off of a 3DS game, because it didn't sell massively well — at least, not in comparison to its bigger older sibling, the Pokémon series...
January2022
Hands On Knobs, Bums, And 4D Armrests - Getting Comfy In Secretlab's New Pokémon Chair
Well, it's more like "bums on"
If a person's life story can be told through the state of their office chairs, then mine would be near-unpublishable. I have left a trail of destruction in the wake of my sedentary lifestyle: hard-wearing workhorses passed down from my parents, a fancy Herman Miller at my former job, and the peeling faux-leather...
July2021
Random This Pokémon Baby Clothing Line Is Enough To Make Anyone Broody
Tiny Pikashoes!
Did you know that there's an official Pokémon baby brand? Probably not, because it looks like it's Japan-only, but it's very cute, and it's called monpoké. It was founded a few years ago — we got pretty excited when they registered the trademark, only to find out it was a clothing brand and not a new Pokémon game — and since...
February2021
These off-brand Pikas just need a lot of love and maybe plastic surgery
Ever since the birth of Pikachu back in 1996, the little yellow rabbit-mouse has become as much of a mascot of the Pokémon series as Kermit is for The Muppets, the fat cow is for Harvest Moon, and Missile is for Ace Attorney. It's Pikachu's recognisable form that makes it so...
News Pokémon Rumble Developer Ambrella Has Been Acquired And Dissolved By Creatures Inc.
What's next for the series?
Ambrella, the Japanese studio behind a number of spin-off Pokémon titles, has been fully acquired by Creatures Inc., it's been confirmed. Pokémon fans will know Ambrella for its work on the Pokémon Rumble series, GameCube's Pokémon Channel, and N64's Hey You, Pikachu! among other titles in the franchise, but 2019's...
January2021
Random Pokémon Fan Finishes Challenge To Play Every Game Without Using Pokémon Twice
It took two and a half years to complete the series
Pokémon fans love making things harder for themselves. There's the Nuzlocke Challenge, in which you can only catch the first Pokémon you meet in every area, and fainted Pokémon are considered "dead" and must be released. There's the original Twitch Plays Pokémon, which keeps popping up with...
News New Advert For Pokémon Snap To Be Shown On Japanese TV
The 15-second video shows Bouffalant, Vivillon, and Torchic
The release of New Pokémon Snap is getting closer each day, although we've still got a while to wait until we can explore the Lental region on the 30th April. This new trailer, made for Japanese TV, shows off a few seconds of footage, plus appearances from YouTuber Fuwa-chan and popular...
News You Can Now Buy A Special Box Of Banana-Shaped Pikachu Treats In Tokyo
Pikachew used Fruit Punch
Once again, Japan gets all the fun. Tokyo Banana, the official souvenir sweet of Tokyo city, launched a Pokémon-themed line of the curvy, banana-custard-filled cakes at the end of last year. Featuring Pikachu and Eevee in different designs, the cakes are available at Tokyo Banana shops, and will be rolled out to 7-Eleven...
December2020
Feature What Can We Expect From Pokémon’s 25th Anniversary?
2021 marks 25 years of catching 'em all
It’s Thanksgiving and time for the Macy’s Parade in New York. After float upon float showing various things, in comes a familiar yellow friend. Multiple Pikachu have come and started dancing to celebrate Thanksgiving. However, at the end, something is uncovered... the Pokémon 25th anniversary logo...
September2020
Anniversary Pokémon Black And White Are Now 10 Years Old
We're ready to return to Unova
This week marks the 10 year anniversary of Pokémon Black and White on the Nintendo DS (aka the fifth generation of Pokémon games). Both titles were originally released on 18th September 2010 in Japan - with the western launch following in March 2011. These entries were some of the top-selling games on the DS,...
News Nintendo, Creatures And Game Freak File Trademark For The Legendary Pokémon Entei
A sign of things to come?
At the start of this month, Nintendo, Creatures and Game Freak filed a trademark application for エンテイ (Entei). As in the name of the legendary fire-type pocket monster that first appeared in Pokémon Gold and Silver on the Game Boy Color. According to PokéJungle, some Pokémon fans think this trademark might be...
News Nintendo Trademark Applications Appear For A Pikachu 'Car' Named, Yes, The Pi!car!
Auto-battle
There are plenty of Pokémon to choose from these days but Pikachu remains the franchise mascot and the Pocket Monster of choice for a huge number of fans. The little electric rodent has adorned countless objects over the last two-and-a-half decades, from billboards to board games, anti-bacterial wipes to aircraft. That the little guy...
August2020
Help improve the next Detective Pikachu
Last May, The Pokémon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara announced a follow-up to the 3DS title Detective Pikachu would be released on the Nintendo Switch. In an attempt to ship "the next game" with a top end experience, Creatures Inc. lead UI/
June2020
News Nintendo, Creatures And Game Freak Apply For PokéToon Trademark In Japan
That might not be all, folks
Remember the new 'PokéToon' cartoon The Pokémon Company released earlier this month on its Kids TV channel? It was an animated short inspired by cartoons of America's Golden Age, where series such as Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes rose to fame. The episode itself was called 'Chase The Beans' and starred Scraggy - who is...
February2020
Poll After 24 Hours, How Are You Getting On With Pokémon HOME?
Great Oak or below-par Bonsly
It's been 24-ish hours since The Pokémon Company's latest Pokémon storage app Pokémon HOME launched and Poké Trainers all over the world have been digging in and experimenting with the new solution to all your Pocket Monster trade and storage needs. The software comes in the form of a pair of companion apps across...
June2019
News Nintendo, Creatures And Game Freak Apply For 'Dynamax Band' Trademark In Japan
Increase the size of your Pokémon
One of the new features in Pokémon Sword and Shield is the "dynamax" ability – allowing trainers to transform their pocket monsters into giants on the battlefield for a short period of time. There are also raids in the game where you can fight alongside other players to defeat these overly large Pokémon. With...
News Nintendo, Creatures Inc And Game Freak Apply For 'Pokegenic' Trademark In Japan
Gotta trademark 'em all
Update: Serebii.net webmaster Joe Merrick has explained what exactly the 'Pokegenic' trademark is linked to over on Twitter. It's being used to highlight the photo spots at this year's Pikachu festival in Yokohama. Earlier this week, The Pokémon Company made four major announcements during its 2019 press conference. If...
May2019
News A New Detective Pikachu Game Has Been Announced For Nintendo Switch
Pika-two
At the 2019 Pokémon press conference, The Pokémon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara announced a follow-up to the 2018 3DS title Detective Pikachu would be released on the Nintendo Switch. This new game will conclude the original game's story and will play out differently to the ending featured in the Detective Pikachu film...
March2019
News Armoured Mewtwo Trademarked In Japan
Preparing for battle
Following the reveal of Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch during last week's Pokémon Direct, it's been discovered Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures Inc. filed a trademark in Japan for Armoured Mewtwo earlier on in the same month. The trademark covers videogames, merchandising and events. If you keep up with...
October2018
News Nintendo, Creatures Inc And Game Freak Register "Monpoké" Trademark
What could it be?
As we wait for the release of Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! next month, it looks as if Nintendo, Creatures Inc and Game Freak are already focused on the future. Japanese Nintendo reports that the three parties have applied for a new trademark known as “Monpoké” in Japan. You can take a look at the first...
December2017
News 3DS Title Detective Pikachu Gets A European Rating From PEGI
Coming in time for the movie hype?
3DS eShop title Detective Pikachu has been rated by the PEGI for a Europe release, it has been revealed. The Pokémon spin-off - which is getting a Hollywood movie with Ryan Reynolds in the lead role - launched in Japan way back in February 2016. It plays like a classic point-an
