As the largest media franchise of all time,Pokemonis no stranger to partnerships. It’s not a stretch to assume that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company probably want thePokemonbrand to grow as large as possible. As such, officialPokemon-inspired merchandise, events, and even games have popped up over the years that all serve the purpose of expandingPokemon’s reach across pop culture.
Time and again, numerous brands have been more than willing to collaborate withPokemon, and such collaborations happen quite frequently;Oreo just teased an upcoming partnershipwith the media titan a few days ago. While some ventures have been home runs with hardcore fans and general audiences alike, there are several notable team-ups featuring thePokemonbrand that are nothing short of strange and unexpected.
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Pokemon Conquest
Western audiences may not know that thistactical turn-based spinonPokemonwas also a crossover title. Known asPokemon + Nobunaga’s Ambitionin Japan, the game is exactly what it sounds like: A collaborative venture between thePokemonseries and Koei’s turn-based strategy franchise,Nobunaga’s Ambition.
UnlikePokemon,Nobunaga’s Ambitionis a series rooted in reality. The games are set during Japan’s Sengoku Period, which saw mass civil unrest and division in the country as several warring factions fought for control over Japan. During this time, Oda Nobunaga set out to unify Japan by force, which is what the objective of the games generally boils down to. Nobunaga is a notable figure in Japanese history, andNobunaga’s Ambitionis just one of several examples of the historical figure’s name and likeness being used in popular culture.
What makesPokemon Conquestso odd isn’t its mix of thePokemonworld with gameplay inspired byNobunaga’s Ambition, but rather how it meshes togetherPokemonand real-worldhistory. Oda Nobunaga, among other historical figures, appears in the game, and the protagonist’s goal to unify the Ransei region amidst constant conflict in the land mirrors Nobunaga’s ambitious desire to conquer Japan.Pokemonhas toyed around with real-world elements before, like howPokemon Stadiumestablished Mew’s country of origin as South Africa, but it’s strange to see an entry, even if it is a spinoff, not only acknowledge real-world happenings, but embrace them, too.
Pokemon and Post Malone
Seven months intoPokemon’s25th-anniversary celebration, there appears to be a heavy focus on music. But it’s not the charming tunes of Pallet Town, Generation 1’s iconic battle theme, or any of the series' memorable melodies that are getting the spotlight. Rather, popular artists such as Katy Perry and Post Malone are utilizing their musical talents to help celebrate the massively successful franchise.
Earlier this year, avirtual concert celebratingPokemon’s25th anniversarypremiered, and Post Malone was the star. The rapper performed two of his own songs, in addition to a cover of “Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie & the Blowfish. There was a general air of entertaining absurdity throughout the event. For starters, fans didn’t actually watch Post Malone perform; they watched a 3D render of him. Intercut between shots of the 3D-modeled rapper was footage of differentPokemonbobbing their heads to the beat and watching as Post Malone sang for them.
ThePokemon-Post Malonepartnership was a resounding success, having amassed over six million views between each party’s YouTube channels. However, the fact that this collaboration even exists is shocking when comparing the safe, wholesome nature ofPokemonto the fairly mature public image of Post Malone. While the rapper didn’t drop any obscenities during the concert, many of his top hits are rather profanity-laden. It’s also worth noting that the artist has his own brand of cigarettes as well as a high-profile partnership with Bud Light.
While Post Malone might not exactly fit the family-friendly image Nintendo has cultivated since its jump into games, it is refreshing to see perhaps the biggest Nintendo property willing to work with such an artist; hopefully, it’s a sign that the company will be open to more unique partnerships in the future.
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Pokemon and McDonald’s Happy Meals
This one isn’t particularly noteworthy for the partnership itself, but rather the fallout surrounding it. The toys that come with McDonald’s Happy Meals vary depending on what’s trending, and given thatPokemon’s25th anniversary is this year, it’s only right that McDonald’s would want to get in the action. Earlier this year,Pokemonand McDonald’s announced that uniquePokemontrading cardswould be included with every Happy Meal. While this seemed like a neat, accessible way for folks nationwide to celebrate the series' milestone for a relatively low cost, the events that followed proved otherwise.
Hot off the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X,scalpers started targeting McDonald’s Happy Mealsto get a hold of the limited-edition cards. Resellers bought Happy Meals in bulk, attempting to acquire as many cards as possible only to sell them online for exorbitant prices.Pokemontrading cards can catch quite a pretty penny in online marketplaces, with some selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. While the McDonald’s cards haven’t quite accrued that degree of value, they can still sell for exponentially more than the cost of a Happy Meal.
To curb scalpers, McDonald’s issued a statement suggesting its individual stores enact policies policing how many Happy Meals one can purchase. The rollout of this promotion in the United States was so disastrous that leading up to the promo’s debut in the United Kingdom,McDonald’s UK limited the number of Pokemon cardsthat could be sold per customer.
Scalping is nothing new to the gaming world, but the practice came to a head last year when the new consoles launched.PS5s and Xboxes were resold online for outrageous pricesto folks who were desperate to get their hands on the latest gaming hardware. Watching those same people set their sights on Happy Meals — products geared towards children — throughout this promotion was bizarre, and highlights an all-too-prevalent issue that surrounds limited-time collectibles based on popular video game franchises.
