With how ubiquitous Pokémon has become over the years, it’s hard to remember a time when the brand wasn’t the biggest thing ever created. Back in late 1998, Pokémon Red and Blue was released in the United States and was initially met with skepticism. Famously, TIME Magazine featured the franchise on its cover and wrote a bunch of controversial statements to scare parents away.
Pokémon Panic from the 90’s
Now, the magazine is setting the record straight. To commemorate 25 years of Pokémon popularity in North America (though technically the games were released 25 years ago in the US), TIME has a new special edition issue that features four different Pokémon on the front. Based on the original starters and bringing Pikachu into the fold, these special editions have the original artwork with a blurb that reads, “The World’s Most Valuable Media Franchise.” Correct!
Who’s that magazine?
Time Magazine released special Pokémon covers! pic.twitter.com/kJxYe6q6KQ
— Leonhart (@LeonhartYT) February 17, 2024
This new issue will be the same across all four covers and it includes an exhaustive history of Pokémon throughout the years. While it doesn’t cover particularly obscure factoids, such as the ludicrous American newspaper comic strip, it does at least give less plugged-in readers a good overview of how impactful the series has become since its inception.
This special edition of TIME will be available on store shelves until May. That gives you a solid couple of months to collect all four covers or simply grab the one you like the most. This is an enjoyable way to celebrate the brand, not to mention it rights a wrong that TIME committed many years ago.
You can purchase your own copy of the magazine right now at Amazon.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
