It's the end of winter and not a creature's been stirring, except for one mouse. Pikachu and his furry little friends have returned with the updated remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver and kids and grown folks alike from all over the world are clamoring for the games.

In order to celebrate the release of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Nintendo Canada held a launch party at the Canadian National Exhibition's Better Living Centre during the Wizard World kids' carnival. Kids, parents and teens crowded the colouring tables, Nintendo DSi trial stands and ballot boxes (to win a DSi and copies of the games) wearing paper Pikachu hats, but the lineup to take a photo with Pikachu was chaos. Every spotting of the electric rodent had everyone bum-rushing the photo booth. The launch was a BIG deal.

"We don't do this for every launch," Matt Ryan, a Nintendo spokesperson, said while showcasing the game. "Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver is a triple A event. That's why we're holding these events in Toronto and Montreal. We wanted to offer something to the dedicated fans who have supported the Pokémon brand... Seeing the kids run to the booth smiling to see Pikachu, it's the experience Nintendo wants to offer the fans."     

Nintendo's Matt Ryan ran around showing everyone highlights of the company's latest offering. Ryan was there to help guests master the new game as they battled Pokémon and evolved their teams with better graphics and sound. But the biggest addition for fans is the new PokéWalker accessory that counts steps to unlock all sorts of features that can be transferred to the games. "It encourages players to go out and walk more," Ryan explained, his own PokéWalker clipped to his pants. "It's not replacing the gym..., but it provides a fun way in an RPG to unlock features."

To see a 14-year-old brand still draw so much interest is mind boggling considering most gamers are looking for the next big thing. Ryan attributes the cult following to the series' quality and diversity with multiple videogame series, card games, movies and TV shows. Some of the fans had simpler theories. "I guess the main appeal to kids is that the main characters in Pokémon, they're kids too that go on adventures," Paul Bian, a 21-year-old who brought a little relative to meet Pikachu, said. "So maybe when kids play these games they feel like they're actually doing something important and they go on adventures too."


Words & Photos by. Carol Santos