Game Freak
Game Freak business and news from across the web.
Japanese Charts: Switch 2 Hits Another Milestone As Pokémon Pokopia's Reign ContinuesThe latest Japanese physical game sales charts show Pokémon Pokopia remaining at number one, with its total sales approaching 1 million units. The Switch 2 console also reached a significant milestone, surpassing 5 million units sold in Japan. Other consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X saw considerably lower hardware sales compared to the Switch 2.
Nintendo Switch Online April 2026 NES Haul Brings Three More Retro ClassicsNintendo has added three new classic NES games, Pac-Man, Mendel Palace, and The Tower of Druaga, to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service. Mendel Palace is notable as the debut title from Game Freak. These additions do not require the Expansion Pack.
Pac-Man & Game Freak’s first ever game join NES library on Switch OnlineNintendo Switch Online has added Pac-Man, Mendel Palace, and The Tower of Druaga to its NES library. Pac-Man is a classic arcade port, Mendel Palace is Game Freak's first game, and The Tower of Druaga is a Japan-only action RPG.
3 NES games added to Switch OnlineNintendo has added three classic NES games to the Nintendo Switch Online service: The Tower of Druaga, PAC-MAN, and Mendel Palace. These titles are available through the "Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics" app for subscribers. Namco developed two of the games, while Game Freak developed Mendel Palace, which was originally published by Namco in Japan.
"Feels Like A Fleshed Out Beta" - Fans Are Unhappy With Pokémon Champions At LaunchFans are expressing disappointment with the launch of Pokémon Champions on Nintendo Switch, citing a limited roster of approximately 180 Pokémon and the absence of key competitive staples like rental teams and certain items. Issues such as patchy performance, bugs affecting item and move functionality, and a lack of 6v6 battles have led players to describe the experience as a "fleshed out beta." The Pokémon Company and Game Freak are expected to address these concerns through future updates.
Pokemon Pokopia player decides Animal Crossing: New Horizons-style banishment isn't enough for their least favorite 'mons, straight-up jails them instead: "They are (mostly) comfortable"A player in Pokemon Pokopia has created a jail for their least favorite villagers, going beyond the typical Animal Crossing: New Horizons methods of banishment. This build highlights the extensive customization tools available in Pokopia, prompting discussion about player freedom and ethical considerations within cozy gaming communities.
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen devs found that "the programming sucks" in the original RPGs, but needed Nintendo's help on the remakes because they "hadn't gotten any better at programming since then"Developers from Game Freak admitted that the programming in the original Pokemon Red and Blue was poor, making the remakes Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen difficult to develop. They required assistance from Nintendo, particularly for implementing the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, as the team felt their programming skills had not improved since the original titles.
April 2026: Switch 2 Drops Fortnite, GTA, Mario & Perso... | TAGMultiple reports indicate potential price increases for the Nintendo Switch 2, with experts suggesting a price point over $450 by year's end due to rising component costs. Meanwhile, Kena: Bridge of Spirits receives a Switch 2 port that offers little improvement over previous versions. Sony is also reportedly increasing prices for the PlayStation 5 lineup, with a PS5 Pro potentially costing $900.
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen's recaps, new Pokedex and lower difficulty were all designed to bring in more girls and elderly players, director of the remakes says in resurfaced interviewJunichi Masuda, director of the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen remakes, revealed in a 2004 interview that design changes were made to attract a wider audience, including girls and elderly players. These changes included lowering the overall difficulty and redesigning the Pokédex to be more like a notebook.- Pokémon fans want to save this ill-fated Gen 1 species, so they designed a new evolution for itPokémon fans have designed a new evolution for the ill-fated Gen 1 species, Paras, to give it a chance to overcome its parasitic fate. User Pikat on X shared a mockup named Paracide, depicting Parasect with a dark mushroom on its back, symbolizing its survival and control over its body. While an official evolution is unlikely soon, fans can enjoy this concept in games like Pokopia.
- Pokemon Pokopia's hard-hitting maturity is the perfect way to celebrate 30 years of PokemonPokemon Pokopia offers a surprisingly mature and engaging experience, blending life simulation, crafting, and building elements with a post-apocalyptic narrative. The game celebrates Pokemon's 30th anniversary by exploring themes of rebuilding and finding hope in a damaged world, appealing to both long-time fans and new players.
Pokemon Champions producer had a "heated discussion" with one of Game Freak's original battle designers about removing a complicated mechanic after 30 years to make PvP more accessiblePokemon Champions will remove the IV stat system to make competitive play more accessible, a decision producer Masaaki Hoshino discussed with an original Game Freak battle designer. This change aims to lower the barrier to entry for players interested in the Player vs Player aspect of the series. The free-to-play title will serve as the official game for the Pokemon Video Game Championships.
Pokemon Champions producer "really enjoyed" the Pokemon Stadium games, and used them as a "reference" to help more players get into PvPPokemon Champions producer Masaaki Hoshino discussed the game's focus on accessibility and simplifying high-level PvP battles for a wider audience, drawing inspiration from the Pokemon Stadium series. The game will serve as the official hub for the Video Game Championships, integrating various mechanics like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves, and is planned to evolve over time with new Pokemon and content.
Pokémon Pokopia's second limited-time event adds Sableye in late April, but you can already cheat your way into itPokémon Pokopia's upcoming limited-time event featuring Sableye, scheduled for late April, can already be accessed early by players manipulating their Nintendo Switch system clock. This exploit, along with previous events, appears to have had its necessary files included in the game's initial download. The life simulation title from Game Freak and Omega Force has seen strong sales since launch.
Pokemon Champions Is Something We've Needed For A Long TimePokemon Champions aims to be a free-to-play, live-service battle simulator that keeps traditional turn-based Pokemon battles available indefinitely. Development director Masaaki Hoshino stated the game simplifies competitive mechanics like EVs and IVs to lower the barrier to entry. Set to release on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, the game streamlines the process of obtaining and training Pokemon for competitive play.
Pokemon Pokopia once again overtakes Resident Evil Requiem on Metacritic as the best game of 2026, with a score of 90…Pokemon Pokopia has reclaimed the top spot on Metacritic's best games of 2026 ranking with an average critic score of 90, surpassing Resident Evil Requiem. This score matches Animal Crossing: New Horizons and solidifies Pokopia as the highest-rated Pokemon game ever.
How a Failing Nintendo Accessory Spawned the $100 Billion Pokémon Empire - IGNThe Pokémon franchise, now a $100 billion empire, owes its existence to Nintendo's initially failing Game Boy Link Cable. Game Freak co-founder Satoshi Tajiri envisioned using the cable for trading monsters, an idea championed by Shigeru Miyamoto, leading to the creation of Pokémon Red and Green. The limitations of the Game Boy hardware and the Link Cable heavily influenced the core gameplay mechanics, such as turn-based combat and the necessity of trading, which remain integral to the series today.- It's time for Game Freak to finally give Pokémon some proper voice actingThis opinion piece argues that Game Freak should implement proper voice acting for Pokémon in their games, moving beyond the limited, pitch-shifted cries inherited from the Game Boy era. The author suggests that full voice acting would enhance character identification, align with other Pokémon media like the anime, and provide a more engaging experience for younger players, despite potential cost and localization challenges.
Rumour: Pokemon Legends Galar to be prehistoric Pikmin-like game commanding groups of up to 30 PokemonA leak suggests that the upcoming Pokemon Legends game, tentatively titled Pokemon Legends: Galar, will feature Pikmin-like gameplay where players command up to thirty Pokemon. Set in prehistoric Galar approximately 1000 years before the invention of Poké Balls, the game is reportedly scheduled for a 2028 release or later and will focus on AI, physics, Pokémon behavior, and group dynamics.
Pokémon Pokopia Review - Second windPokémon Pokopia revitalizes the franchise with an addictive sandbox adventure developed by Omega Force and Koei Tecmo. The game blends building mechanics inspired by Minecraft and life-sim elements from Animal Crossing with a progression system similar to Dragon Quest Builders. It features a diverse Pokédex across all nine generations and an ingenious habitat mechanic for attracting Pokémon, offering dozens of hours of engaging gameplay.