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.
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.
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
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
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.”
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