Pokémon 25th Anniversary
The entire year of 2021 was celebrated as Pokémon's 25th Anniversary, as February 27, 2021 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the original Japanese release of Pokémon Red and Green and therefore the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Pokémon media franchise as a whole.
The 25th anniversary logo was revealed during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 26, 2020.[1]
Event distributions
A singing Pikachu was distributed to Sword & Shield games on February 25.
Games
A Pokémon Presents was announced on February 25, 2021, and was held at midnight JST on February 27, 2021. The presentation opens with a retrospective trailer which is followed by a trailer on the upcoming New Pokémon Snap, as well as announcements on the following games, all set in the Sinnoh region.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were announced during the February 2021 Pokémon Presents. They are remakes of the Generation IV games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and were released on November 19, 2021 worldwide.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was announced during the February 2021 Pokémon Presents. It was released on January 28, 2022 worldwide.
Music
- Main article: P25 Music
A yearlong campaign titled P25 Music was created as a collaboration between The Pokémon Company International and Universal Music Group and Brands for the 25th anniversary. Participating artists include Katy Perry and Post Malone,[2] and J Balvin. Post Malone performed a virtual concert on Pokémon Day that was streamed on the official Pokémon Youtube and Twitch channels.
In China and Japan, the song Dreamful by Zhou Shen was released on February 19, 2022 to commemorate the 25th anniversary.
Trading Card Game
A collection of Jumbo cards featuring starters was released throughout the year. The cards are all reprints of their respective Pokémon's first released card with the 25th Anniversary logo added. A binder to hold them was the first item released on February 26 and included the Pikachu card. First Partner Packs were released in subsequent months, with three cards per pack, ordered by generation.[3]
From February 9 in the United States, April 26 in Canada, and May 19 in the United Kingdom, McDonald's Collection 2021 was included in McDonald’s Happy Meals.[4]
Starting Pokémon Day, specially-marked General Mills cereals included mini booster packs.[5]
The expansions Celebrations, released internationally on October 8,[6] and 25th Anniversary Collection, released in Japan on October 22,[7] feature popular Pokémon and a selection of gameplay mechanics spanning the history of the Trading Card Game.
Merchandise
A limited edition Bear Walker skateboard was made for the anniversary. It was available for pre-order from PokémonCenter.com starting January 19.[3]
Levi Strauss & Co. and The Pokémon Company International launched the 90s-inspired Levi's x Pokémon Collection on February 15, 2021 to celebrate the anniversary.[8]
In Japan, Uniqlo launched a selecton of Pokémon "stamp" designs for use on their UTme! app between February 19 - April 30, 2021.[9]
A Mega Construx Pokémon "Celebration Pikachu" model was released by Mega Brands.[10]
Related articles
External links
References
- ↑ Pokémon Teases Upcoming 25th Anniversary Celebrations - The Pokémon Company International (retrieved February 13, 2021)
- ↑ Pokémon Unveils Virtual Music Concert With Post Malone To Celebrate 25th Anniversary - The Pokémon Company International (retrieved February 13, 2021)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pokémon Celebrates 25 Years With Massive Music Program And Activations Across The Franchise - The Pokémon Company International (retrieved February 13, 2021)
- ↑ Collect 25th Anniversary Pokémon TCG Cards in McDonald’s Happy Meals - pokemon.com (retrieved February 13, 2021)
- ↑ Celebrate 25 years of Pokémon with Big G Cereal! - General Mills (archived from the original April 25, 2021; retrieved July 5, 2021)
- ↑ Pokémon Trading Card Game: Celebrations - The Pokémon Company International (retrieved July 5, 2021)
- ↑ 25th Anniversary Pokémon Card Game - The Pokémon Company (retrieved July 5, 2021)
- ↑ Levi's x Pokémon - The Pokémon Company International (retrieved February 13, 2021)
- ↑ Enjoy the 25th anniversary by wearing a Pokémon T-shirt designed with your favorite Pokémon!! - Uniqlo (retrieved February 19, 2021)
- ↑ Celebration Pikachu - Mega Brands (retrieved February 19, 2021)