During the 2010 Nintendo Conference held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on September 29th, 2010, Nintendo announced the finalized specifications for their new system, the Nintendo 3DS. The Nintendo 3DS will be released on February 26, 2011 in Japan for the retail price of 25000yen. The system will be released in North American and Europe in March.

The system comes with: a charger stand, an AC adapter, a stylus and a 2GB SD card. The system measures 134mm wide by 74mm in height, is 21mm thick and weighs 230 grams. Like the DS, the 3DS includes two screens. The top screen is a 3.5 inch wide LCD with a resolution of 800x240 pixels and features Sharp's parallax barrier system for 3D gameplay without the need for 3D glasses. The bottom screen is a 3 inch wide LCD with a resolution of 320x240 pixels.



The Nintendo 3DS works with game cartridges from the Nintendo DS, so all DS Pokémon games should play fine on the new system including the latest Pokémon Black and White games.

Battle & Get! Pokémon Typing DS

Also announced at the 2010 Nintendo Conference was a new Pokémon for the Nintendo DS called: Battle & Get! Pokémon Typing DS (バトル＆ゲット！ ポケモンタイピングDS). It is a Japanese learning game that allows children to learn roman characters while battling and getting their favorite Pokémon at the same time. The game will be released in Japan in 2011. Players run through a variety of courses such as forests and oceans and can encounter Zorua and Pikachu as well as hundreds of other Pokémon like Victini.

Features:

• Allows children to learn roman characters in a unique and fun way through the World of Pokémon!
• Battle & Get Pokémon from all Generations including the latest 5th Generation.

Sources: http://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2010/09/g100929_01.html & http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/conference2010/ds/

With less than a week to go before the launch of the new game Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, the official website for the game has opened. Videos, images, and information about the game has been posted as well as a bunch of wallpapers. The Ranger Sign for Raikou was revealed and new Signs will also be revealed periodically on the site after the game launches. Character information was also revealed. Below is the official press release announcing the site.

Press Release:

Get insight into Ranger Signs, the new way that Pokémon Rangers can use the abilities of Pokémon during and beyond encounters. Find out more about your exciting Missions as you explore the Oblivia region, where you'll discover many fantastic Pokémon, such as Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. And learn about some of the interesting characters you'll encounter along the way, including Ukulele Pichu, Professor Hastings, and the nefarious Pokémon Pinchers!

Source: http://www.pokemonranger.com/

Various fansites and groups have begun putting their support towards a new "Pokémon Standards Initiative" that would "collectively defining and implementing a set of data format and representation standards across the fandom that should be readable by both humans and machines. Such standards should be easy to follow, degradable, extendable. Some applications include but are not limited to: Pokémon data representation, team sheets, event information, TCG card representation etc. Once accepted, these standards will allow for simple and effective data exchange across websites and applications beyond language and format barriers."

Arty2, from LegendaryPokémon has explained the proposal in more depth and his remarks are posted below.

Greetings fellow Pokémon fans,
The Pokémon fandom is truly remarkable: loyal, evergreen, creative and vast. However, while the sheer size of the fandom has certainly positive effects on the quality of the information produced, it also results into cluttered, cut-off bits.

As common sense dictates, localized communities are not water-tight, meaning users roam around using different related programs and visit several websites / forums, often with equally active accounts on many of them. Not only they have to keep several instances of their online presence, they need to move their Pokémon data along, whether that is their team's information, "trade material" and whatnot.

It would be overly optimistic (at the moment at least) to think of a portable "Pokéfan" identity across fansites; it is however possible to break all the rest free.

My vision (in lack of a less pompous word) is that anyone will be one day able to Copy a line of text and Paste it in their favourite application, forum, website and let the software format, translate and display it, never to worry about having to input their information over and over again.

A Pokémon data structure is merely a graspable example; such a set of rules / standards could facilitate anything related to information exchange within the community, for the benefit of the end user, that is… us.

Like any other fandom, we occasionally quarrel, become fanboys and flame each other, often forgetting how we all enjoy playing the same games. This can be one of those different, rare cases of collaboration beyond personal grudges and language barriers that can easily yield efficient and palpable benefits for years to come.

How does this affect fansites:

PocketMonsters.net is definitely interested in the proposal and how it would be applied to fansites. A data standard for fansites would definitely reduce work duplication across the various fansites in the Pokémon community while keeping information more consistent and accurate.

If you wish to participate in the new 'Pokémon Standards Initiative', a forum thread has been created to allow people to submit their support for the project.

Source: http://www.legendarypokemon.net/psi

The official Nintendo Press site has announced the United States release dates for PokéPark™ Wii: Pikachu's Adventure and Pokémon Ranger™: Guardian Signs. PokéPark™ Wii: Pikachu's Adventure will be released on November 1st, 2010 and Pokémon Ranger™: Guardian Signs will be released on October 4th, 2010. Below is the press release.

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 17, 2010 - The summer is heating up, which means it's a great time for Nintendo to announce some of the cool games it will have available in the coming months for its Wii™ home console and portable Nintendo DS™ family of systems.

"Everyone wants fun, engaging experiences, and they want great value," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Nintendo games give you both. And no matter what your taste, you'll find exclusive experiences that just aren't available anywhere else."

Some upcoming Wii games include Metroid™: Other M on Aug. 31, Samurai Warriors™ 3 on Sept. 27, Wii Party™ on Oct. 3, Kirby's Epic Yarn™ on Oct. 17, PokéPark™ Wii: Pikachu's Adventure on Nov. 1, FlingSmash™ on Nov. 7 and Donkey Kong Country™ Returns on Nov. 21. Some marquee third-party games include New Carnival Games® from 2K Play on Sept. 21, NBA JAM from EA Sports™ on Oct. 5, Just Dance® 2 from Ubisoft® on Oct. 12, GoldenEye 007™ from Activision Publishing, Inc. in November, Sonic Colors™ from SEGA on Nov. 16 and Disney Epic Mickey from Disney Interactive Studios this holiday season.

For the Nintendo DS family of systems, upcoming games include Professor Layton and the Unwound Future™ on Sept. 12, Pokémon Ranger™: Guardian Signs on Oct. 4, Art Academy™ on Oct. 25 and Mario vs. Donkey Kong™: Mini-Land Mayhem! on Nov. 14. Some featured third-party games on the way for the rest of the year include Super Scribblenauts from Warner Bros. in October, FINAL FANTASY® THE 4 HEROES OF LIGHT from Square Enix, Inc. on Oct. 5 and Rock Band™ 3 from Electronic Arts/MTV on Oct. 29.

Source: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=25032

For nearly a year, the goal for tens of thousands of Pokémon™ Trading Card Game (TCG) and video game players around the world has been becoming World Champion, but only a few hundred made it to the big stage this weekend, August 14-15, at the 2010 Pokémon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. When the dust settled after two days of intense competition featuring more than 375 players from over 25 countries, five World Champions were crowned. The Pokémon Company International announced today its 2010 World Champions: Junior TCG World Champion Yuka Furusawa from Japan and Junior video game World Champion Shota Yamamoto from Japan; Senior TCG World Champion Jacob Lesage from Canada and Senior video game World Champion Ray Rizzo from the United States; and Masters TCG World Champion Yuta Komatsuda from Japan.

Many of the world's elite Pokémon TCG and video game players traveled to Hawaii to compete in the prestigious, invite-only Pokémon World Championships, vying for the title of World Champion, custom Nintendo® DSi XL game systems, trophies, vacations, and more than $100,000 in scholarships. Staged as two separate tournaments under the same roof at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, the two-day event emphasized the skill, strategy, creativity, sportsmanship, and fun involved in playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version video games for the Nintendo DS family of systems. Players, called "Trainers," enjoyed an entire weekend of action-packed battles in the tropics to determine the world's best. 

"We are so proud of all the players who competed in another exciting Pokémon World Championships, and we want to extend special congratulations to the 2010 World Champions who battled their way through a truly global event," said J.C. Smith, Director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. "Hawaii was an amazing backdrop for this year's tournament, providing a breathtaking arena for the hundreds of Pokémon players who competed with skill and sportsmanship."

2010 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Finalists -- Junior Division (born in 1999 or later)
World Champion: Yuka Furusawa from Japan
Second Place: Juan Pablo Arenas from the United States

2010 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Finalists -- Senior Division (born in 1995-1998)
World Champion: Jacob Lesage from Canada
Second Place: Mychael Bryan from the United States

2010 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Finalists -- Masters Division (born in 1994 or earlier)
World Champion: Yuta Komatsuda from Japan
Second Place: Michael Pramawat from the United States

2010 Pokémon Video Game World Finalists -- Junior Division (born in 1998 or later)
World Champion: Shota Yamamoto from Japan
Second Place: Santa Ito from Japan

2010 Pokémon Video Game World Finalists -- Senior Division (born in 1997 or earlier)
World Champion: Ray Rizzo from the United States
Second Place: Yasuki Tochigi from Japan

The official Pokémon World Championships website has also posted a few YouTube clips from the event. The clip also features a cameo appearance by Golgo and Professor Red from Pokémon Sunday.

2010 Pokémon World Championships Winners

2010 Pokémon World Championships Opening Ceremony

Sources: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/ & http://www.pokemonworldchampionships.com/2010/

The official Pokémon GTS website has posted a notice that it will close at 11:00 a.m. PST on September 14th, 2010. With Pokémon Black and White being released a few days later in Japan and the coinciding launch of the new Pokémon Global Link website, the closure of the Pokémon GTS website seemed imminent. Below is the post from the official site.

Pokémon GTS website notice:

Thank you for your interest in Pokémon and the Pokémon GTS website.

The Pokémon GTS website will close at 11:00 a.m. PST on 9/14/10. Although the website is closing, you can continue to use the Pokémon GTS service to trade Pokémon in your video games.

The Pokémon GTS website is closing, but there is a lot of Pokémon fun and excitement on the way. Stay tuned to Pokemon.com for the latest news!

Source: http://www.pokemon-gts.net/info_close/en-US.html

In their continued promotion of Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver, Nintendo has decided to release a new commercial starring Dylan and Cole Sprouse, best known as Zack and Cody from 'The Suite Life on Deck'. Below is the official press release.

The only way to make a day at the beach better is to play some Pokémon. Longtime Nintendo fans Dylan and Cole Sprouse of Disney Channel’s The Suite Life on Deck did just that when they filmed a new commercial for the Pokémon™ HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version games for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems. The commercial will begin airing on Aug. 16 on Cartoon Network, Disney XD, Nickelodeon and Nicktoons.

“I think I like Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver because we played the original Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, so to play these games again is really nostalgic”

In this behind-the-scenes video, fans can get a look at Dylan and Cole’s day on the beach in Santa Monica, Calif., as they play the games, battle against each other and race to see who can rack up the most steps using the Pokéwalker™ accessory, a small pedometer-like device that lets players bring their favorite Pokémon with them wherever they go. By walking, players earn Watts, which are used within the Pokéwalker to encounter and catch wild Pokémon or search for hidden items that can then be transferred into the Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version games.

Both Sprouse brothers have been big fans of the Pokémon series for years. “I think I like Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver because we played the original Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, so to play these games again is really nostalgic,” said Cole Sprouse.

Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version offer detailed graphics, intuitive touch-screen features and hundreds of Pokémon that players can catch, battle and trade. Players can also interact with their favorite Pokémon by choosing one to follow behind them as they explore the Johto region. These combined features offer a rich game-play experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Source: http://press.nintendo.com/

A special Pokémon will be distributed to gamers with Nintendo DS systems at the Pokémon World Championships that is taking place this week in Waikoloa, Hawaii. The Crobat is level 30 and holds a Life Orb. Below is the press release.

Attention, all gamers who plan to attend the Pokémon World Championships this weekend! Don’t forget to bring your copy of the Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl, Pokémon Platinum Version, Pokémon HeartGold Version or Pokémon SoulSilver Version game to the event. You'll have the chance to receive a competition-ready Crobat for your game. This distribution will be available for only a limited time on Sunday, so be sure to bring your Nintendo DS and one of the Pokémon games listed here so you can get this awesome Crobat!

Source: http://www.pokemonworldchampionships.com

BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwire - June 21, 2010) -  After months of intense head-to-head tournaments, some of America's best Pokémon^™ video game and Trading Card Game (TCG) players will be crowned National Champions this weekend -- June 25-27 -- at the 2010 Pokémon Video Game and Trading Card Game National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. Pokémon video game and TCG competitors from across the nation will converge on the Indiana Convention Center in hopes of enduring a weekend of action-packed battles. Those that prove victorious will then test their skills against the best players from across the globe at the 2010 Pokémon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, August 14-15.

Pokémon Video Game National Championships
After using their remarkable talents and strategy for battles in Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, and New York, 192 top Pokémon Trainers have emerged from over six thousand others to guarantee their places in the 2010 Pokémon Video Game National Championships. Divided equally into two divisions -- Junior (born in 1998 or later) and Senior (born in 1997 or earlier) -- the competitors have battled using the recently released, top-selling video game titles Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version. The U.S. National Championships will fill 32 coveted spots to compete on the ultimate stage -- the 2010 Pokémon Video Game World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Please visit www.pokemonvgc.com for more information about the 2010 Pokémon Video Game National Championships.

Last Chance Qualifier for Pokémon Video Game National Championships
The Pokémon Company International is offering fans one last chance to attend and compete at the 2010 Pokémon Video Game National Championships by holding a Last Chance Qualifier tournament on Friday, June 25, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. The event will open its doors to the public for entry with Senior Division Registration starting Friday at 8 a.m. and Junior Division Registration starting later in the day at 1 p.m. Hopefuls will need to show up for registration with their copy of Pokémon HeartGold Version or Pokémon SoulSilver Version for the Nintendo DS system. The top 16 players in each division will earn the right to play in the U.S. National Championships the following day.

Like last year's tournament, all attendees who bring their copy of Pokémon HeartGold Version or SoulSilver Version and their Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi™ system can walk away with a character distribution. This year, the Pokémon distribution is a rarely seen Shiny Eevee, presented in a different color than what's normally found in game play. Please visit www.pokemonvgc.com for more information about the Last Chance Qualifier for the 2010 Pokémon Video Game National Championships.

Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships
The 7th annual Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships, the culmination of the 9-month TCG season, will host over 1,000 players in the Junior (born in 1999 or later), Senior (born in 1995, 1996, 1997, or 1998), and Masters (born in 1994 or earlier) divisions. Players from across the nation are expected to compete in this weekend's three-day event, which is open to all U.S. residents who hope to secure seats at the 2010 Pokémon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Players do not need to qualify for the Pokémon TCG National Championships; however, there will be a limited number of slots that will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Onsite pre-registration for the Pokémon TCG National Championships will take place on Thursday, June 24, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Indiana Convention Center and Friday, June 25, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. This year's tournament follows a record-setting attendance at the 2009 Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships, which drew nearly 1,200 TCG competitors from across the nation.

Players finishing first through fourth place in each division will receive Travel Awards and invitations to the 2010 Pokémon World Championships, where they will compete against their counterparts from more than 25 countries around the world. Fifth- through eighth-place finishers will receive invitations to Worlds. Top finishers will receive scholarships totaling $40,000, with the first-place finisher receiving $5,000. Please visit www.pokemon.com for more information about the 2010 Pokémon TCG National Championships.

Make sure to follow all the action at the Pokémon U.S. National Championships, including winners announcements, at www.pokemon.com and www.pokemonvgc.com.

Source: http://www.marketwire.com/

Nintendo has released the press information from E3 announcing two new Pokémon games, PokéPark Wii Pikachu's Adventure and the third Ranger game, Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs for the Nintendo DS. Below are the press releases for the games.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known among gamers as E3, has just begun, and already there's exciting news for Pokémon fans! Two new games have been announced, one each for the Nintendo DS and Wii systems. Both Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs and PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure will be in stores later this year.

PokéPark Wii Pikachu's Adventure

Only Pikachu Can Save the PokéPark! The first Pokémon adventure game on the Wii console puts Pikachu™ at the center of a fun, expansive playground filled with adventure, Attractions and Pokémon. The Rare Pokémon Mew™ summons Pikachu to the PokéPark to find the missing Sky Prism Pieces, leaving it up to Pikachu to save the day!

FEATURES:

• Playing as Pikachu, players start their adventure at the PokéPark and play a variety of Attractions that are in each Zone with the help of many different Pokémon. As Pikachu, players compete in Skill Games and Attractions in this action-packed adventure.
• Players interact with and befriend some Pokémon by defeating them in Skill Games. Once players befriend a Pokémon, they can play as them to compete in certain Attractions. Players can compete in the challenges multiple times to try and beat their high score.
• Players use the Wii Remote™ controller turned sideways to navigate through the PokéPark, while different motion controls are used in the various Attractions and Skill Games.
• Players can take photos of their favorite Pokémon in the game and save them to an SD Card (sold separately).

PokéPark Wii Pikachu's Adventure Press kit pictures are available on the Imageboard thread.

Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs

Helping Pokémon Get Out of a Pinch - The third installment in the action-packed Pokémon Ranger™ series lets players take on the role of a Pokémon Ranger tasked with protecting Pokémon, people and nature in the Oblivia region. As a Pokémon Ranger, players investigate the nefarious actions of the Pokémon Pinchers, who have been disrupting the peace by chasing and catching Pokémon.

FEATURES:

• As a Pokémon Ranger, players set out to stop the Pokémon Pinchers with the help of their partner, Ukulele Pichu™ (an energetic Pichu that always carries a ukulele).
• Players use the Capture Styler to circle Pokémon on the touch screen. The further in the story players progress, the more powers and abilities their Capture Styler gains.
• By drawing special Ranger Signs on the touch screen, players can summon powerful Pokémon that they have befriended to help them progress in the game. Legendary Pokémon like Raikou™, Entei™ and Suicune™ can be summoned by drawing their Ranger Signs.
• Up to four players can play together on certain missions using the Nintendo DS Local Wireless Connection, and discover more about the history of the Oblivia region.

Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs Press kit pictures are available on the Imageboard thread.

Source: http://press.nintendo.com/E32010/ & http://www.pokemon.com/us/news/vg_e3_2010-2010-06-14/