{"id":122203,"date":"2020-12-17T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2020\/12\/feature_what_can_we_expect_from_pokemonrs_25th_anniversary"},"modified":"2020-12-17T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T18:00:00","slug":"feature-what-can-we-expect-from-pokemons-25th-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2020\/12\/17\/feature-what-can-we-expect-from-pokemons-25th-anniversary\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature: What Can We Expect From Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s 25th Anniversary?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\"Pokemon<\/a>\u00a9 The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

It\u2019s Thanksgiving and time for the Macy\u2019s Parade in New York. After float upon float showing various things, in comes a familiar yellow friend. Multiple Pikachu have come and started dancing to celebrate Thanksgiving. However, at the end, something is uncovered… the Pok\u00e9mon 25th anniversary logo. That\u2019s right, it\u2019s almost Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s 25th anniversary!<\/em><\/p>\n

So, as we approach 2021 and this momentous occasion, let\u2019s think about what Pok\u00e9mon fans the world over might have to look forward to in the coming year.<\/p>\n

A Look Back \u2013 Pok\u00e9mon20<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Just five years ago was the Pok\u00e9mon 20th Anniversary celebrations (that’s right, we did the math). It feels like almost yesterday and also a lifetime ago. What exactly did we get during that year?<\/p>\n

In the West, the celebrations went full on and we had a \u201cMythical Year\u201d. Each month during 2016, there was a celebration of a Mythical Pok\u00e9mon with distributions for Pok\u00e9mon X & Y<\/a><\/strong>\/Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire<\/a><\/strong>, as well as TCG products and merchandise. The main games were building towards the start of the 7th generation with Pok\u00e9mon Sun & Moon<\/a><\/strong> and Pok\u00e9mon GO<\/a><\/strong> hit right in the middle and brought Pok\u00e9Mania back to the forefront in a mainstream manner not seen since the late ’90s. It made Pok\u00e9mon truly a household name again. It was a great way to celebrate two decades of the series, but the question now is: How can the 25th anniversary possibly match it?<\/em> Let\u2019s look at some possibilities point-by-point.<\/p>\n

Main Series Pok\u00e9mon Games?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Main series games are always the focus for fans, the driving force of the franchise. They dictate how the next three or four years progress. However, unlike the 20th anniversary, this year we are in the middle of the eighth generation and it\u2019s unlikely we\u2019d be building up to the next one. With Pok\u00e9mon Sword & Shield<\/a><\/strong> being the best selling Pok\u00e9mon games this side of the year 2000, we should think about how Game Freak and The Pok\u00e9mon Company can follow it up.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Maingame\"<\/a>\u00a9 The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Enhanced versions are no longer on the table and have been replaced with DLC, so that leaves a remake of a previous game (a new Let’s Go!<\/a><\/strong> version of the Gen II Johto games seems like a no-brainer, at least from a business perspective) or something entirely new but still running on the same engine as Sword & Shield.<\/p>\n

The fan community thinks Diamond & Pearl<\/a><\/strong> remakes are next, and have been thinking it since 2017. Will this year be the time it happens? We must also remember that Game Freak do like to surprise us, so the possibilities are endless!<\/p>\n

Spin-off Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are four different spin-off titles that we know of in development at the time of writing, and several of them are likely to hit in 2021.<\/p>\n

First up is the Nintendo Switch title, New Pok\u00e9mon Snap<\/a><\/strong>. This is the sequel and follow-up to the much beloved 1999 Nintendo 64 classic<\/a>. While we don\u2019t know much about what it will contain, it\u2019s highly likely we\u2019ll be getting this game during Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s 25th anniversary year.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Sleep<\/a><\/strong> is a mobile game that got unveiled in 2018 that is one of the most enigmatic games we can even conceive of. Details are very scarce for this game but the concept of it is to track your sleep utilising the Pok\u00e9mon GO Plus + and to use it to interact with and catch Pok\u00e9mon. It\u2019s possible that development of the game has stopped (it was originally supposed to launch this year) which is why we\u2019ve heard nothing since, but it is possible it will come out and could even be \u2014 wait for it<\/em> \u2014 a sleeper hit.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Snap\"<\/a>\u00a9 The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Also revealed in 2018 was Detective Pikachu ‘2’<\/a><\/strong> on the Nintendo Switch. When it was announced, it was clear that it was early in development (it didn’t even have an official name yet), so whether it will be ready in 2021 is a valid question. With the movie based on its 3DS predecessor<\/a> being a massive success, it\u2019s certainly a game to look forward to.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a very contentious game that is likely to come out next year. Pok\u00e9mon UNITE<\/a><\/strong> is a mobile and Switch title developed by TiMi Studios & The Pok\u00e9mon Company and has you play with four other players against another team of five in a huge battle arena game. With Pok\u00e9mon being the largest media franchise in the world and MOBAs being the biggest video game genre in the world, the game arguably has the potential to hit Pok\u00e9mon GO heights of engagement and activity, especially in the markets in Asia. However, the game\u2019s reveal in the West did not go down well<\/a> for a variety of reasons, so whether it will be able to break through in all territories remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

Existing games such as Pok\u00e9mon Masters EX<\/a><\/strong>, Pok\u00e9mon Caf\u00e9 Mix<\/a><\/strong> and Pok\u00e9mon GO will also likely have various events to celebrate the 25th anniversary. Pok\u00e9mon GO just announced one for February, the Pok\u00e9mon GO Tour: Kanto event<\/a> where you can catch all Kanto Pok\u00e9mon in the day and complete research to get a Shiny Mew.<\/p>\n

There are definitely going to be things going on in these titles during the celebration year, and \u2014 who knows<\/em> \u2014 we could get some surprises there, too.<\/p>\n

Anime & Movies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Journeys<\/strong> is continuing onwards in Japan and it in itself feels like a full celebration of the franchise with Ash & Goh going to various regions in the Pok\u00e9mon World in their stories. Whether or not it\u2019ll have any celebratory episodes with old characters remains unclear.<\/p>\n

In terms of movies, the events of this past year have potentially changed things up. 2020\u2019s movie, Secrets of the Jungle<\/strong>, is only coming out in Japan on December 25th 2020, and we\u2019ll undoubtedly get it in 2021. The next question is, will the 2021 movie be still on-track? Will Japan get it in Summer 2021 or will it be delayed? Only time will tell.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Secretsofthejungle\"<\/a>\u00a9 The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Trading Card Game<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pok\u00e9mon itself is not the only thing celebrating the 25th anniversary. 2021 is also the 25th anniversary of Pok\u00e9mon Trading Card Game. For the 20th anniversary there were two sets that focused on the past: Generations was a set focused on Kanto Pok\u00e9mon, while Evolutions provided reprints of many of the original cards brought up to the new power levels of the game. We already know that in February, one week before the 25th anniversary, we\u2019ll get Shining Fates, the latest set built around Shiny Pok\u00e9mon. Besides that, will we see a bespoke 25th anniversary set? Some retailer listings imply that we will but they’re often unreliable so it\u2019s hard to say at this point.<\/p>\n

Lovely Pok\u00e9mon Merchandise<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Merch is the area where it\u2019s going to get interesting. Typically, Pok\u00e9mon merchandise is focused towards the younger audience with plush, toys and so forth, although over the past few years, we\u2019ve been getting more and more adult apparel<\/a> and recently, a new merchandise line was announced; a premium Pok\u00e9 Ball replica<\/a> in conjunction with the Wand Company available Pok\u00e9mon Day (27th February) for $100. This indicates we may get more premium merchandise<\/a> for the older audience in addition to the products for younger Pok\u00e9 fans.<\/p>\n

\n

So with all that in mind, it does seem like there will be a lot for Pok\u00e9mon fans of all areas of the franchise. Is there anything you\u2019re looking forward to? Anything you want to see? Let\u2019s celebrate Pok\u00e9mon!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 The Pok\u00e9mon Company It\u2019s Thanksgiving and time for the Macy\u2019s Parade in New York. After float upon float showing various things, in comes a familiar yellow friend. Multiple Pikachu have come and started dancing to celebrate Thanksgiving. However, at the end, something is uncovered… the Pok\u00e9mon 25th anniversary logo. That\u2019s right, it\u2019s almost Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122203\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}