Pokemon has officially begun its 30th anniversary celebration, beginning with a star-studded advertisement that aired during Super Bowl 60. The anniversary comes at a welcome time for Pokemon fans, who are eagerly awaiting the next mainline title in the franchise. The most recent console-based entry in the series, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, was released in October 2025, with its Mega Dimension DLC expansion launching in December of the same year.
Pokemon is one of the most successful franchises in the world. The creature collection video game series has seen a litany of spin-offs, including the massively successful Pokemon trading card game, toys, board games, manga, and more. The Pokemon anime series, which debuted in 1997, has helped to propel the series even further, with 28 seasons and 24 films. The hugely popular anime helped to solidify main character Ash and Pokemon's official mascot Pikachu as household names. The franchise made its Hollywood debut in 2019 with the release of Detective Pikachu, a live-action film loosely based on the video game of the same name.
Pokemon’s Super Bowl Commercial Begins Its 30th Anniversary With an All-Star Cast
Pokemon has reached its 30th anniversary, and the massively successful franchise has kicked off the festivities with a star-studded Super Bowl commercial. Debuting during Super Bowl 60 between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, "What's Your Favorite" is a live-action commercial featuring a host of famous faces describing their personal favorite monsters from the series. Pokemon previously teased its Super Bowl commercial with a short teaser posted on Twitter, with the full commercial now available on the official Pokemon YouTube channel.
During the commercial, famous faces such as K-pop superstar Jisoo, Formula One driver Charles Leclerc, and comedian Trevor Noah share their favorite Pokemon, as their monster of choice appears playfully in the background. Pop music icon Lady Gaga even sings in a brief duet with Jigglypuff, recreating its sleep-inducing song popularized by the hugely successful Pokemon anime. Other celebrities featured in the ad include Spanish soccer star Lamine Yamal, Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko, and Canadian actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.
Pokemon has been a staple of pop culture for its entire 30-year existence, with this latest commercial serving as a reminder of its wide range of fans. The series' popularity has also made it a hugely profitable franchise, with even spin-offs like the Pokemon Trading Card Game providing massive financial success for collectors. Recently, the trading card game made its proper mobile debut, with Pokemon TCG Pocket available across iOS and Android devices. The long-running success story ensures that Pokemon will remain relevant for many years to come, bringing in fans of all ages.
As fans gear up for this year's annual Pokemon Day celebration, slated for February 27, all eyes are looking toward the franchise's future. Recent leaks from the 10th generation of Pokemon games have given players a lot to look forward to, with the promise of new environments, a brand-new Professor character, and alternate forms of some fan-favorite Pokemon. Potentially returning features such as the ability to dive underwater may even be returning from the series' 2D titles, arriving in 3D for the first time with the rumored new titles, rumored to be called Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Wave. With the series' 30th anniversary festivities officially underway, it's only a matter of time before we learn more about the next round of Pokemon games.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- October 16, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
