Browt, Pombon, Gecqua! Who will you choose?
The 30th anniversary Pokémon presents did not disappoint. On the 27th of February, we were treated to a plethora of new content regarding the beloved series. From Pokémon Champions, Pokéopia, Masters, and most importantly, the new generation dawned a sunny start for Pokémon Wind and Waves!
Us fans have been treated like a Snorlax in the lead-up to Pokémon as our gluttony has been fed! From the London Pop-up in mid-feb, Lego x Pokémon collaboration sets, and the ‘What’s your favorite Pokémon’ advert that featured many celebrities from Lady Gaga and Charles LeClerc all showcasing their favorites from the thirty year old franchise.
Most surprising is that the beloved Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green remakes were announced to be coming to the Switch via ports, not dissimilar to the generation 1 & 2 ports we saw for the 3DS era. Many fans have started an uproar about this surprise announcement. Comments such as how the games are ‘over priced’ or consist of ‘lazy ports’ have brought Gamefreak and Nintendo’s integrity into question. Nevertheless, there are now possibilities of lost in-game events being available to the general public.
Now for the mobile games!
Pokémon GO also turns 10 this year, and previously lost Pokémon will be returning throughout the GO tour in March! Pokémon Masters also got some love in the present with the 1996 version of Red and his classic Pikachu, Florian and Ogerpon, and Juliana and Terapagos finally coming to the game! Unsurprisingly Pokémon Café remix got their share of new items and outfits for the anniversary. The 151st Pokémon Mew is coming to Pokémon Sleep with the #MewMission launching after the livestreams end! More new Pokémon coming to Pokémon Unite such as the three legendary birds, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, and the three Johto starters all coming within the next few months. And finally, a new set in TCG pocket celebrating Paldea, and all our generation 9 favorites finally getting a chance to sparkle like a tera shard!
Furthermore, this is the year of the Switch 2 according to Nintendo. The once forgotten game Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness is finally coming to the virtual console! This addition to the virtual console will definitely offer fans a first time experience to play these games, as to buy a GameCube, and a disk of the game would cost upwards of £200! Pokémon Champions had a new hybrid trailer of gameplay mixed with real life shots, adding to the anticipation even more for the battle simulator! We were also given a release schedule for the game, with the Nintendo switch version launching in April, and the mobile release for later this year. Cynthia will be pleased with her ace, Garchomp getting a new mega evolution! Mega Garchomp-Z was finally revealed for Legends Z-A! With the quest being available via mystery gift. Finally, the final trailer for Pokopia showed a new DJ Rotom form that will allow for you to bust down a sword dance with tracks from past pokémon games!
And finally, let’s get into Pokémon Wind and Waves.
We are welcomed by Mr.Windychu and Ms. Wavychu as we dive into the vast deep oceans of the new region! Stunning visuals of windswept islands, glittering waves, volcanic caves, and lush jungles fill the trailer with beauty. The new art style is similar to the 2021 New Pokémon Snap! A step in the right direction for the series, as many fans had issues with Scarlet and Violet’s dull environments. Most importantly the new first partner Pokémon! Browt, the Bean Chick Pokémon, Pombon the Puppy Pokémon, and the Water Gecko Pokémon Gecqua! (The latter being my personal favourite) Many questions are brought up with these new starters. Is Browt just a knockoff Rowlet? Will Pombon stay on all fours? And why is Gecqua the cutest pokémon ever?! All these questions will be answered in 2027! The set release date for the new generation.
While some fans are complaining about the five year gap between generations, surely the games will be more polished the longer they take to make!
