4 weeks ago
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Pokémon has never not been trendy, but we're expecting even more from the massive IP this year, as the "pocket monsters" are turning 30 later this month. That means there are game announcements on the horizon, celebrations happening all over, and even a huge Super Bowl spot starring Lady Gaga and other celebrities.
First teased last week, the 'What's Your Favorite?' ad played during last night's Super Bowl match and was also released online by The Pokémon Company, who enlisted a number of world-renowned individuals to essentially yap about their favourite Pokémon. The highlight here is Lady Gaga performing Jigglypuff's iconic song from the anime, but the whole thing feels adequately cute:
The list of celebrities in the spot includes comedian Trevor Noah, Blackpink's Jisoo, F1 driver Charles Leclerc, football player Lamine Yamal, actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and singer Young Miko as they reveal their favourite Pokémon. You have safe picks like Arcanine and Jigglypuff, whereas others go for Zygarde or Luxray. No Pikachu here, which makes these clips feel somewhat genuine.
The end of the video also encourages Pokémon fans to create Pokémon 30 snapshots with the Pokémon GO app with a "What's Your Favorite" filter. Though this promo, which has cost The Pokémon Company millions of dollars just for the Super Bowl slot alone, focuses on the mobile sensation and people's connection with the largely adorable creatures, it's a fun way to kick off a "year of Pokémon" that probably has many surprises in store for us.
We're not expecting much talk of new games until after Pokémon Pokopia comes out early next month, but perhaps the 27th February (the day Pokémon Green & Red were originally released) will arrive with a stream that outlines the immediate future of Pokémon video games. That's just wishful thinking, but it would make sense, wouldn't it?
English (US) ·