I’ve been a Pokémon fan almost as long as I can remember — starting my adventure with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and moving up all the way to the latest entry: Pokémon Champions, which just debuted on iOS and Android devices (and frankly it couldn’t be a better fit on smartphones).

Everyone has their favorite Pokémon entry, and Pokémon in general — mine’s Buizel — and while I have a soft spot for Pokémon Diamond (and Gen 4 as a whole), in contention for the top spot would have to be the Nintendo Switch 2 instant classic that is Pokémon Legends Z-A.

And right now it’s on sale for Amazon Prime Day — the Nintendo Switch 2 physical edition is down to $44.99 — that's a whole $25 off its list price. Just remember to run, not walk, as this is a limited-time deal — and 17% of the discounted units have already been sold at the time of writing!

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

For folks who grew up with the Pokémon anime and games, Z-A is the perfect combination of both, with its story and adapted battling mechanics; and as I said in my review, it felt like the series has finally found its way again after losing itself slightly in the 3D era.

Sure, Lumiose City can feel a little claustrophobic by the end of your adventure, but the one-city setting worked surprisingly well, and I kinda loved the scaled-back but still high-stakes adventure.

I can’t recommend this game enough, and anyone with a Switch 2 (even folks who haven’t clicked with Pokémon before) should give this title a try.

Ready to be a Champion?

Given that I’ve been playing so much of it since its mobile release, I need to talk about Pokémon Champions, and how Legends Z-A gives you the best possible head-start in that title.

You can play Champions completely on its own, collecting Pokémon through the recruitment ranch, training them up at the in-game gym, and heading out to compete in single or double battles. And you can play it completely free-to-play without too much trouble if you’re careful with your resources, complete challenges, and finish all of the tutorials.

But a big way to avoid spending in Champions is to import Pokémon from your other games via Pokémon Home. Pokémon Go is an excellent mobile-only option, but for Switch 2 owners Legends: Z-A has a major advantage.

Thanks to its mega evolution focus, all the most powerful new ‘mon can be caught and sent over to Champions. There are a couple of VGC classics who aren’t present (like the infamous Incineroar) but given Champions’ smallish pool of Pokémon, it shouldn’t take you long to find them through recruitment, especially as your resources won’t be so limited by needing to build out a whole team.

Legends: Z-A is also home to a Champions contender who can only be obtained through Z-A — it’s the only exclusive ‘mon in the battler right now, as it won’t ever appear on the ranch, no matter how many times you attempt to recruit (though we don’t know if that will change in a future update). Perhaps most annoyingly of all, this contender is arguably the best mega evolution in Champions, with raw power that requires a dedicated counter on your team in case you ever face one on the ladder.

Oh, and did I mention this exclusive is only earned deep into Legends’ post-game?

I’m, of course, referring to Mega Floette which can only be achieved by mega-evolving the special Eternal Flower form obtainable after finishing Legends: Z-A and progressing through the post-game battle competition.

Eternal Flower Floette boasts seriously lifted stats compared to its base form, which are elevated further by its mega-evolution. Its Fairy Aura ability — previously exclusive to Xerneas, a contender for the best Pokémon ever competitively speaking — then buffs fairy-type moves’ power, which in conjunction with its stats and fairy typing (lending a same-type attack bonus on top of everything else) make Mega Floette a cannon ready to eliminate almost any ‘mon that dares to stand in front of its Moonblast.

If you’re playing Champions you need an answer to Floette — popular choices are Kingambit or Sneasler — otherwise a well-supported Eternal Flower will sweep your team.

So even if you don’t care about anything other than being the very best in Pokémon’s competitive scene, for now Legends: Z-A is a game you need to play. And with this deal you can save a big chunk on its price of entry (and you can always trade-in this physical edition game for something else down the line).

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Whether you’re a longtime Pokémon fan looking to hop into recent adventures you’ve missed, a complete newcomer who wants more out of their Nintendo Switch 2, or someone excited to improve their Pokémon Champions prowess with a powerful team, this collection of gaming deals is for you.

I've been a fan of the series for years, and there's frankly never been a better time to experience it than right now with the franchise celebrating its 30th anniversary this year — take our Pokémon quiz to see if you can ace all 30 questions.

Best of all, there’s a host of discounts available on several recent, and slightly older, Pokémon titles across the US and UK. Meaning you can kick back with a new game without breaking the bank, and despite these deals cropping up during Amazon Prime Day in the US (and in the UK) these discounts aren’t exclusive to subscribers!

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Pokémon Prime Day sale – quick links

• Amazon Prime Day Pokémon deals
• Nintendo Switch 2: Choose Your Game Bundle: $499 at Amazon
• Nintendo Switch 2 Console: now £369.95 was £385at Amazon

Today's best Pokémon game deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £21.99
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• TVs: from £129.99

I couldn’t get enough of Pokémon Champions at launch. The Nintendo Switch 2 pokémon battler was a game I’d been waiting for since its announcement and it was close to everything I hoped for— but after a couple of weeks I fell off.

Between a mixture of other games releasing, not always having my Switch 2 on me, and several real life commitments taking up my time, my quest to climb up through Mater rank petered out.

Now Champions has hit smartphones — launching on iOS and Android earlier this week — and the game feels more at home here than it ever did on Nintendo’s hardware. The quest to be the very best is back on.

There’s something somewhat surreal playing an official full-on Pokémon battling game on mobile, especially a mobile game that’s so microtransactions light compared to other Android and iOS releases from the franchise — it’s possible to spend real money on more storage space, teams and a Battle Pass for premium rewards, but nothing beyond cosmetics is exclusive to folks who pay up and the free-to-play experience is fantastic especially if you have transferred in critters from Pokémon Go or a mainline entry via Pokémon Home.

Despite this strangeness, Pokémon Champions works so well because any time your phone is connected to the internet (via wi-fi or a cell network) you can boot into a battle. I’ve battled on London’ tube while commuting to work, when kicking back in bed, while sat at a restaurant waiting for friends to arrive, and I might have snuck a game or two from my work desk….

Because this is all on a device you can slip into your pocket it’s super easier to pick up an impromptu game or two when the moment arises — there’s no prior thought or prep required compared to playing on a Switch. Wile the graphics are a little tuned down compared to what you’ll get on Switch 2, my experience so far has been very smooth on mobile.

I started out using my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 with the tablet-like inner display giving me a great view of battles even with menus sharing the screen, however I didn’t feel the experience was especially cramped when I switched to its smaller front display, or the screen of my Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

In fact, there was a strange nostalgia to using the Ultra, with the S Pen stylus making me feel like I was back in 2005 playing Pokémon Diamond on Nintendo DS.

No matter what Android or iOS device you have, the Pokémon Champions experience should feel like a delight and much more fulfilling than other free mobile games out there, but if my words so far aren’t enough to convince you to hop onto the ladder The Pokémon Company is sweetening the deal…

Let’s Go Raichu!

To celebrate the Android and iOS launch all players (who log in by September 1) will receive a free gift: Raichu and both of its Pokémon Legends Z-A DLC Mega Stones to mega evolve it into either Mega Raichu X or Mega Raichu Y.

Having fallen down the ladder in my hiatus I decided to climb back up to Master Rank using Raichu, and as some expected ahead of its debut Raichu Y and its No Guard ability is an absolute beast. A speedy special attacker with 100% accurate Zap Cannon and Focus Blast is a force to be reckoned with, and this pocket monster pairs very well into many of Champion’s biggest threats.

Life Orb Garchomp, or Raichu itself (with its un-mega evolved Lightning Rod ability), are two solid counters if you’re struggling against it on other teams, but I’ve found it’s a lot more fun to ride the Mega Raichu Y wave than try to fight it.

Mega Raichu X is nothing to sniff at, though in Champions’ current doubles meta — which is low on sleep control or future paradox pokémon — its ability to set up electric terrain isn’t super impactful. If/when the future paradoxes and threats like Amoonguss rear their head I see Raichu X finally emerging from hibernation.

That’s the joy of Champions’ approach so far. Slowly rolling out new ‘mons and items to mix things up often enough to keep the game fresh, but not yet so often to feel overwhelming for more casual fans.

If you’re still here I’m not sure what excuse you have. Go download Pokémon Champions, there’s nothing better you could be doing with your phone.

Yesterday, I spent several hours playing with the brand-new Lego Pokémon Smart Play sets, and it was the most fun I’ve had in ages, and the August 1 launch date cannot come soon enough.

However, for the short period of time when I remembered I’m an adult journalist with a job to do, I had the chance to sit down with some members of the design team to chat about the sets, starting with the most striking improvement: they feel like Lego builds with Smart Play enhancements rather than being dependent on the new technology.

That’s unlike the first-wave of Smart Brick sets, which didn’t feel complete unless you had the brick charged up and in place.

“We're glad you picked up on that. We’ve been working on these sets for a few years, so for us it doesn’t feel quick. Our challenge is always to find what story we can tell, and also see how children play with these sets, then figuring out how to bring that to physical play and seeing where the Smart Brick can enhance the experience.

“For example, in the Pikachu’s Training House set, you can throw a pokéball at the target to catch him — the grass opens up, and it’s fun on its own — but we can enhance that with a Smart Brick by having the pokémon react and play a celebration effect. It’s good play at its core and we are making it even better.”

As the team explained, they spent a lot of time watching how kids played with the sets and used that to inspire aspects like how battling should work — you'll notice it's quite similar to children having their action figures interact by crashing into each other. And also using the Smart Brick to answer the one request every kid had, "They all wanted the Pokémon to come to life, so we focused on how we can do that with the Smart Brick."

The designs are also superb. Some of this is helped by the minting of new pieces — such as the eye pieces used by Cubone, Lapras, and Mewtwo — but also the teams working with The Pokémon Company to ensure every ‘mon looks like its in-game counterpart.

“We’d get very detailed feedback. Can you make the neck longer? Can you shorten the arms a bit? Can you make sure it has three claws on each hand? But that means the final models truly capture the essence of the Pokémon.”

This capturing of its essence includes my favorite of the designs — Garchomp. I love the pokémon in the games, but the build is so well done for me because, unlike most of the models which have smoother finishes, Garchomp’s Lego build is very bricky — with rough studs all over — to match his in-game ability: Rough Skin.

It’s a very nice touch, and the sets are full of these — one of the designers pointed out several easter eggs hidden in the builds, including that the Trophy included with Garchomp and Umbreon is made to look like Cynthia’s hair accessories (the Champion of Sinnoh, and one of the series’ most formidable foes).

Though while all the sets are great, there's undoubtedly a best-in-show, and we want you to help us decide! Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the poll below, and we'll try to make sure it's featured in our Lego Pokémon Smart Play review when that's published.

Can't decide? Scroll down for the full 12-set collection.

The full Pokémon Smart Play collection

Not sure how to vote in our poll? No worries, below I’ve written down some details (and personal thoughts) on all 12 of the builds. I’ve seen them all in person and spent several hours playing with them all, so I have firsthand knowledge of what they look and feel like.

I know which one I think is best, but there’s no one right answer. And whichever you like you’ll also find links to preorder them from Lego.com ahead of their August 1 launch.

All-in-one sets

Smart Play compatible

The most fun I’ve had at work for some time is when Josie and I got to build the Lego Smart Brick Darth Vader TIE Fighter set for our YouTube channel. Well, it was… as now that’s been replaced by the hours I spent playing the brand-new Lego Pokémon sets today — all 12 of them — as they’re everything I could want as a long-term fan of both, and they're a true evolution (pun intended) of the Lego Smart Play system.

My favorite improvement: you could forget these sets are at all Smart Play compatible.

This isn’t meant as a slight against the Smart Brick — I think the techno block is an incredibly fun play feature — but my biggest criticism of the original Star Wars batch is that they feel incomplete without the brick. Darth Vader’s TIE fighter literally has a giant open space at the back for the Smart Brick, and even with it in place, the set feels a little more open than a spaceship should be.

Here, Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Garchomp, and the gang are complete models without the Smart Brick; perfect blocky action figures to pose and battle with. But lift off their belly, and you’ll expose a Smart Play tile that, with a charged-up block, will help to bring these critters to life.

Further, the sets are jam-packed with play features enhanced by smart features, but aren’t dependent on them.

Smart Play's improvements have left me thunder-shocked!

The all-in-one Pikachu’s Training House couldn’t be a clearer showcase of this. With the electric mouse, you’ll experience the full Pokémon cycle. He starts out hiding in the tall grass, waiting for you to throw a pokéball at him — which you do by hitting a target, which makes the grass fall back, and, with a Smart Brick, plays a successful tune.

With your new partner, you can then touch the training tile to begin getting Pikachu ready for battle. In training mode, Pikachu and all other 19 Pokémon in this lineup can grow their strength by hitting targets, practicing moves, and generally preparing for battle (activated by your movements as you shake them about).

When they next take a breather, you’ll complete the training and, if you both worked hard enough, you’ll hear Pikachu level up. You can then prepare him a sandwich in the kitchen to reward his hard work, before folding down his bed so Pikachu can take a well-deserved rest (complete with sleeping noises).

With a second Smart Brick and Pokémon, you can also engage in a battle — just make sure to remember your type matchups, and to consider the inherent strength of each ‘mon. Even with training, Mewtwo might be a tough foe for your mouse.

As an all-in-one set, Pikachu’s Training House is a little pricier at $69.99 / £59.99/ AU$129.99, but seeing it in action with all of its smart and non-smart play features, this feels like a very reasonable price.

Though if you are on a budget there are simpler yet still delightful options like Berry Bash with Bulbasaur and Bidoof ($19.99 / £17.99 / AU$34.99), Trainer's Buggy Adventure with Squirtle ($29.99 / £24.99 / AU$54.99) and you’ll also find pricier sets with more pieces like my favorite: the Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle ($79.99 / £69.99 / $139.99). The trophy is designed to look like Cynthia’s hair, I’ve been told.

All 12 of the new sets will launch on August 1 at Lego.com and are up for preorder right now.

I don’t think many people saw the wild success of Pokémon Pokopia coming. It was released to critical acclaim, earning a five star rating from us here at TechRadar, there was a shortage of physical copies that left fans — including myself — without the game for days on end, and it exploded into a social media phenomenon.

But having clocked up just over 65 hours myself (rookie numbers, I know), I’d argue that this Nintendo Switch 2 game deserves every last ounce of praise that it’s received. It’s quite easily my favorite Pokémon game since the Nintendo DS era, and unlike some of the more modern entries, it’s absolutely overflowing with creativity and charm.

Pokopia’s addictive crafting and building mechanics, personality-filled world, and humorous edge make it a wonderful experience, and some are even tipping it for a Game of the Year nomination. For me personally, I’m expecting Pokopia to be up and amongst my top titles of the year — but that isn’t to say it’s perfect.

The gripe I can’t shake

Yes, although it's a brilliant game, I have a few issues with Pokopia — even if most of them are tiny.

For example, a lot of players have reported that you can only see about 20-30 Pokémon per area, which was likely implemented to stabilize performance. This can be frustrating when you need a certain ‘mon to help you out and they’re not around — although using some honey near a Pokémon’s home will spawn them instantly, largely making up for that limitation.

As we mentioned in our review, some of the dialogue can also err on the repetitive side of things too. Though this really is a nit-pick — the development team poured distinct, endearing personalities into just about every Pokémon, making NPC interactions feel far more engaging than they did on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for instance.

I have one gripe with Pokopia, however, that I’d consider a bit more serious: its storage system.

Look, I understand that you can get larger storage boxes through the main story, and it's easy to upgrade your bag’s size as you travel across the various areas. But you collect a lot — and I mean a lot — of materials throughout the game. I’m pretty sure I’ve got one storage box dedicated to Volcanic Ash alone.

But what frustrates me is that storage isn’t centralized. If there’s an item you’ve packed away, you’ll have to remember the specific storage box you placed it into, otherwise you could be left wondering where you placed those darn Rainbow Feathers.

I understand that some players have created dedicated storage warehouses, underground containers, or even used homes as bases for gathering items. But the lack of centralization means that you may still have to travel to a specific region to get a particular item.

Personally, I would’ve preferred a system that enabled me to access all of my stuff, no matter where I am. If I’m trying to build some Auspicious Armor, for example, I’d rather not have to trek half way across the world just to find the chest I’ve sealed my Armor Fragments in.

Don’t get me wrong, this hasn’t ruined the game for me or anything. I tend to keep the important materials — like ingots, bricks, and twine, on my person at all times. But it has led to a couple of annoying moments, where I’ve forgotten the location in which I stored a crucial material.

Despite this, I’m still loving Pokopia a lot, and I've remained glued to it more than a month after its release. I even included it in my list of the top five Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch 2 — and it placed very well indeed. But I’m curious: have you also found some frustration with Pokopia’s storage system? Have you opted to create a giant warehouse for all of your stuff? Let me know in the comments.

I’ve played a lot of Pokémon over the years, including just about every mainline game, and a fair few spin-offs too. I didn’t actually start playing until Pokémon Black and White released, and I’d just hit age 10 (good times), but I swiftly made it my mission to go back to the days of Red and Blue, and work my way through the franchise’s catalogue.

Although the Pokémon games hit something of a rough patch on Nintendo Switch, it’s been pleasing to see a return to form of late, with some well-received releases and exciting new announcements to boot. OK, I’m not sure if I’m a fan of the recently revealed starters for Pokémon Winds and Waves (although Gecqua is pretty solid). However, we did get Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Pokopia, and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness on Nintendo Switch 2 within the span of just one month.

And with the Switch 2’s recent influx of Pokémon titles, I got thinking. What are the best Pokémon games that you can play on Nintendo’s latest hybrid console? So, I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 pocket monster outings available on Switch 2. Notably, this list includes Switch games playable on Switch 2 and brings together spin-offs as well as mainline entries.

I’m sure that just about everyone will have a different top five to mine — and indeed to each other — so please do let me know your favorite Pokémon games on Switch 2 down in the comments! Right, without further ado, let’s dive into my list.

5. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

OK, put your pitchforks away. Look, as someone who pre-ordered Pokémon Violet in 2022, I shared a lot of the outrage over this game's performance. Poor framerates — especially in built-up areas — and poor graphical quality definitely felt like a shame to see. But things have changed.

That’s right, Scarlet and Violet got a free upgrade on Switch 2, which bumped up the resolution and smoothed out framerates, and it feels so much better to play now.

But it’s not all about performance. I’m probably more positive than most on this entry, I’ll admit, but I couldn’t help but admire its ambition. Instead of using a fully linear progression system, Scarlet and Violet opted for multiple storylines — one where players collect gym badges, another where they’re tasked with defeating Team Star, and a third where they have to hunt down Titan Pokémon.

That final pathway was my favorite, and although the omission of level scaling made the game's difficulty far too low, I still appreciated its more varied approach.

The diminished linearity in story progression was also reflected in the open world. And although I’m still not fully sold on open-world Pokémon, I preferred this setting over Pokémon Sword and Shield's semi-open-world, which felt stuck in an awkward and unsatisfying middle place.

More generally, I do think Scarlet and Violet surpassed their predecessors. Your rival in Sword and Shield is a constant annoyance, the Pokédex is pretty weak (though I do like the starters and box-art legendaries), and the Galar region is pretty forgettable. Personally, I found that Scarlet and Violet offered a more exciting experience, with more engaging characters and a better set of ‘mons — including the iconic Lechonk and Tatsugiri.

Are Pokémon Scarlet and Violet perfect? Absolutely not, even with performance upgrades. And would I consider them great games? Still no. But I do think that Pokémon fans will find something to enjoy here, and if you like open-world environments, then you may find a soft spot for this entry.

4. Pokémon Legends: Arceus

I recently got a chance to return to Pokémon Legends: Arceus on my Switch 2, following the release of Handheld Mode Boost on Nintendo’s latest console. This new feature makes the game look way better when playing handheld, so it’s a great time to return to this one — or to try it out for the first time.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus was a big deal for series fans at the point of its release. It represented Pokémon’s step towards more expansive worlds, with vast open areas and more freedom in exploration. And although this entry didn’t provide a ‘true’ open world for players to venture through, being able to ride across Hisui on Wyrdeer, Ursaluna, and co felt liberating.

Although the Legends games are technically considered mainline entries, they offer a departure from the usual formula.

You’re not out to collect Gym Badges, the battle system is updated with Agile and Strong attacks, and trainers can even take damage from Pokémon in battle. Though I wasn’t won over by these new attack types, I enjoyed swapping the Gym Leader challenge format with a mission to build the Hisui region’s first Pokédex. And taking damage in battle makes for a more immersive and frantic experience, as well as some seriously memorable encounters.

Just catching Pokémon is surprisingly enjoyable in this game, even when using motion controls. Especially throwing Poké Balls from distance to snag an oversized alpha ‘mon — honestly, it's so satisfying.

Like Scarlet and Violet, this is far from a perfect entry — there’s some uninteresting dialogue, visual quirks, and controversial battle mechanics to deal with. But all in all, Pokémon Legends: Arceus made for a fun twist on the tried and tested formula, and kept me invested from start to finish.

3. Pokkén Tournament DX

Does anybody else remember this one? Although it's been forgotten by many, Pokkén Tournament DX is, for me, easily one of the best Pokémon games playable on Nintendo Switch 2.

For the uninitiated, Pokkén Tournament — which combines Pokémon with the mechanics of Bandai Namco’s Tekken games — is a fighting game, originally released for Japanese arcades in 2015. One year later, the game was launched on Nintendo’s ill-fated Wii U console, and a director’s cut edition came to Switch in 2017.

As one of the (very) few people who owned a Wii U, I absolutely loved Pokkén Tournament when it arrived on the system. It has an absolutely exceptional character roster, brilliantly blends 2D and 3D fighting game mechanics, and has a great soundtrack to boot. DX only expands on that, adding new fighters such as Scizor and Darkrai, new support Pokémon, new game modes, and more.

Other than Super Smash Bros., I’m not massively into fighters, but Pokkén still captured my attention, so I’d highly recommend it to anyone. The Practice mode is excellent for learning how to crush your opponents with combos, and there’s even something of a story mode to advance through. And much like Legends: Arceus, this title looks much better with the new Handheld Mode Boost, so why not give it a shot?

2. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

I really wrestled with putting this one up at number one, but alas, it falls just short. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are some of the greatest mainline games in the series, and serve as spectacular remakes of the titles that started it all — Pokémon Red and Blue.

Venturing through Kanto feels fantastic in these entries — gameplay is balanced, rather than overly easy, great pacing is maintained throughout, and the original ‘mons look as good as ever too. Honestly, the original lineup of 151 'mons is phenomenal. Sure, I enjoyed using fan favorites like Raichu, Blastoise, and Ninetales, but I also felt compelled to try some lesser-loved pocket monsters, like the bizarre Mr. Mime.

Although it would’ve been good to see online trading and battling capabilities brought to this recent Switch and Switch 2 re-release, there’s also something nostalgic about playing with a friend locally. And I’ve had a lot of fun challenging my friends and nabbing their version exclusives (I went with LeafGreen, for anyone interested).

In addition, I love how this release included event tickets so that you can catch Deoxys, Ho-Oh, and Lugia.

If you want to play one of the definitive mainline entries on your Switch 2, it won’t get better than FireRed and LeafGreen, in my opinion…that is, unless we get Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald!

1. Pokémon Pokopia

Is it too early to say this? Honestly, I’m not sure, but I’m going to do it anyway. Pokémon Pokopia is the best Pokémon game that you can play on Nintendo Switch 2, and one of the best games the series has ever produced.

As someone who didn't love Animal Crossing: New Horizons and, in general, doesn’t get much of a kick out of ‘cozy’ games, Pokopia has been a revelation for me. It’s one of the most addictive games I’ve played in recent years, with charismatic, lovable characters, genuinely enjoyable crafting and building, and a mysterious post-apocalyptic setting.

Playing as Ditto, you’re able to replicate the abilities of so many other Pokémon, and using these to cultivate new habitats, reshape the landscape, and rebuild a fractured world is hugely gratifying. By helping out your fellow Pokémon, you’ll unlock new materials, recipes, and items. And gradually gaining the means to build grander buildings, better transport links, and stronger bonds with your friends is a great way to reward you, the player.

One key reason I put Pokopia up top is that it’s overflowing with personality. For me, the villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons didn’t always feel particularly interesting to interact with, but things are very different in Pokopia. You’ll hear ‘mons using Gen Z slang, yell phrases like “let’s get this place HUMID,” and all sorts. Unfortunately, Charmander doesn’t tell you he “frew up,” though. It was just an edit, guys.

Other than a slightly frustrating storage management system, I have very few complaints to level against Pokopia. And as the only real Pokémon exclusive on Switch 2, I’m delighted that this entry’s got what it takes to be number one.

• Players have reported that Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is crashing on Nintendo Switch 2
• Nintendo confirms that it’s looking into the issue and planning a fix via its Japanese support account on social media platform, X
• “Please wait a little longer” says Nintendo, with no specified date given for the upcoming patch

The Nintendo Classics version of Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness launched on Nintendo Switch 2 just one week ago, but players have already reported issues with the release.

Nintendo’s Japanese support account on X released a statement, saying in a translated post that it had “received inquiries regarding errors occurring and the game crashing”.

It followed this up by assuring fans that “we [Nintendo] are currently investigating the matter to find a solution”. Indeed, a fix is in the works for this classic GameCube title, but it is yet to be rolled out, with Nintendo adding “we will inform you as soon as we have further information, so please wait a little longer”.

Between my overlong Pokopia play sessions, I’ve been making my way through Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. And although I’m yet to encounter any technical issues, this news did have me slightly worried.

Luckily, though, Nintendo has offered a suggestion for players who want to keep their save data protected against random crashes. For the moment, it urged players to “please use the ‘Save Anywhere’ function in the ‘Suspend Menu’ within the game”.

In light of these issues, Nintendo concluded by saying “”we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or trouble this may have caused”.

For the uninitiated, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness was originally released on the GameCube in 2005, and serves as a follow-up to Pokémon Colosseum. After an evil syndicate creates twisted shadow Pokémon, it’s up to the player and their partner, Eevee, to stop the malevolent plot and purify the hearts of the afflicted pocket monsters.

I’ve been seriously enjoying this stylish and engaging adventure so far, so hopefully a patch will release quickly to set players’ minds at ease.

I recently finished playing through Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on Nintendo Switch 2, and it managed to pull me back to a series that I’d neglected for some time. I adored travelling back to the Game Boy Advance (GBA) era, having a few genuinely challenging battles, and filling out my Pokédex — it was a great time.

But perhaps the thing I most enjoyed about my playthrough was constructing a well-rounded team of six Pokémon. Towards the back-end of my journey, I realized that I only had five ‘mons in my party. I’d trained my Squirtle into a bulky Blastoise, I’d used evolutionary stones to get Raichu, Ninetales, and Victreebel, and I’d grinded it out at the Game Corner to get Dratini, which eventually became a Dragonite.

That last slot needed filling before I took on the last few gym leaders, Elite Four, and Champion…but which pocket monster could step up to the plate? Well, it happened to be a Pokémon available via an in-game trade, and one that would be an absolute unit. I’ll reveal its identity down below, and share how to obtain this mighty ‘mon for yourself.

Hated by many, loved by me

If you hadn’t already guessed, the final Pokémon on my roster was the one and only Mr. Mime. Although this ‘mon is hated by many — predominantly due to its slightly unsettling appearance — I have to say that it holds a special place in my heart now.

Mr. Mime is just so mighty in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. “Really?!” you may cry. Really. Here’s why.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are Generation III games, and at this point, a moves’ type would determine whether it is physical or special. As a result, the strength of Mr. Mime’s Psychic-type moves is determined by its special attack stat — and this is very high indeed.

You also get ‘same-type attack bonus’ (STAB) on Psychic-type moves, given that Mr. Mime is, of course, a Psychic-type itself. As a result, you can hit foes with mega damage with moves like Psybeam and Psychic. The Mime also gets access to other special moves like Shock Wave and Magical Leaf, giving it phenomenal coverage, enabling it to crush many opponents. Pair that with its very meaty special defence and high speed stat, and you’re looking at a genuine machine.

Sure, Mr. Mime has middling defence and a poor HP stat, but in Gen III, Psychic-types were only weak to the special-attacking Dark-type, the underpowered Bug-type, and the uncommon Ghost-type. Not bad, really.

When bearing all of this in mind, Mr. Mime is excellent at dispatching the likes of the Poison-type Gym Leader, Koga, the Elite Four’s Bruno, and the various Team Rocket thugs you’ll encounter.

It will also level up incredibly quickly, thanks to its medium-to-fast experience-gain rate and the fact that it’s available via an in-game trade. Traded ‘mons with a different Trainer ID to your own will level up a lot faster, meaning Mr. Mime will grow at a ridiculously rapid rate.

OK, but where can I get Mr. Mime?

Right, I’ve convinced you. You want to add Mr. Mime to your team. Its zany appearance, its devastating Psychic-type attacks, its speedy level-up rate…whatever you do, don't skip this 'mon. But how can you actually obtain Mr. Mime?

Well, it’s fairly simple. In a house on Route 2, just south of Diglett Cave, you’ll be able to find a trainer who’s willing to trade with you. He’ll request an Abra in return for his Mr. Mime, named MIMIEN. If you don’t already have Abra, then don’t worry. It may not be the easiest Pokémon to obtain, but there are a couple of ways to get your hands on one.

First of all, you could catch Abra on Route 24 or 25, near Cerulean City. It will use Teleport on the first turn, so you’ll have to throw a Poké Ball straight away, use a status move like Sleep Powder to prevent it from moving, or use a Pokémon that can trap Abra, like Diglett, which has the special ability Arena Trap. If you’re getting Mr. Mime later into your playthrough, you could also use coins earned at the Celadon Game Corner to buy an Abra.

When you’ve finally got your Abra, make sure to add it to your party and head on over to the trainer on Route 2. Accept the trade and…you finally have your Mr. Mime — congrats!

So, will you be using Mr. Mime in a playthrough of Pokémon FireRed or LeafGreen? Would you prefer to trade with a friend and get your hands on Alakazam? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you, so make sure to drop a comment.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness has finally landed on Nintendo Switch 2! There’s been a bit of a wait, but if you’re subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, you can play the game right now, and I, for one, can’t wait to play through the GameCube classic. I’m also pretty happy I won’t have to buy a pre-owned copy on GameCube…those prices are quite something.

Anyway, if this is your first time playing Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, then you may not know that it differs quite a bit from the mainline games. And while I won’t drill into all of those differences here, it’s worth noting one key detail: you don’t get to choose one of three starter ‘mons in this entry. No, instead you’ll start the game with one pre-determined Pokémon: Eevee.

As you progress through the game, you’ll have the opportunity to evolve your starter into one of the many Eeveelutions, but which one should you pick? Well, I’ve compared and contrasted each option, and I think I know which Eeeveelution stands above the rest. Interested? Then here’s what I’d evolve my Eevee into in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

Who not to use

OK, let’s get something important out of the way. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness initially came out back in 2005 – before games like Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were released. As a result, a few Eeveelutions, like Sinnoh’s Glaceon and Leafeon, and Kalos’ Sylveon, are not available.

Instead, you’ll be able to evolve your Eevee into one of the following options: the Water-type, Vaporeon; the Electric-type, Jolteon; the Fire-type, Flareon; the Psychic-type, Espeon; or the Dark-type, Umbreon. Of course, you could keep it unevolved if you’d prefer – though I suspect most of you would like a more powerful Pokémon. So who should you choose?

Well, if anything, it would be easier for me to suggest who not to use.

The first Eeveelution I’d recommend against using is Umbreon. That’s not to say that this fan favorite isn’t any good – no, no. But I’d argue that it’s not the ideal pick. Umbreon may have impressive defensive qualities, but unfortunately, it suffers from a low speed stat, and it doesn’t hit particularly hard. We’re not talking about competitive play here — we’re talking about a general playthrough, and so I’d suggest going for an alternate Dark type like Sharpedo or Houndoom, who can sweep through your opponents’ 'mons with ease.

Another Eeveelution I’d advise against using is Flareon. Again, if you go with Flareon, it will still hold its own, but you could do better. Like Umbreon, it’s on the sluggish side, and although it has a high attack stat, fire moves are special in this generation. As a result, you can’t get the most out of moves like Flamethrower, and I’d again suggest using Houndoom as an alternative.

My top pick: it’s a tight call

Other than Umbreon and Flareon, I think you’ll be happy with any of the remaining Eeveelutions. However, I’m still going to recommend one option above all others. And that option is none other than Espeon.

Espeon is just so powerful in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. In 2005, the Psychic-type was still very strong indeed, and Espeon has great stats to boot — especially its high special attack and impressive speed. Pair that with an excellent learn-set, including the almighty Psychic and the potentially flinch-inducing Bite, and you’re getting a seriously strong Eeveelution.

So, Espeon is my top pick, but I have to say, it’s a tight call. That’s because Jolteon, the Electric-type, is a massively viable alternative.

Jolteon is incredibly fast, hits surprisingly hard, and has access to crushing moves, like Thunderbolt and Thunder. Jolteon will be a big help throughout your journey, and if you’d rather use a Psychic-type like Gardevoir over Espeon, then it would be my top recommendation.

I’d also like to give a shout-out to Vaporeon. It's bulky and can learn Surf, a very powerful move. But ultimately, there are other powerful water types, like the aforementioned Sharpedo. So personally, I’d go with Espeon or Jolteon instead.

How to evolve Eevee

All of this is good and well, but you may be wondering: how can I evolve my Eevee?

Well, luckily, it’s quite simple. Fairly early into your playthrough, you’ll gain access to an area called Gateon Port. And in this location, you’ll be able to find a store with some incredibly important items, including evolutionary stones and shards.

In order to get Vaporeon, you’ll need to grab the Water Stone. For Jolteon, it’s the Thunder Stone. And for Flareon, you can pick up a Fire Stone.

Although your Eevee only needs high friendship to evolve into Umbreon or Espeon in the mainline games, things work a little differently in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. Sure, you'll need to have a strong friendship with your Eevee, but you'll also require a Moon Shard to evolve it into Umbreon, or a Sun Shard to evolve it into Espeon. These items are also available at Gateon Port.

And that’s all there is to it. Will you be playing Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness on Nintendo Switch 2? Which Pokémon are you going to evolve your Eevee into? I’d love to hear from you, so let me know your thoughts in the comments!

It’s undeniable that the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 versions of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have attracted controversy from fans. Some felt that the games should’ve been available through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Some felt that they were released at a slightly high price point. And some mourned the omission of Wi-Fi functionality.

But there’s one thing that all Pokémon fans must surely appreciate about these re-released classics: the inclusion of event tickets. That’s right, once you’ve defeated the Champion in FireRed and LeafGreen, you’ll be granted the Mystic Ticket and the Aurora Ticket. The former enables you to catch the Pokémon Gold and Silver cover stars, Ho-Oh and Lugia, while the latter is required to catch Deoxys.

I had a blast collecting these legendary and mythical Pokémon, but in my hunt to complete the Pokédex, I decided to go looking for another – one that is known, above all, for being elusive. The ‘mon I’m talking about, of course, is Mew.

So, can you catch Mew in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch and Switch 2? Here’s everything you need to know.

A glimpse into the future?

OK, so let’s get something out of the way first. No matter what you try, you won’t be able to find Mew near the truck in Vermilion City. Would’ve been cool, but ah well.

But is there another way to grab Mew in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen? Unfortunately, no. Well, not yet at least – though I’m holding out a lot of hope for the future. Here’s what I have in mind.

I'll start by saying this: it really feels like we could get Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in the not-too-distant future.

Why? Well, first of all, when you play through the post-game, you help to reconstruct a machine for Celio on the Sevii Islands – a machine that enables you to trade from the Hoenn titles: Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. On top of that, it’s currently impossible to complete your National Dex on the Switch and Switch 2 versions of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen – largely due to the player’s inability to transfer ‘mons from those other Gen 3 titles.

As a result, it would make a lot of sense for Nintendo to re-release entries like Pokémon Emerald – a game which actually had a special event for Mew on the Game Boy Advance. Through a distribution, it was possible for players to obtain the Old Sea Map, an item that would grant access to a location called Faraway Island. Here, you could encounter the floating psychic creature, Mew, and catch it once and for all.

Sure, this was a special event – and the Old Sea Map was only distributed in Japan and Taiwan back in 2005. But we did get those special event items for Deoxys, Ho-Oh, and Lugia in the Switch and Switch 2 release of FireRed and LeafGreen. And so you would hope that we’d also get the Old Sea Map after defeating Pokémon Emerald’s Champion, too – in the event of a re-release, that is.

If we were to get Pokémon Emerald on newer gen systems, you’d expect that players would have the chance to trade Mew across to FireRed and LeafGreen via Celio’s machine. Am I being overly hopeful here? Maybe. But I really want to add Mew to my ‘dex!

Could you see this happening? Are you expecting to see the Hoenn games land on Switch and Switch 2? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so make sure to drop a comment.

I looked at my watch. It was only 1pm, and Bulbasaur was already asleep.

For the last few days, I have been getting to grips with Garmin's new Pokémon Sleep integration, released to coincide with last week's World Sleep Day (and the long-running franchise's 30th anniversary).

As well as integration with the Pokémon Sleep app, the collab also debuted new watch faces that react to your current sleep and Body Battery. As Garmin users likely know, Body Battery is a metric that helps determine daily readiness for activity, a score from 0-100 based on sleep quality, activity, stress and heart rate variability. Body Battery depletes during the day, and gets restored at night.

A Body Battery of 100 means you're fully rested and ready to take on the day, resulting in a happy, energetic-looking Pokémon pal on your wrist. This particular Pokémon Sleep integration feature is very clever: it's like a Tamagotchi for adults, and you 'feed' the digital animal by taking care of yourself and getting good sleep.

I hadn't seen Bulbasaur look happy and energetic at all, even after I first downloaded the Pokémon Sleep watch face on my Garmin Fenix 8 Pro (the best Garmin watch overall, if you don't mind paying the premium) the previous day. As soon as I enabled the integration and picked my Pokémon, Bulbasaur's face dropped into a neutral expression, then a droopy, tired one, falling asleep around 8pm. It was another four hours before I finally followed suit and went to bed.

I woke up with a Body Battery of 49. Not only had I exhausted my reserves the previous day, but I only regained around 40% of my capacity, despite a decent-ish sleep score of 78. Consequently, Bulbasaur awoke looking tired, and fell asleep by the early afternoon as my Body Battery score depleted once again.

I knew what was to blame, of course: I'm in the middle of a very busy house move, which also includes a fair bit of renovation. I've been spending evenings and weekends packing, painting and DIY-ing, cursing to myself as I attack skirting boards with the wrong type of saw for the job, shirking water for coffee, and throwing salty frozen meals in the oven at 9pm because I'm too tired to cook. None of this is conducive to waking up well-rested.

I've been tempted to take my watch off for this, or least disable the Pokémon Sleep integration so I don't feel responsible for a sleep-deprived starter 'mon. A report from Newcastle University found that fitness trackers can actually be a source of stress, citing research indicating that "the negative psychological reactions that arise from the features and designs of fitness technologies — such as feedback systems, goal-setting functions, and gamified or social elements.

"For instance, unmet goals or negative feedback can make consumers feel anxious and guilty, while comparative aspects of these technologies are associated with stress."

In what was already a stressful time as I juggled work and the house move process, the pressure to take care of myself could have piled yet more stress on. Gamifying wellness means you feel good when you 'win', but you also feel bad when you 'lose'. A bad sleep score on my wrist makes me feel like I've failed in a way, but waking up to an exhausted little plant-creature adds another emotional layer to the disappointment.

Nevertheless, I was determined to see Bulbasaur happy. Despite being as busy as ever and eating late yet again, I made a concerted effort to optimize my sleep as best I could over the next two nights. I rehydrated as soon as I got in, made a point of switching a mid-stress comfort snack (chocolate) to a healthy one (apple), and eventually went to bed armed with a chamomile tea and a book, leaving my phone in the other room. No more doomscrolling to distract myself from my lengthy jobs list.

Success! After night two, Bulbasaur awoke with a big smile on its face, feeling happy and energized. It lasted around 30 minutes before his expression shifted back to neutral, indicating that I still had a ways to go to improve my Body Battery score, but I did manage to snap a picture as soon as I saw it.

This is the brilliance of Garmin's new Pokémon Sleep integration: Bulbasaur managed to convince me (via emotional blackmail) that even a little self-care is worth it, as I'm now equipped with more energy to attack another busy week. Pokémon's shameless gamification of my health helped me reclaim a nightly routine, even if it guilt-tripped me into it.

The watch faces are free to download if you're a Garmin user. If Bulbasaur doesn't do it for you, there's 47 other Pokémon to choose from, as well as a 'Snorlax & Friends' watch face – here's how to download your watch face of choice.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have been out for a couple of weeks now on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and I’ve been loving these re-released classics. I’ve been busy filling out the Pokédex, hunting for shinies, and even battling with my friends in person.

But whether you’ve finished the game as I have, or if you’re just starting out, I’m sure you’ll agree that there’s one moment that sticks in the memory above all. Of course, I’m talking about selecting your starter. Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle…who will it be?

Your decision is a big one. Bulbasaur provides the easiest ride with his incredible performance in the early game, which is a big plus. Squirtle is a great all-rounder and offers a whole lot of bulk. And Charmander, while needing a bit of support in the beginning, goes on to blossom into one of the most iconic Pokémon of all time. It’s a tough call.

But the starter you choose has even more consequences than you may have thought at first. That’s because your selection will have an impact on which legendary Pokémon are available to you in the post-game. Until recently, I had no idea this was even a thing, so I’m here to share some intel with all of you. Interested? I’ll reveal all down below.

A beastly encounter

Although most of the ‘mons you encounter in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are set – and aren’t dependent on any player choices – there are some exceptions.

Of course, there are some version exclusives, like how Growlithe is only available in FireRed and Vulpix is only seen in LeafGreen – but there’s more. For instance, the mythical Pokémon Deoxys will assume a different form depending on the game version you have – something I wrote about very recently.

But one legendary encounter will come down to the biggest player choice of all: your starter selection. And that’s because your pick will decide which one of the Johto region’s Legendary Beasts you can encounter.

Essentially, the starter Pokémon you choose will have a type weakness to the legendary that’s available to you. For instance, those who pick Bulbasaur can catch Entei, those who go with Charmander can bag Suicune, and the enlightened among you who selected Squirtle can get Raikou.

There’s no way to catch the other legendaries on your save, so in order to fill out your dex, you’ll need to trade locally with players who made different starter selections. For example, my colleague Nikita chose Charmander, meaning I could register her Suicune, while she could register my Raikou.

But how do you even go about getting these Legendary Beasts? Well, this can actually be slightly frustrating.

The Legendary Beasts are roaming Pokémon, meaning they move from route to route as they please. When you encounter them, they’re at level 50 and will flee on the first turn. My recommendation is to have a Pokémon that’s in the level 40-49 range, and run through the grass in Route 1 and Route 2 with a repel active.

Eventually, the Legendary Beast will reveal itself, and you can catch it. If you’ve not already used your Master Ball, I’d strongly recommend using it here, in order to avoid chasing either Raikou, Entei, or Suicune around the Kanto region.

And that’s all there is to it. Have you caught one of the Legendary Beasts yet? Have you been enjoying playing through FireRed or LeafGreen on your Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2? I’d love to hear from you, so be sure to drop a comment.

• This is not a drill – 49 different Pokémon watch faces just dropped on Garmin Connect
• The Pokémon Sleep watch faces include one with Snorlax and friends, and another featuring your choice of one of 48 different Pokémon
• The Pokémon look tired when your Body Battery score gets low

Pokémon Sleep watch faces just dropped for the best Garmin watches, and I am very excited. To celebrate Pokémon's 30th anniversary, Garmin has released two different watch faces on its Garmin Connect IQ store, both of which are now available to download for free.

If there are only officially two watch faces, why have I said there are 49, I hear you ask? Well, one of them, titled 'Pokémon Sleep: Snorlax & Friends' features a medley of Pokémon clustered around the titular Snorlax. However, the second, called 'Pokémon Sleep: I Choose You' can be customized to star your choice of 48 different Pokémon. So you can put a Venusaur on your Venu 4, a Feraligator on your Fenix 8, or an Eevee on your Epix Pro. You can change your choice at any time.

The best part, aside from the watch faces being free downloads? According to Garmin, 'the poses on both watch faces will change throughout the day — from happy and smiling to tired and sleepy — based on the user’s Body Battery energy levels'.

I've just downloaded Bulbasaur (I've always had a soft spot for the grass-type starter, as it was my go-to back on the original Game Boy) and I'm looking forward to seeing it snooze on my wrist.

Garmin says the watch faces are for 'select watches' including Venu, Forerunner, Fenix and Vivoactive, but I also spotted Garmin's Marq, Epix, Quatix, Descent and Instinct 3 (AMOLED) watches available on the list of compatible devices. Most modern AMOLED screen Garmins should be able to run them without issue.

How to download the new Pokémon Sleep watch faces

1. Download the Garmin Connect IQ store
2. From the IQ Home, tap the Search tab
3. Search 'Pokémon Sleep'
4. Download the watch faces onto a compatible Garmin watch
5. Sync your device using the Sync button at the top right of the Connect IQ store

Which Pokémon can you choose from?

Here are all the options on the Pokémon Sleep: I Choose You watch face:

• Bulbasaur
• Ivysaur
• Venusaur
• Charmander
• Charmeleon
• Charizard
• Squirtle
• Wartortle
• Blastoise
• Pikachu
• Raichu
• Eevee
• Vaporeon
• Jolteon
• Flareon
• Chikorita
• Bayleef
• Meganium
• Cyndaquil
• Quilava
• Typhlosion
• Totodile
• Croconaw
• Feraligator
• Pichu
• Espeon
• Umbreon
• Treecko
• Grovyle
• Sceptile
• Torchic
• Combusken
• Blaziken
• Mudkip
• Marshtomp
• Swampert
• Leafeon
• Glaceon
• Sylveon
• Sprigatito
• Floragato
• Meowscarada
• Fuecoco
• Crocalor
• Skeledirge
• Quaxly
• Quaxwell
• Quaquaval

I was six when my Pokémon journey began. In 2004, I got a Game Boy Advance SP and went to a local toy store with my parents to get two games — I chose Sonic Advance 2 and Pokémon LeafGreen.

I’d play FireRed later, as well as Yellow, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and so on through the series (though I did stop doubling up for most generations from Diamond onwards), but LeafGreen was where it started. So it felt right for me to celebrate the series’ 30th birthday by enjoying the Nintendo Switch rerelease.

It’s everything I remember it being.

The look, the sound, the sense of adventure, it's all there perfectly recaptured on Nintendo’s latest system, and on Friday, 27th February, from 6pm until 3am, I couldn’t put this game down — I literally fell asleep on the sofa with my Switch 2 controllers in my hands.

When I awoke — at 1pm the next day — I grabbed a glass of water, nestled back into the groove in my couch, and picked up where I left off. I was in my own personal corner of heaven.

I adore this game. It hits the nostalgia sweet spot in a way only a few titles ever hope to be able to, and at the same time, I think it delivers the quintessential Pokémon experience that anyone can enjoy (be they newcomers or longtime fans like me). In fact, if you have yet to experience the phenomenon, this might be an excellent jumping-in point.

I do, however, feel this special release needed something a little more to completely justify itself to returning fans — beyond being simply existing in a way that isn’t a GBA cartridge.

Let’s Go

Remakes of the original Red and Green, which kicked off the series, FireRed and LeafGreen follow the same classic beats of the Kanto region that players first experienced in 1996.

You begin in Pallet Town where in Professor Oak’s Lab you choose one of Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle to be your starting companion before heading off on your adventure to catch and train more Pocket Monsters (aka Pokémon), and defeat eight powerful Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and Kanto’s champion — while also foiling the plans of the evil Team Rocket, and collecting 150 Kanto ‘mons for your PokéDex (Mew isn’t available in the Switch version for now).

There’s a sense of exploration to Kanto that isn’t so present in later titles. While there are hints you can learn by talking to non-player characters (NPCs), there’s not often a clear ‘Go here next’ sign to follow — especially in the middle section of the story, post gym three, where you are much freer to explore the remainder of the map.

This imbues FireRed and LeafGreen with a sense that this is a proper adventure rather than a pre-defined story you’re wandering through the beats of.

There’s something tough about the battles, too, that presents a more engaging challenge than the most recent generations. EXP isn’t shared amongst your whole team in these classics, keeping your party at a more balanced level to your foes, and there isn’t an abundance of Pokémon to choose from to build a perfect team early on, like you can in later entries.

I’m playing through the game as a Nuzlocke — a fan-made challenge based on the Pokémon: Hard Mode web comic by Nick Franco which imposes a few extra rules limiting how many ‘mons you can catch, and forcing you to release any that are defeated in battle — and after Nuzlocking later generations, where the concept of losing two companions to a Rattata in a single fight is inconceivable, I haven’t been entirely respectful of the difficulties LeafGreen can present and faced the consequences.

Hunting for something shiny

You can tell I adore LeafGreen and FireRed as much now as I did the original Game Boy games, but as I’m sitting playing them on my Nintendo Switch 2, I am left wanting more.

Unlike other Game Boy Advance ports on the Switch consoles, these aren’t part of the GBA catalogue you can access via the Switch Online + Expansion Pass membership, which costs $49.99 / £34.99 / AU$59.95 for 12 months. Instead, the games cost $19.99 / £16.99 / AU$30 each.

There are some advantages to keeping these games separate from the emulator, such as indefinite offline play and Pokémon Home integration, and some of the Nintendo Classics emulator’s tools (like rewind) could enable exploits the series tends to avoid (though that didn’t stop the return of arbitrary code execution with these Switch ports).

However, if Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are asking us to pay a premium for these entries compared to other GBA games on the Switch system, I would have liked something a little more than a simple rerelease (though I do appreciate the inclusion of event tickets, which you can unlock after defeating the Elite Four).

I’m not asking for much. Maybe a new small area to help with filling out the National Dex, challenge mode options like a randomizer or releasing them as a double pack with Ruby and Sapphire.

Perhaps I’m just spoiled by still having both of the original cartridges in a box under my bed alongside my aged Game Boy Advance, so I can play the originals whenever I want, but given this is the series 30th birthday, an extra splash of special to these launches would have been a cherry on top of what is otherwise a superb return to Kanto.

Should you play Pokémon LeafGreen and FireRed?

Play it if...

Don't buy it if...

Accessibility

Pokémon LeafGreen and FireRed don't have any specific in-built accessibility features, but they don't need them to be accessible.

The game's turn-based battles and simpler exploration allow you to play completely at your own pace in a way that should be approachable to almost everyone. You only ever need to be able to press one button at a time, so if you can do that, you can enjoy Pokémon LeafGreen.

How I tested Pokémon LeafGreen / FireRed

I have mostly played Pokémon LeafGreen for this review, and I have been enjoying it on my Nintendo Switch 2. To best mimic my classic GBA experience, I’ve played a lot of this game in handheld mode, though I did also play a lot in docked mode — especially during longer sessions where my Switch’s battery life became a concern.

On my Amazon Fire QLED TV, the classic game actually looked pretty good. I was expecting a blurry mess, but the sprites maintained their handheld charm.

My docked controller of choice is usually my 8BitDo Ultimate 2, though I did use my Joy-Cons a lot in my testing, so I could play a little more lazily on my couch.

First reviewed February-March 2026.

I just finished up with Pokémon LeafGreen on my Nintendo Switch 2, and it was an absolute blast. It was one of the few mainline Pokémon games I hadn’t yet played, and honestly, I’d already consider it among the best entries in the series. It’s well-paced, has a great set of ‘mons, and even delivers some challenging moments – by the series’ standards, at least.

Personally, it had to be LeafGreen over FireRed for me. The version exclusives are simply superior in my view – I’ve always had a soft spot for Bellsprout, Slowpoke is endearingly goofy, and controversially, I much prefer Ninetales to Arcanine.

However, something I wasn’t aware of before starting my game is that the version you choose also has a big impact on a post-game mythical encounter. Consider this your spoiler warning if you want to keep the post-Elite Four content a secret, because I’ll be revealing this crucial version difference down below.

Different versions, different DNA

OK, here’s the deal. When you’ve assembled the ultimate Pokémon team, won all of the eight Gym Badges, and defeated the Elite Four and Champion, it may seem like you’ve completed your journey. But there’s more to do.

You can grab the National Pokédex, snag creatures from the Johto and Hoenn regions, and even get your mitts on some legendary Pokémon. You can capture the legendary birds (if you didn’t do so before the Elite Four), Mewtwo, and even one of the legendary dogs – though your encounter will differ depending on the starter you chose.

With the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 versions of FireRed and LeafGreen, though, you’ll be given access to some special items that were previously distributed via special events. The items in question are the Mystic Ticket and the Aurora Ticket.

By using the Mystic Ticket, you can take a ferry from Vermilion City and travel to Navel Rock. In this area, you can ascend to the fourth floor and catch Pokémon Gold mascot Ho-Oh, and also descend deep into the basement to bag yourself Pokémon Silver’s cover star, Lugia. These two have low catch rates and access to the move Recover, meaning they’re pretty tough to catch, but if you use a status move and get their health nice ‘n’ low, you’ll get them eventually.

But here’s where the version you choose comes into play. See, when you use the Aurora Ticket at Vermilion City, you’ll be able to set sail to Birth Island – a small, secluded location with a very special Pokémon indeed. After solving a quick puzzle, you’ll encounter none other than the mythical DNA Pokémon, Deoxys – one of my favorite creatures in the whole franchise.

Deoxys is only level 30, and isn’t very difficult to capture. I paralyzed it, got its HP down to a sliver, and got it in a Great Ball without too much trouble. When you do battle, Deoxys will assume its ‘Normal Forme’. But after capturing it, the Pokémon will morph into one of two variations, depending on whether you chose FireRed or LeafGreen.

If you went with Pokémon FireRed, you’ll get Deoxys in ‘Attack Forme’ – a variant with heightened Attack and Special Attack stats, but very limited Defense and Special Defense. As you may have guessed, LeafGreen players will get Deoxys in ‘Defense Forme’ – a variant with great Defense and Special Defense, but lower Attack, Special Attack, and Speed.

Aesthetically, I’ve always been a big fan of Deoxys in ‘Defense Forme’ – his rounded appearance and flattened DNA-like arms look great in my view. And that’s a good thing too, as you’re unable to manually change Deoxys’ form in FireRed and LeafGreen – something that wasn’t available until the Generation IV games.

This version difference was something that I’d never heard about prior to beating the game, so if you’re still picking between FireRed and LeafGreen – and you’re a fellow Deoxys fan – then it’s something well-worth considering before selecting your title.

Pokémon Pokopia seems to be selling out in multiple parts of the world, with a whole host of major retailers appearing to have no stock left.

In the US, Amazon initially listed Pokémon Pokopia for $69.99, but suddenly raised the game’s price to $79.99 on March 9. Despite this, the title now appears to be ‘temporarily out of stock’, at least at the time of writing. I’ve spotted shortages outside of the US, however, with retailers like Currys, Smyths Toys, and even My Nintendo Store looking to have no physical copies left in the UK.

I even had an issue buying the game myself, with no in-person stores having any copies in my city. My go-to online retailers seemed to be running low too, which surprised me at first – after all, I don’t remember the last time a new game I wanted wasn’t in stock.

But anyway, this shortage suggests that physical copies were undersupplied at the retail level, and a few reports have started to circulate suggesting this. Of course, there could be a number of reasons for specific retailers being short on stock. But from the outside, it seems that – above all – both Nintendo and the Pokémon Company seriously underestimated the positivity of critic and user reception.

Pokémon Pokopia stock check links (Physical Edition)

Ditto does Animal Crossing, but better

Distributing a new video game can certainly come with its complications, and as I mentioned earlier, there could be a number of reasons for the Pokopia shortages. For instance, the relevant parties may have underestimated players’ appetite for physical media – even if Pokopia is, controversially, a Game-Key Card.

But the success of Pokopia – in terms of user satisfaction, but especially with its critical acclaim – has perhaps exceeded expectations. After all, who would’ve thought that Pokopia would rival Resident Evil Requiem for the highest rated game of 2026…let alone beat out *check’s notes* every single game in the Pokémon series (by critic score, at least).

As much as I – among others – didn’t foresee this spin-off’s widespread success, our Pokopia review, by the excellent Josephine Watson, shows exactly why the game has been such a hit.

Its ‘cozy life sim’ vibe has incredibly widespread appeal, and the game’s combination of delightful character designs with comedic dialogue seems to be gaining a lot of traction on social media. Whether it’s Charmander declaring that he ‘frew up’ or Bulbasaur exclaiming ‘let’s get this place HUMID!,’ the offbeat charm of this game is undeniable.

Even when it comes to the fundamentals – like Pokopia’s gameplay loop – there’s so much good stuff to discuss around Ditto’s island-building adventure.

We raved about the broad customization options, lively world, and surprisingly captivating story, and even bestowed the game with an illustrious five star rating. And sure, this game may appear similar to Nintendo’s very own Animal Crossing New Horizons, but we felt that Pokopia learned lessons from that title, and actually outclassed it in a number of areas. You can read the full review for more details.

So, to some degree, it appears that the lack of Pokopia physical copies is a symptom of the game's success. Not the worst problem to have, is it? And more generally, let’s hope that this entry's quality will be reflected in future games – especially main-line instalments like the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves.

Pokémon Pokopia stock check links (Physical Edition)

• Pokémon Pokopia is Metacritic's highest-rated Pokémon game of all time
• The Nintendo Switch game beats out Pokémon X/Y in average score and ties with Resident Evil Requiem
• The game launches on March 5

Pokémon Pokopia launches on Nintendo Switch 2 this week, and it's already Metacritic's highest-rated Pokémon game of all time.

As of writing, the upcoming Pokémon is sitting at an overall score of 88 on Metacritic based on 59 critical reviews. That makes Pokopia the best-rated game in the entire series.

Although Pokémon Y also has an 88 Metascore, its counterpart Pokémon X is sitting at 87, lowering the average score across both 3DS games. Pokopia also beats out Pokémon Sun/Moon, HeartGold/SoulSilver, and Black/White, all of which have an 87 score.

It's a cool achievement for Pokopia, but more so for the Pokémon series overall, which has seen middling critical reviews across its modern games for the past few years.

The game is also tied up with Resident Evil Requiem, which has an 88 Metascore, as well as Mewgenics and Esoteric Ebb, in Metacritic's Best Games of 2026.

Pokémon Pokopia is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive launching on March 5, so we'll have to wait and see what Metacritic score it receives from fans of the series.

TechRadar's Lifestyle Managing Editor Josephine Watson said she "underestimated how well Nintendo would tackle its latest town-building / cozy life sim" in her five-star Pokémon Pokopia review and praised its well-balanced gameplay loop, charming character design, broad customization options, and ample storyline content.

"It’s story-driven, offering a great gameplay loop, inventive mechanics, and very few friction points; Nintendo clearly learned from some of Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ quality-of-life hiccups," Watson said. "My only wish would be for a little more individuality in Poké-personalities, but it’s still plenty charming as it is."

Pokémon Pokopia has been somewhat of a mystery since its first announcement; it was evidently set to be a cozy game, but of what variety few could tell. Well, the answer is here; it’s part life sim, part town-building sim, part sandbox, and 100% great fun.

Nintendo passing the reins to Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force for this proved wise; their experience in making Dragon Quest Builders 2 proved invaluable in balancing Pokopia’s Animal Crossing-like cuteness and coziness with a solid storyline and satisfying gameplay loop. It's most certainly one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games.

As you’d expect, there’s always at least a little room for improvement, but overall, I am solidly impressed with the results; I found Pokopia incredibly hard to put down, and considering I’ve been working on a deadline to write up my review, that’s proved problematic!

Some prospective fans might be surprised to find that Pokopia is pretty story-driven; there’s ample side-questing, construction work, and resource collection to be enjoyed, too, but you’ll need to progress through the main quest lines to unlock new powers, areas, and Pokémon. While I love a sandbox game, the story focus of Pokopia really helps draw out the experience; had I not been working to a deadline, I could have comfortably enjoyed the first chapter (which I completed in roughly eight hours) for thrice as long.

I’m willing to hedge my bets that this will be a hugely popular title for the Nintendo Switch 2, and perhaps even a system seller; limited perhaps only by the fact that non-Pokémon fans might assume you’d need to love the monster-collecting role-playing games to enjoy Pokopia. Sure, you might miss out on a few references here and there, but I’d point any cozy game lover in the direction of Pokopia in a heartbeat.

Kanto region as you’ve never seen it before

In Pokopia, you play as a Ditto who awakens to a post-apocalyptic and alarmingly underpopulated world. It’s your mission to restore the land to its former glory, entice back the missing Pokémon, and perhaps, even, the humans that seem to have completely vanished without a trace. It’s a great concept with some surprisingly dark undertones, though no more sinister than movies like WALL-E, which broach similar topics.

For the uninitiated, the Ditto species has the ability to transform into other creatures; it’s relatively rare that the ability is used to transform into humans, but this particular Ditto, longing for its long-lost trainer, can maintain their former partner’s human form. Even more unusually, it’s able to concurrently mimic other Pokémon’s abilities, and it’s with these powers you’ll terraform the land around you. By all accounts, it seems like we’re in the Kanto region; in-game clues hint as much, though I’ve not reached a point in the main storyline where there’s absolute confirmation on that.

There’s a solid variety of really useful skills on offer, from Bulbasaur’s grass-growing Leafage to the power to glide acquired later in the game. These scale with you as your adventure progresses in a really satisfying way, speeding up the rate at which you can improve the environment and travel around the world. They do come with limitations; you’ve got a PP meter that refills each day, however, it’s pretty easy to refuel.

To learn these abilities, Ditto needs to see them in action, so the first call to order is creating habitats that missing Pokémon can live in. As you explore the various locations in the game, you’ll find hints for different habitats, which use a combination of natural objects like rocks, trees, flowers, and tall grass, environmental factors like height, as well as man-made furnishings to lure home different species.

Many are relatively easy to form, but some will require you to find or build items. I’d wager that despite powering through the storyline, I’m only about halfway through both the Pokédex and Habitat dex; there’s a lot of content to enjoy here.

It takes a village

The rarity of the Pokémon dictates how quickly it will appear, but after some waiting, different species will arrive and offer their support to Ditto as it works to improve the local towns. Each Pokémon has abilities to help these efforts; some can refine items like bricks and ingots, others can join your party to help as you quest around town, and some just know how to bring a great vibe to any function with abilities like Hype. Each have their own likes and dislikes, too, when it comes to decor.

Much like in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there are archetypes for characters and dialogue, and while there are lots of different topics, there’s a fair amount of duplication in line delivery when you stop to chat with Pokémon. It’s somewhat understandable given just how many species there are, but it’s frustratingly close to nailing it. The first time you meet a Pokémon, there’s a unique interaction that gives you a good idea of the wide-ranging personalities of these species, only to be quickly traded for more generic interactions. Conversations between other Pokémon are pretty consistently charming, at least, and show off their unique qualities much better.

Plus, there’s a distinct lack of sass here, too; you’re told Pokémon like Dartrix are “narcissistic” in the Pokédex, and yet he’s sweet as pie most of the time when you interact. Given there are so many mischievous, egotistical, and even downright aggressive Pokémon species, this feels like another missed opportunity from Nintendo to bring back some bite to its characters.

Still, I love that the Pokémon walk around your town, interacting with furnishings and decor you’ve placed as well as eachother. Sometimes they’ll bound over to you for a chat, to make a request or even to play a minigame like hide and seek – while these are pretty easy, it’s nice to break away and build your relationships. The world feels really lively, and I wasn’t convinced it would from early game footage nor my demo experience last month; I’m always glad to be wrong in moments like this.

Some smaller details like this do get lost in the mix; for example, sometimes, you might struggle to find a specific Pokémon you need. Presumably to offload the weight of having lots of Pokémon in one area at once, sometimes the game will remove residents from the world – but they also can just have strayed far from home. I happened to notice that it was possible to use the Pokédex to search for them around the map, and it’s only through an item description that I learned you could use honey on a habitat to summon its resident back into the world. Missing these tips meant I spent a good few hours earlier in my gameplay running in circles, ironically, trying to find Far’fetchd.

Broadly, though, the game handles these quality-of-life features and attention to detail incredibly well, and feels like Nintendo learned a lot of huge lessons from the early versions of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, even if I can still foresee an impatient younger player missing a trick or two and facing some frustration off the back of it.

Make a house a home

The centrepiece of each town is its Pokémon center, which you’ll need to rebuild; thankfully, the PC stationed nearby grants access to the Poké Life app, where you’ll find daily challenges and shop items to help on your journey as well as launch multiplayer modes and claim rewards.

Broadly, you progress through the game by improving the town’s environment level, which can also be tracked on the PC. You accomplish this by improving the habitats of your new pals; each day, they’ll request everything from decor to environmental changes, and meeting their demands will help you level up. You might find that these satisfaction levels even change for the worse if, for example, it starts raining and your fire Pokémon doesn’t have shelter, so it’s well worth checking in every day to see how things are changing for your Poképals.

If a Pokémon’s natural habitat just isn’t working out, that’s fine too; you can build everything from quick and space-efficient shanty huts for smaller species to grander block houses that multiple Pokémon can call home. Making your own structures and placing blocks can be a teensy bit fiddly at times, especially if you’re repairing pathways or dealing with larger-scale buildings, but you can use mouse mode, which allows for a little more fine motor control. Personally, I didn’t get on with this control system; however, I have dyspraxia, so I struggle with mouse mode at the best of times. I can see some players finding it useful, though.

There are also ample opportunities for customization, especially when it comes to building. I think players are going to have a lot of fun with this feature, which will be massively appreciated when it comes to the multiplayer experience, where players can show off their home islands.

Plus, some great tech mechanics make building much more than a cosmetic exercise, some of which I’ve barely scratched the surface of; from minecarts to electricity circuits and beyond, it will take a lot to recreate the world as humans left it. Thankfully, Drifloon can whisk you away to a different dream island every day, where you can gather more resources if you’re running dry.

Strafing difficulty levels

Overall, the game is quite well balanced in terms of difficulty, but there are a lot of shortcuts you can figure out to speed your way through questlines and unlock more powerful moves more quickly.

The real-time element of the game is great for pacing, but it does have its quirks. Certain tasks like teams of Pokémon taking on construction work or processing materials, make you wait for the results, but in both cases, you can still make use of the Pokémon for other tasks at the same time, unless they’re operating machinery. And anyway, it’s actually pretty easy to build multi-resident houses yourself in Pokopia; all you really need is a one-block high wall, a doorway, three pieces of furniture, and voila, you can move in a few Pokémon and more quickly improve their satisfaction levels.

Plus, ome Pokémon abilities are pretty busted. You can bring most plant-type Pokémon along with you to any vegetable gardens you’ve planted and use their abilities to speed up crop growth – sure, they might run out of energy, but a quick Leppa berry sees them hop straight back to work. I’d have preferred it if, like with furnaces and other workstations, farming had been an assignable task, as its current setup somewhat flies in the face of the real-time cycle.

These kinds of min/maxing workarounds are often tantalizing, but it’s up to you as the player to moderate yourself and choose to enjoy the non-demanding pace Pokopia offers. Perhaps the game could have a few more guardrails, but it doesn’t make it any worse to play unless you’re looking for reasons to rush through.

Besides, there’s just so much to do in Pokopia. You want to build a museum and proudly display your collectibles? You got it. Want to focus on rebuilding all that which the humans left behind? There’s plenty of ruins to go around. Want to shirk off Ditto’s mission and just create 3D models of Pokémon out of dirt blocks? You do you, boo boo.

Most of my issues with this game have been surface-level, really; the attention to detail here is fantastic, it’s consistently great fun to play, and brimming with evident care for the now-30-year-old franchise.

Every aspect of Pokopia feels like a warm hug; the graphics are super cute, the interfaces are clean, the music is bright and comforting, and it’s full of life. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a spin-off that adds so much to the already-teeming world of Pokémon, and I, for one, am incredibly excited to see how players design their own cities and islands.

Should you play Pokémon Pokopia?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

There are many of the standard expected accessibility features: text speed, customizable controls, camera speed and distance controls, as well as auto-adjust/follow.

However, outside of these, there’s little on offer; I’d expect and hope at the very least for font size adjustments, control sensitivity, UI settings, and closed captions for in-game sound effects, which would drastically improve the experience for a wide range of prospective players. I really hope these come in a future update.

How I reviewed Pokémon Pokopia

I spent 40 hours playing Pokémon Pokopia on my Nintendo Switch 2, working my way through as much of the main quest as possible in that time while also working towards rebuilding the various towns to my taste. I completed most of the early-game side quests, gathered a sizeable chunk of collectibles, and created a wide variety of habitats for my Pokémon.

I mostly played in docked mode, playing with my Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller and using standard settings on my Sony KD-49XH8096 TV, using Logitech Multimedia Z200 speakers or my Corsair Void MAX Wireless v2, but I also spent around 6 hours in handheld mode and tried mouse mode for easier block placement.

I compared my experience with Pokémon Pokopia to some of my favorite cozy, sandbox, and town-building games, from titles like Stardew Valley, Minecraft, and Terraria to Animal Crossing: New Horizons and games from the Two Point tycoon series.

I’m absolutely delighted to see Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen land on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. I’m a long-time fan of the series, and have played the vast majority of entries, but this one has somehow passed me by. As a big Bellsprout fan, I’ve decided to go for LeafGreen this time out, and I can’t wait to start my journey.

Something that really excites me about this release is what it could signify for the future. Yes, I’m hoping that we could get even more classic Pokémon games on modern platforms now. After all, we got all of the Generation 1 and Generation 2 games on the 3DS, so surely we’re going to get more on the Switch, which recently became the best selling Nintendo console of all time.

I’ve compiled a list of the three Pokémon titles I’d love to see ported onto the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 – and believe me, there are some real fan favorites here. To be clear, this is merely aspirational – I’m not necessarily expecting any of these to appear on the eShop or Nintendo Switch Online… but that would be pretty great, wouldn’t it? Anyway, let’s get into my list.

1. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

With FireRed and LeafGreen already on Switch and Switch 2, why not continue our trip on the Gen 3 nostalgia train?

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire launched back in 2002, and arguably delivered the best set of starters we’ve ever seen. I mean, Treecko is a seriously cool cucumber, Torchic is a cute lil’ mon that turns into a deadly humanoid chicken, and Mudkip is just an all-timer. Even beyond its starters, the Hoenn region has an excellent line-up of pocket monsters, including some personal favorties like Ludicolo, Kecleon, and Deoxys.

Ruby and Sapphire added some crucial features, such as natures, abilities, and even double battles. You’re welcome, competitive battlers. It also looked great on the Game Boy Advance, and ended up as the handheld’s best-selling game.

I know that a lot of fans have questioned the game’s slightly ridiculous story, where one evil team hopes to expand the amount of land on earth… and the other is vying to enlarge the sea. But as goofy as that is, are we really playing Pokémon for the story? Most of the time, I don’t think we are. Combine the scenic, ocean-heavy region design, awesome Pokédex, and addictive gameplay, and you’re looking at a game that’s well deserving of a Switch and Switch 2 port.

2. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

A lot of fans – me included – consider Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver to be among the very best that the series has to offer. In this remake, you get two regions to explore, some impeccable quality of life enhancements, and your Pokémon will even walk behind you. That really felt like a novelty at the time.

I also love some of the quirky stuff these games added, whether that be the Pokéathlon arena minigames or its Pokéwalker compatibility. For the uninitiated, the Pokéwalker was a real-world pedometer that also had minigames on, and enabled you to both catch Pokémon and deepen your friendship by walking with them. It blew my mind as a kid, and if it could be brought back in some way shape or form, that would make a port even more amazing.

HeartGold and SoulSilver came out in 2009, and had us return to the Johto region (and Kanto as well, if you beat the champion). It was a visually appealing double entry with a brilliant remade soundtrack and refined story, which kept it feeling fresh for long-time fans and newcomers alike. Oh, and even though Johto doesn't have the best Pokédex ever, I also like the starters a lot here too. Justice for Chikorita. Meganium really wasn’t that bad, people.

Sure, this was a DS release, so recreating the game’s dual screen formatting could prove to be a challenge, but perhaps there could be an option to cycle through the top display and touchscreen, or show both simultaneously. Regardless, I’d love to see Nintendo make it work.

3. Pokémon Black and White

I’ve saved the best ‘til last. Although a lot of fans have been begging both GameFreak and The Pokémon Company for a remake of these entries, I really don’t think we need one. Why? Well, these games are already perfect the way they are.

Although I’d always loved the Pokémon anime growing up, Pokémon White was actually the first game I played, and even to this day, I consider it to be the jewel in the crown of this legendary franchise. I mentioned earlier that many of us aren’t playing Pokémon for the story. But this one’s a rare exception – the narrative actually has a bit more depth to it, and the cast of characters is the best the series has seen – and by an absolute mile.

Despite proving controversial at the point of release, the Unova region Pokédex has gained a lot of fans in recent times, and for good reason. Generation 5 brought an entirely new set of mons to the table, and didn’t rely on old fan favorites to flesh things out. Some of my favorites include Tepig, Maractus, and Hydreigon. But those box art legendaries are pretty special too.

I love the darker visual style of Black and White, and its smart use of 2D sprites in 3D rendered environments was a joy to behold. Again, I’m not sure how the game’s dual screen calibration would translate onto the Switch and Switch 2, but if there’s one Pokémon game I want on modern platforms, it’s certainly this one.

Anyway, those are my picks, but what Pokémon games would you like to see come to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2? Let me know in the comments!

February 27, 2026, is a very special Pokémon Day as it marks 30 years since the original games launched in Japan all the way back in 1996, and to celebrate, The Pokémon Company has debuted exclusive merch and elusive TCG bundles.

If you're looking for something more exciting, or simply something in stock, I've gathered up a collection of the best Pokémon gifts I can find. The Gengar-themed Razer Gear is perfect for trainers who now prefer PC gaming but still have a fondness for the Gen 1 ghost mascot, while the Pokémon Cookbook is the best gift I got this past Christmas (the recipes I've made so far are well crafted from both an aesthetic and taste perspective).

You'll also find a link to one of the few stores I can find still offering the Pokémon Day 2026 TCG Collection. Though note the price to pack ratio isn't ideal so you might want to try looking for packs in person and hoping you hit a restock before scalpers swoop in.

I've not included them below, but you might also want to check out the Pokémon Lego sets making their debut today. The Pikachu and Poké Ball design has grown on me, and while my wallet can't quite bear it right now, I'd love to own the Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise design.

Our Pokémon 30th Anniversary gift guide

The latest Pokémon Presents showcase has now wrapped up, and it was a pretty bumper showing as far as announcements go. We of course got the usual roundup of mobile game updates, but crucially, we now have official confirmation of the tenth generation games: Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves!

The new games are set to launch sometime in 2027, and look like they're going to be Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives, so no old hardware holding them back, hopefully.

In addition to all that, we got further updates for Pokémon Pokopia (set to launch on March 5), and a tentative launch window for Pokémon Champions and Pokémon XD: Gales of Darkness's Nintendo Switch Online release. Check out everything that was announced in our list below.

Pokémon Presents February 2026: everything announced

• Pokemon Red and Blue Version Game Music Collection can be played on the small player inspired by the Game Boy
• Pokémon World Championship 2026 inaugural Pokemon XP event for fans from August 28 - August 30
• Pokemon Trading Card Game - new cards coming in 2026
• New Pokemon Go tour event beginning tomorrow
• Pokemon Masters EX 6.5 Year Celebration players can login and claim an anniversary reward
• Pokemon Cafe Remix gets a new update teaser for Switch 2?
• Pokemon Sleep - Mew Missions starting soon
• Pokemon Unite - three legendary bird Pokemon, Zapdos, Moltres, and Atricuno, and more Pokemon are coming to the game
• Pokemon TGC Pocket - new cards can be obtained with the themed Paldean Wonders booster pack, available now
• Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness, GameCube Nintendo Classics edition coming exclusively to Switch 2 Online
• Pokemon Fire Red and LeafGreen GameBoy editions - Available today on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 today - compatibility coming to Pokemon Home soon
• Pokemon Champions gets a release date, launches April 2026 on Switch, mobile version this year
• Pokemon Legends ZA Mega Dimension DLC - new reel showing new Mega Evolution Pokemon - Players can claim a reward and encounter Mega Garchomp
• Pokemon Pokopia - the DJ Rotom Pokemon can play certain Pokemon tracks in the game + Greedent who will teach players to cook dishes for Pokemon who have different tastes and benefits
• Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves developed by Game Freak announced! Launching in 2027. Three new starter Pokemon - Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua

Pokémon Presents February 2026: Cut to the chase

• Today's Pokémon Presents will air live at 6am PST / 9am EST / 2pm GMT / 3pm CEST
• You can watch it live on the official Pokémon YouTube channel as well as Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram
• A big focus is being placed on the franchise's 30th anniversary

Where to watch Pokémon Presents February 2026

Today's Pokémon Presents showcase will be broadcast live over official Pokémon social channels.

That includes the official YouTube channel, as well as Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram. The YouTube URL is live now, and set to premiere at the local times listed above.

Greetings, Pokéheads!

It's that time of year once again; a brand new Pokémon Presents is almost upon us! The showcase will be broadcast live in about one hours' time. As I mentioned at the top, we'll be covering each and every announcement here as it happens. In case you miss an announcement or can't watch the show live, this blog will hopefully be your guide to everything that will be shown off today.

As a reminder, the show begins at 6am PST / 9am EST / 2pm GMT / 3pm CEST. If you are planning to catch it live, get all your prep in now! Snacks, drinks, bingo cards, and maybe just a gram of that sweet Gen 10 hopium.

What exactly are we expecting today?

We can make some educated guesses right now as to what today's Pokémon Presents showcase will, well, present. I'm personally expecting the usual roster of mobile and multimedia updates.

Additionally, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have launched on Switch and Switch 2 today, so a quick reminder of that will likely be a part of this showing. Then, we'll hopefully get a bit more information on Pokémon Champions - I have my fingers crossed for a release date there.

Finally, given this is a 30th anniversary celebration, it does seem reasonable to expect an official announcement of Pokémon's tenth generation games. There have of course been leaks and rumors for months now, but confirmation from The Pokémon Company and Game Freak themselves would be very welcome indeed.

If you have the time, be sure to read about my hopes and predictions for today's showcase, which I've linked below.

• Read more: From Pokémon Champions to a Gen 10 reveal — here’s everything I hope gets announced at this week’s Pokémon Presents event

The YouTube link is live now

Heads up! The Pokémon Presents YouTube URL has gone live. Obviously you can't start watching it before it goes live (in about 45 minutes from now), but I'll drop it here for the sake of convenience.

Grab your favorite Pokémon 30th anniversary logos!

In case you missed it, The Pokémon Company launched a website celebrating the franchise's 30th anniversary. And it's really gone above and beyond with this one, providing individual 30th anniversary logos for every single Pokémon. And I do mean every one. You can check the site out here!

I wonder if they'll do a similar thing for the 40th anniversary in a decade's time? There will undoubtedly be even more Pokémon to create designs for then...

30 minute warning

We're now just 30 minutes out from the Pokémon Presents showcase! In just half an hour, we'll be learning all the latest news and updates for Pokémon games, mobile apps, and multimedia projects.

I have to highlight this wonderful artwork by TAHK0 over on Bluesky. What a lovely tribute to the games that started it all.

pokemon 30th anniversary #ポケモン30周年

— @tahk0.bsky.social (@tahk0.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-02-27T13:43:52.826Z

15 minutes to go!

Not long now until Pokémon Presents begins! Get your last-minute predictions and preparations ready, I've a feeling this is going to be a good one.

We're live in 5!

Five minutes left! Pokémon Presents is almost here. Again, if you can't catch it live, stay tuned for live updates right here at TechRadar Gaming.

Starting with a sizzle reel of all previously released mainline Pokémon games.

The man himself!

A Pokémon Game Music Collection has been announced. It's a Game Boy-esque piece of hardware that lets you swap cartridges.

Pokémon World Championships

Just some quick chatter about Pokémon World Championships. Pokémon Champions has once again been confirmed as the official VGC title. Pokémon Unite will also feature.

Pokémon TCG update

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is getting a big update later this year.

Pokémon Go update

Another huge Pokémon Go update is on the way, too.

Pokémon Master EX special event!

Pokémon Master EX is getting unique Red/Blue inspired characters in a future update.

Another mobile update!

The mobile updates keep on coming! Expect new Pokémon Cafe Remix content in the near future.

Pokémon Sleep

Pokémon Sleep is due to get new missions soon, sleepyheads!

Pokémon Unite adds legendary birds!

Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos are coming to Pokémon Unite!

Pokémon TCG Pocket updates

Redeem tons of booster packs in an upcoming update.

Pokémon on GameCube!

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is heading to Nintendo Switch Online soon! We already knew about this, but we can expect it to arrive in March 2026.

Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen details

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are available now on Nintendo eShop. You can pick them up for $19.99 / £16.99 each.

They will be compatible with Pokémon Home app in the future, and then share your Pokémon from Home to other games and apps.

Pokémon Champions news!

Finally, some more concrete information on Pokémon Champions! The strictly turn-based Pokémon battling game is due out on Switch and mobile devices. But we haven't received a release date prior to this showcase.

Now, The Pokémon Company has confirmed that Pokémon Champions will be releasing in April 2026.

Mega Dimension DLC

Really just an announcement of a Mega Garchomp Z mystery gift.

Pokémon Pokopia's Stereo Rotom

Stereo Rotom, a new type of Rotom, will feature in Pokémon Pokopia. 'DJ Rotom' can be given CDs to play classic Pokémon tracks. Yeah that's pretty cool actually.

Let em cook

It seems that Pokémon Pokopia will feature cooking as a major feature. Greedent (also known as Chef Dente) will be able to teach you how to cook various dishes, which you can feed to Pokémon or yourself to improve your stats.

Multiplayer deets

Pokémon Pokopia will also feature multiplayer! Players can visit others' islands, and the game supports up to four players simultaneously.

Pokémon Pokopia release date

The game is coming March 5, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.

3 minutes left...

Gen 10 teaser time?!

It's real!

Gen 10 yippeeee!!

Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua are your new Gen 10 starters!

Pokémon Winds and Waves is official!

The leaks were real! Pokémon Winds and Waves are releasing simultaneously in 2027, seemingly exclusively for Switch 2!

And that's everything!

Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of this Pokémon Presents presentation. And please stay tuned as we continue to cover everything announced - especially Pokémon Winds and Waves - in the near future!

Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves trailer is now live

Missed the announcement live? The full Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves trailer has just been uploaded to official Pokémon channels.

Much-improved visuals?

Modern 3D Pokémon games have never really been all that in the looks department, but I am seeing some genuine improvements in Pokémon Winds and Waves' debut trailer. Water reflections, for example, look utterly gorgeous, and it looks like a ton of effort has gone into environmental lighting this time around.

Nintendo Switch 2 exclusivity?

Curiously, the final screen in the trailer shows the Nintendo Switch 2 logo, but not the one for the original Nintendo Switch. This strongly suggests that the game will be coming to Switch 2 only. And really, that can only be a good thing for the new games in terms of performance and visual fidelity.

Starter Pokémon details revealed!

The Pokémon Company has issued a press release with some basic details for Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves. Crucially, the text introduces each of the three starters, as follows:

Browt

• Category: Bean Chick Pokémon
  Type: Grass
  Height: 1′ (0.3 m)
  Weight: 7.7 lbs. (3.5 kg)
  Ability: Overgrow

Pombon

• Category: Puppy Pokémon
  Type: Fire
  Height: 1′4″ (0.4 m)
  Weight: 14.8 lbs. (6.7 kg)
  Ability: Blaze

Gecqua

• Category: Water Gecko Pokémon
  Type: Water
  Height: 1′ (0.3 m)
  Weight: 9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg)
  Ability: Torrent

A list of returning Pokémon (that we know of so far)!

So I've gone ahead and scoured the Pokémon Winds and Waves trailer in order to find all the Pokémon currently confirmed to be returning. I'm pretty sure I've managed to find the majority of them, and they are as follows:

• Pikachu
• Gloom
• Tropius
• Wailord
• Wailmer
• Nymble
• Taillow
• Oddish
• Tangela
• Ledyba
• Ledian
• Slugma
• Sizzlipede
• Wingull
• Krabby
• Sandygast
• Corsola
• Mareanie
• Carnivine
• Tympole
• Duskull
• Lumineon
• Toxapex
• Tynamo
• Frillish

Switch 2 exclusivity update

In a previous post, we speculated that Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves would only be coming to Switch 2. Now, it seems like this will indeed be the case. An official press release from The Pokémon Company states specifically that the games will release on Nintendo Switch 2, with nary a word about the original hardware.

Just to round things out, you may want to check out this follow-up feature in which I go over everything (or near enough) we learned from the Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves announcement trailer.

From the massive biome variety and adorable starters to swathes of returning Pokémon, be sure to give it a read if you think there's anything you may have missed!

• Read more: Everything we learned from the Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves official announcement trailer

Pokémon fans, your week has arrived. It's Pokémon's 30th anniversary, and Walmart is celebrating with a week-long event featuring exclusive products and offers.

• Shop Walmart's full Pokémon week sale

That means you can find deals on games, card bundles, toys, building sets, merchandise, and more, with prices starting at just $14.99. I've listed my personal 12 favorite Pokémon offers below, including everything from a Switch 2 Pokémon Legends: Z-A Edition Bundle for $499 to a Scarlet & Violet 9 Journey Together Booster Pack Bundle for $34.97.

Walmart's Pokémon week celebration ends on Sunday, March 1, which means you gotta catch these offers before it's too late.

Pokémon week at Walmart: 12 must-see offers

February 27 is Pokémon Day and, as is always the case, we’ll have an all-new Pokémon Presents showcase to look forward to on the day. Well, I say ‘look forward to,’ but admittedly, these events do tend to be quite hit-or-miss when it comes to having any exciting new announcements.

I feel like that could change this year, especially as there are a number of anticipated Pokémon releases on the horizon. Of course, we already know that Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen - the Game Boy Advance remakes of those original Kanto games - are coming to Switch and Switch 2 on the same day. But what else can we expect?

Developer Game Freak has been as busy as ever, having put out Pokémon Legends Z-A last year, as well as presently working on multiplatform title Beast of Reincarnation. That said, the time feels right for Pokémon’s tenth generation, especially as we’re almost four years removed from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

I’m also expecting the usual roundup of multimedia and mobile game announcements. But will there be any genuine surprises in store? You’d hope so, given the franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026!

1. Gen 10, baby

Let’s get it out of the way right at the jump. I think there’s a decent chance that we get at least a teaser for the next mainline Pokémon titles. There have been rumors here and there about Pokémon’s tenth generation, but nothing concrete.

As ever, it’s probably a given that there will be two simultaneous releases, each offering some unique Pokémon and a flagship legendary. And I don’t think Game Freak will mess with the starter Pokémon formula of Water, Grass, or Fire.

What potentially excites me most about Gen 10, though, is the existence of the Nintendo Switch 2. I liked Sword and Shield, and Scarlet and Violet well enough, but the latter was notoriously bogged down by the original Switch hardware. At times, Scarlet and Violet genuinely felt like it should not have been released in the state it was.

Now, as we’ve seen from Pokémon Legends Z-A - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and the Switch 2 performance upgrades for Scarlet and Violet, I’m less concerned about the Gen 10 games than I otherwise would have been.

I am expecting them to release on the original Switch - the console’s user base is still massive, after all - but hopefully, Game Freak can take some lessons from its Gen 9 releases to avoid putting out a game with performance that’s, well, fundamentally broken.

2. We are the Champions

Pokémon Champions might be my most anticipated upcoming Pokémon release. Releasing for Switch consoles and mobile, Champions looks to be a true successor to Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Battle Revolution by boiling the focus down to multiplayer turn-based battles.

We know that Champions is expected to launch in 2026. In fact, its official website confirms that it will be the official ‘VGC software’ for this year’s Pokémon World Championships. As such, Champions is being positioned as the franchise’s official tournament game.

We also know that Pokémon will be earnable in-game, but can also be carried over from the Pokémon Home app. Mega Evolutions will also be making a return via the game’s Omni Ring item, which the website suggests could be host to ‘other special features’ post-release. Could the Omni Ring also allow for Gigantamaxing or Terastallizing? We’ll have to wait and see.

3. More classic re-releases?

At first I was surprised that Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were announced as full Nintendo eShop releases, rather than being a part of Nintendo Switch Online’s Game Boy Advance library. But the more I sat on it, the more it started to make sense.

To be cynical, The Pokémon Company obviously knows that fans will be willing to pay for a separate release. Even if it’s as simple as the ROM by itself. Beyond that, Nintendo Switch Online’s streaming may limit features like multiplayer battles, or potential Pokémon Home functionality. In which case, a separate eShop release would be the way to go.

The Pokémon Company has traditionally been quite stingy when it comes to re-releasing classic mainline Pokémon titles. Some were made available on the 3DS eShop back in the day, but in the Switch era, re-releases have been relegated to spin-offs. At least, until the FireRed and LeafGreen announcement.

Asking for more is probably biting off more than I can chew, but there’s definitely an audience out there that would love access to the classics on modern hardware. The pendulum’s kind of swinging the other way now, with newer Pokémon fans being curious about these older games.

Pokémon Emerald would be a great start, though I’m personally hoping for the legendary HeartGold and SoulSilver to finally make the jump from the original DS to Switch. That is, assuming they can figure out how to get the dual screen setup working on the console.

4. The wild card

I know, Pokémon Presents showcases are often light on genuine, leftfield surprises. Yet I’m always holding out hope for a port, or the return of, one of the wildest Pokemon spin-offs to ever release.

As a huge fan of fighting games, Pokken Tournament hit like a ton of bricks when it first launched back on the Wii U, which was followed by a Switch port a few years later. Developed by Bandai Namco, it pretty successfully translated Tekken-esque 3D fighting gameplay to the world of Pokemon. Some even borrowed moves wholecloth from iconic Tekken characters like Heihachi and Kazuya. Pikachu is a Mishima, would you believe.

I’ll be real, it’s not even going on the bingo card, it’s so unlikely. But nothing would make my day more this Friday than the return of Pokken Tournament. Be that another re-release, or even better, a brand-new entry.

Will you be watching Pokémon Presents on February 27 and what would your most wild predictions be? Be sure to sound off in the comments below!

Pokémon Day is right around the corner. It's happening this week on February 27, 2026, and there's plenty for existing fans to look forward to. Not least of all is the accompanying Pokémon Presents showcase that will (hopefully) show off a bunch of new Pokémon games to get excited for.

Not one to let the big day pass by without a say on the matter, UK retailer Argos has launched its own Pokémon Day sale. There are big discounts to be had on a range of games and merch, including a sizeable 24% off Pokémon Legends Z-A - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.

You'll also find savings on Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Legends Arceus, and Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu. I've listed all the best Argos discounts below.

The best Pokémon Day deals at Argos

• The next Pokémon Presents will air on February 27 to celebrate Pokémon Day and 30 years of the franchise
• Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will launch on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 the same day
• Fans are hoping for a Generation 10 announcement, along with other game updates

The Pokémon Company has announced that the next Pokémon Presents will air next week.

The presentation is scheduled for February 27 at 6AM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM GMT, the same day as Pokémon Day 2026. The occasion also coincides with the franchise's 30th anniversary, suggesting this particular livestream will be a significant one in terms of announcements.

"This year’s Pokémon Day marks 30 years of Pokémon. Since the launch of the original video games in 1996, Pokémon has continued to be one of the most successful and influential entertainment franchises in the world, supported by a passionate and dedicated community," the Pokémon Company said in a press release.

"To celebrate the holiday, The Pokémon Company group is inviting Trainers around the world to tune in to a Pokémon Presents video presentation on Pokémon Day for exciting updates and announcements across the Pokémon franchise."

The company has already announced that Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are coming to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on February 27, and will be available after the showcase.

These are re-releases of the original Game Boy Advance games and will be available on the Nintendo eShop for $19.99 / £16.99 apiece.

But what else can we expect? The company has already teased "exciting updates and announcements" for the franchise, so it's within the realm of possibility to predict the announcement of Generation 10.

Generation 9 arrived alongside Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in 2022, which introduced 120 new Pokémon. Gen 10 could be revealed alongside the next mainline Pokémon game, perhaps as a Switch 2 launch title?

Some fans are also hoping for Switch 2 updates for the Gen 8 games (Pokémon Sword and Shield, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus), as well as a release date for Pokémon Champions, which is due to release in 2026, Pokémon Friends, and Pokémon Trading Card Pocket.

You'll be able to tune in and learn about all the announcements via the official Pokémon Twitch and YouTube channels.

• Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are coming to Switch next week
• They'll be available via the eShop as opposed to Nintendo Switch Online
• Both versions are sold separately at $19.99 / £16.99 each

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the Game Boy Advance remakes of the original Gen 1 games, are being re-released on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

The announcement seems to have been made prematurely, as Pokémon Day (and an accompanying Pokémon Presents showcase) is happening next week on February 27. These ports are also set to launch on the Nintendo eShop on that very same day.

And yes, you read that right. In a rather interesting move, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen won't be made available via the GBA Classics library for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. Instead, they'll be full eShop releases, costing $19.99 / £16.99 apiece.

Users on the r/NintendoSwitch subreddit do seem to be a bit taken aback by the announcement.

"Literally just saw this and was baffled that the rumor was true," wrote one user, referring to rumblings of the ports before the official announcement.

"Even more baffled they didn't just wait a week to announce this on Pokémon Day," another replied.

It's definitely a little bizarre, as an announcement and shadowdrop during the Pokémon Presents showcase would have been a nice surprise. Though announcing a week ahead of time does seem to have been the intended plan, as music from the games has also been uploaded to the official Nintendo Music app.

Some users have expressed confusion as to why the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen ports are full eShop releases. Right now, it's speculated that they'll have compatibility with Pokémon Home, an official mobile and Switch app that lets you transfer Pokémon between compatible games.

Others have expressed frustration at the price. And yes, I think it's a bit cheeky that we're paying $19.99 / £16.99 (each, mind you) for 20+ year-old GBA games.

Plus, if you have a GBA, physical boxed copies aren't quite as eye-wateringly pricey as their Pokémon HeartGold / SoulSilver DS counterparts on second-hand marketplaces like eBay. But if you don't have original hardware, these Switch versions will at least be a decent and readily available alternative.

What happens when you cross some of the best cozy games like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, or even Minecraft with Pokémon? You get Pokémon Pokopia, a game I’ve been (admittedly cautiously) anticipating since it was first announced late in 2025.

Immediately, comparisons were drawn to some of the games I listed above, as well as the likes of Dragon Quest Builders 2, further fuelled by the fact that the games were co-developed by the internal Koei Tecmo team Omega Force. For many Pokémon fans, it felt like a moment we’d all been waiting for.

However, we’ve been through this wringer before with Pokémon – recently, too, with its uphill battles to break into open-world gaming – so it’s been a long wait to learn more about this mysterious life simulation and cozy crafting game.

The wait is over, folks. Well, not fully – the game isn’t out for another few weeks still – but I’ve spent over an hour in Pokopia and can confirm it’s every bit as fun as I’d hoped it would be. At least, the tutorial is…

The most depressing Pokémon game ever

The premise of Pokopia alone has me pretty hooked. We haven’t got confirmation on which region the game takes place in (and a Nintendo representative told me that’s a surprise we’ll have to wait to discover once we play the full game), but wherever it is, humans and Pokémon alike are nowhere to be found, and it’s your job to bring them back.

Your main story characters are Professor Tangrowth – modelled after the classic researcher role previously filled by the likes of Professor Oak – and Ditto, the playable main character who can transform into a human but has limited ability to mimic Pokémon.

The game opens as Professor Tangrowth rummages through salvaged remnants in some mysterious cave. There, Tangrowth is surprised to not only find a Ditto, but a Ditto that can transform into a trainer and use the technology the humans left behind.

The two emerge from the cave, confronting the barren landscape left behind after whatever tragedy occurred and vanished all known life. All known life, that is, barring Tangrowth, Ditto, and an unconscious Squirtle near the mouth of the cave. Awakening said water-type Pokémon reveals Ditto’s true power: maintaining a human-like body while adopting special moves from other Pokémon that allow the player to terraform and reconstruct the post-apocalyptic landscape.

As part of this, you’ll be restoring the natural habitat of Pokémon to encourage their return. Different combinations of terrain, flora, furniture, and even elevation levels will attract different species of Pokémon, bringing with them new abilities. For example, Bulbasaur’s Leafage plants tall grass, Scyther’s Chop helps break down large logs; you get the picture.

You can also place and remove blocks to more directly terraform the world around you – that is, once you’ve unlocked those abilities – and overall, there’s a great variety of ways your environment can be shaped and used to your advantage.

The world is your Cloyster

As you explore the map, you’ll spot sparkles on the ground that give clues to what Pokémon might suit nearby habitats. Some rarer species will take a little longer to spawn in, but most of the Pokémon I found appeared within a couple of minutes of me fixing up their habitat.

Other Pokémon serve more functional roles as you progress through different areas of the map. For example, when repairing or constructing new structures, Timburr can help build. Some projects like these are completed based on real-world timings; I had a 15-minute wait for my house to finish construction in the demo (which, sadly, came to pass once I was already out of the demo save).

You’ll also need to enlist the help of Pokémon with specific abilities to help with different projects, so building up your Pokédex and ensuring a diverse array of Pokémon live around you is a priority.

As well as building structures for yourself and your fellow Pokémon, you’ll also be tasked with recovering various old-world buildings like Pokémon Centers. I didn’t get to see mine fully re-established, but I did get to interact with the Poké Life computers stationed outside, where you can pick up daily quests, shop for new items, and more.

We also had the opportunity to try out multiplayer mode, during which we were tasked with assembling a motley crew of Pokémon to help rebuild a Pokémon Center. For this, we had to do a combination of terraforming to entice the necessary species, but also work as a team to fetch the inhabitants of a nearby island. After discovering many wouldn’t follow us into the water, we built a great dirt bridge, Minecraft-style, and ferried them across. Chaos naturally ensued, and it was wonderful.

This multiplayer experience was staged for the demo, so it’s hard to know what the end product will look like, but it’s certainly more hands-on and interactive than multiplayer mode in games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Don’t look a gift Ponyta in the mouth

At this early stage, I can’t say there’s much I dislike about Pokopia, but the test will be in trying the full game when it releases on March 5 on Nintendo Switch 2. Still, what’s winning me over so far isn’t just in the gameplay; it’s the attention to detail that makes this game really fun.

There’s a pretty vast world to explore, it seems, and with plenty to learn as you do; while I was exploring, I found several research notes from Professor Tangrowth’s original trainer detailing some of the circumstances that led to the disappearance of, well, everyone. This grants what could have been a very simple game a whole lot more intrigue and identity, and I can’t wait to see how the mystery unfolds.

I also loved how much personality was injected into these Pokémon. Different species have different likes and dislikes – take Squirtle, for example, who likes water, cleanliness, healing, cute stuff, group activities, and sweet flavors. I didn’t get to see much about how these factor into gameplay or if they’re just nice padding for the Pokédex, though.

Where it really shines is in dialogue. I’ve found recent Pokémon games to be wordy, to say the least, and more broadly, I think Nintendo has had a little trouble making its slower-paced games enjoyable to read through. No such problem in Pokopia, however, not only are your response options as Ditto pretty tongue-in-cheek in places, but some of the nonsense that comes out of different Pokémon caught me off guard.

At one point, Scyther shared his admiration for Charmander; “I like Charmander, we just vibe y’know”. I damn near did a spit take; it’s just not what I expected, but I’m delighted to see the game has a suitable amount of whimsy and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

With weeks left to wait until the full launch, my money is on Pokopia being one of the most successful Nintendo Switch 2 games yet, and not just because people will buy anything for the chance to see their favorite pocket pals. It’s full of heart, beautifully rendered, and perfect for a cozy night in.

• Beast of Reincarnation director Kota Furushima has said Game Freak's priority is delivering a good "gameplay experience"
• The director says graphics and performance are important, but the studio wants to make sure "our vision can get to your hands and your hearts"
• The game just received a new trailer at the Xbox Developer Direct showcase

Pokémon studio Game Freak is more focused on delivering a good gameplay experience than graphical fidelity in its upcoming action-adventure game, Beast of Reincarnation.

Beast of Reincarnation, in practically every way, is a far cry from the games Game Freak is known for. We've got fast-paced combat, a wolf companion that can use skills via a command system, a story set in post-apocalyptic Japan, and challenging boss fights.

It's clearly Game Freak's most ambitious game yet, but game director Kota Furushima has said the studio isn't looking to make a game "of a certain level of quality", but one that delivers an experience that will stick with players.

"I think when it comes to Beast of Reincarnation, and I guess we would regard it as the scale and the ambition of the title, when we approach game design, we're not looking to make, say, a title of a certain level of quality," Furushima said in an interview with with IGN following the Xbox Developer Direct, where we were treated to a fresh gameplay trailer.

The director's comments come in response to a question about concerns players may have about the game, following criticism the studio has received for the performance of its previous Pokémon games.

Furushima explained that optimization will be important, but Game Freak's priority is the overall gameplay experience.

"We're looking to deliver a very specific game experience, and visual fidelity and graphics, this is something that supports that game experience, everything that goes into that," he said. "That includes things like bug fixing, optimization. Everything is there to serve the gameplay and the experience.

"Our focus is on that gameplay experience. Part of that, of course, is making sure that it performs really well, but our attention is more on getting the experience over to you and making sure that our vision can get to your hands and your hearts."

Beasts of Reincarnation is set to launch this summer for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

• Lego's first three Pokémon sets have landed
• The standout is the 6,838-piece Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise build
• The cheapest is the Lego Eevee at $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$99.99

Following that electric teaser last year, we’ve finally been shown the first three Lego Pokémon sets, and it turns out the true Champion battle at the end of the Elite Four is a gorgeous 6,838-piece behemoth that’s super-effective against my wallet.

The standout set I’m referring to is the Lego Pokémon Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, which features all three third-stage Kanto starters on a three-part base – with a woodland clearing for Venusaur, an outcrop with waves splashing against it for Blastoise, and a volcano overflowing with lava for Charizard.

It looks stunning, but as you might imagine, the set will put you back $649.99 / £579.99 / AU$999.99 when it launches on February 27 alongside the other two (more on them down below).

If you do decide to preorder this set, however, you’ll get a bonus Kanto Region Badge Collection gift-with-purchase for free while stocks last. The case showcases Lego-ified versions of every badge, and as someone who has considered sewing Pokémon badge patches inside his favorite jacket, just like Ash Ketchum had them in the show, I’m very jealous of everyone who’ll get their hands on this bonus build.

Gotta build ‘em all

If Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise aren’t in your price range, there are a couple of cheaper options.

The simplest, smallest, and least expensive set is Eevee. This 587-piece critter is up for preorder for just $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$99.99, but features a decent amount of articulation so you can pose the final model by adjusting its head, ears, tail, and paws.

As Pokémon’s now cemented second mascot, Eevee, was a shoo-in for a build, and I love that despite the low brick count, it features a solid amount of detail and looks set to deploy some interesting techniques to create a smoother, less-bricky finish to the ‘mon’s coat.

Then sandwiched between the other two, it's, of course, Pikachu leaping out of its Poké Ball in a flash of blue sparks.

This set is definitely on the display-piece side of things, but I like how there are a few different options for how you pose the final build. For a more action-ready stance, you can opt for Pikachu leaping out of its ball, or you can remove the stand and position Pikachu more playfully with its Poké Ball – with the finished model staring up with a playful look.

I also like the small detail of being able to choose between Pikachu’s two tail shapes in your build – a straight end, which is seen with males, or the heart-like bumps seen with Female Pikachu.

Though I’ll admit the Pikachu looks a little – I don’t know – off? I think it's the cheeks that throw off the face shape for me, which at least makes it easier not to cry at the price.

$199.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.99 is not unheard of for a set with 2,050 pieces, but considering the icon status of Pikachu, I wish it had a second set that was closer to the Lego Eevee’s cost to make it more accessible (though $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$99.99 is also not the cheapest).

I imagine a difficulty Lego faces with the Pokémon builds is that the smooth finishes necessitate a lot of internal pieces, making it hard to cut the piece count down, which then leads to a higher price.

Hopefully, if the collab continues, we’ll see a more accessible range of costs, because right now my hype has dried up – and even the nostalgia these sets are fuelled with can’t refill the crater these three would create in my wallet.

Pokémon may be approaching its 30th anniversary, but it's still one of the world’s most popular media franchises and is responsible for some of the hottest gifts this holiday season.

I've been collecting Pokémon products my whole life. I've played all the video games, named my hamster after Minccino, and even have a permanent Pikachu tattoo that takes up most of my arm. In short, I'm obsessed with Pokémon.

While Pokémon is arguably more popular than ever, that comes at a cost, and some of the most popular products, like trading cards, are almost impossible to find in your local game store. Because of this, it can be super overwhelming, expensive, and disheartening trying to buy gifts for a Pokémon fanatic.

Luckily for you, I've picked a range of gifts at different price points that any wannabe Pokémon master would love to receive. For the gamers out there, Pokémon Scarlet on Nintendo Switch or the newest video game Pokémon Legends Z-A for Nintendo Switch 2 are excellent choices - even if they don't quite capture the magic of the OG games.

For those who are starting to feel joint pain like me, the ModRetro Chromatic is the perfect option, so they can relive the original games and feel the nostalgia of inserting original cartridges into modern hardware.

The Pokémon TCG enthusiast in your life would be ecstatic with a Graded Guard for a lovely PSA 10 or a Phantom Display to protect their collectables from dangerous UV light.

If your loved one wants to play the game rather than collect, the Pokémon TCG: Battle Academy is the follow-up to 2022's board game of the year, and an excellent starting point for card game lovers.

Or if you think they'd just love to decorate their office with Pokémon Funko pops and other plush toys, I've picked some of my favorites that are in stock right now for Holiday 2025.

This gift guide should help anyone looking to find the perfect gift for that special someone who just loves Pikachu and co, and honestly, I'm just hoping my wife reads my articles and sees this list - so I don't have to keep dropping hints to buy me a Mew plushie!

Perfect gifts for Pokémon fans

This week was a surprisingly major one in the world of tech.

Apple launched several new M5-powered machines across its lineup, Samsung announced its headset launch date, and Windows 10 was laid to rest.

To catch up on all of this and more, you can scroll down to see quickfire recaps of the week's seven biggest tech news stories, and links to the full articles if you need to know more.

7. Windows 10 support officially ended

The guillotine officially came down on Windows 10 this week. On October 14, the operating system used by millions entered its End of Life phase, meaning it’ll no longer receive features, bug fixes, or security patches.

Is that the end of the story? Definitely not. The decision has been hugely controversial, with many criticizing the security implications, considering that many are unable to upgrade to Windows 11 (or don’t want to buy a new machine).

Still, if you’re in that boat, you have a few options – from signing up for free extended updates to turning your Windows 10 laptop into a Chromebook or trying a stripped-down version of Windows 11. Alternatively, you can also read our full guide below on Microsoft’s latest Windows clanger.

• Read more: Windows 10 End of Live live: everything you need to know

6. Windows 11 got more AI powers

The same week it killed off Windows 10, Microsoft brought some new capabilities to Windows 11, and of course, they’re all related to AI and Copilot.

Interestingly, these updates aren’t reserved for Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft is instead promising a "new wave of updates that make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC – with Copilot at the center of it all".

The big change is a new voice control. If you opt in, simply say “Hey Copilot" (and definitely not "Hey Cortana"), and you can start issuing commands when the Copilot microphone appears on your screen. Say "Goodbye" or close the panel to end the conversation.

There’s also the global rollout of Copilot Vision, which has only been available in the US so far. It analyzes the content on your screen to help instruct you on how to achieve the task you’ve set out to do and offers troubleshooting if something has gone wrong.

• Read more: Microsoft reveals plan to “make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC”

5. The Pokémon series mega evolved

This world-renowned franchise has received accusations of being stale in recent years, and that it has lost its way in the 3D era – but those accusations can be put to bed following the debut of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

We had the chance to review the game ahead of its launch and thought it was fantastic. The new battle mechanics feel closer to the anime than the series ever has, the exploration is great – even if Lumiose can start to feel a little cramped after many hours – and the story might be the most engaging we’ve ever had – with hints of the excellent Gamecube duo of XD: Gale of Darkness and Colosseum.

That’s not to say it’s perfect – there’s a little clunkiness in the battles on occasion, and it’s not always the most challenging – but Legends: Z-A proves that sometimes you can reinvent the wheel to make something that is superbly fresh yet familiar.

• Read more: Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the Pokémon game I always wanted

4. Samsung set an XR release date

This week, Samsung announced that it will unveil its consumer XR headset running Android XR on October 21 at an event titled World Wide Open.

While we don’t know the full specifications of this headset, Samsung has been showcasing Moohan, the precursor to its upcoming headset, for some time now, and our demos with the headset have been generally positive.

If an Android XR headset piques your interest, you can register to buy the headset now and get a small bonus for your faith – $100 credit towards other Samsung gear, after you complete your purchase.

That’s not a bad bonus if you do end up purchasing the headset, but it also suggests Moohan won’t be the cheapest option at launch if Samsung is offering $100 freebies.

• Read more: The Samsung XR headset is almost here – this is how its leaked specs compare to the Meta Quest 3

3. We reviewed the Xbox handheld

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (and its non-X sibling) finally launched, and we’ve been testing it out to see if this so-called Xbox handheld can reinvigorate our interest following Xbox’s recent Game Pass SNAFU.

After giving it a whirl, our review found that it’s not quite a portable version of the Xbox console; instead, it’s an impressive Windows 11-powered gaming handheld PC. While it doesn’t quite fix all of Windows 11’s handheld problems, it does boast some innovative hardware and software choices that feel like a major step in the right direction.

As our review said, “While it's probably the best premium handheld device on the market, because of the high price and the feeling that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X still fails to offer a truly console-like experience, this is a niche product in an increasingly competitive space, and the Xbox tie-in won’t be quite enough to make it stand out.”

• Read more: Asus ROG Xbox Ally X doesn't fix Windows 11 on handhelds

2. The new MacBook Pro started Apple's M5 era

It wasn’t a huge shock to those who’d been following the rumors, but this week Apple updated its 14-inch MacBook Pro with a powerful new M5 chip.

That was good news for anyone who’s been waiting to update their creaking old Pro machine. But fans of the larger 16-inch model will have to struggle on for a bit longer – the more powerful M5 Pro and Max chips aren’t quite ready, it seems.

Still, with a new chip, faster SSD storage, and the same trusty design as before, the M5 MacBook Pro might just be the safe bet that creatives have been waiting for.

• Read more: The M5 MacBook Pro is official – here are 5 things you need to know

1. Apple debuted an M5 iPad

As many expected, Apple rolled out its most advanced and fastest Apple Silicon, the M5 chip, and as it did with the M4, one recipient of this faster SoC is Apple's powerful and ultra-thin iPad Pro.

The difference this time is the intense focus on artificial intelligence and how the faster Neural Engine and neural accelerators in every GPU core will propel generative AI operations, mostly through supporting local operation of third-party models.

Other than that big-brain swap, there appear to be no other changes to the iPad Pro 11 or 13-inch models. Even the prices are the same, which may be the best news.

• Read more: Apple unveils an M5-powered iPad Pro and makes the update all about AI

Pokémon fans can finally rejoice as a new game is here, and many gamers will be wondering where to buy Pokémon Legends Z-A so they can jump right in as soon as possible now that the game has been released.

Launching today, October 16, for both Switch 2 and the original Switch consoles, Pokémon Legends Z-A is sure to be a huge hit this year and one of the most popular games for Nintendo's handheld consoles.

If you're looking for the best price, deals, and listings and info on where to buy Pokémon Legends Z-A, then strap in, as I have gathered up all the best links to get you exactly where you need to be, as quickly as possible, to nail your copy - whichever Switch edition you're after.

Stock looks to be doing very nicely on both sides of the Atlantic, too, which is great news, as you should be able to complete your purchase at your preferred retailer. Below, you'll find a handy bunch of quick links for the game for those looking for ultimate efficiency and speed, and below those, you'll see some expanded info for each retailer. Happy shopping!

Where to buy Pokémon Legends Z-A - US Quick Links

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

• Amazon: $69.99
• Walmart: $69
• Best Buy: $69.98
• Target: $69.99
• GameStop: $69.99
• My Nintendo Store: $69.99
• Antonline: $69.99 (use buttons on this page to order)

OG Nintendo Switch Edition

• Amazon: $59.99
• Walmart: $59.98
• Best Buy: $59.99
• Target: $59.99
• GameStop: $59.99
• My Nintendo Store: $59.99
• Antonline: $59.99 (use buttons on this page to order)

Where to buy Pokémon Legends Z-A - UK Quick Links

Nintendo Switch 2 version

• Amazon: £52.95
• Very: £54.99
• Currys: £54.99
• Argos: £54.99
• ShopTo: £52.85
• The Game Collection: £52.95
• EE Store: £53.99
• My Nintendo Store: £58.99
• John Lewis: £52.95 (out of stock)

OG Nintendo Switch version

• Amazon: £42.99
• Very: £42.99
• Currys: £46.99
• Argos: £47.99
• ShopTo: £42.85
• The Game Collection: £42.95
• EE Store: £42.99
• My Nintendo Store: £49.99
• John Lewis: £42.99 (out of stock)

In all of the complete retailer listings for Pokémon Legends: Z-A below, I've included both Switch 2 and OG Switch links so you are well covered, whatever version you want.

Where to buy Pokémon Legends Z-A - US complete listings

Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends Z-A bundles - UK complete listings

The hugely anticipated new Pokémon game is out this week, and many of you fine folk may be wondering where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends Z-A bundle, given it is the perfect entry point to the new console and one that many Pokémon fans have likely been waiting for.

Well, fear not, as I have rounded up all the best links and listings to make your search quick and easy. The good news is that bundle stock, generally, on both sides of the Atlantic, looks to be pretty good. The 'bad news' is that it's not available everywhere retailer-wise, so you may have to pick carefully to find your best or preferred place to shop.

Anyway, let's get to it: below you'll find a bunch of the best quick links for the bundle to get you to where you need to be fast, and below that, some more information on individual retailers' stock levels and offerings.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends Z-A bundles - US Quick Links

• Walmart: $499.99
• Best Buy: $499.99
• Target: $499.99
• Amazon: $499.99 (out of stock)
• GameStop: $499.99 (out of stock)
• My Nintendo Store: $499.99 (out of stock)
• Antonline: check stock

Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends Z-A bundles - UK Quick Links

• Amazon: £429.99
• Very: £429.99
• Currys: £429.99
• ShopTo: £429.85
• The Game Collection: £429.95
• Smyths Toys: £429.99
• My Nintendo Store: £429.99 (out of stock)
• John Lewis: £429.99 (out of stock)
• Argos: check stock
• EE Store: check stock

Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends Z-A bundles - US complete listings

Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends Z-A bundles - UK complete listings

Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels like a mega evolution for the franchise.

It draws on elements from the core series of games, the battle mechanics ripped from the anime, the exploration and freedom pioneered by Legends: Arceus, and a story focus that I feel we haven’t seen since the Gamecube’s XD: Gale of Darkness – which, alongside its predecessor Colosseum, are my two favorite Pokémon titles.

The final concoction produces a game that lands perfectly between familiar and fresh. It’s so delightfully moreish, I have struggled to rip myself away to write this review – or really do anything else other than play it since being sent my copy to try ahead of the game’s launch.

While there are a few areas where Legends: Z-A narrowly missed the mark – namely, difficulty scaling, there’s some battle bugginess, and Lumiose City isn’t quite varied enough to carry a whole game on its back – Legends: Z-A is easily the best Pokémon game I’ve played in years. I’d go as far as to say that this title might be the best since Mega Evolution was last seen in a mainline game.

My hope is that we see the series lean more deeply into what makes Z-A excellent, as with only a few minor tweaks, its formula could be perfect rather than near-perfect.

The best city there ever was

Visiting Lumiose City – the largest in the Kalos region – for a vacation, the player character is drafted in to help save it from a phenomenon known as Rogue Mega Evolution, which sees wild pokémon randomly mega evolve and cause havoc without a trainer (which shouldn’t be possible).

There’s also brewing tension between the people of Lumiose and Quasartico Inc., a technology firm renovating the city and introducing new Wild Zones – spaces in the streets which have been converted into safe havens for wild pokémon (allowing you to find and catch a pokédex worthy array of critters without ever leaving the city).

While I love the Wild Zones, and generally exploring rooftops, looking in trees, and delving into all sorts of hidden spaces to find new additions to my pokédex, the folks of Lumiose are not too pleased with their streets and parks being taken over by dangerous wild ‘mons.

When Legends: Z-A was announced, like many, I was skeptical that a single city could support a whole adventure, but it almost does.

There’s a lot more of Lumiose to explore since the last time we visited – I mean a lot, lot more – and its densely packed streets are filled with shops, side quests, parkour challenges, and the aforementioned wild pokémon, making it feel like a much more bustling space than any Pokémon game city has ever felt before.

Though the city can start to feel a little samey once you’re many hours into your journey.

The wild zones do mix things up, but they aren’t quite large enough to feel like truly distinct biomes – I’d love it if varied habitats much more drastically changed the landscape, or added a good range of exploration challenges to the space they overtake. This way, the map could feel like it evolves drastically as time goes on and would help sell the idea that Lumiose is being over taken by wild pokémon.

There are some changes, but in my playthrough so far, Lumiose has yet to feel unfamiliar.

Another minor gripe here: I wish the pokédex did a better job of highlighting specifically where non-Wild-Zone pokémon can be found – as there are a few ‘mons I know I’ve battled on a random rooftop somewhere, but now can’t locate again for the life of me.

Battle time

Another departure for the game is its approach to battling – a core component of the franchise which has remained practically unchanged since its introduction all the way back in Red and Blue.

Much like Legends: Arceus, you are as much a part of the fight as your partners – take too many hits and you’ll be knocked out. However, the big change is rather than the usual turn-based affair, fights are now real-time.

You can select moves as quickly as they cool down – each attack has its own timer – and this allows for more aggressive as well as more reactive defensive tactics. You can spam damaging moves in quick succession with a faster ‘mon, or you could hold up a Protect to defend against a finishing blow as your foe goes to launch it rather than wasting it on a weaker or set-up move where it wouldn’t be as useful.

There’s also some level of positioning. Based on where the player moves, your pokémon will follow – perhaps moving out of the way of attacks, which are now not only categorised as either physical or special, but also in how they materialise in different ways, such as ranged attacks, melee range attacks, charge attacks, and area of effect attacks.

With the debut of Pokémon Champions, the competitive scene will still focus on classic turn-based fights, but with Legends: Z-A’s online connectivity and a couple of battling competitions already planned, I am excited to see what new metas can be derived from this more anime-like approach to battle.

I do hope we see it return; however, I do think the battling needs two tweaks. For a start, I wish the type of attack (melee, ranged, etc) a move is was shown in the attack description to help remind me when I’m outfitting my Pokémon with its move pool – my current approach is somewhat trial and error.

I also found that because battles can happen anywhere, sometimes the environment causes some positioning bugs, including a Pokémon lining up for a ranged attack when a foe is much too far away, or Pokémon getting stuck on geometry, causing them to fight a wall rather than move to actually seek out their intended target.

Here I’ll throw in a mention of the Z-A Royale, this title’s alternative to the classic Gym Challenge. Instead of seeking out eight Gym Leaders for a badge, players must instead fight opponents in Battle Zones set up each night in Lumiose to earn a challenger ticket, to then take on a promotion match in order to progress to a new rank – starting at Z, and ending at A.

Progressing through the 26 ranks is far less tedious than I thought it might be, and the Battle Zones keep me coming back every night.

That’s because to build up points (and cash to afford the game’s wide array of mega stones), you must not only win fights but also complete optional challenges, which ask you to use specific moves or tactics in battle.

This shift away from Gym Leaders also helps to keep your opponents generally feeling more varied, as even if they openly have affinity towards a specific type, their teams generally aren’t one-note – meaning you can’t simply sweep with one super effective partner.

Call this a challenge?

Pokémon titles aren’t known for their difficulty, but it’s quite easy to outpace Legends Z-A if, like me, you’re the sort of trainer who’s desperate to complete their pokedex and complete every side mission as it appears.

Even just by pushing yourself that bit further in a Battle Zone (especially with a high-tier Red Canari plush that boosts your EXP) can mean you quickly become 5-10 levels higher than your competition – unless you decide to regularly swap some ‘mons out as you discover new companions for your team.

Being so over-levelled can make standard trainer battles feel somewhat trivial, and I wish there was some kind of difficulty scaling option so that my foes kept pace with me better. Perhaps with larger or higher-level teams.

At the same time, there are some challenges.

The Rogue Mega Evolution battles feel like proper boss fights, and the structure of wild zone brawls is a free-for-all – that is, if you disrupt five wild pokémon, then you’ll be faced with a five-on-one battle. In these boss and multi-mon brawls, it becomes apparent that as hardy as your team is, you, as a squishy human, aren’t as resilient.

I’ve not blacked out from my Pokémon being knocked out (so far), but I’ve definitely been bested by my player character being hit too many times while I still had a full team to protect me.

I get it’s a game aimed mostly at younger players so the difficulty can’t spike too high, but as the franchise persists as a game with a fanbase made up of kids and adults alike, and as the series pursues a more open-world design which can easily lead to over exploration and overlevelling, I’m firmly of the belief that difficulty options are more essential than ever.

Let’s get mega

I’ve yet to finish Pokémon Legends Z-A – at the time of writing, I’m about 25 hours into my adventure, and counting – but I’ve yet to discover any new entries to the pokédex.

Perhaps understandable given this title is set in modern-day Kalos only five years after we last visited the region – rather than being somewhere completely new to us, or set in a region we know but in the distant past, like with Hisui in the last Legends game.

Instead, we’re treated to a grand selection of brand-new mega evolutions. Some, like Hawlucha and Victreebel, have been spoiled by trailers, but just know there are plenty more on top of all the megas we already know and love.

I won’t be spoiling how many new megas we’ve got – or which pokémon are lucky enough to receive a new final form – but the picks cover a surprisingly broad range of fan favorites and more niche picks, and every new mega I saw felt like an excellent addition to the lineup.

There's also one other change to this mechanic. Rather than being able to mega evolve once per battle, and needing to recharge your bracelet at a Pokémon Center, you instead charge up your mega meter over time and can then mega evolve any of your pokémon, provided they have their corresponding mega stone in hand.

I love this change because it allows you to push on with your quests without constantly needing to heal, as well as allowing you to mix up your plans on the fly – even using two megas in one fight if needed.

That said, I did find this meant my teams generally gravitated towards almost exclusively mega stone-wielding ‘mons. A problem only exacerbated by Rogue Mega Evolution battles, which are near impossible to defeat without megas – and it’s not all that convenient to train up new mega pokémon as and when you need them, further cementing your team into one that generally ignores any item that isn’t a mega stone so that you're ready for any challenge.

No spoilers

Much like the new mega pokémon, I’m not about to spoil the game’s plot here, just know that I think it’s really fun.

Legends Z-A isn’t likely to win any awards for narrative design, but it succeeds in every metric for what I want from a Pokémon adventure.

That is it puts you at the center of the narrative in a way that makes sense; the missions offer a good range of low, medium and high stakes action that keep you on your toes and the adventure feeling varied; and the game doesn’t waste your time at the start – you can get right into the action with thankfully minimal exposition front loaded unlike some recent Pokémon entries (*cough* Pokémon Scarlett / Violet *cough*).

I thought Legends: Arceus was what I always wanted from a Pokémon game, but I was wrong. What I wanted was Pokémon: Legends Z-A.

It finds a way to simultaneously mix things up while gripping perfectly to a few core Pokémon pillars such that the end result can feel very different yet very recognisable all at once.

Yes, there are a few bits of fine-tuning to be done on this new formula, but it’s one that I desperately hope we see more of in the future.

If you’re a Pokémon fanatic like me, who are we kidding, I know you’ve already preordered the game before reading any reviews. Everyone else with a Nintendo Switch 2, however, should definitely consider picking this title up – even if you’re a lapsed fan or never touched a Pokémon game before.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels like it could be the dawn of a new era for the series, one where the franchise understands what it wants to and should be – an understanding I sometimes wonder might have been lost since Pokémon games left 2D graphics behind with Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.

I desperately want to see more of what Pokémon Legends: Z-A delivered – and that one announced DLC won’t be enough, I’m certain of it. For now, I’m going to continue to savor this treat while I can, and I look forward to what the next Legends game and the Generation X games will bring when they’re ready.

Should you play Pokémon Legends: Z-A?

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility features

Beyond the Switch and Switch 2's built-in accessibility features like text-to-speech, the ability to remap buttons, and to change text size, among a few others, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has no additional accessibility features.

How I tested Pokémon Legends: Z-A

I played Pokémon Legends: Z-A on my Nintendo Switch 2 for 25 hours – which has allowed me to experience a lot of what the game has to offer, including many side quests and a lot of story, though I have yet to roll credits at the time of writing this piece.

I played it in handheld and docked mode using standard Switch 2 hardware – though I do use an 8Bitdo Ultimate 2 controller when I’m playing a Switch 2 game on my TV – spreading my time fairly evenly between each method. The game ran fine throughout all my tests in both modes.

As this is an early preview, none of the online functionality works, but this was the only key feature I wasn't able to try.

First reviewed October 2025

When Pokémon Legends: Arceus launched in 2022, it was a breath of fresh air. Where the series once pushed the envelope, post-Gameboy iterations slowly began to feel disappointingly iterative, with developer Game Freak finding a formula so winning in Red and Blue that they repeated it ad nauseam.

Thank Palkia, then for Legends Arceus. The intriguing Nintendo Switch spin-off allowed the franchise to break away from its well-cemented trappings, transporting players to a novel feudal Japan setting, where they threw ancient wooden Poké Balls and dodged wild Pokémon attacks.

Now, three years and 14 million sales later, Pokémon Legends is back - but not in the way fans might expect. Where Arceus offered a uniquely historical adventure, Z-A whisks trainers to a more modern - and familiar-looking - locale. Taking place in Pokémon X and Y’s Paris-inspired Lumoise City, the latest instalment is a contemporary-set, battle-focused extravaganza.

My hands-on kicked off with a nostalgia-tickling cutscene. I was swiftly introduced to the world of Z-A, Professor Oak style - with a mysterious woman talking about how humans and Pokémon live side by side in this sprawling city. Yet just as I was ready to get immersed in Z-A’s world, I soon discovered that my actual hands-on time was completely devoid of any narrative - instead split into four disparate gameplay sections. Thrown into the game midway through with a full party, my visit to Lumoise City saw me fighting both Pokémon and trainers - and left me with mixed feelings.

A new adventure is about to unfold…

The good news? The new battle system feels great. Swapping the hybrid turn-based showdowns of old for fully real-time rumbles, players control the trainer’s movements while issuing attacks with their Pokémon. Like in Arceus, Pokémon can hurt your trainer character during battles - and it’s up to you to keep well out of their way.

As you dodge and spring your way across the 3D environments with the analogue stick, your battling Pokémon are selected with the d-pad, their attacks issued using a combination of the bumper and face buttons. Locking on to your opponents while carefully choosing attacks and dodging blasts from attacking Pokémon feels refreshingly dynamic - like a welcome evolution from the half-turn-based Arceus.

It’s a good thing, too, because in Lumoise, battling is the name of the game. As night descends, wild Pokémon roam freely - and it’s here that you catch and train Pokémon. Much like in Arceus, these wild areas are also littered with a handful of stronger foes. There are no people to be found, leaving these gated-off zones empty aside from the sporadically scattered creatures.

With my party ranging from level 16 to level 28, I battled and caught my way across them with no issues… until I ran into this zone’s big bads. Much like Arceus’ terrifying overlevelled foes, this Wildzone was home to a hulking level 32 Houndoom - flanked by an adorable litter of Houndours.

After a couple of trips to the Pokecentre, I managed to defeat the Houndoom - but despite my efforts, I couldn't defeat a brutally powerful level 42 Pikachu perched on a nearby rooftop. After the cakewalk that was Scarlet and Violet, these encounters offered a welcome challenge, testing a combination of reflexes and classic rock-paper-scissors-style match-ups.

Not enough Porygons

Z-A is the first Pokémon release on Nintendo Switch 2, so let’s address the Phanpy in the room, shall we?

Despite Arceus’ compelling setting, it drew widespread criticism for looking pretty dated. While a free Switch 2 update for 2024’s even uglier Scarlet and Violet offered notable improvements, for the series’ first current-generation release, Z-A isn’t exactly a looker.

Pokémon scurry around the city’s picturesque streets convincingly, and attacks are brought to life in lavishly detailed animations, but distant buildings lack any form of anti-aliasing, and trainers' character models are static and lifeless. It’s all serviceable, if perfectly basic stuff - a disappointment considering what Nintendo achieved in 2017 with Breath of the Wild, let alone what developers like Ubisoft have already pulled off with Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2. Here’s hoping that Game Freak can polish the visuals up a bit before launch.

Thankfully, the core concept underpinning Z-A’s loop is fairly strong. The second section of my Parisian outing saw me delving into Lumoise’s Battle zones. In these other partitioned off areas, instead of catching wild ‘mon, you’re challenging a series of trainers.

There was a simplistic stealth component to these battle zones, with sneaking up on a trainer and hitting them with a specific move, rewarding me with an attack advantage - Persona style. The overall goal of Z-A is to battle until you climb the ranks from Z to A, becoming the very best, like no one ever was. Once you defeat enough trainers in any given zone, you’ll earn enough points to rank up your trainer rank (which in this case was 5000) - allowing you to test your mettle in a promotion match.

Swapping those city streets for a dimly lit restaurant, this promotion match felt like it was ripped straight out of the anime. This indoor showdown saw me facing off against a desperate restaurateur. It was the closest to a traditional Pokémon gym battle that I saw, and without the distractions of empty environments, the core battling really shone.

The indoor environment let me focus on maneuvering around the battlefield as my trainer avatar, and healing and attacking with my chosen ‘mon. As I pummelled his team with Gyrados’ waterfall and countered his attacks with a bouncing Bayleef, the disgruntled restaurant owner soon watched me defeat his party one by one.

Mettle-testing mega Monstrosities

Another fun quirk of Luminoise City is that wild Pokémon are mysteriously undergoing mega evolutions all on their own. Where Mega evolutions were previously triggered by trainers, these ‘mon transform into hulking monstrosities in the middle of the street, sealing players inside an intense showdown. These fun-filled battles look to serve as Z-A’s equivalent of boss fights, feeling like a more enjoyable version of Scarlet and Violet’s Raids

My mega Pokémon scrap was against the horrifying Mega Victorybell. Much like in Arceus, this boss battle was a reflex-testing highlight, seeing me dodge massive torrents of sludge while gathering shards that allowed me to mega-evolve my Lucario, as a mystery trainer battled alongside me. It’s been revealed that you’ll be able to team up with three friends to take on these mega foes online in the Z-A Battle Club, which seems like a fun idea - but I was unable to test it during my demo.

With the story details still surrounded in mystery - and not a single cutscene shown in my demo - I was left with an hour of great battling in a fairly empty-looking world. While I saw flashes of forward-thinking brilliance and anime-esque spectacle that had my inner child grinning, the static non-player characters (NPCs) and small-scale environments once again felt disappointingly dated. While I could pop into a cafe for a stat-boosting coffee and take a selfie with my leading party Pokémon, the lack of story or other context resulted in a fairly charmless experience - which I’m hoping will be rounded out with a more lived-in city in the final release.

Promotion matches and Mega battles left me with plenty to get excited about, but without the intriguing historical setting or vast visual improvements, it remains to be seen whether Z-A will capture the imagination in quite the same way as Arceus.

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Pokémon Legends Z-A pre-orders have been live for a while now, but what you might not know is that several retailers across the US and UK are offering their own exclusive free gifts with secured copies.

Examples include a set of Pokémon-themed pins at Walmart and a tote bag at GameStop in the US. Over in the UK, ShopTo is offering a free sticker set, while Nintendo's online store has maybe my favorite: figurines and a set of pins.

Let's just get right into it; I've sourced the very best Pokémon Legends Z-A pre-order listings from US and UK retailers below. And remember, if you're still in need of a Nintendo Switch 2 console, Pokémon Legends Z-A console bundles are very much still available to pre-order at select outlets.

Pokémon Legends Z-A pre-orders in the US

Pokémon Legends Z-A pre-orders in the UK

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• Best of Gamescom Awards 2025 – our 11 favorite games and products from this year’s show

• GPT-5 completed Pokémon Red in just 6,470 steps
• That's almost a third of the time it took ChatGPT-o3
• AI is going to try and complete the sequel, Pokémon Crystal next

There's a new champion – for now – in the contest to be the fastest AI to complete the original Pokémon Red video game, with ChatGPT-5 completely eclipsing its rivals.

GPT-5, the latest model from OpenAI, took just 6,470 steps to complete the 1998 Game Boy classic, eclipsing the previous record of 18,184 steps by ChatGPT-o3.

If it's hard to comprehend how many steps the main character, Red, had to make to defeat the Elite Four – 6,470 equates to around seven days of gameplay, compared to over 15 days for o3, the next best Pokémon model.

It's a stark contrast to earlier this year, when Gemini 2.5 and Claude 3.7 Sonnet were in a race to even get to the end of the game, let alone do so in a fast time.

Anthropic used Pokémon as a benchmark to showcase the prowess of its latest Claude model, combining it with a YouTube video in which developers discussed why GameFreak's iconic franchise was the perfect way to assess an AI model's problem-solving capabilities.

Now, just a few months later, AI models are able to complete these classic games faster and faster – and they're only going to improve.

All of AI's attempts to complete Pokémon have been livestreamed on platforms like Twitch, where channels like GPT_Plays_Pokemon have regular viewers and subscribers.

Having destroyed the previous record time for completing Pokémon Red, GPT-5 is now going to take on the sequel, Pokémon Crystal. The game, which was released in 2000, has double the amount of content to conquer, as you can venture back to the world of Kanto following your adventure in the Johto region.

GPT-5 Just Finished Pokemon Red! from r/singularity

Gotta train 'em all!

GPT-5's Pokémon Red journey highlights a tactic young kids have used in the game for years: leveling up one Pokémon and neglecting the other five creatures in your party.

In the Reddit thread highlighting the AI model's accomplishment, the top comment from u/Ok_Business84 reads, "Learned that sticking to one Pokémon and hard tanking everybody is the easier way."

After nearly 30 years, I finally feel like my younger self has been validated. Back in 1999, I completed Pokémon Yellow with an overpowered Pikachu, and nothing else to show for it.

It would be cool to see GPT-5 play Pokémon less like 6-year-old me, and more like an accomplished player, building a varied team of creatures that can take on any battle in the game. This run feels like the AI brute-forced its way to victory, and while it achieved the goal it set out to achieve, it's not entirely viable in a regular playthrough.

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The latest Pokémon Presents delivered great news for fans of the franchise’s stop-motion era.

Not only did Pokémon Company COO Takato Utsunomiya confirm that Netflix’s charming animated series Pokémon Concierge would return for a second season (and do so very soon), but there was also the announcement of Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, a new show from British animation legends Aardman.

While it’s likely all fans will welcome a return to the adorable world of the Pokémon Resort, it’s the prospect of the franchise teaming up with one of the world’s most iconic animation studios that has me most excited, especially after the success of their recent Wallace and Gromit special.

Aardman Animation's Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu

Said special, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, proved that Aardman are still as good as ever, if not better with the advances in stop-motion animation techniques. The film was one of the biggest programmes on UK TV over Christmas 2024, and by the end of January it had become the most-watched animated show since records began with a staggering 21.6 million viewers.

It’s unlikely Pokémon Tales will generate the same audience, but it proves that Aardman are a very safe pair of hands for the franchise and the short teaser above shows that The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu will contain all the wit and warmth we’ve come to expect from an Aardman project.

The trailer also looks to confirm that the series will be set in the Galar region — the Pokémon franchise’s equivalent to the UK — and putting a Wooloo front and centre is surely a nod to Aardman’s hugely successful Wallace & Gromit spin-off Shaun the Sheep, hinting that the new show many be aimed at a similar audience.

Speaking at the Pokémon Presents showcase, Aardman co-founder Peter Lord teased what to expect from the show, saying that the story would be told from the perspective of the two titular Pokémon and will offer a “unique look at the Pokémon world.”

It hasn’t yet been announced where Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu will stream, but we do know it’ll arrive in 2027.

 Netflix's Pokémon Concierge season 2

In the meantime, fans can enjoy new episodes from another stop-motion installment in the franchise, Pokémon Concierge. The Netflix series is set to drop four new chapters, inviting audiences back to the idyllic Pokémon Resort.

The show follows Haru (voiced by Karen Fukuhara) who leaves her busy salary-woman life in the city to become a concierge at the hotel. Through caring for the free-spirited Pokémon guests, Haru builds her confidence and discovers what’s truly important in life.

The show’s beautiful animation, relaxing vibes and life-affirming themes captivated audiences, becoming one of the best Netflix shows when the first four installments dropped over Christmas 2023, and the series went on to receive several accolades, including a nod for Best Direction at the Annie Awards and a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics.

You can check in for more heartwarming adventures with Haru, Psyduck and their guests when the series returns to one of the best streaming services on September 4.

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• Nintendo has announced a Switch 2 bundle with Pokémon Legends: Z-A - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
• Pre-orders go live on July 23, 2025
• The bundle is expected to ship on October 16

Nintendo has announced a brand new Switch 2 bundle off the back of July 22's Pokémon Presents showcase.

This Nintendo Switch 2 bundle packs in the console, as well as a digital copy of Pokémon Legends: Z-A - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which is set to launch on October 16, 2025.

The bundle will cost $499.99 in the US. No UK price has been revealed yet, but the bundle is confirmed for the region, and it's reasonable to expect it to cost £429.99 here - the same as the launch bundle featuring Mario Kart World.

Pre-orders are set to go live on July 23, 2025, and the bundle will ship the same day that Pokémon Legends: Z-A releases, on October 16. Pre-orders will be available at Nintendo's online store, as well as "select retailers." That likely includes Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and GameStop in the US, as well as Argos and Currys in the UK.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is now the second game Nintendo has provided a Switch 2 bundle for. It's the standard console, so no fancy limited edition designs here. Much like Mario Kart World, it's also a digital copy. With that in mind, this may be a standard strategy for Nintendo going forward, and it's entirely possible we see Switch 2 bundles for future releases like Kirby Air Riders, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and potentially even third-party games like The Duskbloods.

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• Another Pokémon Presents teaser has dropped on official channels
• It shows Pikachu looking curiously at a DJ set in the background
• It's unknown what this could be teasing, perhaps a rhythm game

There's a new Pokémon Presents teaser that's landed on social media, showing off a rather curious visual of Pikachu standing quizzically in front of a set of DJ decks.

The official Japanese Pokémon account posted the teaser to X / Twitter. Roughly translated to English, the post teases: "It seems like Pikachu is preparing something...? Stay tuned for more updates!"

The next Pokémon Presents presentation is scheduled to air on July 22, at 6am PDT / 8am CT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST. You'll be able to watch it live on the official Pokémon YouTube and Twitch channels at the time of airing.

So back to the teaser in question. As an enjoyer of rhythm games, encompassing everything from PaRappa the Rapper and Rez to Guitar Hero and Rift of the NecroDancer, that's naturally where my brain takes me. And I don't think it's controversial to say a Pokémon rhythm game would be a good idea, given the sheer amount of top tunes throughout the series.

I'm keeping my expectations in check, though, as Pokémon Presents showcases rarely deliver anything beyond mobile game updates and mild disappointment. The image could instead be teasing a new music-related app, an update for an existing or upcoming Pokémon title, or perhaps even a real-world event.

Otherwise, I'm also hoping to see updates on Pokémon Legends Z-A, releasing for Switch and Switch 2 on October 16. More information on the upcoming Pokémon Champions would be welcome, too.

And as ever, I'll be praying for the first three Pokémon generations to show up on Nintendo Switch Online, though that's usually about as likely as catching a shiny Manaphy.

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• The next Pokémon Presents will air on July 22, 2025
• The broadcast will offer "updates and news from the world of Pokémon"
• A new look at Pokémon Legends: Z-A could be revealed ahead of the game's release date

The Pokémon Company has officially confirmed that the next Pokémon Presents broadcast will air later this month.

The livestream is scheduled to begin on July 22, 2025, at 6am PDT / 8am CT / 2pm BST and can be watched on the official Pokémon YouTube and Twitch channels.

"The Pokémon Company International invites fans to watch the latest Pokémon Presents presentation on Tuesday, July 22,” the company announced in a recent blog post.

The Pokémon Company hasn't shared what it will be showcasing during the upcoming broadcast, but did say that fans can: "Tune in for the latest updates and news from the world of Pokémon".

Hopefully, this means we'll learn new information and get a new trailer for the next major game in the franchise, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which is set to launch on October 16 for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

Pre-orders for the game began on June 5, and it's confirmed that players who purchase either a digital or physical version on the Switch can upgrade their copy to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition via a $10 upgrade pack on the Nintendo eShop and My Nintendo Store.

The Pokémon Company has also revealed in a social media post that the version will "offer improved graphics and frame rates". New footage comparing the Switch 2 version to the Switch could also debut during the next Pokémon Presents.

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• One Pokémon player has lost over 1,000 hours of Pokémon Scarlet gameplay and 20 years of progress after transferring their data to the Nintendo Switch 2
• Redditor ThatOtaku26, and other users, have said their save files for the game are gone after completing the transfer process
• Players are recommending backing up data via the Pokémon Home app before beginning the transfer process

Beware if you're planning on transferring your Pokémon data to the Nintendo Switch 2, because one player has lost hundreds of hours of progress.

According to redditor ThatOtaku26 (via IGN), after going through the process of transferring their original Switch save data for Pokémon Scarlet to the new console, after booting up the game, they found that it was lost.

The user claimed that their save file consisted of over 1,000 hours of gameplay and said that they had also lost over 20 years of data brought over from previous generations of Pokémon games.

"I just got a Switch 2, did the startup and initial data transfer with no issues," said ThatOtaku26 in a now-deleted post. "My Scarlet save file is gone. It loads straight into the language selection and create a character screens. No data on my OLED. Just all gone.

"THERE WAS NO ERROR IN DATA TRANSFER AT ALL," the user added. "IT WENT FINE. ALL MY OTHER POKEMON DATA IS STILL THERE, BUT NOT SCARLET. I had mons from my original GBA up to current on there. Literally 20 years worth of data. There's nothing I can do. I don't even know if i wanna play anymore."

Other users have also been reporting the same issue, with one Redditor explaining that the same issue happened to them when transferring data to the OLED from the original Switch.

"Tears were shed," said Grouchy-Cress-215.

It seems that Pokémon Scarlet isn't the only game being affected, either, with one user claiming they lost all saved data for games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and more.

Another user wrote, "The same thing happened to me but literally all my saved data isn't there anymore like BOTW, TOTK, MK8, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet, and so on," said Existing-Possible550. "I literally have to play everything from the start."

Luckily for those who haven't begun the process of transferring their data to the Switch 2, there is a way to safeguard your save files.

According to multiple users in the thread, backing up your data to the Pokémon Home app is vital if you don't want to lose your Pokémon.

"If I get Switch 2 in the future, I will first transfer all my Pokémon to Home before data transferring," said TheJannikku. "I can't imagine how I would if that happened to me."

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Look, I love my Nintendo Switch. It’s a great little device - hell, I might not have made it through the pandemic lockdowns with my sanity intact had it not been for the lovely, calming influence of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. So it’s fair to say that I’m interested in the Switch 2, but I won’t be getting one on launch day for one very simple reason.

Where’s my damn Pokémon launch title, Nintendo? With every new console generation, I sit and eagerly await the possibility that you’ve finally learned your lesson and decided to put a mainline Pokémon game in the launch lineup. And with every new console generation, I am disappointed.

The closest we’ve ever come was Pokémon Dash for the Nintendo DS, which was more of a glorified tech demo for the new handheld’s dual-screen mechanics than a fully-fledged game.

I’ll admit it, I’m that type of Pokémon fan who complains about how crap the modern games look and run, but then merrily presents my credit card whenever a new one comes out. Does that make me a hypocrite? Probably, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to both love something and also wish it were better. In any case, a Pokémon launch title for the Switch 2 would have me lining up to get my hands on the new console - but as it stands, I’m just not interested.

The launch title problem

If I can be frank for a moment here, the Switch 2 launch lineup is… pretty feeble, honestly. What do we have? A heap of triple-A third-party games are being re-released, but the unspectacular footage of Cyberpunk 2077 running on the new console hasn’t exactly lit a fire underneath me. Some OG Switch upgrades for an extra ten bucks - oh wow, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet doesn’t run like garbage now?

Great, I’m sooo impressed. We’ve got some smaller series titles and a smattering of first-party names headlining, but arguably none of the biggest franchises. Forgive me for not being uncontrollably excited about Puyo Pop Tetris 2S.

We’re getting a new Mario Kart, but no mainline Mario game. Super Mario Party Jamboree, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A are all inbound, but not for a few months - oh, and Z-A will be available on the Switch I already own, though it’ll probably look terrible.

A new Zelda game is nowhere in sight, and Metroid Prime 4 is, uh… well, it’s coming, but only Samus knows when. I’d like to take a moment to remind you that it’s been eight whole years since that game was originally announced - and it's also a Switch 1 game too. Very cool, Nintendo.

It’s something of a recurring theme for Nintendo, frankly. Launch lineups have rarely been impressive for the gaming giant’s consoles; almost half of the Wii launch titles were mediocre movie and TV show tie-ins, while the two biggest DS launch titles were both Nintendo 64 remakes (Mario and Rayman). To be clear, I’m not saying those remakes were bad, but come on.

Why does Pokémon get snubbed?

I’ve been trying to understand the logic behind Nintendo’s consistent refusal to include Pokémon - which, lest we forget, is the single biggest intellectual property on the planet, worth more than Call of Duty, Warcraft, and Grant Theft Auto combined - in the launches of its consoles. On paper, it makes zero sense.

I have some theories. First up is that Nintendo’s hardware development team simply doesn’t have the sway with the many-headed serpent of corporations that jointly manage the Pokémon franchise (Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, Creatures Inc.) to ensure that a new title is always ready for the relevant console launch. Another theory is that Nintendo intentionally uses new Pokémon releases to bump post-launch sales of its consoles, or spaces out those third-party games to prevent attention from being split by a new Zelda or Mario title.

I’d love to believe that the main reason is simply that Game Freak would rather spend a bit more time with the hardware to release a game that looks and runs great, but… well, let’s be honest, that seems unlikely. In truth, it’s probably a combination of all these factors and more, never to be properly understood by mere mortals like us.

All I can really say is this: Nintendo, if you had Pokémon Tides and Gales (or whatever it’s called) to launch with the Switch 2, it would sell better. Simple as that. I’d buy it immediately; I was one of the six people who bought both a Pokémon Mini. I’m not hard to please.

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I'm so hyped for the Nintendo Switch 2. Like, ridiculously hyped for Nintendo's next console. In fact, I'm so excited for the successor to the Nintendo Switch to launch that I pre-ordered three units: One for myself, one for my fiancée, and one for a friend so we can play Mario Kart World together.

With only a couple more days to go until the Switch 2 release, I've been gearing up for the new hardware launch by consuming every little tidbit of content about the new console possible.

From Mario Kart World to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild, the hype train has well and truly left the station. Like a kid at Christmas, I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I can't wait to get fully engrossed by Nintendo's world built for 2025.

While I'm incredibly excited for Mario Kart World and experiencing Link's open world adventure in 60fps, there's one game that I'm most excited about, and I never would've thought that would be the case.

You see, I'm a massive Pokémon fan. To put it into context, I've got a Pikachu tattoo on my arm, a Lego Pikachu built out of over 5000 yellow bricks, Pokémon cards everywhere, and physical versions of most of the last 29 years of the franchise.

I've grown up with Pokémon, whether that was Pokémon Yellow, my first ever video game, to experiencing the joy of exploring Kanto after defeating the Johto Elite Four in Pokémon Gold.

I've played every Pokémon game and experienced every Pokémon region. From Kanto to Kalos, Johto to Unova, I've been there, and Pokémon has been with me through many different points of my life.

Every game that is, apart from one. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

It's all about to change...

When Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launched in 2022, my love for Pokémon was at its peak. I was collecting cards almost weekly, was covering Pokémon TCG content for an old website I used to write for, and was playing all my favorite classic games on my Analogue Pocket (a modern-day Game Boy with hardware emulation).

Based on that setting, you'd think I'd have run to the store and bought Pokémon Scarlet and Violet at launch. Instead, the game looked terrible, ran terribly, and just made me crave the classics instead of playing a muddy-looking open-world Pokémon game with a new generation that I wasn't interested in.

Over time, as Scarlet & Violet has made its way into the Pokémon TCG, I've fallen in love with new creatures like Tandemaus and Maushold, as well as new takes on classics like Raging Bolt, Great Tusk, and Iron Thorns.

As I've grown more fond of the new generation 9 Pokémon, I've wanted to play the latest games. Unfortunately, for me, there's no way I can handle low framerates without getting motion sickness, and I don't want to play an ugly-looking open-world that feels empty to explore.

Yesterday, Nintendo showcased a new gameplay trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on the Switch 2 through its Nintendo Today app, and as soon as I saw it, I purchased a copy of Pokémon Violet.

You see, the game now runs at higher resolution, and at what appears to be a locked 60fps, with perfectly smooth gameplay that I've been dreaming of. Best of all, the update is completely free, rather than an extra fee like some other improved versions of original Switch games.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on Switch 2 is the epitome of what makes the new console a must-buy, giving you access to some of the best games of the last decade, but playable with 2025 standards.

Breath of the Wild is one of my favorite video games of all time, yet its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, barely got any playtime in my household. Why? Because when you're playing AAA games on the PS5 Pro and then turning on a choppy mess that just feels awful to play, you quickly stop being able to cope with the difference.

I get motion sick very easily when gaming, and that was the crux of the Nintendo Switch for me, especially in demanding games like Tears of the Kingdom, or badly optimized ones like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware and backwards compatibility, I'm going to get to experience so many new games over the coming weeks. These original Switch games will feel brand-new, creating one of, if not the best, launch lineups we've ever seen.

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• Pokémon Scarlet and Violet had new footage revealed in the Nintendo Today app
• The new footage showcases the game running at 60fps on Nintendo Switch 2
• The image quality is also noticeably much cleaner

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is set to get a free Nintendo Switch 2 update at the console's launch, as previously revealed on Nintendo's official website.

Now, though, Nintendo has finally revealed footage of the game running on Switch 2, via the Nintendo Today mobile app for iOS and Android devices. And it looks absolutely glorious.

While it's only 30 seconds of footage, we get a good mix of battling and traversal out in the game's open world. Not only is it running at a buttery smooth 60fps, but image quality has taken a noticeable step-up. The game simply looks much sharper and cleaner on Switch 2.

If you're unable to download the Nintendo Today app, popular Pokémon fan page Serebii has uploaded the footage to X / Twitter. Though do keep in mind that the website's ungodly compression doesn't do it any favors here.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, representing the series' ninth generation of pocket monsters and originally releasing for the Nintendo Switch in 2022, was heavily criticized at launch. While all the ingredients for a great Pokémon adventure were certainly there, it ran horribly and was riddled with more bugs than Viridian Forest.

Of course, it's not the only game in the series to suffer from being released on underpowered hardware, as Pokémon Sword and Shield and Pokémon Legends Arceus also had their share of performance issues - though certainly not quite to the same extent.

Thankfully, this Nintendo Switch 2 update does seem to put the game in a much better light. It is a shame that Scarlet and Violet had to be rushed out the door the way it was originally, but this will certainly be a nice bonus for folks who have the new console and were looking for a reason to dive back into the game's Spain-inspired setting.

Lastly, it is worth stressing that unlike the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition line-up of games, the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet update is completely free and will simply require players to own the original game either physically or digitally. The update will be available on the Switch 2's launch day of June 5.

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• Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro has officially completed Pokémon Blue
• The game ran as a livestream experiment by an independent engineer
• Gemini played the game with some light developer intervention, but mostly on its own

Google's Gemini AI may not have passed the Turing test yet, but it would be very popular in the schoolyard three decades ago after winning a game of Pokémon Blue. The Gemini 2.5 Pro is now both Google's most advanced AI model and a Pokémon Master, as demonstrated in a Twitch livestream called “Gemini Plays Pokémon” run by an engineer unaffiliated with Google named Joel Z. Even Google CEO Sundar Pichai joined the celebration, sharing a clip of the victory on X.

You might wonder why an AI model beating a thirty-year-old game drew so much attention. It's partly because of the spectacle, but also because of AI model rivalry. Back in February, Anthropic showcased the progress its Claude model was making in beating Pokémon Red. They used the game to show off Claude’s “extended thinking and agent training” and launched a “Claude Plays Pokémon” Twitch stream, inspiring Joel Z.

Before crowning Gemini as the one true AI Ash Ketchum, it’s worth noting a few caveats. For one, Claude hasn’t technically beaten Pokémon Red yet, but that doesn’t automatically make Gemini better, as they employed different tools, known as “agent harnesses.” The models don’t play the game directly like a human with a controller would. Instead, they’re fed screenshots of the game environment along with overlays of key information, then asked to generate the next best action. That decision is then translated into an actual button press in the game.

And Gemini hasn’t been going it entirely alone. Joel admitted he occasionally stepped in to make improvements, though he has made a point of doing so only to improve some of Gemini's reasoning. He also plans to continue working on the Gemini Plays Pokémon project to make further improvements.

Pokémon AI

What makes this more than a quirky internet stunt is what it implies about where AI is headed. Playing a game like Pokémon Blue isn’t about fast reflexes or memorizing controller inputs. It’s about long-term strategy, adapting to surprises, and navigating ambiguous challenges. These are all areas where AI usually needs improvement. That Gemini could not only hold its own but finish the game (with minimal nudging) suggests that models like it are getting better at extended strategy.

It's also the kind of milestone the average person can understand. You can intuitively understand what the AI is doing when bumbling through Lavender Town or misreading a battle tactic, and compare it to the choices you'd make in that context. Of course, you shouldn't overstate what this means. AI can now finish a game you probably beat in middle school, but it also highlights how much human effort still goes into making AI seem autonomous.

Whether or not Claude or Gemini become true Pokémasters doesn't matter so much as what they're playing means for AI's development. Showing that AI won't just crunch numbers or generate spam emails could change how people think of what AI can do, even with help. And if this is how AI models start learning how to operate in unpredictable, open-ended environments, well, beating Mewtwo might just be a stepping stone to something a lot more profound. Or at least, a bit more productive.

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Pokémon Red and Blue on Game Boy are some of the best-selling video games of all time, and part of the world’s biggest media franchise. Now, it’s being used as an AI benchmark, and as a lifelong fan of Pikachu, I’m absolutely hooked watching AI try to figure these games out.

You may have heard of Claude Plays Pokemon already, but if not, there’s a Twitch channel live streaming Anthropic’s AI attempting to complete Pokemon Red, and it has been playing the 1996 video game classic for months now.

I had stumbled across the project a while ago, but it wasn’t until I heard of Gemini Plays Pokemon, another Twitch livestream using Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, that I started to take notice.

Pokémon has turned into an actual benchmark for agentic AI models to the extent that Anthropic even highlighted 3.7 Sonnet’s ability to get deeper into the game compared to its predecessor, 3.5, when announcing the new model.

Google has since showcased its own Pokémon prowess, with Logan Kilpatrick, a Lead for AI Studio, sharing Gemini 2.5 Pro’s ability to earn the 5th badge on X in just 500 hours.

But why Pokémon?

It turns out that using checkpoints in Pokémon Red is a great way to showcase each AI model's ability to problem solve and think its way to success. Pokémon on Game Boy is also proving to be a fun way to see AI’s critical thinking and ability to complete tasks with ambiguity.

Anthropic says, “The model's ability to maintain focus and accomplish open-ended goals will help developers build a wide range of state-of-the-art AI agents.”

If you’ve never played a Pokémon game before, you set out on a journey to catch new monsters and earn eight badges by defeating gym leaders (essentially bosses). Once you’ve got eight badges, you set out to defeat the Elite Four (another boss rush with four increasingly difficult Pokémon trainers).

It’s not black and white

Currently, Claude 3.7 Sonnet is at Mt. Moon, following a recent reset where it got stuck, the model's best result so far is earning the 3rd badge in Vermillion City. Gemini, on the other hand, is now navigating Victory Road, having earned all eight badges in Pokémon Blue.

While that comparison might sound like Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental is far better than Claude 3.7 Sonnet at playing Pokemon, an AI expert on the site Lesswrong, has explained how it's not so clear-cut.

You see, each Twitch stream has different conditions, including how the playthrough has been set up and how the developer running it interacts with the run. If you’re remotely interested in the concept of Pokémon as a testing tool for AI, I highly encourage you to read the brilliant analysis on the subject found on Lesswrong.

In the piece, “Is Gemini now better than Claude at Pokémon?” The author explains the implementation differences between the two streams and how they aren’t directly comparable because of the way each AI model takes action, as well as the “agent harness” each one has been given.

Think of an agent harness as the external factors that are put in place to help the AI agent obtain its goal. That could be a tool to help with pathfinding, or even extra information to determine the best way to approach a playthrough. In the article, the author concludes that due to the unknowns around the exact circumstances each AI model is playing Pokémon, it’s impossible to say for sure which one is better at it.

That said, while it might not be the most in-depth benchmark, Pokémon is an incredibly fun way to see AI’s capabilities in action.

Are you smarter than a 6-year-old?

There’s something incredibly endearing about watching a livestream of AI try to maneuver itself through a game most of us played when we were kids. If you were born in the 90s, chances are Pokémon Red or Blue were the first video game titles you ever played as a child.

As kids, there was an element of the unknown with Pokémon that made it enthralling; it launched at a time when you couldn’t quickly search for results on Google, and ChatGPT definitely didn’t exist to tell you where to go next. As 6-year-olds, we managed to figure it out in the end, but will Claude and Gemini?

When talking about why they watch AI play Pokémon on stream, one Reddit user said, “I've been watching ClaudePlaysPokemon for a long time now.”

“The project really highlights the weaknesses of LLMs for sure, but it's also strangely addictive. You just want to root for the little guy.”

Another said, “The funny thing is that Pokémon is a simple, railroady enough game that RNG can beat the game given enough time (and this has been done), but it turns out to take a surprising amount of cognitive architecture to play the game in a fully-sensible-looking way.”

At the time of writing, 70+ people are watching Claude Plays Pokémon on Twitch, and another 100+ are watching Gemini Plays Pokémon. While it’s likely Gemini will become a Pokémon master before Claude, these projects are more about the journey and the perfect balance between modern technology and the nostalgia of the past.

Using AI for a Pokémon playthrough

While it's very interesting to watch AI figure out how to play Pokémon on its own, chatbots like Gemini and Claude excel in helping users play the game in the first place.

There are many brilliant guides online written by humans that help you navigate the world of Kanto in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow. That said, asking Google Gemini to tell you what Pokémon you can catch in a specific area or other questions related to your playthrough can get you quick information in just a few seconds.

The great thing about using AI for a game walkthrough like this is that it will provide links to the original content so you can quickly head to the human-written guide for more in-depth information if needed.

So, if you get the itch to play a classic Pokémon game after watching Gemini or Claude play on Twitch, why not try using these same AI tools as companions as you traverse the world of Kanto?

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• Lego has announced an official collaboration with Pokemon
• Coming in 2026, you'll be able to "go on a real LEGO® Pokémon™ adventure."
• The teaser includes a Lego Pikachu

Stop what you're doing! It finally happened, Lego and Pokemon have teamed up and we can expect electrifying sets starting in 2026.

Taking to social media, Lego and Pokemon both shared a teaser trailer for the upcoming collaboration which showcases Pikachu's tail made out of plastic bricks. On the official Lego website you'll find a promotional image with the words, "Electrify your imagination in 2026 and get ready to build something we’ve never built with LEGO® bricks before!"

That's all the official information there is for now, but that's enough to get the Lego fanatics and Pokemon fans amped up for next year. Pokemon fans have been hoping for a Lego crossover for years, but due to the company's license with Mega Bloks, there hasn't even been a hint that the dreams of millions could become a reality.

As a massive Pokemon fanatic myself (I even have a Pikachu tattoo), I've wanted a Lego Pikachu for as long as I can remember. So much so, that in 2020 I built my own custom life-sized Pikachu with over 5000 Lego bricks.

Now, hopefully, I'll be able to build an official Lego Pikachu to go alongside one of my favorite possessions, and I'm beyond excited.

Gotta Catch 'Em All

The possibilities of Lego Pokemon are endless and I fully expect there to be 18+ adult sets similar to the newly announced Mario Kart set alongside playsets similar to those of Sonic The Hedgehog.

Official information reads, "Nothing is impossible with a couple of bricks, and next year you get the chance to go on a real LEGO® Pokémon™ adventure." That to me hints at a wide variety of sets, hopefully with many Pokemon to choose from.

With over 1000 Pokemon in the Pokedex nowadays, this could be the beginning of one of the most lucrative partnerships in Lego history, and I don't know how I'm going to manage to wait until 2026.

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• Pokémon x Aardman? It's a match made in animation heaven
• Aardman will be creating new adventures set in the Pokémon universe
• The official Pokémon channel on YouTube is streaming anime episodes for free

How's this for a partnership: Pokémon and Aardman Animation, creators of Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and Shaun The Sheep. The much-loved animation studio has announced that it's working with The Pokémon Company International on a new "special project" that'll come out in 2027.

The announcement is as fiendish as anything Feathers McGraw might come up with, though: posting on X/Twitter, all the announcement said was "Pokémon × @aardman Coming in 2027!"

The good news is that there is a little more information out there, and you don't need to go somewhere where there's cheese to find it.

What's Aardman up to?

There's an official press release that adds a little bit more to the story: "The collaboration will see Aardman bringing their unique style of storytelling to the Pokémon universe in brand-new adventures," the announcement says.

Taito Okiura, VP of marketing and media at The Pokémon Company, added: "This is a dream partnership for Pokémon. Aardman are masters of their craft, and we have been blown away by their talent and creativity. What we have been working on together ensures our global Pokémon fans are in for a treat!”

This is the kind of news that puts a big smile on your face, and Aardman seems to be pretty chuffed too. Sean Clarke, Aardman MD, says he's looking forward to bringing "our love of craft, character and comedic storytelling" to the world's biggest entertainment brand. He and the team are "very excited".

"Aardman and TPCi share an emphasis on heritage and attention to detail as well as putting our fans and audiences at the heart of what we do," Clarke says. That will "steer us right as we together create charming, original and new stories for audiences around the world”.

I can't imagine this being anything other than utterly Charmander-ing. Sorry. More details will be revealed "in the future", Aardman says.

In the meantime, you can get your Pokémon fix on YouTube: the official Pokémon TV YouTube channel is now streaming full episodes of the anime series. The channel is "where you can explore the world of Pokémon with Ash & Pikachu! Experience some of the most iconic moments from their adventure with our full episodes, live streams, compilations and so much more!"

This feels like a good time to make my Pokémon joke. How do you get a cute animated creature onto a bus? Pokemon!

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