The ’90s were a pivotal era in video games, with several fan-favorite franchises making their debut during that decade. The future of gaming was changing as players knew it. And when it came to the handheld market, Nintendo as a developer was at the forefront.
Nintendo found success in its various established titles, yet the company needed a personal killer app of their own to capitalize. In 1995, the creation of the concept forPokemonwas born. After several months in development, in 1996, the firstPokemongames,Pokemon RedandPokemon Green, were released in Japan in February 1996, 25 years ago.
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To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the historic franchise, The Pokemon Company released a two-minute video celebratingPokemon’s success over its quarter-century legacy. The video starts off with gameplay footage ofPokemon Red and Blueon a Game Boy, catching a Pikachu. The Game Boy is lowered as a lone Pokeball roll along a path that’s reminiscent of a pinball.
As the Pokeball rolls along the path, various iconicPokemonincluding Pikachu, Espeon, and the three Johto starters (Cyndaquil, Totodile, and Chikorita) make their appearance in their plush and toy forms. At one point, the Pokeball knocks a stack of Game BoyPokemoncartridges like dominos.VariousPokemoncards make their appearanceas the Pokeball interacts with Pikachu.
The Pokeball eventually makes its way into a city-like structure as clips of the classicPokemonanime are being shown in the background. Landing on thePokemonexclusive New 2DS XLplaying a copy ofPokemon Black, the Pokeball travels through more iconic characters. This coincidentally includesPokemonrival N fromPokemon BlackandPokemon Whitehimself.
Eventually, the Pokeball featured throughout the video collides with a structure that looks similar to that of aPokestop fromPokemon Go.From this point, the Pikachu rides on a Corviknight taxi into one of the stadiums featured inPokemon Swordand Shield, doing battle with a Bulbasaur. A cameo of Pikachu fromDetective Pikachualso makes his appearance.
It is at this point in the video that the teasers for the upcoming year start to take form. The words “Katy Perry And Pokemon” appear in neon lights as Pikachu rides on a skateboard, teasing a collaboration between the pop singer and the company. This is followed by a panned view of Pikachu in neon lights as confetti bursts from the background.
Further information from the official 25th anniversaryPokemonwebsite sheds more light on the year-long celebration. Katy Perry is one of the many artists to collaborate withPokemonin the form of a curated playlist. Starting in March, various retrospective pieces will debut starting from the Galar region. Lastly, various exclusive merch relating toPokemon’s25th anniversary is currently planned.
The site teases more news over the course of this year. Whether or not the news contains confirmation of the highly requestedPokemon Diamond and Pearlremakehas yet to be seen. Fans ofPokemonshould expect more news as the year goes on as they continue the festivities throughout 2021.
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