I’ve been a Pokemon addict for some time now. I know it’s generally a kids’ game, and it should lose its luster after you hit a certain age, but I just never lost my appreciation for these Pocket Monsters. I’m a collector at heart, and I think that has a lot to do with my adoration for this long-standing series. The prospect of “battling creatures” has always had my attention too. Unfortunately though, I grew out of my “Nintendo phase,” and I haven’t really owned a Nintendo system in quite some time. This means I can’t enjoy any of the newer Pokemon titles since they’re all exclusive to the Nintendo brand.
I learned today, though, that Nintendo is releasing something called Pokemon Zukan for iOS. Don’t get too excited, though, this isn’t a game. It is instead a full fledged 3D Pokedex.
The Zukan appears to feature a variety of information on every Pokemon that has been released to date and includes things like their name, number, unique traits, powers, and even background stories. There are also full 3D models, although it doesn’t appear as if these models are moveable or zoomable. Still though, with access to every Pokemon released to date, this app should prove to be a lot of fun for all you Pokemon fans out there.
Sadly though, this app is releasing only in Japan, for the time being at least; we can probably expect to see it hit a global stage at some point. The app is currently priced at a base of around USD $2.00. This will give you access to the original 150 Pokemon and all of their stats and information. If you want information on the rest of them (over 500), then you’ll have to shell out an additional USD $6.00 per “set.” All in all, the app will set you back about USD $26.00, which is a hefty price to pay for just a Pokedex.
So why does this matter to all of us, if we can’t yet get our hands on it? Simply put, it acts as a possible prelude to further Pokemon projects on iOS. Nintendo has been incredibly tightfisted with its Pokemon franchise, which has only appeared on Nintendo consoles for the past decade. This release onto iOS is a huge step forward for the publisher and its subsidiary, The Pokemon Company. This doesn’t necessarily mean we are going to see a full-fledged Pokemon game released on iDevices in the near future, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Photo Credit: The Pokemon Company
