pikachu
Latest
Eau de Pikachu
Not content with appearing on everything from headphones to lunch boxes to aeroplanes to lil' kites, Pikachu has now joined the likes of Christina Aguilera and Sean 'Diddy' Combs in fronting a perfume line. This Pokémon perfume is manufactured by Air Val International, and is made entirely from water and the finely ground bones of captured Pokémon surprisingly affordable -- Shop.com has it on offer at a tempting $15.Anybody out there actually picked this up? Because if so, we need to know what Pokémon smell of.[Via The Tanooki]
Show and Tell: Straight outta Japan
With all the news from TGS this week, we thought it might be the perfect time to tie in with a little Show and Tell session featuring the limited edition DS Lites those of us outside Japan so often sigh over. Reader Eoghan sent in the picture available after the break, and now we just want to track down the location of these goodies and rob them. And then we thought ... if PAX is a veritable DS mecca, what must the crowd at TGS look like? These things could be everywhere. Oh well. Since we're not there to ogle the array of Lites, we'll just have to make due with Eoghan's very pretty picture.Got something you want to show off? Crafts, cakes, collections from modest to extreme, t-shirts ... whatever you've got, if it has a little Nintendo flavor, we want to see it. Just take some pictures (or copy your web album links) and send them to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.
Adorable DS Lite Poke-pouches
Reader Andrea sent us pictures of her Pokemon DS Lite cozies, which are either knit or crocheted-- we can't tell the difference. They're big yarn knots in interesting shapes, in any case. She made a Pikachu and a Mew, both of which open up at the neck like Pez dispensers to allow access to the cozied DS inside.Suffice it to say that, were we normal people and not, you know, DS Fanboy, we're pretty sure this would be the first time we felt the desire to hug a DS. But we feel that way every time we hear the words Contra 4. They've got tails! There's just no resisting that. In fact, we can't stand to look at our stupid tailless cases anymore, and we think we're just going to toss them in the garbage.
A yellow Pikachu facade for your shamefully non-limited DS
This yellow silicone DS Lite cover beats the "real" Pikachu DS Lite in four ways that we can think of: It's totally got color art on it This actually prevents damage, encouraging us to play it more rather than hide it in a safe deposit box It creates that two-tone look that we apparently love, and You can get it in a reasonable manner, for $13. The last one is the real big deal. There was basically no chance of us submitting an application to the Pokemon Center in Japan, getting extremely lucky, and then shelling out for the Lite. This way, we can cover our normal DS Lite in the equivalent of a Pikachu DS Lite Halloween costume. Play-Asia is shipping the Silicon Cover (Pokemon Yellow) for $12.90. Despite the name, we're pretty sure it's made of silicone.
DS Daily: Pikachu Lite, we choose you? Or Brain Age DS?
It's another battle of the limited editions! If both the Pikachu oh-my-god-so-yellow-it-burns DS Lite and the Brain Age 2 black and red DS Lite were both in front of you, you had the money in your hand (and didn't need it for anything else!), and time to decide, which would you choose?
Pikachu DS Lite is so yellow, we're posting about it again
UK gamer Drew Walters somehow managed to procure one of these special edition systems, the lucky git, and took several photos while he unboxed the yellow treasure. Considering that the handheld was only supposed to be available to a limited amount of people who submitted an application at Japan's Pokémon Centers, we expect that a great deal of shenanigans were involved, and not to mention crazy bucks.We can all agree that the Pikachu DS Lite is quite yellow, but what sort of yellow is it? Drew broke it down on his blog: "It's the same yellow as Post-it notes, The Simpsons, Lego men, and my bedroom wall." See for yourself, past the post break!
Limited edition Pikachu DS Lite found in the wild
Attempting to cope with the painful realization that we'll never receive one of these limited edition yellow DS Lites, we have adapted several "Your Mama" snaps to use as insults on the people who actually have them. Here is what we've come up with so far: Your DS Lite is so yellow, traffic slows down when you take it out. Your DS Lite is so yellow, we can't believe it's not butter. Your DS Lite is so yellow, Crest Whitestrips told it to go to the damn dentist. Your DS Lite is so yellow, you've mistaken it for corn on the cob at least twice. These are really bad, we know. If you can come up with anything better, leave your suggestion in the comments! Past the post break, we've got a couple photos of the Pikachu-emblazoned handheld. Collectors had to submit an application at one of Japan's five Pokémon Center's last June just for a chance to buy the canary-colored system. If you were stuck in the US or anywhere else that wasn't the land of the rising sun, you were out of luck. How rude!
Limited edition Pikachu DS Lite system to hit Japan
We all knew this one was just a matter of time, but it sounds like the Japanese faithful will finally have the opportunity to purchase a glaring yellow Pikachu DS Lite system in the not too distant future. Of course, this isn't the first time the infamous Pokemon has taken over a Nintendo handheld, but getting your palms around this machine will be even more difficult than those other hard-to-get hues. The limited edition machine will reportedly sport Pikachu's face on the bottom right corner of the cover, include a matching yellow stylus, and in order to procure one, you'll have to show up in person at the Japanese Pokemon Center and submit your name into a lottery system. Supposedly, the winners will be able to pay their ¥16,800 ($139) and walk out happy starting on July 20th, and afterwards, the rest of you can shell out small fortunes on various auction sites if you just can't do without.[Thanks, Mitch]
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.
WRUP: Everyone's got Pokemans fever edition
With no new releases this week, we've got a good idea what you're playing. Heck, we're playing it too! Everyone is caught up in this Pokeman fever and for the first time since Pokemon Blue & Red, we're actually excited to boot the game up and level up our Pokemon. Oh, how they grow up so fast!Not playing Pokemon? Well, what are you playing then?
Diamond and Pearl sell a million in 5 days
As if anyone didn't see this coming, Nintendo fired off a press release today declaring Pokemon Diamond & Pearl have together sold a million copies in the United States. This comes only five days after the game's release on Sunday, showing that even though the franchise has been around for awhile, it is still alive and kicking. This time period in which the game has sold is only rivaled by the franchise's first title launching in the U.S. almost a decade ago.See also: Pokemon pokes fun at Sony
Today's most umbrella-worthy video: Pokballs!
It's raining Pokéballs! Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl hit shelves on April 22nd, and this commercial started hitting the airwaves today in order to get everyone in a Pokéball-tastic mood.Is it just us, or do those things look a little too close to the Pepsi ball logo? We haven't tried grabbing a Pikachu and shaking them up to see if they fizz, so maybe there is some mysterious Pokémon / Pepsi connection. Anyhow, we want our own Pokéball, darnit.
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl cheat sheet
With all the dashing, rangering, and mystery-dungeoning that Pokémon have been doing on the DS lately, who has time to keep up with the series nowadays? What's the deal with Diamond and Pearl? Are there new villains? Do we have to use friend codes? And why are these new versions named after an old Prince song?1UP has compiled ten need-to-know facts about Pokémon Diamond/Pearl, saving you the trouble of having to pore through dozens of previews for answers to your Bulbasaur questions. With the release date being just a few weeks away (4/22), having something like this for quick reference really comes in handy. Print out a copy, keep it in your wallet, and impress all the girls at school with your cursory knowledge of upcoming Pokémon games!
Use that Game Boy as a fashion statement
Sure, you've seen the shoes with fishbowls in them and might have thought such a person with shoes like that are either dressed up for Halloween or discovered time travel in the 1970's, transporting themselves to our time for their first taste of future living. Regardless, we'd like to know: fashion statement or awkward means of transport? You be the judge.
Pokmon Diamond and Pearl smash sales records in Japan
Gotta buy 'em all news now, with Nintendo announcing the obliteration of terrified, Japanese sales records beneath the unstoppable might of their Pokémon franchise. Over five million copies of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl for the DS have graced store shelves since last September, a fact which makes them the fastest selling titles in the series thus far.Nintendo also points out that the Pokémon franchise has sold over 155 million games worldwide through September 2006. That not only highlights the unwavering, cross-cultural appeal of Pokémon, but also humanity's overwhelming desire to imprison adorable little creatures in airtight capsules.
Friday Video: smashing it up with our favorite brawlers
We're not sure which part of the hotness that is today's featured video is the hottest, really. But when you blend footage from some of our favorite characters doing their thing in their own games with clips from Super Smash Brothers Brawl, do we really need to quibble about which part is the most awesome? No, probably not. It's best to just soak it in ... and we're all over the music choices, as well.
12 circuit bent Pikachu make beautiful music
We're not quite sure what sort of cacophony is produced by this 12 Pikachu orchestra, but honestly... how could you go wrong with this many narcissistic pocket monsters all in one place? Mr. RUN DMC (aka Kaseo) and his circuit bent army here recently performed their various noises in Tokyo, Japan, and if you head on over to his site you can peep the rest of his circuit bending projects, along with with the freaky noises and video of a singular circuit "bent" Pikachu, which is pictured after the break.[Via MAKE]
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon review [update 1]
Is it us, or is IGN scoring tougher? Not that we think this a bad thing. In fact, we admire brutal honesty if a game is not up to par. Just because the title says Final Fantasy Pokemon, doesn't mean it will be great. Just look at Final Fantasy X-2 Pokemon Dash. From the sound of it, turning into an actual Pokemon seems pretty rad. After all, Ash and the others shouldn't have all the fun. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is throwing a different ball your way by showing the softer side of these normally lightening-hurling captured creatures. And as the good Pokemon you are, you join the Rescue Team and help out any pals in danger while trying to figure out why you are a Pokemon. Best thing about it -- you finally understand what the heck those little guys are saying when they scream "Pika!" While IGN gave the game compliments for Pokemon doing what it does best in gameplay, they were disappointed in the game as a whole, claiming it hasn't really evolved in the direction they had hoped. Their main complaints rest in the repetitive battle system, rarely used touch screen and drab GBA appearance. Best way to describe it -- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is a mere placeholder until the real Pokemon comes out on DS. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon was rated a 6.5, making it a "passable" game. [Update: Fixed a typo]
Gotta catch 'em all!
With the Pokemon theme song running tirelessly, through our minds, we realize that Pokemon will never go away. Ever.While some die-hard Pokemon fans are rejoicing at the thought that you truly never can catch them all, we are wondering how much farther you can go.The answer? Pokemon colored DS Lites. We have seen the special Pikachu DS Lite and now it appears that the gaming mag, NGamer, has "confirmed" two new DS Lite colors in a small snippet.Be warned and take this with a grain of salt. Nothing is official yet. We aren't surprised Nintendo want to release all sorts of DS Lites for us collectors (hence daily visits to Play-Asia to see if they are preordering the special Final Fantasy DS yet). So why not rake in the cash with special edition systems?[Via Go Nintendo]
Old Budweiser commercial still ripe for laughs
I don't know how many of you folks liked the "Wassup" Budweiser commercials back in the day, but I was most definitely a fan. Call me a sucker for cheesy humor, but the timing and well-timed editing get me every time. It was truly a sad day when they discontinued those bad boys. Well, in the same vein as the classic Superfriends "Wassup" parody, a video game-inspired version is now up on YouTube. My personal favs: The Duke Nukem appearance and Pikachu chillin' on the chair. For some reason, I just can't stop watching this. Check out the embedded video after the break.[via Kotaku]
