Pokémon

Pokémon Dev Shares Designs That Didn’t Make It Into Original Games, Inspiring Fan Art

While the original 151 Pokémon are now world-famous, not every monster idea that Game Freak at the time made the cut. Earlier this week, we got a look at some of the creatures that never made it into the game, and fans are giving the designs a new life. The image above was shared via…

Fans Are Buzzing About A Possible Pokémon Switch Leak 

Seemingly every big Pokémon game leaks ahead of time, and a new generation of entries may follow suit. Over the last few days, a series of online posts purporting knowledge of the next major pocket monsters game have caught fire within the Pokémon community. If real, these leaks promise Pokémon games that are simultaneously familiar…

Pokémon Games Should Be Messier And More Annoying

When I was younger, I liked to overtrain my Pokémon until they stopped listening to my every command. You could do this in older games and risk the consequences. I found it thrilling to know that, at any moment, maybe in a crucial battle, my Pokémon might not do as I say. Now that I’m…

Pikachu Wasn’t Based On A Mouse, But A Squirrel 

Even though the Pokédex describes as a “Mouse” type, the iconic character was originally based on another rodent. In a new Yomiuri interview, Atsuko Nishida, who previously worked at Game Freak, revealed that she based the character’s original designs for Pokémon Red and Green on a squirrel and not a mouse. “At that time, I…

Piplup From Pokémon Turned Into Internet Nightmares

Nagoya-based YouTuber and Twitter user Pocha has an interesting speciality. Namely, taking Piplup and creating CG dance animations like this. Or this. And this. Thank you, Pocha. I think. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from…

I Love Unfinished and Broken Games

I’ve been playing a lot of incomplete and glitchy games lately, from Radical Heights to Far Cry 2. Their messy imperfections often annoy players looking for sleek and polished experiences where everything runs smoothly but I find unfinished textures and falling out of bounds is strangely beautiful. When Final Fantasy XV’s demo Episode Duscae released…

Slowpoke Is Unexpectedly Fast When Crossing City Streets

Slowpoke is called that for a reason. It’s a slow Pokémon! Except when crossing the street, because then Slowpoke speeds up. This is how you imagine Slowpoke moving down the street. But that changes when the character crosses and intersection. All that running has to make Slowpoke tired. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian…

If You’re A Pokémon Fan, You Should Play Detective Pikachu

Nintendo may be keeping the 3DS on life support at this point, but there are still reasons to boot up the handheld console. Detective Pikachu, released in North America last week, makes an especially compelling case for any fans of Pokémon who want to learn a bit more about the world of pocket monsters. Detective…

People Are Falling In Love With Ash’s Newest Pokémon

In the Pokémon Sun & Moon anime, Ash has caught a new Pocket Monster. Poipole, an Ultra Beast, is adorable. This Poison-type Pocket Monster made its debut in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Poipole made its first TV anime appearance in Sun & Moon last December in Japan. Ash’s Poipole is the 50th Pokémon…

Fila’s Pokémon Sneakers Look Tasteful

If you are looking for a cute pair of officially branded Pokémon sneakers, look no further. As tipster Sang points out, Fila is teaming up with Pokémon in South Korea for these “limited collaboration” Court Deluxe shoes. The designs are inspired by Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Jigglypuff. These are South Korea only, apparently, and…

Please take some time out of your day to listen to this Pokémon style remix of “Eleanor Rigby.” Almost as much of an earworm as the “dog in a trenchcoat” version.

Weak Pokémon Evolves Thanks To Possible Pokkén Tournament Bug

Croagunk is the closest thing the Pokémon fighting game Pokkén Tournament has to the prototypical fighting game joke character, but the character’s stock rose dramatically over the weekend when a player discovered something new about its Gunk Shot. Some of Croagunk’s most important skills involve randomness: its most versatile attack throws out several beneficial items, but…

A $750 Pokémon Plushie You Will Want To Ride

That’s actually what it’s called in Japanese “Zettai ni Noritai Rapurasu” (絶対にのりたいラプラス) or “A Lapras You’ll Definitely Want To Ride.” While not one-to-one scale (that would be enormous!), this large-sized plush toy from Bandai has a width of over six and a half feet and a height of nearly four feet. It costs 79,400 yen…

Inside Tokyo’s Newest Pokémon Cafe 

This isn’t Japan’s first Pokémon Cafe, but it is the country’s nicest one to date. As Kotaku previously reported, the cafe opens for business this month. The Pokémon Cafe’s official site (via ResetEra) has updated with interior shots and food images. As well as goodies for sale. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet…

The Tokyo Olympic Mascots Look Like Pokémon

Children across Japan voted for the Olympic mascots they liked best. Surprise! The two they picked resemble Pokémon. That’s not just me, as others thought the mascots looked like Pocket Monsters. The reaction is similar among Japanese Twitter users. During the presentation announcing the winners, one slide features quotes from the kids that voted. One…

Charizard Is The Best Part Of Pokémon Day 2018

Tomorrow is Pokémon Day, the 22nd anniversary of the Japanese release of Pokémon Red and Green. The Pokémon Company’s got a bunch of treats lined up for fans, from a new Snapchat filter to a special Pikachu showing up in Pokémon GO. My favorite? This giant-sized Charizard Pokémon Gallery figure. Tomorrow marks the first anniversary…

Eevee From Pokémon Makes Macarons Look Cute And Delicious

Twitter user Tsurutan turns iconic characters into adorable macarons. Character macarons are certainly a thing, and as IT Media points out, Tsurutan’s have been tearing up Twitter. Don’t you just want to bite their faces off? Or maybe gobble up those tales? Yum! For more, check out Tsurutan’s Twitter account Kotaku East is your slice…

Four Years Later, Twitch Is Playing Pokémon Red and Blue At Once

The iconic streaming experiment Twitch Plays Pokémon is not only still alive and kicking, it’s now taking on a new challenge: controlling two games in one go. After playing nearly every Pokémon game imaginable, it’s impressive that the channel continues to find new ways to keep the social experiment alive. A quick recap, for those…

Jigglypuff GameCube Controller Is Wonderfully Horrifying

Based on art by Samstrojny, this custom GameCube controller was created by SmashproofGC and Design_OOS This is the stuff of nightmares. I love it. You can follow SmashproofGC and Design_OOS on Twitter or check out more of Samstrojny’s art right here

Let’s Open Some Pokemon Ultra Prism Cards And See If There’s Anything Good

It’s new Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion day, and fans are tearing into thousands of Sun & Moon Ultra Prism booster packs, searching for powerful new additions to their decks. I’ve only got four boosters, but no deck, so I like my odds. I do most of my Pokemon TCG playing online, but I still…