Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

February Pokémon Presents stream: Start time, where to watch, and what to expect

Josh Brown
By

This Saturday will see long-standing worldwide phenomenon Pokémon celebrate its 25th anniversary. That’s 25 years to the day that Pokémon Red and Green released on the Nintendo Gameboy in Japan — the first step in a journey that has inspired millions of children to adventure, trade, and compete together.

Recommended Videos

To celebrate the event, there’s a Pokémon Presents stream coming just before the big day, where you can expect plenty of news regarding new games and release dates of previously announced titles. Here’s how and when to watch the Pokemon Pokémon stream, as well as what we could be seeing.

Related

How to watch the Pokémon Presents stream

Tuning into the big Pokémon 25 Direct livestream is easy enough. It’ll be live on the official Pokemon YouTube channel. We’ll also have the video pinned to the top of this post on the day of the event, so set a bookmark to easily find your way back when the big day arrives.

What time is the Pokémon Presents stream?

North America will want to wake up early for this one. The Pokemon Direct is scheduled to take place tomorrow — that’s Friday, February 26 — at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET. Get your cereal bowls ready to sit in front of the screen like it’s a Saturday morning cartoon block.

For Europe, we’re looking at a 3 p.m. GMT start time. For the kids homeschooling during the pandemic, it’s the ultimate way to kick off the weekend. Grab a predinner snack and get comfy.

How long is the Pokémon Presents stream?

According to the announcement, tomorrow’s Pokémon Presents stream should clock in at around 20 minutes long. That’s not quite as gargantuan as last week’s 50-minute Nintendo Direct, but it’s plenty of time to focus on a plethora of franchise-specific titles. Big Pokémon titles tend to get announced at the start of the year and release close to Christmas, so a glimpse of one here means information will trickle out steadily as the months go on.

What to expect from the Pokémon Presents stream

New Pokémon Snap
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Celebrating a 25th anniversary is a big deal. With a few games already on the schedule from last year, expect updates on almost all of them, alongside one of two new game announcements.

Mobile title updates

Games announced last year like the MOBA title Pokémon Unite will likely get a release date announcement. After all, beta signups went up not long ago. There should also be updates to preexisting mobile titles like Pokémon Cafe Mix, Pokémon Masters EX, and Pokémon Go — even if it’s just a 30-second segment, expect them all to get some time to shine.

There’s a chance we’ll see Pokémon Sleep or Pokémon Smile again after all this time, but given that some of Nintendo’s other lifestyle projects have fizzled into obscurity in the past, there’s a chance that could be the case with these as well.

More New Pokémon Snap news

New Pokémon Snap is set to launch at the end of April, so getting a deeper look at its gameplay wouldn’t be a surprise.

Pokémon Diamond & Pearl remakes

The biggest reason for a stream like this is to announce the year’s mainline Pokemon RPG. By the time we reach the usual November release date, Pokémon Sword and Shield will be two years old. Generation 1-3 remakes have come and gone, leaving Generation 4 games Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum next in line. Whether we can expect remakes or a reimagining, however, is up in the air.

Pokémon’s social media accounts used the phasing “Let’s go, Sinnoh!” during one of the daily countdowns this week. It could be a coincidence or even a red herring, but given the recent Gen 1 efforts were branded Let’s Go! (as a tie-in with Pokémon Go), there’s reason to believe the speculated remakes won’t be mainline RPGs like Pokémon Sword and Shield, but spinoff titles designed to cater more toward the players who were introduced to the franchise by the record-breaking mobile app.

It’s a scary thought for die-hard Pokemon fans, but one that could just hold true. The fact that the PokéBall Plus accessory that shipped with the last game has seen a reprint recently only adds fuel to the fire.

What to hope for (but not expect) from the Pokémon Presents stream

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Pokémon Master Collection

Assuming most of the stream isn’t taken up by the purported Diamond and Pearl remakes, there might just be enough time to show off something new — or at least something leaked. Late last year, some online retailers begin listing a collection of Gen 1-3 Pokemon games: Specifically, Pokémon Red, Silver, and Sapphire, similar to the recently released Mario 3D All-Stars.

Two titles from the first two generations of Pokémon were released relatively late into the Nintendo 3DS’s lifetime, and with the Nintendo Switch clearly supporting emulation software through the Switch Online collections, there’s reason to believe Nintendo could reissue these classic games to tide fans over until the typical November release. It probably won’t happen, but it’s worth a thought.

Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky for Nintendo Switch

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon is a beloved spinoff series among the die-hard fanbase, but there’s one title that had a profound effect upon it: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. The tear-jerking adventure released on the Nintendo DS over a decade ago, and pops up in lots of veteran player’s lists of their favorite Pokemon titles.

With the original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon getting a remake on the Nintendo Switch last year, there’s reason to believe the same can happen for this pop-culture icon.

Pokémon Channel

This one’s a massive stretch, but with so many of us stuck at home with nothing but our TVs to keep us company, there’s a case to be made for the return of Pokémon Channel. Launching on the Nintendo GameCube back in 2004, Pokémon Channel had us take care of our very own Pikachu in 3D space.

The little guy loved to watch TV, where programs hosted by Pokémon would let you buy decorative items, mini-games, take part in quizzes, and even work out with your silly yellow mouse. It was a wholesome game that could provide hours of entertainment for a new generation in these difficult times. Even a straight-up port would do. Maybe there’s a reason why the stream announcement said “STAY. TUNED. TRAINERS.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Josh Brown
Josh Brown
Josh Brown is a UK-based freelancer with devoted interests in video games, tech, film, and anime/manga. Just don't talk to…
Where to find the Ghost Medal in Super Mario RPG
Mario sleeping in a bed.

One of the best aspects of Super Mario RPG is how beginner-friendly it is as an RPG. You don't have a ton of stats to manage, and your weapons and equipment are mostly linear upgrades outside of some secrets. Accessories are the most interesting ways you can customize your party, allowing you to add unique attributes. The Ghost Medal is one of the strongest of these. but it's tucked away in a hidden corner of the game. It's no time for a nap, so let's go over how to get the Ghost Medal in Super Mario RPG.
How to get the Ghost Medal

The Ghost Medal can be found only after you've reached Monstro Town, which is a good way into the game. Once here, enter the house directly to the right of the Item Shop, turn off the mushroom light, and rest in the bed. While sleeping, the Three Musty Fears will appear around Mario and tell him clues as to where their flags are. By collecting them all, you will earn this accessory. Here's where to find them:

Read more
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk is a true master’s degree program
A trainer stands in front of two Alolan Exeggutors in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk.

After a rocky year, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s story is coming to an end next month. Its second DLC, The Indigo Disk, will conclude its bonus Hidden Treasure of Area Zero arc on December 14. That’ll close out the series’ most scrutinized set of games to date, which were lambasted at launch for performance issues and poor visual quality. The Indigo Disk certainly won’t reverse that narrative, but it at least has a shot at sending disappointed fans home happy -- especially after the underwhelming Teal Mask expansion.

Ahead of its launch, I got a hands-on preview with the upcoming DLC that showed me a bit of what to expect. I explored its new open-world area, saw some familiar monsters, and fought in one of the toughest battles I’ve ever had in a mainline Pokémon story. Every technical problem in the base game still reared its ugly head during my hour of playtime, but The Indigo Disk at least brings some high-level challenges to the mix that will test even the most seasoned competitive players.
Same problems, new challenges
The Indigo Disk picks up right after The Teal Mask’s conclusion (players will need to beat it to start the new DLC). In it, I’m sent to Blueberry Academy, which is a massive biodome floating in the middle of the ocean. It houses a round, open-world area split up into four distinct environments. One corner has your standard grassy plains, while another is a massive snowy mountain full of ice Pokémon. It’s significantly bigger than Teal Mask’s bite-sized open world, though the general design isn’t too different.

Read more
The best Mario games of all time, ranked
Mario twirls his cap in front of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey.

Nintendo’s Super Mario series is so monumental to the medium of video games that you might even think of the mustachioed plumber when you hear “video games” mentioned at all. From his earliest days when he battled Donkey Kong as “Jumpman.” to his latest adventures on the Nintendo Switch, to his latest movie appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mario has consistently been one of the greatest characters in video games. He’s such an iconic character that countless video games have had him as the star, and here we have ranked them.

For our list, we had two main criteria. First, the games have to be platformers -- either 2D or 3D. This eliminates Mario sports games, the Mario Kart series, role-playing games, and all the Mario Parties. Secondly, the games have to have Mario himself as the lead character. This eliminated Super Mario Land 3 and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. In the end, we were left with 22 games. None of them are bad, but we did have to name a loser. We also chose to omit The Lost Levels and instead considered Super Mario Bros. 2 as the definitive second game in the series.

Read more