A year ago, Pokémon Go was all the rage over the summer. Now, Pokémon fans are getting even more apps to satisfy their love for all things Pokémon without having to own a Nintendo console or handheld system. On the heels of the release of Magikarp Jump, it appears Pokéland is preparing for launch.
Pokéland is currently in the testing stages in Japan right now, and one can take a wild guess to say it just might be making its way to North America as quickly as possible. Pokéland is similar to current Pokémon games with RPG brawler style gameplay, according to Eurogamer. just like previous Pokémon-themed apps, Pokéland will be free to play (and likely much more costly for in-game purchases).
The beta testing will only be available to Android users, but the app will eventually be available for iOS users. The beta test quickly had 10,000 fans sign up for access to the beta access.
https://twitter.com/pokelandapp/status/869802433291014144
While Pokémon Go was designed to be enjoyed in the great outdoors, it looks as though Pokéland will be able to be enjoyed from the comfort of the couch without having to move an inch. The difference here is the game is expected to be tied to Nintendo’s new account system. This would allow players to tie their in-game achievements to their Nintendo account, which opens the door of possibilities to possible incentives in Nintendo’s rewards system or, perhaps, being able to transfer data to a future Pokémon game on the Nintendo Switch or 3DS. But this is Nintendo, so you should probably refrain from holding your breath on that kind of mobile innovation.
Magikarp Jump was recently released on mobile platforms. In the app, you grow a fish Pokémon known as a Magikarp. As you build up your Magikarp, which are typically the weakest Pokémon in existence, you enhance its power to be able to jump great distances. It has its draw as the second mobile game (not counting the countless portable handheld versions on Nintendo handhelds) in the Pokémon franchise.
Contrary to popular belief, the Pokémon apps are not a direct product rolled out by Nintendo. Nintendo owns a share of The Pokémon Company, along with Game Freak and Creatures. That said, Nintendo enjoys the PR push that comes with successful entries in the Pokémon franchise in whatever form they may be.
Pokémon Go was considered a giant step forward for Nintendo’s journey into the mobile phone game, even though the app was led by a different company (Niantic). Nintendo followed up the success of Pokémon Go with their first official mobile game, Super Mario Run, which was preceded earlier by the release of Nintendo’s social app, Miitomo. Nintendo later released Fire Emblem Heroes, an RPG-style game, on iOS and Android devices. Nintendo has future apps in the works, and the next official Nintendo app could be announced during E3 next month. It is said to be part of the Animal Crossing franchise.
There is currently no release date for Pokéland, but when it does hit the mobile servers you can expect it to skyrocket up the charts as Pokémon fans go nuts.
