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Here in my Pika-car, I feel safest of all from Team Rocket
Toyota chose our hearts when it unveiled two Toyopet Pokemon cars at this year's Tokyo Toy Show, because they're freaking delightful. The Pikachu car is lovely, even if the ears aren't the most streamlined design, but it's the Fennekin model that has our number. Check it out below the break, and there are more shots of the 'dorable duo over at Japan Trends. Toyota also has a shot of an Oshawott model, but we're not sure about that one, honestly. Fennekin stole the show in last year's Pokemon X and Y, while this year the critter-catching series goes back in time with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The 3DS remakes hit North America on November 21 and Europe on November 28.
Pikachu as a southern belle in Pokemon Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire
In Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, due out on November 21, players will meet a new Mega-evolved Pokemon, Mega Metagross, in the final battle before becoming the Pokemon League Champion. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire also marks a return to the Hoenn Region, where trainers must defeat eight gym leaders and the Elite Four. Yeah, whatever - most importantly, players will be able to dress up Pikachu in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire with the Cosplay Pikachu feature. Trainers can also feed, pet and play with their Pokemon in the Pokemon-Amie mode, and those dressed-up Pikachu can snack on Poke Puffs in Pokemon-Amie. Check out the adorableness in the new video (above) and images (below) from Nintendo. "Meet Pikachu Rock Star, Pikachu Belle, Pikachu Pop Star, Pikachu Ph.D., and Pikachu Libre! They seem to have a connection to a kind of Contest Hall," Nintendo says in a press release. Pikachu Belle! More information about Cosplay Pikachu is due in August. [Images: Nintendo]
Pokemon Center online store opens in August
American Poke-fans can indulge themselves through a new online Pokemon Center, which is slated for a grand opening on August 6. Like the Poke-Centers dotted across the world, this is a store and not an infirmary for sick and wounded Pokemon. You can try demanding to see Nurse Joy so she can heal your pocket monsters, but we strictly wouldn't advise it. If you can't wait to buy 'em all, there are items already available to order on the store. At the moment you can grab a $17.50 Mewtwo tumbler, a $13 adorable Pika-plush, and a $24 pack of keyrings for Eevee and its evolved forms.
Adidas, Nintendo join forces for Pikachu World Cup jerseys
You can't just make Pikachu your World Cup mascot and not put him on a bunch of merchandise. Adidas is well aware, as evidenced by the above glimpse (provided by Inside Games) at replica jerseys, which fans can purchase for 7,400 yen ($73) to support Japan's team in the coming tournament. According to Siliconera's translation, the visual concept for the jersey relates to Adidas Japan's Enjin (Ring) Project, the name of which references the circle made by players huddling together. If you can imagine a team wearing this, hunched over with arms above each other's backs ... yup, the red stroke across the shoulderblades would form a ring. It's almost like somebody planned this or something! If you're still lost on how Pikachu relates to soccer in the first place, Siliconera adds that the choice is meant to get more Japanese fans invested in their World Cup team, with an emphasis on drawing in younger fans. That makes sense - what appeals to younger kids more than Pikachu? More than candy and recess, anyway. [Image: Adidas]
Japan chooses Pikachu for 2014 World Cup mascot
Pikachu, I choose you! ... said Japanese National soccer team uniform designer, Adidas. Soccerly reports that everyone's favorite electric mouse and several of his poke-pals will be the official mascots for Japan's soccer team as they head to the World Cup in Brazil. Nintendo sure has been branching out from video games a lot recently. First there was the Mario golf bag, then the partnership with Pennzoil at SXSW, and now this. But hey, we aren't going to argue with Pikachu dressed in a soccer uniform. Just look at how cute he is! D'awwww. [Image: Nintendo]
Toy Fair has a little something for everyone; here's how it looks on the inside
To say the least, there's always something peculiar to be found at Toy Fair. Put simply, this place is guaranteed fun. It's like being five years young and stepping into a Toys R Us for the first time ever -- except there's much, much more stuff here. Toy Fair 2014, hosted at the Javits Center in New York City, definitely lived up to the hype. There were more toys to see and play with than you can imagine, some of which are available now, while others are due to hit the market later this year. Naturally, we took a stroll through the show floor and found a few neat things: TOMY's new motion-controlled Battroborg Warriors, MOSS has a kit to help make your robot-building dreams come true and a shoulder-strapped Pikachu that shoots foam discs. Oh, and how could we forget Barbie's pooping canine -- yes, folks, that's a thing. Of course, this is only a small taste of everything Toy Fair has to offer, but the photos and videos after the break should sum up what the experience is like.
Nintendo's contrarian streak saved us from a monstrous Pikachu
Pikachu now stands as the world's most famous electric rat, but had Nintendo been more inclined to accept outside advice, the little yellow cash cow may have been less "cuddly" and more "hideously terrifying." During the initial development of Pokemon, the company was repeatedly warned away from the series' now-trademark adorable aesthetic, according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. "This cute yellow thing is not a monster, everyone told us," Iwata recalled. Concept art of a muscular, more vicious Pikachu was drafted, but Hiroshi Yamauchi, the president of Nintendo at the time, refused to change the initial design to make the creature a more traditional (pocket) monster. "When you adapt too much, you lose what's unique about you," noted Iwata. Despite his anecdote about the power of sticking to one's guns, Iwata told the Wall Street Journal that Nintendo has to make more of an effort to cater to stereotypically Western tastes if it hopes to survive the company's current dire financial straits. "We need to work even more closely with the U.S. team," Iwata said, noting that "[i]t's all about balance." [Image: The Pokemon Company]
Report: Nintendo trademarks mysterious 'Great Detective Pikachu'
Nintendo's most lucrative electric rat may be trading in his Thunderbolt attack for a Meerschaum pipe, as the publisher has trademarked something called "Great Detective Pikachu." Normally, trademarks come and go. You're as likely to see a 'mark spawn a full-fledged game as you are to see a company sit on a term or phrase for potential future use. Great Detective Pikachu however, is a bit different as it directly ties to a recent, official video depicting a strange, talking blue Pikachu. Scant little is known of how the game will actually perform or what Pikachu might be detecting, but it has been revealed that motion capture techniques are being used to properly animate the rodent's facial expressions and speech routines. Whether that sounds adorable or intensely terrifying comes down to your opinion on overly-anthropomorphized Pokémon. Either way, we aren't likely to know how things play out until Nintendo decides to shed more light on this mystery.
Pokemon detective game with blue, talking Pikachu due in 2015
The Pokemon Company is working on a 3DS detective game with Pikachu as your partner, due out in 2015. The game was outed on Japanese channel NHK, in a program called The Professionals highlighting Pokemon CEO Tsunekaz Ishihara, as spotted by Serebii. The detective game features a rare Pikachu as the enemy, but the development team "can't see people liking it," the site says. It also stars a blue Pikachu that talks, and Pikachu is being developed with motion capture and facial recognition software. NHK posted an ad for The Professionals on October 22, showing the detective game and a clip of a motion-captured Pikachu that will haunt our quiet nights alone for years to come. Both bits were graciously giffed by TinyCartridge, if this year's haunted houses just aren't doing it for you. Pikablu, anyone?
Witness the horrors of Pokémon combat through Pikachu's eyes
Imagine you awake one day to find that you're now a Pikachu. You barely have a moment to take in this Kafka-esque plot twist before a Bulbasaur rushes you from the undergrowth, vines undulating with all the menace of a killer who enjoys his work. At first you're outmatched, as the diminutive plant-lizard slices trees in half and flings you around the clearing. He winds up for a devastating Hyper Beam, but you're a bit quicker, and the Bulbasaur is struck by a blinding bolt of lightning, instantly flash-frying his corpse. Dramatic, no? Director Filipe B. Costa has been making a name for himself with these kinds of perspective alterations. He's also lent his first-person style to The Legend of Zelda, with results that are slightly more awkward than this Pokémon battle, but impressive nonetheless. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that Nintendo will release a game resembling either of those videos any time soon, so consider this your daily reminder that life is a cruel mistress.
Pikachu Yellow 3DS XL coming to the US on March 24th, is super-effective against your eyes
Poor American Pokémon trainers that have been eying up eBay listings and import sites can breathe a sigh of relief. Nintendo has announced that the special edition yellow 3DS XL -- emblazoned with Pikachu, no less -- will arrive in the States before the end of the month. Priced at $200 and packaged with a 4GB SD memory card, it'll arrive the same day as the latest Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game -- that's March 24th if you've got your pokédiary out. Walmart, Target, GameStop and Toys R S will all be stocking the handheld, although quantities are limited, so get your trucker cap, pokéballs and unerringly small backpack ready to brave those chains in a few weeks.
Pikachu 3DS XL in UK Dec. 7, headlines trio of holiday handhelds
Quite possibly the most huggable handheld ever, the Pikachu 3DS XL will leave its current Japanese prison for the lush, bountiful lands of the UK on December 7.A pair of white 3DS XLs bundled with games will go on sale in the UK later this month. A white 3DS XL with a pre-installed copy of Mario Kart 7 will be available on November 16, while a white 3DS XL with Super Mario 3D Land will go on sale on November 30.Also, have fun trying to un-see Pikachu's nipples.
Pika? Yes, pika: this very yellow Pokemon-themed Nintendo 3DS XL is heading to Europe this year
The incredibly bright, somewhat terrifying yellow Nintendo 3DS XL that Japan got last month is now heading to Europe, according to a Europe-specific Nintendo Direct press conference this afternoon (via Joystiq). The Pikachu-themed 3DS doesn't have a solid release date just yet, but it's said to arrive at some point in 2012. A price also isn't included (though it costs ¥18,900/$238 in Japan), nor is it known if the device will be exclusive to one retailer -- in Japan, you can only buy a 3DS XL plastered with Pikachu's indifferent smirk from a Pokemon Center. Regardless, it's clearly super, super cute, and we'll have more definite information on it soon. Does this mean it's coming to the US? Keep those poke-fingers crossed, trainers.
Pikachu 3DS XL coming to Europe this year
Europe is joining Japan in the "cool yellow Pikachu 3DS XL" club, leaving us Americans crying bitter tears on our boring red and blue systems. No date was announced during today's Nintendo Direct presentation, aside from "later this year." It's also not known whether it will be limited to certain retailers as it is in Japan.Man, look at that adorable thing.
Pikachu Yellow 3DS XL to hit Japanese shores, require a pre-order for purchase
Nintendo handhelds are no strangers to new coats of paint -- or Pokemon, for that matter -- and now the firm is readying a Japan-exclusive Pikachu Yellow 3DS XL (officially the LL for locals). The brightly colored clamshell features a white interior and the electric rodent's visage on its lid with his tail trailing onto the underside. Priced at ¥18,900 (roughly $238), the portable will only be available at Pokemon Center stores throughout the Land of the Rising Sun on September 15th for those who pre-order between August 25 and its release. Gamers in North America may not be able to snap up the uniquely hued system, but this weekend's launch of the 3DS XL in red and blue could provide a small measure of consolation.
PokePark 2: Beyond the World coming to Wii this fall
Hey internet, remember PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure? It was that not entirely unlike Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Trouble in Wackyland minigame collection set in a Pokemon-themed poke-themepark, remember? You and Pikachu had to complete minigames and make new pokepals in order to collect the 14 missing Sky Prism pieces for Mew. Really? Not ringing any bells? Well, Nintendo and Creatures Inc remember it, and they're making another one. The latest issue of CoroCoro Comics has revealed PokePark 2: Beyond the World, headed to the Wii (in Japan, at least) this winter. Pikachu returns as the title's star pocket monster, bringing with him additional playable pals and 4 person multiplayer. No further details are available at the moment, but Tokyo Game Show's imminent hugeness looms over the horizon in a reassuring fashion.
Lego shutter release for Sony NEX-5 lets Pikachu take your pictures
Need something to go with your colorful new NEX-5 Lego viewfinder? How about a Lego shutter release? It's the next project by the same dude, who goes by the appropriate handle "cubie" over at the Digital Photography Review forums. This one requires a bit more work, soldering a couple of IR LEDs to a headphone jack and positioning them to sit atop the camera's IR sensor. Then, by playing the right sound through an audio patch cable, pictures can be taken. Overly complicated? Yes. Love it? Pika! [Thanks, Marc]
Toys R Us now distributing TV's Pikachu to your DS
Sure, you've probably caught plenty of Pikachu across the various generations of the Pokémon franchise, but have you ever added a celebrity Pikachu to your collection? Toys R Us is offering a chance for you to do just that from today through February 13 -- just stop by any participating location with any of the DS Pokémon games in tow, and you can download "Ash's Pikachu" directly to your roster. What sets this particular instance of the electric rat apart from the others? Well, he possesses the same moveset as the Pikachu from the television show (Thunderbolt, Iron Tail and Volt Tackle, for interested parties) and generally has an air of authenticity you'll find lacking in your run-of-the-mill Pikachu. At least, it will until you delete those moves, replacing them with stronger abilities, then breed the little guy into oblivion hoping to get a Pichu with a favorable Nature, whom you can then EV train, evolve and level up until you have a lean, mean, Lv. 100 Raichu-killing-machine. ... We're sad that we know what all of those things mean.
Amazon offering wonderful Pikachu DSi charge stand this December
This Pikachu DSi charge stand looks absolutely delighted to be sending electricity to a DSi. We feel the same way about bringing you the news that you'll be able to buy one of these for yourself in December. An Amazon listing shows that the charger, which was released in Japan this September, will be available in America through the online retailer on December 23. It's designed to work with both the DSi and DSi XL, and will sell on Amazon for $40. Sure, that sounds like a lot, but does your current DSi charger make you smile?
Pikachu is really, really excited to charge your Nintendo DSi
The last time we plugged in our Nintendo DSi to recharge it all we got as thanks was a little light. It turned on, the electrons flowed, and we continued our humble existence. Just think how much more exciting that menial act could have been if only we had this sucker. Hori's Pikachu charger accepts a DSi or DSi XL into its faux-poké ball slot and, presumably, jumps up and down excitedly as lightning bolts dance from its maniacal little fingertips to juice up your dead cell. Or, maybe it just pulls power from an AC adapter and sends it through the connector. Either way, it's certainly more exciting than most other simple charging stands we've seen but, at 3,981 yen (just shy of $50), it's also rather more expensive. %Gallery-100562%
