On February 27th 1996, the world was introduced to the phenomenon known as Pokémon! To mark twenty-five years of Pocket Monsters, the Pokémon Company International took part in a live broadcast filled with brand new video game announcements, updates on current products and a trip back in time to show just how far-reaching the series has become.

Check out our full summary after the break!

The Pokémon Presents stream opened with a video showing the origins of the original Red and Green video games, this was then followed by further entries, as well as many different products and services the company had taken fans over the past quarter of a century, including movies, anime, video games, toys, clothing and even outer space! The presentation was hosted by Tsunekazu Ishihara, President and CEO of The Pokémon Company, highlighting the outstanding achievements the Pokémon franchise has achieved across many different mediums.

The presentation then moved over to Takato Utsunomiya, the Chief Operating Officer of the Pokémon Company, who shared a brand new trailer for New Pokémon Snap, due to release on April 30th 2021 for Nintendo Switch. The new trailer demonstrates the variety of Pokémon residing throughout the Lental Region in their natural habitats, and how the player can interact with them. By throwing fruit, you can make a Pokémon happy, and if throwing Illumina Orbs will make any Pokémon glimmer, allowing you to take some incredible pictures. Capture rare moments and fill the Photodex, and use stickers and frames to create some fun and interesting photographs, then share them online with others!

Mr. Utsunomiya then went on to share some special events currently taking place across a number of currently released software. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, you can currently engage in Max Raid battles featuring Gigantamax Pikachu, and in Pokémon Café Mix you can obtain 2500 Golden Acorns just by logging into the game. Legendary Raid battles are currently taking place in Pokémon Go, featuring the three legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres, and the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo! Last but not least, in Pokémon Masters EX, the Champion of the Galar region Leon has arrived!

But one of the most exciting announcements was Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, faithful remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl versions, released fifteen years ago in 2006 for Nintendo DS. The games will launch towards the end of 2021, and are being developed by Ilca Inc, the company behind the Pokémon Home app. They are overseen by the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl version Producer, Junichi Masuda of the Pokémon Company.

Finally, a surprise announcement in the form of a brand new game, also taking place in the Sinnoh region, is Pokemon Legends: Arceus. This has been described as a new approach for the Pokémon series, and is currently in development with the hope of breaking new ground for the Pokémon series. The events of the game take place in a different era of Sinnoh, long ago where Pokémon roamed freely across the land, when the climate was different and when people journeyed to the land to learn more about it. Three partner Pokémon from previous games will feature in this game, which include Rowlet from the Alola region, Oshawott from the Unova region, and Cyndaquil from the Johto region. The village serves as a base, where you will venture out across the land with the goal of creating Sinnoh’s very first Pokédex. and you will still be able to capture and battle Pokémon. The mythical Pokémon Arceus that features in this action RPG adventure is connected to your journey, but for now, we must wait a little longer before those secrets are revealed…

Which of these announcements are you most excited for? Be sure to let us know on our social media pages!


Darren is a huge Nintendo fan from the days of the Gameboy Color and his copy of Pokémon Blue. Over time, he developed a passion for many Nintendo franchises, including Metroid. His favourite system is the Wii.