Pokemon Bank | Geekscape

Version-Exclusive Pokémon Plus New Features Announced For ‘Pokémon Sun and Moon’

by Natalie KipperSeptember 21, 2016

In the recent Pokémon Sun and Moon trailer, fans were treated to four new Pokémon along with a deluge of information on the games’ features. Let’s take a look at that trailer first:

Wow! That is a ton of stuff packed in those three and a half minutes, right? We’ll start with the Pokémon that starred in the video.

First off is Passimian, a Fighting-type. It has the never-before-seen Ability “Receiver,” which allows this Pokémon to inherit the Ability of a teammate who has fainted on the battlefield. Passimian is exclusive to Pokémon Sun.

For those playing Pokémon Moon, you can find Oranguru, an Normal/Pyshic-type. It can have either the Ability “Inner Focus” or “Telepathy.” Oranguru is the only Pokémon who can learn the move “Instruct,” which makes its target to use its most recent move immediately.

Next we have the evolution of Rockruff, Lycanroc. There is a Midday Form (first image) and a Midnight Form (second image). It was previously thought that which form you received was dependent on what time of day the Pokémon evolved but each one is actually exclusive to a specific version of the game. Midday Form comes from Sun and Midnight Form is for Moon.

Let’s move on to the new features you can expect in the games. First, there is Pokémon Refresh, a leveled-up version of Pokémon-Amié. In this version, players will be able to cure paralysis and poison within mini-games along with the original bonding mechanic from the previous games.

Character customization akin to that found in Pokémon X and Y makes a comeback. Players will be able to change their hairstyle, hair color, and eye color. There is also the ability to change apparel and dye its colors as well.

Starting January 2017, both Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Transporter will receive software updates to add compatibility for Sun and Moon as well as Virtual Console versions of Red, Blue, and Yellow. It should be noted that once transported from Pokémon Bank to Sun or Moon, they cannot be transferred back to Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, or Y. There is also the whole yearly fee for Pokémon Bank usage thing.

The January 2017 updates will also bring a new feature to Pokémon Bank: The National Pokédex. The application will read your saved data on Sun, Moon, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, and Y and add information on the Pokémon you have caught. Pretty spiffy, right?

Our Bodies Are Regi For Legendary Pokémon Bank Giveaway!

by Matt RodriguezMarch 4, 2016

The Regi-trio of Hoenn’s legendary Pokémon are back as a free giveaway for all registered users of Pokémon Bank! Pokémon Bank is a cloud based service which costs $4.99 a year for the ability to store Pokémon and transfer them between games. This is about the normal time where most folks’ subscriptions would expire, so it makes sense for them to offer a promotional opportunity such as this one.

The Regi-trio are Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. Also, these in particular are special because they will come equipped with their Hidden Abilities, for the first time ever! These new Pokémon abilities will open up many options for competitive battling, so expect the metagame to change quite a bit!

In order to retrieve these Pokémon, you will need to use the “Pokémon Link” option from your X/Y/OR/AS game. Also keep in mind that only one copy of each of these are available for each Pokémon Bank account, meaning you cannot get multiples if you own multiple games.

I’ve already renewed my Pokémon Bank service because it has been helpful in the past! Will you be renewing yours? Did this giveaway impact that decision at all? Please let us know in the comments!

Source: pokemon.com

The Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow 3DS eShop Releases Will Support Pokemon Bank!

by Josh JacksonFebruary 26, 2016

During today’s Pokemon Nintendo Direct, the big news was the official confirmation of Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, an announcement that would have surely had a bigger impact if it wasn’t leaked yesterday. While this is exciting news for sure, the shock of the announcement being eliminated if you were anywhere near an Internet connection, combined with a lack of footage or details outside of a 2016 release window, left me craving a groundbreaking surprise.

Well, we got one! In the closing moments, we were reminded of how we were never able to transfer our Game Boy and Game Boy Color monsters over to the Game Boy Advance, which would go on to be transferable all the way up to the 3DS. That changes with the release of tomorrow’s Red, Blue, and Yellow remakes, because the eShop titles will fully support Pokemon Bank, where your favorite nostalgia monsters can be stored, and eventually transferred into Sun and Moon when they are released.

One of the major questions floating around once the eShop ports were announced was whether or not those Pokemon would be able to be transferred to the new games. The silence regarding the matter made us think that these characters would be confined to their native generation once again, especially since the mechanics have drastically changed since 1996. Fortunately for us, this is clearly not the case.

But with this answer comes new questions. Only Sun and Moon were mentioned as compatible games, so does that mean we can’t move them into other Pokemon Bank compatible games like X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire? What’s going to happen if we transfer one of the glitched level 300 Pokemon? With unlimited EV points in Gen 1, how will that affect their use in future games? And will they be assigned natures once they make the move? We have no way of knowing for now, but if nothing else, here’s to hoping we’ll FINALLY get to play the Surfing Pikachu mini game in the West, and eventually transfer the freak of nature into our new games. Now I just need to figure out how to move that truck so I can finally get Mew…

All I know for sure is that $5 a year for Bank is more than worth it. What are you most excited about from this morning’s presentation? Are you hoping your MissingNo. will materialize in 3D? And are you dreaming of dominating the tournament scene with your overpowered pocketed monstrosities for Gen 1? Share your thoughts in the comments, and continue to check back with us for more Pokemon news as we approach its 20 year anniversary!

Nintendo Direct Wrap Up: 12-18-13

by Josh JacksonDecember 18, 2013

Yesterday’s surprise announcement of a new Nintendo Direct was a welcomed one, especially considering Reggie’s reveal at VGX was… lackluster at best. Unlike the last Direct, we had plenty of Wii U news to sift through in between news of an ever growing library of fantastic 3DS games. This show was all about 2014, with a few surprises along the way. Below are the highlights straight from Nintendo’s press release sent out after the stream’s conclusion.

Wii U News

Super Smash Bros.: Rosalina, who was introduced in the Super Mario Galaxy games for Wii and makes a surprise appearance in the new Super Mario 3D World for Wii U, will be a playable character, accompanied by her starry friend, Luma. The game will launch in stores and the Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in 2014.

Note: Check out our thoughts on Rosalina’s reveal here.

Mario Kart 8: New playable characters include Rosalina and various “Baby” Nintendo characters, like Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. New course settings include an airport, the desert and high in the clouds, and vehicles include UFOs, four-wheel ATV buggies, standard karts and bikes.

NES Remix: Select parts from 16 classic NES games have been remixed with new challenges. For example, players might be tasked with completing a familiar Super Mario Bros. stage while running to the left. Or they might encounter a revamped level of Donkey Kongthat allows them to play as Link from The Legend of Zelda series. NES Remix includes Miiverse compatibility, so players with broadband Internet access can show off their skills, complete with cool 8-bit stamps. NES Remix is now available exclusively in the Nintendo eShop for $14.99.

Sonic Lost World: A new Nintendo-themed level is coming to the Nintendo eShop. Yoshi’s Island Zone is now available for free. Done in a Yoshi art style, the level has Sonic speeding through areas filled with pipes, coins, Shy Guys and Piranha Plants.

Note: Isn’t free downloadable content the bees knees? Iwata said a second piece of DLC was coming, but it wasn’t ready to be shown. He hinted that there would be a “Link” between the game’s two versions. Does it need to be said? I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I can’t wait for that F-Zero stage.

At least they’re not the Deadly Six.

Dr. Luigi: The Year of Luigi continues to deliver surprises, with a new title starring Mario’s green-clad brother. Much like the classic puzzle game Dr. Mario, Dr. Luigi requires players to line up color-coded pills to destroy viruses. Dr. Luigi offers different skill settings and attacks in multiplayer games, and an original mode where the pills are, of course, L-shaped. The game comes with a Dr. Mario mode, Wii U GamePad compatibility and online play, so wannabe virus busters from all around the world can compete. Dr. Luigi launches exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Dec. 31 for $14.99.

Oh Luigi, always bringing home viruses.

Wii Sports Club: Launching today, golf becomes the third sport added to the Wii Sports Club lineup, joining bowling and tennis. In a move not possible on any other system, golf asks players to place the Wii U GamePad controller on the floor in front of their TVs. Players can then use a Wii Remote Plus to swing at the ball on the ground, just as they would a real golf ball, enabling more precise control with each stroke. When they take their swing, the ball flies from the screen of the GamePad to the TV screen in one fluid motion. Wii Sports Club – Golf includes the nine-hole course from the original Wii Sports game, in addition to a newly developed nine-hole course based on Golf US Course, a Famicom game that Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata helped develop more than 25 years ago. Wii U owners can play a free 24-hour trial of Wii Sports Club, which lets players sample all three sports. The trial offer is open to everyone, even to people who previously sampled the 24-hour free trial. A Club Pass for the full golf game, allowing unlimited access, can be purchased for $9.99. Boxing and baseball will be coming to Wii Sports Club in 2014.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: Veteran Cranky Kong joins playable characters Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong as companions for Donkey Kong. Cranky Kong comes with his own set of special moves that allow him to bounce off enemies and obstacles using his cane. Players who collect 100 bananas in a stage can execute a new move called the KONG-Pow, which turns all enemies on the screen into items. Now that Cranky Kong is setting off on an adventure, instead of overseeing the in-game shop as he did in the Donkey Kong Country Returns game, the aptly named Funky Kong will assist players by offering them items for trade in the game. The game launches Feb. 21 in stores and in the Nintendo eShop.

Nintendo 3DS News

Bravely Default: A free demo of the game launches in the Nintendo eShop on Jan. 2, but this is much more than a demo. It’s an exclusive story with hours of content not included in the main game. The full game launches in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on Feb. 7 at a suggested retail price of $39.99. If players with the full game close their system while the game is active, they might gather additional warriors via the StreetPass feature, but they also earn Sleep Points for every eight cumulative hours of down time. Sleep Points can then be used during battle to change equipment, revive a fallen party member, heal or unleash attacks beyond the game’s usual damage cap. Players who don’t want to wait for their Sleep Points to refill have the option of purchasing SP potions in the Nintendo eShop to refill all three Sleep Points at once. Also launching Feb. 7, a Collector’s Edition including the game, an art book, a soundtrack CD and 34 augmented-reality cards will be available via GameStop, Best Buy and Amazon.com at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe: The game is a side-scrolling platformer, but players can move Kirby to the background and foreground to dodge enemies and solve puzzles. Kirby can also use a new Hypernova ability, which powers up his inhale ability and enables him to suck up everything in his path. The game includes more than 20 different copy abilities, including four new ones created for this game. Kirby: Triple Deluxe also includes two new game modes: Kirby Fighters lets up to four players pick one of 10 copy abilities for their Kirby and then fight to see which is the most effective in battle. Dedede’s Drum Dash asks players to press buttons in sync with Kirby music while jumping and collecting coins. The game is planned for 2014.

Kirby continues his quest for arbor annihilation.

Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder: Everyone’s favorite helpful 4-inch-tall robot is back! This time Chibi-Robo has been tasked with helping a new museum get off the ground. Players are given silhouettes of needed objects, then use the Nintendo 3DS camera to find matching objects, known as NostalJunk, in the real world. Chibi-Robo will also help characters like superheroes and singing sponge-bears with various tasks, all while keeping an eye on his electricity reserves. The game also features community events called NostalJunk Challenges that focus on particular silhouettes, and give players opportunities to showcase their creativity and maybe earn a special outfit for Chibi-Robo to wear in the game. A demo will soon launch exclusively in the Nintendo eShop, with the full version landing on Jan. 9, 2014.

Note: Can I just say that I was all but sure that this series was dead outside of Japan? But not only is this not the case, but it’s coming out in about three weeks? Do yourselves a favor and check out this gem on the Gamecube and DS, and while you’re at it, check out my Underground Games article on the original from a few years ago.

Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter: Pokémon Bank is software that lets players store up to 3,000 Pokémon from the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y games. Poké Transporter is an application that lets players take the Pokémon they’ve caught through the years and transferred into Pokémon Black and Pokémon White, as well as Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2, and transfer them into Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporterlaunch Dec. 27. Players can download a 30-day free trial version anytime between launch and Jan. 31, 2014. Following the free trial, an annual usage fee will apply for Pokémon Bank. Anyone who accesses a Pokémon Bank box by Sept. 30, 2014, will receive the Pokémon Celebi as a special gift.

Note: Want to know how Bank will work? Check out our overview of the Celebi giveaway and the details of the service here.

Yoshi’s New Island: The game launches this spring, and will be produced by Takashi Tezuka, the creative director of the original Yoshi’s Island for Super NES.

That’s the end of the press release. While that might be a ton of unexpected information, the crazy part is that this isn’t even all of it! We can’t mention today’s Direct without bringing up Hyrule Warriors, the Dynasty Warriors style Zelda game that came out of nowhere. Oh, and if you’re sitting on a ton of Club Nintendo coins, why not add Luigi to your figure collection with this Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon figurine. At least you won’t have to worry about ghosts in your home any longer.

Check out the video below to check out all of the announcements, and finally find out what would happen if Reggie were to arm wrestle himself. Enjoy!

‘Pokemon Bank’ and ‘Pokemon Transporter’ Announced

by Josh JacksonSeptember 4, 2013

At the completely logical hour of 4 AM this morning, Nintendo held a special Direct conference dedicated to the upcoming 3DS monstrosities, Pokemon X and Y. A slew of new announcements and revelations were made, but perhaps most importantly, were the revelations of two 3DS apps that will make the lives of Black and White players much easier.

Introducing Pokemon Bank, this app will allow players to hold up to 3000 different Pokemon using cloud storage. Taking the concepts of Pokemon Box, My Pokemon Ranch and the storage feature of Pokemon Stadium to new heights, Bank has more storage than one would ever need. I mean, seriously, cheaters can’t even hack that many characters, (don’t worry hackers, we won’t tell.) Whether or not the game will give rewards for storing certain amounts like the previously mentioned storage apps has yet to be announced.

As a supplemental app for Bank, Pokemon Transporter is designed to give you a head start in filling those 3000 slots by allowing trainers to mass transfer characters from Black, White, Black 2 and White 2 from Bank. Sadly, Diamond, Pearl and Platinum won’t be compatible, but it’s still better than that six at a time Pal Park crap.

Like with most good news, there’s a catch. While pricing wasn’t discussed, there was a smidge of small print snuck into the video stating that an annual fee must be paid to access Bank. As if Pokemon didn’t make enough money, charging for storage is a new way for the series to make bank, (pun not intended… okay, I lied.) Satoru Iwata quickly explained that the fee is necessary to maintain the servers, since the benefit of the cloud would allow trainers to access their teams like never before. And just like that, I broke into a PTSD fit thinking of the Xbox One launch.

Shawty what chu drank?

So we’ll take the good with the bad, mostly because we don’t have a choice. I’m thrilled with the ability to mass transfer, but I hate that we’ll have to pay to transfer. Oh well, ’tis the age of DLC, AKA “the future.” What do you think? Do you got Poke’s in the bank waiting to be deposited? Let us know below!