This year, the Pokémon franchise will be celebrating 20 years since the release of the original GameBoy games in Japan. So when one of the most beloved and lucrative franchises in video games comes up to a milestone anniversary, you know the publishers have to pull out all the stops to show the fans their appreciation.
In 2016, to celebrate the Pokémon 20-year anniversary GameFreak, the Pokémon Company and Nintendo will be releasing plenty of Pokémon goodness throughout the year.
UPDATE: The Pokemon Company has released a video highlighting the stuff being released in 2016 for North America. Check it out, here.
And as big Pokémon fans, we at iDigitalTimes are very excited for what has already been announced and what are still coming down the pipeline. So we’ll continue to update this list as more projects are announced.
Without further ado, let’s dive into all of the Pokémon-related projects coming in 2016 and one that is all but a sure thing.
Pokémon RBY eshop (Feb. 27)
What’s an anniversary of the start of a franchise without a repackaging of the original game that started it all?
For the first time, Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow will be available for purchase on the Nintendo eShop. This means you can catch the original 151 Pokémon on your New 3DS. We have a release date of Feb. 27 and while the price of has yet to be confirmed, an Amazon listing has each individual game at $10 a pop.
Japan is even getting some awesome looking Nintendo 2DS that have the color and corresponding game already downloaded into the system. This is the first time Japan gets the 2DS, which is Nintendo’s budget handheld system and getting the original Pokemon games included in a nifty bundle gives Japanese fans an incentive to buy.
Pokémon TCG Reprint (Release TBD)
At the height of the Pokémon craze, was the Pokémon trading card game. It was not uncommon for collectors to drop major money on the trading cards to trade and battle with. Heck, some schools back when the trading card game was created banned them because they caused a distraction among students.
But now in 2016 the original set of the Pokemon trading card game is getting reprinted in Japan in honor of the 20-year anniversary of the franchise. The original Pokémon trading card game starter pack will go on sale for 1,300 yen ($10.80) and include all of the first set of Pokémon trading cards. The pack will include 60 cards, a manual and a Pokémon TCG coin.
There’s no North American release of the original Pokémon TCG yet but it’ll be a bit surprising if it stays in Japan and doesn’t travel around the world.
Pokken Tournament (Japan: March NA: Spring)
So we’ve covered the Nintendo 3DS and the trading card game, what else is there? Oh yea, the Nintendo Wii U will be getting a Pokémon game this year too and it’s a doozy.
The team behind the cherished fighting game, Tekken will be bringing Pokémon to your Wii U consoles to allow for players to have an old fashioned Pokémon beatdown using what seems to be the Tekken fight engine.
Pokken Tournament will have a roster of Pokémon that players can fight and it’s unlike any Pokémon game before it. Pokken Tournament is set to release in March over in Japan with a Spring release window for everywhere else.
We already know we’ll get a Shadow Mewtwo and hopefully added Pokémon to the roster than what already has been confirmed, either before launch or post. Can’t have enough different types of Pokémon duking it out.
Pokémon Go (TBD)
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all of the Pokémon 20th Anniversary stuff was the announcement of Pokémon Go, a partnership with Niantic to create a mobile app that allows players to capture Pokémon anywhere.
Very similar to the April Fool’s Google Maps update that allowed for users to “catch” all of the Pokémon using the world map, but users will actually have to travel and find all of the Pokémon in the world.
Also, Niantec confirmed that there will be special events and even Pokémon Gyms to challenge once Pokémon Go is launched. Now you can really have a Pokémon adventure!
Volcanion and the Pokémon Movie (Japan: July NA: TBD)
Once Pokémon X and Y were released in 2013, data miners discovered the existence of Diancie, Hoopa and Volcanion as event Pokémon. In the following years, Diancie and Hoopa were distributed alongside their respective Pokémon movies and in 2016, Volcanion gets its turn.
The Volcanion reveal was posted in December’s issue of CoroCoro magazine and revealed that not only will the 2016 Pokémon movie deal with Zygarde, but also Volcanion.
Although we knew Volcanion was coming, it’s still cool to get the first Water/Fire type Pokémon this year.
Pokémon Z (TBD)
And now for the not-yet-confirmed-but-come-on-you-know-it's-coming portion of the list.
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire was the last main Pokémon game to release back in 2014 leaving a big void in our 3DS this past year. Everyone assumes the next installment will return to Kalos to continue the mystery of Zygarde, especially with the reveal of the different forms of Zygarde.
Zygarde will take center stage in Pokémon Z as trainers will go to Kalos in, hopefully, a new storyline similar to Pokémon Black and White 2.
Gamefreak and Nintendo have been very hush hush over a main Pokémon game in 2016 but all the signs are pointing to a new game so get your Pokédex ready for that announcement.
So what are you looking forward to the most in 2016? Will there be more Pokémon goodness coming out this year outside of what was covered above? Sound off in the comments section.
