I think Pokémon’s most unique game is coming back 22 years later, here’s why

If there’s one thing Pokémon isn’t short of, besides a vast number of creatures, it’s games. There are nine mainline generations at this point and an abundance of spin-offs, such as Mystery Dungeon, Rangers, Snap, and Detective Pikachu, but there’s another I long thought was lost to the annals of time. Pokémon Channel turns 22 years old today, which makes me feel incredibly old, but I also feel a certain sense of optimism.

The Pokémon game first hit the scene in Japan on July 18, 2003, coming to North America in December that year and Europe on April 2, 2004. Admittedly, the game received mixed reviews, selling just over 66k copies during its first year in Japan. However, I have a bit of a soft spot for this one due to its unique nature.

You get to watch TV with Pikachu, the electric Pokémon is a gaming icon that everyone knows about, and, as someone who not only loves the gen 1 Pokémon games but the franchise as a whole, I love the idea of watching some TV with the little yellow mouse. Naturally, numerous other creatures pop up as the game progresses, including ghost Pokémon like Gengar and Duskull.

Pokémon Channel has numerous different programming options for you to peruse, including a news channel featuring none other than Psyduck – can’t say I’d trust the word of this water Pokémon, but I appreciate it nonetheless. Luckily for me, I suspect that, at long last, we’re getting a new Pokémon game in the form of a Channel sequel.

Ahead of the Pokémon Presents next week, which is the perfect place to make such an announcement, the official Japanese Pokémon account shared an image on X of Pikachu sitting in front of what appears to be a large TV with a console in front of it, which makes me think Pokémon Channel is coming back. It’s the perfect tease for it – any ‘mon could be there, so why is it Pikachu, specifically?

Yes, Ash’s pal is among the most popular Pokémon out there, but I still smell an exciting announcement afoot. If it’s not a new Channel game, I suspect that it could also be Hey You, Pikachu! 2, which I’d also welcome. Both titles involve testing out a product for Professor Oak, but a huge TV screen certainly screams Channel to me.

While the idea of this thrills me to no end, I’d be lying if I said there isn’t another Pokémon game I’d like to see return, and that’s Pokkén Tournament, which recently celebrated a milestone of its own. I don’t think it’s too much to hope that at least one of these spin-offs is returning soon, the Nintendo Switch 2 needs a new fighting game, and that official teaser for next Tuesday is too good to ignore.

All we can do is wait, but you can be sure that I’ll be watching next week. In the meantime, you should check out our Pokémon Go codes guide to grab some freebies, especially if you don’t have the chance to take part in the Pokémon Go Road Trip event.