This Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of Pokemon, counting their Japanese debut in February of 1996. The Pokemon Company and Nintendo will be ramping up the celebration over the next few days. A lot of events have already been announced, but there may be more still: a Pokemon Direct live video has been scheduled for Friday, February 26 at 7 AM PT/10 AM ET. Something big may be on the way….
As for now, today the Pokemon Photo Booth launches on the Apple App Store. Using the app, the photos you take can be customized with stickers, icons and memes relating to the Pokemon franchise (see above for an example). You’ll be able to get it for Android soon as well.
After the Pokemon Direct comes Pokemon Day itself, and a ton of things are planned. A special Twitch stream will begin at 10 AM PT and be devoted to Pokémon discussion, activities, and an animation marathon runnning until 6pm on Sunday. GameStop will offer a Mythical Pokémon poster with any Pokémon-related purchase. Toys R Us will be giving away special foil cards from the new Pokémon TCG: Generations expansion, and stocking exclusive Generations binders. And if you can make it to the Nintendo NY Store, a special event will be held from noon to 3 PM.
For more details, check out Nintendo’s press release below.
BELLEVUE, Wash.—February 24, 2016—On February 27, 1996, video game fans were asked to choose between Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander for the first time. This would be the beginning of a global phenomenon that has continued for two decades, through different regions, on multiple platforms, and the first of countless memorable moments. Exactly twenty years later, on Pokémon Day, Saturday, February 27, the adventure continues as Pokémon celebrates its 20th year with special events and activities. The fun begins with the Pokémon Photo Booth app that is now available for download at no charge from the App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pokemon-photo-booth/id1084024173). Fans can show their Pokémon 20th spirit by customizing their portraits and adding captions in the style of classic Pokémon games. The photos can then be shared via social media sites or used to create Pokémon-themed profile photos. The app is also coming soon to Google Play.
A celebration of 20 years of Pokémon would not be complete without some big news! On Friday, February 26, at 7:00 a.m. (PST), a special Pokémon Direct presentation can be viewed at www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct.
Twitch will be hosting a massive Pokémon event starting at 10:00 a.m. (PST) on Saturday. Fans can tune in to watch Pokémon discussion, gameplay, and other activities. At 6:00 p.m. (PST), Twitch will kick off an animation marathon for 24 hours that will include movies, favorite episodes, and animation specials around the clock until 6:00 p.m. (PST) on Sunday.
All Pokémon fans are invited to attend a special Pokémon 20th celebration at the newly renovated Nintendo NY store located at 10 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. On Saturday, February 27, from noon to 3:00 p.m. (EST), fans can participate in special Pokémon-themed activities and even take a photo with Pikachu.
Retailers around the country will also celebrate 20 years of Pokémon on Saturday, February 27. At participating Toys“R”Us locations, fans can receive special foil Pokémon TCG cards featuring Pikachu and Magikarp from the Pokémon TCG: Generations expansion, a Pokémon activity book, and a poster of the original 151 Pokémon, while supplies last. Fans can also purchase an exclusive Generations-themed binder at Toys“R”Us to store the new expansion. GameStop stores are offering a Mythical Pokémon poster with purchase of any Pokémon product while supplies last.
More details can be found at Pokemon.com/20. Fans visiting the site throughout the year will find information about monthly Mythical Pokémon distributions, retail events, special products, and messages from some of Pokémon’s biggest fans.
Pokémon. Twenty Years. Train On.™
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.
About Nintendo
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.3 billion video games and more than 686 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™, and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™, and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at www.nintendo.com.
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