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Pokemon Black and White reach five million sales in Japan
The two latest additions to the neverending Pokémon franchise managed to move an incredible 2.6 million units during their first two days on Japanese store shelves -- but how have Black and White fared since then? Unsurprisingly, they've done just fine; according to sales statistics from Enterbrain, this week saw the pair's combined sales reach 5,036,724 units. Pokémon Black and White aren't the first games to reach this impressive mark -- in fact, four other DS games have managed to reach five million sales in the past. However, no other DS title has managed to reach five million quite as quickly as Black and White, which have only been available for 17 weeks. We guess that just goes to prove that, for some people "Gotta Catch 'Em All" isn't just a catchphrase, it's a way of life.
Pokemon to invade your local mall around 'Black and White' release
We knew this day would come -- we just knew it. Fortunately, we've had a contingency plan for years now, on the off chance that wild Pokémon should ever infest our local shopping mall. If you'll turn your attention to Diagram 6C in your Poké-Survival Guide, you'll see where we've marked the locations most safe from these powerful menaces. For instance, that Hot Topic? It's really well-reinforced against some of the larger ones, and the music should scare away any monsters with unobstructed ears. The Orange Julius kiosk? That's what we like to call a "kill zone." Do not, under any circumstances, wander into the Orange Julius. Oh, wait -- you mean that Nintendo is just demoing Pokémon Black and White at various malls around the games' release date, March 6, a full list and schedule for which is posted after the jump? We suppose that makes a lot more sense. You'd better stay away from that Orange Julius, though. Just to be safe.
Gamestop and Toys R Us offering Pokemon download promos next month
If your six-strong roster in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver could use a little sparkle, a little pizazz, a little shimmer -- any of that stuff, a handful of download promotions slated for early next year should satisfy your needs quite well. You can download rare, shiny versions of legendary monsters Raikou, Entei and Suicine during various week-long periods in January at Gamestop. Check out the schedule of their availability after the jump, and plan your retail excursions accordingly. If you're looking for something a little more plain Jane, you can pick up Ash's Pikachu -- a version of the iconic lightning mouse with a special set of abilities -- at Toys R Us between January 30 and February 5. Don't get it twisted, though; this guy starts out at level 50. This isn't the adorable mascot you came to know and love in the anime series. This Pikachu is a hardened killing machine. [Thanks, Michael!]
Japan votes to decide the world's most popular Pokemon
The Pokémon Company recently polled the hardcore players of its monster-collecting franchise to find out who's the most popular 'mon of all time. You'd think Pikachu, right? Like, that's a totally logical assumption, considering how much exposure that little yellow bastard has received over the years. Unfortunately, you're totally wrong -- first place went to Arceus, a legendary Pokémon first introduced in Diamond and Pearl. Fellow legendaries Darkrai and Deoxys came in second and third place, respectively, followed by Pikachu in fourth and Meowth in fifth. As Siliconera points out, seeing as how the polls were conducted among hardcore players, the polls probably skewed towards the more powerful guys rather than the more recognizable guys, which is not the best metric for determining popularity. Like, we were clearly the buffest guys at our high school, but we were never elected prom king, you know? What? Why are you laughing?
One of life's great mysteries revealed: How Pokemon get made
Where do Pokémon come from? No, we're not talking about the means of Poké-reproduction -- a subject matter typically skirted around in the core game franchise (do those eggs just magically appear?) -- rather, who designs, names and provides statistics for each of the game's 649 creatures? A handful of Game Freak designers recently outlined the process to 1UP -- and it's not quite as unfeelingly scientific as you might think. "There's about 17 people in our design team, and generally what happens is they each draw their own Pokémon and then they get discussed over group meetings," Game Freak co-founder Ken Sugimori explained. He added that, for Pokémon Black and White, the lead designers focused on the game's pair of legendary monsters, while the younger staffers created the three new starters. Considering the special places we have in our hearts for the Squirtles and Charmanders of the series, that's quite a bit of pressure for the newbies. Check out the full interview for more insight into the the miracle of Poké-life.
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]
Pokemon Black and White get limited edition DSis in Japan
If you've got a bizarre hang-up about playing video games on consoles that don't have Pokémon branded upon their hulls, you'll be pleased to learn that you'll soon be able to add the DSi to your list of allowed devices. On November 20, Japanese store shelves will be stocked with limited edition Pokémon Black and White DSis, each of which come with a copy of the appropriately hued monster-catching title. Each handheld prominently features Black and White's main Legendaries, Reshiram and Zekrom -- a premium for which shoppers will have to pay 19,800 yen (a tad more than the DSi's standard 15,000 yen price point). Is it worth the extra cash? We're not sure, but as far as special edition Pokémon-branded handhelds go, this one's kind of ... classy? Yeah, classy.
Pokemon Black and White sell over 2.6 million in Japanese launch
We find comfort in the known constants of our universe. You know, things like the laws of thermodynamics, or the fact that every time a new Pokémon game hits store shelves in Japan, people go absolutely bananas for it. Today, we have a figure for just how bananas these pocket-sized monster enthusiasts went: Within the first two days of their launch, Pokémon Black and White racked up over 2.6 million units sold. As a point of contrast, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver only pulled in 1.4 million units during their first two days on store shelves last year. We guess Japanese gamers value the grayscale dichotomy of Black and White over the flash and elegance of Gold and Silver. Or maybe, just maybe, all those new pokémon had something to do with it.
Pokemon Black and White have already gone platinum in Japan
Describing the sales success of Pokémon titles has become a tricky enterprise, as the franchise has encompassed just about every precious metal in the Periodic Table. We hope you don't find this next statement too confusing: According to data from Media Create, Pokémon Black and White have gone Platin ... er, platinum in Japan, as pre-order sales for the two titles have already reached 1.08 million units. These pre-orders have only been available since July 31, which The Pokémon Company claims is a new speed record for sales on the DS platform. The Company expects pre-order sales to reach 1.5 million before the game launches September 18. It would be all the more impressive if they could hit 10 million pre-orders, at which point they'd go Diamond. Or, even more ambitiously, they could aim for 20 million in pre-sales, bringing the games up to the rarely achieved SoulSilver status.
Pokemon Black and White battle footage sways our opinion
"Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Ketchum, but we're going to have to run a breathalyzer on your team. We've gotten reports that since Pokémon Black and White came out, they've been swaying back and forth, a clear sign of Pokéintoxication. Check out the video below to see what we're talking about."
Pokemon Black and White's colorful world map revealed
If you consider yourself a budding Pokécartographer, you should turn your eyes to the official site for Pokémon Black and White, which was recently updated to reveal the layout of Isshu, the region where the title's all-catching will take place. The interactive map, which can be viewed by visiting the site's splash page and clicking the link below the Pokémon White logo, shows a few screenshots of Isshu's varied locales, and gives a few hints as to how your quest will unfold. Of course, much of the map is still uncharted by these little tips, so we've yet to see a few of the series' staple environments. You know, like the huge town with the humble casino and gigantic, unnavigable department store? The disturbingly out-of-place mausoleum tower? The final road you have to spend hours grinding on in order to beat the Elite Four? That place on that same road where you quit playing the game forever?
Pokemon Black and White to feature new Pokemon only (until you beat it)
At long last, Game Freak has discovered exactly why you've been so hesitant to jump on the last few generations of Pokémon titles: It's all those old Pokémon, of course. It's hard to feel like you're on a level playing field when you don't recognize a few of the 'mons introduced in Pearl or Ruby or Silver -- but, according to a blog post from Game Freak's Junichi Masuda, that won't be a problem in Pokémon Black and White. Going by Andriasang's translation of the blog, players of the upcoming generation of Pokémon titles will only encounter all-new monsters until they clear the game. The developer hopes this will make the game a fresh experience for veterans and newcomers alike -- though Masuda admits that coming up with new monsters has been completely challenging. Well, yeah, we'd assume anything after number 300 would be tough to come up with. Here, we'll try: Stonedog! He's a dog! But he's made of stone.
The Birds and the Beedrills puts a mature spin on the Pokerap
There's no real way to ease into this, so: A rapper by the pseudonym White Licorice has painstakingly crafted a track titled "The Birds and the Beedrills." Its innuendo-filled lyrics contain references to all 151 Pokémon from the series' first generation. It is, in no small measure, a masterpiece.
Pokemon Black and White starters revealed in full color
It's never too soon to start picking out your prospective team of Pokémon for the next iteration of the franchise -- even if it's still quite a ways away from being released. Of course, the most important decision on this subject is which of the three starter 'mons you'll choose. Thanks to an image published in latest issue of CoroCoro (via The Escapist), you can now choose between the (formerly silhouetted) Pokémon Black and White starters based on which one you think it the cutest -- which is really the most important metric, isn't it? The three Pokémon pictured above reportedly have the Japanese monikers Tsutaja, Pokabu and Mijumaru (from left to right), though they'll probably be subject to change for the English-language versions of the game. CoroCoro also revealed the somewhat older-looking trainers featured in the game, which we've posted after the jump. We're not sure what their story is, but they need haircuts in a bad, bad way. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
First Pokemon Black & White images revealed (in color)
While we were all hoping that the recently announced Pokémon Black and White would have an appropriate film noir aesthetic and monochromatic color palette, a few vividly colorful glimpses of the game have appeared in CoroCoro magazine (via Serebii.net). While it certainly looks a heck of a lot like previous DS-based iterations of the franchise, a few of the screens seem to change up the series' isometric camera angle. Will some creative camerawork and new pocket-sized monsters be enough to keep the franchise fresh? Only time will tell. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Snap Judgment: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
I can't remember a single game release I ever anticipated more in my life than Pokémon Gold and Silver. By the time the game hit U.S. store shelves in 2000, I'd been rendered a shivering addict to versions Blue and Red for nearly two years. The promise of new pocket-sized monsters and new areas to explore thrilled me to the central of my very being -- and thankfully, the franchise's massive second generation did not disappoint. I'm a decade older now, and while I've retained most of my love for the franchise since my middle school career, I worried that the recently released remakes, HeartGold and SoulSilver, wouldn't have the same intoxicating properties as their source materials. Now that I've spent about eight hours in the game, I feel confident in reporting that these remakes possess the same gripping magic as the originals -- partially due to the infusion of new elements introduced in later generations of the series, and, surprisingly, due to the bundled Pokéwalker peripheral. %Gallery-65398%
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokewalker caught on video
If you're hoping to learn more about the device which you'll soon be hiding within your deepest, darkest pocket, filling you with terror that, while withdrawing your keys, you'll accidentally expose the accessory, bringing your reticent Pokémaniacal tendencies to light, forcing you to ... wait, what were we talking about again? Oh, yes, the Pokéwalker accessory which comes with HeartGold and SoulSilver was recently demoed in a video released at the Nintendo Media Summit, and posted above. Looks like it has some neat functionality beyond just step-counting. Oh, the games themselves also received their own trailer, which is posted after the jump. We've seen most of the footage shown there before -- though the music is new, and totally triumphant.
Amazon listing for Pokemon remakes includes March 14 release date, Pokewalker accessory
Though Japan has been enjoying the adorable bounties of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver for months now, us poor westerners still don't know when to expect the games on our store shelves, or whether they'll include the Pokéwalker accessory which allows you to take one of your encapsulated soldiers out for a discreet night on the town. Fortunately, if the games' Amazon listings are on the money, both these Unown pieces of info have been divulged: According to the listings, they're coming March 14, along with the Poke Ball-shaped peripheral. The latter information actually comes from the games' supposed box art, which we've posted above. We've contacted Nintendo to find out if the Amazon listing is authentic. If it's not, we're going to give them the most guilt-inspiring sad puppy face anyone's ever seen. It will be absolutely brutal.
Amazon's Gold Box is full of DS treasures [update 5]
Hey, guess what? You can buy Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Amazon today (and today only) for $25.99! What a minute -- why are we posting about a Brawl deal on DS Fanboy, of all places? Because, friends, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Amazon is offering up nine Nintendo deals today, which (if our guesses are correct) includes five DS games. Since all of the said games are published by Nintendo you might own most of them already, but if not, they're games that are definitely worth getting for cheap. So, all you stingy folks that are able to order from Amazon.com should check past the break to see what Gold Box sales are in store for you today.
Another exhaustive list of Japan's best-sellers of 2007
Remember that haaauuuuge list of Japan's 500 highest-selling games of 2007? Well, sorry, but you'll have to forget them all. Yep, every last one of 'em. That's because we now have a new list which is also claiming to feature the 500 best-selling games of 2007 in Japan. This one has been compiled by Enterbrain (the original was from rival data-gatherers Media Create), and it's ever so slightly different. The good news is that, despite the origins of each list being different, the overriding message is still the same, and that message is: DS rules all yaaay. Both lists agree that Wii Sports was top dog, but the top DS games have been jumbled about. Now, for example, it is the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers games that are top of the DS pile, while Mario Party DS drops to second. The changes are subtle, but definitely exist. Hit the break to see the top ten DS games!
