Japan Under Siege by Pokemon DS
Think ten years was enough? Think again. Gotta-catch-em-all fever is still raging in Japan.
Pokémon may not be the mainstream phenomenon it was a few years ago, but that by no means points to the series falling out of favour with fans. The latest entry in the series has hit the DS in Japan, and sales have been nothing short of spectacular.
New Super Mario Bros was until now the best selling DS game in Japan, selling 865,000 copies in its first week on sale. Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl (not to be confused with Pokémon Mysterious Dungeon, due shortly in the UK) have demolished this feat. In just the first four days, 1.58 million people picked up the game, says a new report at Next Generation.
Pokémon collecting is still a core part of the game, but these latest versions bring plenty of new stuff. First there's the new area, Shin'ou, which IGN says is based on the real-world Japanese area of Hokkaido. The graphics are better, the sound is better, but what is really attracting attention is the ability to not only trade Pokémon but also battle against other trainers online.
There's no date yet for Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl outside of Japan, but it's a good bet you'll be waiting until well into 2007.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo
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