I’m having horrible flashbacks about my early teenage years… See, Nintendo is releasing remakes of Pokemon Gold & Silver, which brings it’s own issues, like making me feel old since Gold & Silver where the first Pokemon games I thought were ‘too much’, ‘just milking the franchise’ ‘for children’ and now they are so old they are getting remakes.

But no, the flashbacks I’m getting are because of a little freebie that came with the games’ release in Japan, a Pokewalker. Now this Pokewalker isnt anything fancy, just a little pokemon themed pedometer that lets you score points based on how much you walk, this device was also once known as the Pokemon Pikachu, a Tamagotchi-like device that enslaved me for a good year of my early teens. Both games are getting released in the US in March and if they come with this Pokewalker I’m afraid I’ll have a relapse.

Oh god, the guilt of not feeding my Pokemon Pikachu in over a decade is kicking in…

[Kotaku]

The more things change the more they stay the same, huh? Remember back in the late 90’s when Pokemon was all the rage and no matter how hard you tried you couldn’t explain it to your grandma? Or worse yet, you met one of those people who thought Pokemon were the work of the devil, a satanic religion under the guise of a videogame. Well here’s a video of one of those responsible for such nonsense. A pastor feverishly preaching that Pokemon was satanic worship and training for the children (us, back then).

Living in a deeply religious country I encountered a lot of this during the Pokemon years, I even remember hearing how Pikachu was some arcane name for the devil. Good thing now that we’re older we can see things as they really are and it falls on us to keep our children safe. This is why we must all fight against Bakugan because I hear that’s really the work of Lucifer!

[GossipGamers]

“Hi there, Nurse Joy. Having a nice day? Good, well let’s keep it that way. You fill this bag with Pokeballs and no one gets hurt. No alarms, no Officer Jenny, got it? Now nobody move or I thunderbolt every last one of you motherfuckers!”

That’s the only thing that comes to mind when I see this fan-made Pikachu ski-mask. It instills fear into the hearts of your enemies… and everyone else.

[Boing Boing]

So, the commercial for Pokémon Platinum, the next game in the long-running series, was released yesterday. And all I have to say is: Awesome. The trailer showcases new and improved graphics, what seems to be redesigned gym puzzles, the new costumes for both characters, new Wi-Fi minigames, and what looks to be a new area that features a 3D world with the ability to move between sides of the area, a first for the series. I must say, as a huge fan of the series ever since the original games, I’m definitely looking forward to the American release.

[Gametrailers]

Dan, a reader of DSFanboy, was a smoker. Dan also used to be a Pokemon addict back in the day, so Dan decided that to quit smoking he’d play Pokemon every time he wanted a smoke. So far he’s been going 40 days strong. Its all well and good, props to Dan, but somehow changing one addiction for another doesn’t seem right to me. The Grind might not pollute your lungs but it does something wrong, it chips away at your soul, one level at a time.

[DSFanboy]

Some times when talking to little kids about difficult, mature subjects such as reproduction, it might be difficult to convey your ideas clearly without feeling like your scarring the child for life. It could happen to you, it could come as a surprise, one minute a kid is playing a pokemon game, the next he’s asking you how a Pikachu is born. You might find yourself at a loss for words, but don’t fret…

A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words.

It’s undeniable, Pok�mon has become too much of a phenomenon. There have been too many movies, too many episodes, and too many games based off this franchise. Hell, even organized religions have seen Pok�mon as a threat, and I don’t blame them. They have frickin’ Boeing 747-400 based off it. And a theme park! Let’s not forget the fans, most especially – more than ten years of Pok�mon and it’s still going strong in Japan. And one of these fans thought it would be a good idea to re-make all 150 original Pok�mon as female chibis. Check out the clip – and even if some of you have grown out of Pok�mon, this video is still worth the click.

[Kotaku]

Avast! The contest deadline is near! Hide your children, lock your doors, and e-mail those entries! Do a service to your DDNation and send in those drawings – because the only way we can deal with these Commie bastards is with your help! Right after May 30, 2007, you shall hear no word of DDN-tan until June 2, 2007 – Dark Diamond’s first anniversary as the blog it is today – the announcement of our DDN-tan! Consider June 2nd our D-Day!

Finish your inkings, be done with your shadings, and complete the last of your digital colorings – for the end is near!

THE END IS NEAR!

This message has been approved by Pootie Chang. Nahu has no say in this.

Ever wondered what was the gender of the person who did the voice of Pikachu?

I always thought is was a young boy or even a teenage girl, but when I looked at this. . .

As Lloyd would say: “I’ve lost all confidence as a man.”

[Kotaku]

As a big celebration for Pokémon’s first decade alive, Nintendo decided to do so by playing themes form the game/cartoon in full orchestrated form. The tour will start in Tokyo on October 28 and will finish in Sapporo in December 10, so hey! what’s better than taking your kid to experience a cultural blast when a virtuoso vioilinist starts to play the solo in the battle theme!

[Kotaku]