'Pokemon' Celebrates 20th Year: What To Expect
The Pokemon Company International recently announced what is in store for fans of the 20-year-old franchise as it marks its 20th year in 2016. According to a report in Tech Times, fans can expect special events and activities as well as special merchandise that consumers can get their hands on.
First up is the live-action commercial that the company is going to show on one of the biggest weekends in the U.S. - the Super Bowl. According to the report, a special "Pokemon" ad will be aired on Sunday, February 7, which will be a part of the historic Super Bowl 50. The ad is described as something that "will encourage fans to Train On."
On February 27, the company is holding what it calls "Pokemon Day" to commemorate the exact day when the original games were launched in Japan and started the worldwide craze of collecting pocket monsters. During this day, a relaunch of the original games, namely "Pokemon Red," "Blue" and "Yellow" will be done via the Nintendo 3DS eShop. This means consumers can get the digital titles online. Along with the relaunch, a special edition Nintendo 3DS is being released to the market which is bundled with "Pokemon Red" and "Blue." The mobile console also dons "throwback art" of the two Pokemon featured in the original covers of the games – Charizard and Blastoise.
Also starting in February are monthly distributions of mythical Pokemon which will be done through participating retail outlets. According to the report, each mythical Pokemon will be available for three weeks each month. Some of the Pokemon lined up for distribution through participating Gamestop outlets are Mew, Darkrai, Arceus and Genesect, while other Pokemon such as Shaymin and Manaphy will be available through the Nintendo Network.
Aside from these, the original Trading Card Game will also be released, as well as the digital release of 12 "Pokemon" animated movies via Google Play, iTunes and Amazon, according to another report in The Verge.
In the gaming side, there is also the much-awaited launch of the augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon GO" as well as the yet unannounced "Pokemon Z." All in all, the Pokemon Company has a lot in store for fans this year.
