New Pokemon 30th Anniversary Animation Sparks Fresh Hope for a Longstanding Fan Request

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Next year, 2026, will be a major milestone for Pokémon – the franchise is turning 30! The Pokémon Company usually celebrates big anniversaries with exciting events, and fans are already anticipating something special. While official plans for the 30th anniversary haven’t been fully revealed, the company recently shared a few hints. Some fans think one of the new animated shorts might be a sneak peek at what’s to come.

The Pokémon Company recently released a short video celebrating their 30th anniversary, revealing the official logo that will be used for Pokémon Day 2026. While the video mainly promotes the February 27th, 2026 celebration, some fans are hoping it hints at the possibility of older Pokémon games being remastered and released on modern platforms.

New Pokemon Animation Reveals 30th Anniversary Logo With Homage to Pikachu Designs of the Past

Japan is celebrating the start of 2026, and to mark the occasion, The Pokemon Company Japan released a new animated video. The short features Pikachu, shown in its earlier, chunkier design. Pikachu runs off-screen and grabs a Poke Ball, triggering a display of Pikachu logos from throughout the years. The animation concludes with what appears to be the official logo for Pokemon’s 30th Anniversary.

ポケモン30周年、はじまる！
『ポケットモンスター 赤・緑』の発売から30年。
2026年2月27日（金）にポケモンは30周年を迎えるよ。
今年は最高の1年になる予感！
お楽しみに！#ポケモン30周年

— ポケモン公式 (@Pokemon_cojp) December 31, 2025

The image is accompanied by text celebrating Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, marking 30 years since the original Pokémon Red and Green games were released. The text announces the anniversary date of February 27th, 2026, and expresses excitement for the year ahead. While the message doesn’t reveal any new information, some fans believe the nostalgic imagery and optimistic tone hint at the possibility of the original games being remastered or released on current gaming consoles – something many fans have requested for years.

For years, Pokémon fans have wanted to play the classic games on newer Nintendo consoles. Rumors about a collection including the very first games, like Pokémon Red and Blue, have been going around for a long time. So, when people saw the original, slightly rounder design of Pikachu, it got a lot of fans excited. Many simply love that classic look for the electric mouse Pokémon, but others are hoping it’s a hint that the original games might be coming to the Nintendo Switch.

The one thing I’m hoping for

— Underrated Comment (@jdfergus) December 31, 2025

The animation is a nostalgic trip through the history of Pokémon, showing how Pikachu and the games have evolved over the years. While it probably doesn’t hint at any specific plans for Pokémon Day 2026, the 30th anniversary would be a great opportunity to finally bring back the original games in a new or remastered form.

As a gamer, I’m really hoping Nintendo brings the original Pokemon Red and Blue – and the other early generations – to Nintendo Switch Online. That’s how they’ve been doing a lot of retro games on the Switch and the upcoming Switch 2, and it would be awesome! Honestly, a lot of us Pokemon fans would happily buy them again as brand new ports or even a separate collection. We just want a simple way to jump back into those classic games and relive the nostalgia.

The biggest Pokémon news is expected on February 27th, 2026 – Pokémon Day! This is the official anniversary, and usually when Pokémon reveals its biggest announcements for the year. We already know about Pokémon Pokopia, but details about other new or returning games will likely be shared during a Pokémon Presents presentation on that day.

What are you hoping to see for Pokémon Day 2026? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/gaming/list/5-games-pokemon-fans-should-look-out-for-in-2026-that-arent-pokemon/embed/#

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2025-12-31 21:53