pokemon-center
Latest
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.
Charizard 3DS XL lights up Japanese Pokemon Centers
Now that the Pikachu 3DS XL is coming to Europe, it's time for Nintendo to taunt everyone with a new unattainable Pokemon system. The Charizard 3DS XL/LL above will be released in Japan on December 15 ... only in Pokemon Center stores, and only to people who send in an order form and then win the chance to buy it.The ¥18,900 ($237) handheld features Charizard's face and wings on the front, with a design that continues on the back of the unit, including a brightly colored flame. It looks pretty exciting, even if it'll all be upside down while you're playing.
Take a peek at the Japan-only Pokemon Center 3DS XL
It was going to happen sooner or later, but we didn't expect it to be so soon. Two days before the US launch of the 3DS XL, there's already an unattainable Japanese special edition with an exclusive color scheme.The Pikachu Yellow 3DS LL will be sold only at Pokemon Center stores in Japan, and only through pre-orders, starting August 25. It's yellow on the outside, with a brightly smiling Pikachu design, and white on the inside. Sorry to bum you out about the normal 3DS XL you were about to buy!
Largest Pokemon Center on Earth opening in Osaka next month
Nintendo has announced a few more details about the new Pokémon Center it's planning on opening soon in the heart of Osaka. The retail outlet, which will swing wide its colorful doors on November 26th, will stuff 2,500 different kinds of purchasable Pokémon goods and a "Union Room," where players can congregate to trade and battle, into 9,000 square feet of retail space, making it the largest Pokémon Center on this, our planet Earth. We want to go to there. It sounds like a pretty huge ordeal, but it's kind of a waste -- all anyone ever does in those places in run to the front desk, heal their dudes, then run back out for more adventures and stuff. [Image Credit: Ipin]
Be the most stylish person at the Pokemon tournament, not just the oldest
Here's something unexpected: a line of Pokémon clothing that we wouldn't mind letting ourselves show people! The adult-focused "Pokémon 151" series of T-shirts presents selected Pokemans from the Red/Blue era in bold, artsy, The King of Games-style designs.Four shirt designs, featuring Hypno, Mewtwo, Articuno, and Cubone, are now on sale in Japanese Pokémon Center locations. The official website for the line will open on the 26th. In the meantime, we're left battling the bizarre feeling that we might ... like a shirt with Hypno on it. Another picture, showing partial images of all four designs, follows the break.
Pokemon Center's Sleeping Pikachu Festival
Yet again, a Japanese Pokémon Center store is stocking a series of exclusive items that will drive foreign Pokémon fanatics crazy to eBay. From February 9th to the 29th, customers who can show staff that their Diamond/Pearl Pikachus have learned the skill Rest will receive a free sleeping Pikachu screen-cleaning strap. In addition, many heartbreakingly adorable sleeping Pikachu items will be available in the store, including plush dolls, t-shirts, and coffee mugs.It's pretty hard to resist the cute sleeping mascot even if you don't like Pokémon. We're lucky that it's currently impossible for us to blow a bunch of money on this stuff.
Pokemon Center cash registers ring in the new year
Japanese Pokémon Center stores are celebrating the new year with exclusive merchandise. Or, rather, celebrated, because we have a feeling the hordes of people have already grabbed up all of the stuff. People lined up to get their hands on the New Year Pika Pika Bag, a tote bag with some adorable Pikachu, Pachirisu, and Piplup art on it. Of course the bag is stuffed with exclusive Pokéstuff: plush toys, stationery, candy, and a photo album.How did you celebrate 2008? It probably wasn't waiting in line to spend 30 bucks on toys. What, were you spending time with friends and family? Sucker. What kind of tote bag did you get from that?
Get the Pikachu DS Lite, plus some games or something
Finally, American gamers have a shot at the yellowest DS Lite ever, thanks to the Pokémon Center. Unfortunately, if you're enough of a Pokémaniac to want one of these, you probably already have Diamond and/or Pearl, both of which come bundled with the unit. Also included: a Pokémon Diamond/Pearl "scenario guide" and a Pokédex book, also known as "bundle bloat."All that extra stuff, plus the usual rarity tax, means that you'll be $345.95 in the hole for choosing this DS Lite. But that's about what you'd pay for just the unit on eBay, without having to buy it from some dude who is probably ripping you off in a unique way.[Via GoNintendo]
Obscure Pokemon gets its own limited-edition items
Octillery, a Gold/Silver-era Pokémon who we had to look up just now (because we've never seen or heard of it) is the focus of a new promotion at Japan's Pokémon Centers. Between November 23 and December 9th, Diamond/Pearl players can bring in their level 65+ Octilleries (called "Okutan" in Japan) and receive a special Octillery sticker, seen above. It's a pretty nice promotion and a nice piece of art for this octopus-thing, we think.This isn't the first limited-edition Octillery item. The Tokyo store gave away Octillery headbands to high-level Octillery owners in July. Is this a popular Pokémon or something? Is it the jaunty headband?
Japanese Pokemon players, Jirachi chooses you!
Jirachi, the adorable legendary Pokemon from Ruby and Sapphire, will soon be on the DS! Briefly, and only in Japan. You'll pretty much have to go on a Pokemon adventure to get one, though.First, players must be members of the Pokemon Fan Club. Then they can request a Jirachi via a form on the Fan Club page; if they're lucky enough to have their request approved, they will then have to go to a Pokemon Center store in Japan between July 1st and 22nd to pick it up. Why not over the Internet?Visitors to Pokemon Centers will also get a Jirachi badge in one of five designs, but only when they buy something. The badges are all basically Jirachi with a different background.
Pokemon Center brings out yet another Pikachu portable
To celebrate the July 20th opening of its new Tokyo store, the Pokémon Center will be offering Pikachu-branded, yellow DS Lites to an unannounced number of gamers. Those who're looking for a chance to grab one of the special edition handhelds will be able to submit an "application" at any of the Pokémon Center's five locations in Japan. Submissions will be accepted up to July 1st, and those eligible to purchase the 16,800 yen DS Lite (approx. $138) will be notified by postcard later in the month. Even if you're not a Pikachu fan, you could always just acquire one anyway and tell everyone that the face on the lid is actually a rosy-cheeked rabite.Despite a near-decade's worth of handheld variants featuring the mousy mascot, these Pokémon-designed consoles show no signs of slowing down. Take a stroll through memory lane and check out all the Pikachu portables we were able to round up after the post break.
