Nintendo marks Pokémon's 25th anniversary with two nostalgic new games

Pokemon Legends Arceus and Pokemon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl announced on the eve of the Nintendo series' 25th anniversary

Tomorrow marks 25 years since the first Pokemon titles debuted on Nintendo's Game Boy in Japan - and developer Game Freak has announced two new games to mark the occasion, both inspired by 2006's Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.

The first releases are Pokemon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl, remakes of the Nintendo DS originals for Nintendo Switch, out later this year. Pokemon Legends Arceus, an adventure set in the region of Sinnoh's past, and resembling a blend of Pokemon Stadium and Breath of the Wild, will be released in 2022, also on Nintendo Switch. It is a significant diversion from the usual turn-based fights and tightly controlled exploration of a Pokemon game, with free movement and wild creatures roaming an open world.