“Apps” probably isn’t the right term to use here, though these pieces of software don’t sound like games either. Until Nintendo tells us to call them something else (like they did with last year’s Wii U “experiences” at E3), I think that’s all we’ve got. So apps it is!
The first is called Pokemon AR Searcher. Like Face Raiders and Spirit Camera, it’s an augmented reality title that fuses real life environments with in-game, polygon-based characters. That’s right folks, now you can finally catch some Pokemon in your den, your desk, or even your bed. The Pokemon that you catch in Pokemon AR Searcher will be transferable to the upcoming Pokemon Black/White 2. The app will cost 300 yen in Japan.
We also have the Pokedex 3D Pro, an update to Pokedex 3D. While Pokedex 3D only contains the 156 Generation 5 pokect monsters, Pokedex 3D Pro will host at least all 649 of the currently know Pokemon, including the new forms Kyurem set to make their debut in Pokemon Black/White 2. Pokedex 3D Pro will cost 1,500 yen.
While it’s sort of a bummer that these new apps wont be free (free apps like Find Me II, the original Pokedex 3D, and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords have definitively spoiled us), I can see why Nintendo would be reluctant to just give this new software away. Though they may not be full fledged games, they both have the potential to occupy hours of your life with frivolous fun. Me and my homies are going to have a great time trying to snag a Diglett from under the covers.