Nintendo Israel celebrates International Pokémon Day with Pokémon league
Starting in February, fans of the popular Pokémon video game series can come every few weeks to the Nintendo store in Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv, and challenge for a badge.
By AARON REICHFans dress up in cosplay for International Pokemon Day outside the Nintendo store in Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv.(photo credit: GILL SHALEV)
Nintendo Israel is celebrating the 24th annual International Pokémon Day with the establishment of the Israel Pokémon League.Starting in February, fans of the popular Pokémon video game series can come every few weeks to the Nintendo store in Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv, and challenge for a badge."The concept is simple, you go to the store, and you get a similar experience to what you get in the game. You go to the store, you fight the gym leader and you get the gym's badge," Nintendo Israel head of marketing Or Mentesh told The Jerusalem Post."In the game, you go around the world and collect eight badges and then you qualify for the championships. That's what we're doing, but the location is always the same. Every few weeks you can come to the gym. This week is the grass-type gym, and soon we'll launch the water-type gym. Everyone will get two chances to win each badge before the fall."Around October, we will have the championship, and to qualify you need to show all eight badges. You're going to fight the best of the best, everyone who won eight badges, and the gym leaders. That's how it works in the games, and that's how it works for the fans.""The league is the perfect way to celebrate the brand," Freddy Wilzek, manager of Israel's Pokémon community, told the Post."It's amazing to see all these Pokémon fans come to play."The move reflected Nintendo Israel's commitment to supporting the local fan-base, which includes sponsoring conventions, selling merchandise, hosting Pokémon Trading Card Game matches and launching games, as well as maintaining an active Facebook group to interact with the fans."As someone who has been following Pokémon for over 20 years, it's just a big pleasure," Wilzek said. "We feel that Nintendo Israel is a real partner. They're more than just a business.""We're working with the community to give them what they want to see the most," Mentesh explained. "We're doing this also with Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart, Splatoon and other games.
"With Pokémon, this is an ongoing commitment to the community. And the reception so far has been amazing. I've seen so many smiles, so many cheers when they win... It's amazing to see how excited these fans are."International Pokémon Day is celebrated around the world every February 27, the day Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green first hit stores. In the 24 years since, it has become a media juggernaut and is the one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, second only to the Mario franchise.
