A report that surfaced on Gematsu has hinted towards the possibility of an all-new Pokémon game centred on the franchise’s beloved mascot, Pikachu. The document states that the company’s CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara will appear on the national TV channel, NHK Professional: Shigoto no Ryuugi, on October 28th where he will allegedly unveil a “never before seen” game that entered production during the summer months.
The rumour started through the broadcaster’s synopsis of Ishihara’s interview, which you can check out below:
“This summer, Ishihara started development on a never before seen game. It’s a new game featuring the very popular character Pikachu in a bold way. There is concern, however, that if it’s bad the long loved character would lose popularity in the blink of an eye.”
At this time, it’s unclear as to what the president will discuss during his appearance on the show. Given the popularity of Pikachu, though, a spin-off title is entirely feasible, and it will be interesting to see what Ishihara means by reinventing the mascot in a “bold way.” Still, it’s worth keeping in mind that The Nintendo Company has since stated that there is “no news to report at this time.” Either way, the character of has been a series stalwart across the Pokémon legacy; from TV shows to playing cards. With that said, many fans of the franchise will remember it as the only starter pocket monster available in Pokémon Yellow back in 1999.
We’ll have news from Ishihara’s interview when it broadcasts later this month. In terms of confirmed titles from the company, Pokémon X & Y –which feature the new-fangled Mega Evolutions – are slated to release on 3DS’ worldwide this Saturday, October 12th.
What do you think, though? Can you see The Pokémon Company releasing a title focusing solely on its electric mascot? Indeed what do you think the aforementioned makeover could be? Be sure to leave any Pikachu-related speculation in the comments below.
