Don’t worry, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. If you remember Pokémon arriving closer to the end of the Nineties, you’re not wrong – the translated versions didn’t appear until 1998 and 1999. However, Pokémon Red and Green first hit Japanese shelves on February 27th 1996 in Japan, and as a result the 20th anniversary celebrations have been unveiled.
The most interesting bit for retro fans will undoubtedly be the re-release of the original Game Boy games Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow on the Nintendo eShop on February 27th. If you’re a big fan, you might even want to pick up the special Nintendo 2DS bundle packs featuring the game, an appropriately-coloured console and a special home screen theme. Alternatively, the New Nintendo 3DS bundle includes both Pokémon Red and Blue, as well as face plates depicting Charizard and Blastoise.
More games are also on the way, as 3DS owners will be able to pick up Pokémon Rumble World and Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon on January 22nd and Feburary 19th respectively. Meanwhile, Wii U owners are set to receive one-on-one fighter Pokkén Tournament this spring. Owners of existing releases Pokémon X and Y and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire will receive a variety of popular event Pokémon including Mew, Darkrai and Arceus.
Elsewhere, the trading card game is receiving a new Generations expansion and the first two movies will be digitally remastered, and a variety of toys and apps have been made to support the occasion. To get full details on the celebration, visit the official Pokémon 20th anniversary website here.
If you missed Retro Gamer’s feature on the history of Pokémon, featuring insight from Game Freak developers Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori, now’s the perfect time to go back and get it via imagineshop.co.uk or digitally via greatdigitalmags.com.