There’s a new Pokemon arcade game on the way but you probably can’t play it

The upcoming summer will see the release of Pokemon Frienda, a brand new arcade machine developed by Marvelous and Takara Tomy Arts, which will be accessible at game centers across Japan.

Takara Tomy Arts Co., a toy manufacturer, and game maker Marvelous have recently revealed their collaboration to create a new Pokemon-themed arcade cabinet called Pokemon Frienda.

Pokémon Frienda will be released with a touch display and buttons, catering to a younger audience and providing them with the ability to participate in 3v3 battles that are fully immersive.

The creatures that players capture in the game will produce Frienda Picks, which are rectangular card-like items similar to the one shown in the image below. These Picks can be inserted into the machine’s scanner to expand the player’s party. Once inserted, the arcade game will automatically assign attacks to the captured ‘mon during battles.

This particular arcade cabinet, much to the dismay of some loyal Pokemon fans, will not be widely available worldwide. Its launch is currently scheduled for July 2024 and will only be available in game centers located in Japan.

Moreover, Takara Tomy Arts Co. and Marvelous intend to implement new features that will allow Pokemon Frienda to be compatible with the tags used in the 2020 Pokemon Mezastar machine.

The details have not been officially confirmed by the companies, but individuals who possess Mezastar “Memory Tags”can anticipate receiving some sort of bonus when utilizing the new cabinet.

The Japanese game centers will begin offering the opportunity to play with Pokemon Frienda in July 2024.