Pokémon Black & White Officially Return As Series Turns 30

Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and that means a number of mainline games, including Gen 5’s Pokémon Black and White, are getting new releases in various ways. Even the Pokémon TCG is getting in on the milestone with the upcoming 30 Celebration collection. And while most of the merch and video games are focusing more on Gen 1, later generations aren’t going wholly ignored.

It makes sense that for Pokémon‘s 30th anniversary, most of the attention would be on Kanto and Gen 1. That’s the region and generation that has actually been around for three decades. Still, it’s nice to see the franchise revisiting Hoenn, Alola, and even Gen 5’s Unova region as part of 2026’s list of releases. This includes some really nice Pokémon Black and White items up for sale on the Japanese Pokémon Center website.

Sadly, there’s still no remake of Pokémon Black and White on the horizon, but there are actually quite a few Black and White items up for grabs, including T-shirts, magnets, keychains, and a pin collection. The shirts, which are available in Medium and Large, will run around $25 USD, but that doesn’t include shipping or import fees. As with the original DS games, you can choose to get the Black version of the White version. You can also get them both, but there is a limit of 2 per customer.

Meanwhile, pin collection costs a little over $16, but again, that doesn’t include shipping or any additional costs you’ll incur by sending it Stateside. The pins feature the DS cover artwork from Black, White, Black 2, and White 2. Likewise, you can get magnets and keychains featuring the DS covers, as well as sets that include other Pokémon games too.

Pokémon Black and White had mixed reactions at launch, but they’ve developed a loyal following in the years since. Although it may seem like the franchise has ignored the Gen 5 games when it comes to video game releases, TCG sets last year celebrated those titles, and there are constantly whispers of remakes.

The 30th anniversary has seen a lot of cool new releases, including a PUMA collab, Kanto statues, and an upcoming pinball machine. It’s been a good year for Pokémon overall, even if Gen 10’s Winds and Waves aren’t arriving until 2027, and we’ll hopefully continue to see releases like these throughout the rest of the year. If you’re a fan of Pokémon Black and White, be sure to check out all the new items available right now.

Released

March 6, 2011

ESRB

E For Everyone // Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence

Developer(s)

Game Freak

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer