That’s right, inside a Cherish Ball you will get this Steel/Psychic Pokémon at Level 5 and it will know the Draco Meteor attack and hold a Liechi Berry. The bonuses from Nintendo don’t stop there though, if you download this Pokémon directly in to your HeartGold or SoulSilver game it will unlock a new route for your Pokéwalker. If you download this Pokémon to Diamond, Pearl or Platinum and then transfer it to HeartGold or SoulSilver, this will also unlock the route.

Don’t know how to download new Pokémon? Check out the official HeartGold and SoulSilver website for step-by-step instructions!

www.pokemongoldsilver.com/uk/#/news/jirachi/

Double click on the video to play…

Pokémon Ranger Guardian Signs

PokéPark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure

Video ©2010 Pokémon. ©1995-2010 Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc.

The Pokémon Videogame Championships kick off next month with events all over the world. All the winners from the participating countries will come together in Hawaii on 14 and 15 August to find out who will be crowned the No.1 Pokémon gamer of the world!

Want to take part? Well you’re going to have to get yourself organised real quick, the UK event takes place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on 29 May. Doors open at 9.30am and you’ll need a copy of HeartGold or SoulSilver with your DS to take part.

If you miss the UK event and you’re really keen, you could always try Cologne in Germany on 5 June, Lyon in France on 12 June or Madrid in Spain on 19 June. Good luck!

Web address:  www.pokemonvgc.com

European, North American and Australian Pokémon gamers will be able to get the Mystery Gift for the Yellow Forest download over Wi-Fi between 2 April and 5 May – but you’ve got to make sure you do, as after that date it will be gone! Downloading the gift will give you access to a special route in the game where you will find special Pikachu hiding out! There is one there that knows Surf, and one that knows Fly. Go on, download it and explore, then tell us what you found! We’ll make you famous in the magazine!

OFFICIAL NINTENDO PRESS RELEASE: NEW POKÉMON VIDEO GAMES AIM TO WIN PLAYERS’ HEARTS AND SOULS

Included Pokéwalker Accessory Brings Pokémon Training into the Real World

NEW YORK, March 14, 2010 – Celebrating the launch of the Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version video games for the Nintendo DS system, brothers Adrian and Damian K. from New York join beloved Pokémon, Pikachu, on a walk in Times Square. The games come with the Pokéwalker accessory, a special pedometer that lets players take their favorite Pokémon with them wherever they go. (Anders Krusberg for Nintendo)

REDMOND, Wash., March 15, 2010 – From the earliest days of Nintendo’s portable Game Boy™ system, Pokémon™ games have made their mark. Now Nintendo has released completely updated versions of two classic Pokémon games, available now for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems. The new Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version games take place in the beloved Johto region first introduced in the Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version games 10 years ago. The new games have evolved to include updated graphics and sound as well as intuitive new controls that use the Nintendo DS touch screen.

The new games come with a Pokéwalker™ accessory, a small device that lets players bring their favorite Pokémon with them wherever they go. Players can transfer a Pokémon to the Pokéwalker and then simply walk around in real life. By walking, players earn Watts that can be used to encounter and catch wild Pokémon or search for hidden items. The Pokémon in the Pokéwalker will gain Experience Points as the player walks, and can even go up one level when they are transferred back into the game. Players also can wirelessly connect two Pokéwalkers to receive a gift.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions feature detailed graphics that show off the hundreds of Pokémon that players can catch and train, as well as all the different environments in the game. For the first time, players can interact with all their favorite Pokémon outside of battle by selecting the leader from their party to follow behind them on their travels. An internal clock keeps track of the time of day and the day of the week, and some special events will only happen on certain days or at certain times of day.

As always, trading and battling with friends is a big part of the Pokémon experience. Players with a wireless broadband Internet connection can interact with their friends who have Pokémon HeartGold, SoulSilver, Diamond, Pearl or Pokémon Platinum Version games to trade or battle Pokémon via the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection service. Players also can battle and trade with others via a local wireless connection.

“Every year Nintendo introduces a new wave of players to Pokémon, and their enthusiasm is always amazing,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, combined with the new Pokéwalker accessory, give longtime fans a new way to experience Pokémon, and they open the door for the next generation of players who want to see what the Pokémon phenomenon is all about.”

For more information about Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, visit www.pokemongoldsilver.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.3 billion video games and more than 558 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.

About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.

By now you will all know that Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are both in the shops on 26 March, but here’s some exciting news for you… UK games retailer GAME is planning a cool two week run-up to the big day with a Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver event at participating stores.

Pop along to get a chance of playing the new Pokémon adventures before everyone else. You will be able to meet likeminded Pokémon fans, get some expert tips from a resident Pokémon Professor, trade with other Trainers and battle to determine who is the best. There will also be face painting and balloon modelling at some stores – you just make sure you send us pictures of yourself with that Pikachu facepaint on!

While you are there, and this is the really exciting bit, you will also be allowed to download the mighty Arceus to your Diamond, Pearl or Platinum games, so make sure you take your DS along with you. There are also rumours that GAME will be giving away models of Arceus, Lugia and Ho-Oh to those that buy Pokémon stuff on the day, but check with your local store for more details as we couldn’t get them to confirm this.

Exciting stuff! Here’s the run down of where the GAME HeartGold & SoulSilver events will be happening…

Saturday 13th March

Glasgow Fort – 285 Provan Walk, Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre, Junction 10 – M8, Glasgow, G34 9DY
Castle Court, Belfast – Unit 55, Castle Court Shopping Centre, Belfast Ireland, BT1 1DD
The Fort, Manchester – Unit 18, Manchester Fort, Shopping Centre, Manchester, Lancashire, M8 8EP
Nuneaton – 7-9 Queens Road, Nuneaaton, Warickshire, CV11 5JL
Swansea – Unit 2, The Pod, Morfa Retail Park, Swansea, West Glamorgan, SA1 7DF
Oxford St, London – 100 Oxford Street, London, W1D 9LL
Brighton – 43-44 Western Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2EB

Sunday 14th March

Dundee – …
Craigavon – Unit 16, Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon, BT64 1AA
Meadowhall, Sheffield – Unit 29, High Street, Meadowhall Centre, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S9 1EN
Bedford – 27-29 Midland Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 1PL
Cardiff – 92 Queen Street, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF10 2GR
Norwich – 2-10 Back of the Inns, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1PT
Portsmouth – 226 Commercial Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 1HG

Saturday 20th March

Gateshead – 17 Red Pathway, Metro Centre, Gateshead, NE11 9HX
Preston – Unit 8, Fishergate Centre, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 8HJ
Selfridges, Birmingham – 2nd Floor, Upper Mall East, Bullring, Birmingham, B5 4BP
Aylesbury – Units 36-37, Friars Sq. Shopping Centre, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 2SP
Cabot Circus, Bristol – SU16 Cabot Circus, Broadmead, Bristol, BS1 3BH
Kingston – 64-66 Clearence Street, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 1NP
Plymouth – 81-83 New George Street, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 1RB

Sunday 21st March

Newcastle – 3 Chevy Chase, Eldon Square, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, NE1 7XP
Liverpool – Unit 44, South John Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 8BU
Wolverhampton – 55 Dudley Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WW1 3EY
Harrow – 68-70 St Anns Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1JX
Hanley – 214-215 The Potteries, Hanley, Staffordshire, ST1 1PS
Reading – Unit 18, Oracle Shopping Centre Reading, Berkshire, RG1 2AQ
Monks Cross, Callington – Unit B, Monks Cross Retail Park, Huntington, York, YO32 9GX

The launch of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver in Japan back on 12 September has got Japanese Pokémon fans walking like never before! The games come with their own ‘PokéWalker’ device that you attach to your belt and wear all day long – a bit like a pedometer. You can transfer Pokémon to the PokéWalker and then the more you move and walk around, the more trained they become. What we have learned since the games’ release is that the Pokémon you transfer must walk through courses to develop their skills. There are 27 courses with names like Refreshing Field, Noisy Forest, Rugged Path and Pretty Seaside and they are unlocked as you play the game, and through special events.

Well, over in Japan they have a Pokémon gameplay event coming up between 17 October and 27 December called the Battle Challenge. At this event, players of HeartGold or SoulSilver will be able to download a new PokéWalker course to their game – Road of Champs. There is rumour that after this event has closed, other players will be able to download Road of Champs via Wi-Fi, starting in January, but that has not been confirmed yet.

While travelling on these PokéWalker courses, your Pokémon will encounter new monsters, items, potions and berries. It’s how they react to all of these that affects how well trained they become. The Road of Champs has Pokémon on it that know moves that they normally would not know. For example, Bronzor has Trick Room, Magikarp has Bounce, Beldum has Zen Headbutt and Duskull has Imprison. The evolutions of these Pokémon may learn these moves though, creating a whole new world of battle possibilities.

Wow, we can’t wait to get our hands on HeartGold and SoulSilver and start walking – and losing weight! Until then we’re just going to sit on this sofa and wait… One final rumour for today – the internet gossips say that the two games could be released in the UK on 23 April 2010. Apparently, a New Zealand online retailer has posted the games until this date, and they usually get games the same time as us. Exciting stuff!

If you’ve got a Wi-Fi connection at home, or if not, if you get yourself down to a local café with Wi-Fi before 13 September, then there’s a special prize waiting for you in Pokémon Platinum! The game, like DIamond and Pearl before it, includes functionality to obtain a gift from Nintendo over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. In Platinum there’s a variety of items and Pokémon being given away like this, the latest is a Member’s Card that will be available for just a short time.

To activate the Mystery Gift option in your game (as we have told you before) you must visit the couple on the third floor of the Jubilife TV Station. When prompted to enter words you must type in: Everyone, Happy, Wi-Fi, Connection. A new option will then appear on the main menu screen.

Once you have downloaded the Member Card over Wi-Fi you can pick it up in your game by visiting the Pokémart. Now head off to Canalave City and you can now enter the Inn that was previously locked. Once inside you must go to bed, fall asleep and you will wake up on the mysterious New Moon Island! Adventure around the island until you find the centre, here you will discover Darkrai, the Pokémon is at Lv.50 so the battle with it is going to be tough! If you manage to capture the monster, a booming voice will explain why Darkrai was placed on New Moon Island in the first place! We won’t spoil it for you here, it might give you nightmares!

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have joined forces to create the Pokémon Village Fête – a place where all the goodness of the Pokémon world comes together to celebrate Pokémon gaming, Pokémon movies and Pokémon Trading Card Game!

These free events are going to be a family favourite this Summer – treat yourself to a trip through the magical land of Pokémon. Play the very latest videogames for Nintendo DS and Wii, watch a screening of the 11th Pokémon movie – Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior, and discover the colossal Regigigas for yourself. You can receive the 486th Pokémon directly in your Diamond, Pearl or Platinum games if you take them along. Once this special Pokémon has been added to your party you can then unlock the locations of Registeel, Regice and Regirock! Find our more about this unique download at regigigas.nintendo.co.uk!

That not enough for you? Well how about getting your face painted like a Pokémon? Want more? Have your photo taken with the stars of Pokémon or get a balloon Pokémon made especially for you!

If you’re a Pokémon beginner, you can enrol yourself in the ‘Pokémon Training Academy’ where experts will teach you the important vital skills essential to become a successful Pokémon Trainer. Once trained up you can go on to enter the ‘Challenge Zone’ where you can battle other Pokémon Trainers using Diamond, Pearl or Platinum. Then take your best Pokémon and transfer them for big screen battles on Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii.

The Pokémon Village Fête will also give all families the chance to win a family holiday to a Haven holiday park during March, April or May 2010 – so grab mum and dad and get them down to the following places this Summertime…

Sunderland Air Show, 25th – 26th July 2009
Seaburn and Roker Seafront

Nottingham River Festival, 31st July – 2nd August 2009
Victoria Embankment

Bristol Balloon Fiesta, 6th – 9th August 2009
Ashton court

Eastbourne Airshow, 13th – 16th August 2009
Eastbourne Sea Front

Weymouth Carnival, 18th – 19th August 2009
Runs from Lodmoor to the Pavillion

Liverpool One Shopping Centre, 22nd – 24th August 2009
5 Wall Street, Liverpool, L1 8JQ

Braehead Shopping Centre, 28th – 31st August 2009
Kings Inch Road, Glasgow, G51 4BN

Westfield Shopping Centre, Derby, 3rd – 7th September 2009
Derby, DE1 2PQ