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Pikachu, in Wonderfully Disturbing Song Form
I shouldn’t like this. I should think this is stupid. It’s not, and I don’t. For some reason, I cannot stop watching this. “Singachu” was written and performed by A.J. Pinkerton. He also has a Sonic musical showtune. Likewise, I like it, but I don’t know why!
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 16, 2011 -
If Pokémon Was Street Fighter, the World Would be a Better Place
Turn-based battles and tiny sprites are for children. Those who grew up on Pokémon and are now a little more, well, grown up, deserve something more violent This custom fan-made game may not have the world’s slickest front-end, but those character animations are to die for. Well. Faint for. If you want to play it…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 15, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallIron Chef’s Secret Ingredient Was…Pokémon!
Iron Chef, a Japanese cooking show that began in 1992, has quite the cult following in certain Western countries thanks to years of dubbed episodes and re-runs. It wound up in 1999, however, leaving talismanic host Takeshi Kaga needing a new gig. And he found one in Pokémon If you’ve never seen it, Iron Chef…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 15, 2011 -
Here Are Four Pokemon For Your Free PokeDex 3D App
This week Nintendo released Pokedex 3D, a 3D Pokemon viewing application that you can download for free on the 3DS’ eShop. They also were handing out Pokemon Augmented Reality Markers at their booth. Each of the four we grabbed are supposed to show different Pokemon on your 3DS when you use the app to scan…
By Brian Crecente Published June 10, 2011 -
The Queen of Pokémon
In the West, when someone says Pokémon, you think about your favorite Pocket Monster, the cartoons, or the games themselves. The same goes for Japan, but there’s something else that comes to mind. Make that, someone else. Singer, model, and person-on-television Shoko Nakagawa has been involved with each consecutive Pokémon feature film since 2007’s Pokémon:…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 3, 2011 -
And These Are America’s 3DS eShop Launch Applications (Pokémon!)
You know which games and programs Japan will be getting next week when its 3DS eShop launches. Now see which ones America gets. Know there will be Pokémon Alongside the internet browser and the eShop itself, a 3D version of Excitebike will be available for free for anyone installing the updates by July 7. More…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 2, 2011 -
Link is Dreaming of Some Creepy-Ass Pokémon
Cosplay can be great when a piece is a painstaking recreation of the original. There is, however, nothing stopping it from being great when there’s a bit of gender-bending going on, either. Rmthompson1979’s shot of Abigail here, dressed as Zelda’s Link, is proof of that. She’s far from the only amazing picture we’ve got this…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 30, 2011 -
CultureTotal Recall
The Origins Of Pokémon
As the creator of Nintendo’s Pokémon series, Satoshi Tajiri is one of the most important (if not well-known) developers working in video games today. Like another Nintendo legend, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Tajiri’s most popular work has been directly inspired by his childhood experiences and hobbies. While Miyamoto’s Zelda was the product of boyhood explorations,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 30, 2011 -
Culture
The Man Who Creates Pokémon For a Living
Ken Sugimori may not be a household name, but the monsters that have flowed forth from his sketchbook certainly are. You see, Sugimori designs Pokémon He’s been involved with the mega-popular franchise from day one, having forged a friendship with Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri in the 1980s, when the pair both worked on a gaming…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 24, 2011 -
There’s More Pokémon Incoming, and It’s Kinda Meh
In late April, blurry Japanese magazine scans showed a new Pokémon title. It’s late May, and that new Pokémon title is… A new Pokémon Battrio—you know, those kiddy Pokémon arcade games that children play with “pucks”. The latest iteration features characters from Pokémon: Black and White. Not terribly exciting—unless you’re seven or eight. Even then.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 23, 2011 -
Ten Years of Crappy Tasting Pokémon Bread
Back in 1999, Japanese bread maker First Baking launched Pokémon bread. Here is a collection of commercials from 1999 to 2009. While the ads got better (they really did!), the bread didn’t. Kids buy the bread for the stickers, not the taste. If the Japanese word for bread (“pan”) sounds vaguely familiar to Portuguese speakers,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 18, 2011 -
Will They Ever Run Out of Pokémon?
There are 650 Pocket Monsters. That’s a lot. So Game Freak, the studio behind Pokémon, should be running out of ideas for new Pocket Monsters any day now, right? Wrong. Pokémon: Black and White art director Ken Sugimori told the Official Nintendo Magazine that there are still new Pokémon ideas. “It’s not only myself designing…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2011 -
These Pokémon Starters Look Super Effective, Totally Awesome
Artist Drake Tsui delivers a stunning triptych of Pokémon starters three ways—fire, grass and water. Head to Tsui’s deviantArt account to grab the desktop-worthy full-sized version or catch ’em all individually: Fire Blast, Solar Beam and Hydro Pump While you’re there, check out Tsui’s other video game, comic book and anime-inspired works, including pieces based…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 6, 2011 -
When Pokémon Meets Dr. Seuss
What do you get when you mix Pokémon with the wonderfully twisted work of Theodor Seuss Geisel? Geek art mash up site Draw2D2 gives us several colorful answers. Every two weeks the artists of Draw2D2 tackle the task of combining a pair of geek references into a single image. They’ve mixed The Avengers with The…
By Mike Fahey Published May 5, 2011 -
Shit Game Snap Judgment
Recently, some internet person picked up an unmarked Game Boy game at retailer Hard-Off for a mere ¥105 (US$1.29). It’s not actually unmarked, with the label scratched completely off. The cartridge’s back reads “unko” or “crap” in Japanese. Our brave shopper stuck the “crap” cartridge in his Game Boy Advance SP, flipped it on and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2011
