April2016
News Distribution Details Emerge for Mythical Pokémon Darkrai
It'll be your May treat
Eager players of Pokémon X & Y, in addition to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, have been receiving monthly gifts of Mythical Pokémon this year. So far we've had Jirachi, Mew and Celebi, and next up - as you can see in the image above - is Darkrai. The Pokémon Company has done a mix of online and serial code...
News Trademarks Lead to Speculation Over Pokémon Sun & Moon Legendaries
Pokémon The Series: XYZ episodes also available via official app
Pokémon Sun and Moon are still rather mysterious, with The Pokémon Company keeping details on the 3DS games under wraps so far. We're expecting a decent batch of information in the May issue of CoroCoro magazine, if not before. Nevertheless eager fans believe they may have dug up...
News Pocket Card Jockey Gallops Into Europe on 5th May
Get back in the saddle
Pocket Card Jockey has been out for quite some time in Japan, but was just recently - during the March Nintendo Direct - confirmed for a May arrival in North America. Nintendo of Europe kept quiet, but has now confirmed that a demo will arrive this week in the Download Update, and that the full game will hit the region on 5th...
Video Shigeru Miyamoto Reflects on His Days Working on Pokémon
Nintendo Minute also shows off Star Fox Zero co-op play
Pokémon is now well into its 20th Anniversary celebrations, in what should be another big year of releases and events for fans. The Pokémon Company has been promoting the landmark with the #Pokemon20 hashtag and a series of videos, with various game makers and celebrities talking about their...
News May Issue of CoroCoro Magazine to Bring Huge Scoop on Pokémon Sun and Moon
The hype intensifies
We've had enough Pokémon game releases to know the drill for The Pokémon Company's marketing strategies - gradual reveals make their debut in Japan throughout the year, which pick up a lot of steam online and culminate in formal localised announcements. Part of the thrill is in the teasing, after all. CoroCoro Magazine is at...
News Three Legendary Pokémon Birds to Take Flight in the US in May
You need to sign up for the Pokémon Trainer Club newsletter
Not long ago we highlighted how Pokémon fans in the UK can get hold of a legendary bird from Smyths Toys Superstore outlets; other stores are doing distributions throughout Europe. For those without a local participating store in the EU, though, codes will eventually go to those signed up...
News Junichi Masuda Reassures Fans on New Pocket Monsters for Pokémon Sun and Moon
More than 10 new additions on the way
With Pokémon Sun and Moon set to grace the 3DS this year, fans are expecting a gradual roll-out of new details and reveals for the titles in the coming months. There had been hope of debut gameplay footage this weekend, though we've had to settle for a more minor update. Series director Junichi Masuda, battle...
March2016
News Pocket Card Jockey Comes to the 3DS This May
The latest from Game Freak
It seems that Nintendo really brought the thunder with today's Nintendo Direct, with announcements of new games, release dates, DLC updates, and more making it a very packed forty-one minutes. One of the things that seemed to get a little bit ignored in all the hype was the announcement that Game Freak's Pocket Card Jockey...
News Three 'Solid' Pokémon Offered as Free Extras to Pokémon Bank Users
You have to regi-ster...
Pokémon Bank may not have had the most auspicious of starts, with the success of its festive launch in Japan causing the infamous Nintendo Network Christmas meltdown of 2013, but it's become an integral part of the Pokémon experience. For a relatively small annual fee ($4.99 in the US, for example) players can store their...
Reminder Mythical Pokémon Celebi Is Now Available to Download in Current-Gen Games
Just download it
As part of the Pokémon 20th Anniversary celebrations various Mythical 'mon are making their way into the current-gen games. Mew was the first of the monthly distributions, and now Celebi is joining in. Originating on the Game Boy Color, this modern iteration has the same moves as it did in Silver & Gold, including the ability...
February2016
Feature Why We're Still Playing… Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
The winners of your community vote on favourite Pokémon games
This is a series of features that focuses on games that we keep playing again and again, either over an unhealthy number of hours or those that keep getting return visits long after they first graced our systems. In this entry Mitch talks about his favourite Pokémon games, which also...
Feature Nintendo Life's Favourite Pokémon Games - 20th Anniversary Edition
They all want to be the very best...
Not too long ago we asked you, the Nintendo Life community, to vote for your favourite Pokémon games, in order to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the franchise; to say that the voting was close would be an understatement. As for the rules, only 'main' or 'core' games were included, which was nevertheless a...
Feature Reflections on 20 Years of Pokemon
Our staff and contributors shared their thoughts on the series
Pokémon is now 20 years old, with the celebrations having included a Pokémon Direct and the release of the gen 1 Game Boy titles on the 3DS Virtual Console. It's become one of the most important franchises for Nintendo both commercially and in broader terms, with a popular culture...
Reaction The Pokémon Direct Was Short and Slick, But Had a Blunted Impact
Sun and Moon remain a mystery despite their leaks and then reveal
Well, the first Nintendo Direct of the year has aired, and it was short and snappy. The Pokémon Direct was confirmed to be around five minutes long when announced, and it only edged up to 'approximately 6 minutes' when it actually arrived; there was no double bluffing to be found...
Poll Vote for Your Favourite Main Series Pokémon Games - 20th Anniversary Edition
It's getting serious now...
Just recently we celebrated the 30th Anniversary for The Legend of Zelda with a poll to determine the Nintendo Life community's favourite games in the series. With the 20th Anniversary of Pokémon almost upon us, we thought we'd do the same once again for the iconic Pocket Monsters franchise. We'll have plenty of...
News Nintendo Announces a Pokémon Direct to Get the Celebrations Started
The hype begins
It's taken a while, but Nintendo has now confirmed details for the first Nintendo Direct of the year. It's a special Pokémon Direct, and it'll go down on 26th February at 7am Pacific / 10am Eastern / 3pm UK / 4pm CET. [Update: Our chums at Serebii are reporting it'll be five minutes long, which doesn't seem like much!] After an...
News Shadow Mewtwo's Place in Pokémon Canon Remains Uncertain
Bandai Namco admits "it's not really our decision"
Shadow Mewtwo is quite a big deal in Pokkén Tournament, at least in terms of marketing. Revealed last year with quite a bit of hoopla (not Hoopa, that's different) the character will even have its own amiibo card included in pre-orders and first-run copies of the game. That prominent role in the...
Video Bask in the Nostalgia of the Latest Pokémon Red, Blue & Yellow Virtual Console Trailer
Just 10 days away...
It's not long now until The Pokémon Company goes all out for the 20th Anniversary of its franchise, bringing the original first generation games to the 3DS Virtual Console along with various hardware bundles. Pokémon Red and Blue will be joined by the Yellow Version on the eShop, making this the first occasion when these...
Feature A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 6 - 2013 To 2016
Talking 'bout this generation
As we build up to the 20th anniversary of Pokémon later this month, and look hotly ahead towards brand new things, we're concluding our journey through each generation of Pokémon; this month we cover the most recent generation, the one we are still in! Be sure to also check out our retrospectives on generation 1,...
News Overheating Computers Almost Cost The World The Original Pokémon Games
"I sure am glad I fixed those computers back then"
Pokémon turns 20 this year, and to mark the occassion Game Freak's Junichi Masuda has posted a video online in which he shares some of his strongest memories regarding the creation of this iconic series. Masuda - who served as a programmer on Pokémon Red and Green and created the music and sound...
Reminder The Current-Gen Mew Special Distribution is Underway
X & Y and Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire included
The Pokémon Company has plenty going on for the franchises' 20th Anniversary, and the first of a number of monthly special distributions - Mew - is now up and running. We've covered some details in separate posts, but as serial codes are now available in multiple countries we thought it'd be worth...
January2016
News Current-Gen Pokémon Mew Distribution Details are Confirmed for Europe
Legendary
When The Pokémon Company unveiled some of its 20th Anniversary plans it confirmed that Mew would be included as a serial code in the upcoming first-gen Virtual Console releases, and also as a distribution in the current-gen releases - Pokémon X & Y and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
News The 3DS Virtual Console Pokémon Titles Won't Support Restore Points
Backup saves also off the cards
The Pokémon titles that started it all are coming to the 3DS Virtual Console soon, and fans are understandably excited about the prospect. That excitement may be tempered somewhat by fresh reports relating to how the games use - or, in this case, don't use - the unique features of the Virtual Console platform. Our...
Digitally remastered movies! Special Edition cards! Merchandise!
It promises to be a great year for Pokémon fans, as 20th Anniversary celebrations are set to be a highlight over the course of many months. Various hardware bundles and the anniversary logo have been revealed, and now The Pokémon Company has released a video highlighting some more...
News Junichi Masuda Turns 48 Today
Here's to many more!
Junichi Masuda has no doubt touched the lives of millions of people through his continued work on the Pokémon games. As one of the founding members of Game Freak, Masuda initially served as a composer for the series and was the sole person responsible for the soundtrack of the first generation Pokémon games. Additionally, he...
