Despite releasing over a decade ago in 2001, Nintendo’s discontinued Pokémon Mini handheld console is getting a new game in Silver Falls.
Decades after its release, the Pokémon Mini handheld console is getting a new horror game developed for it. Originally launching in 2001, the miniature Nintendo device gave Pokémon fans a portable system to play unique games themed around Pokémon Red and Blue.
While it was a massive hit with Pokémon fans, the miniature handheld ended up having a short console lifespan with only 10 official titles ever released for it. The portable device featured games such as Pokémon Party which was a collection of Pokémon minigames including Hitmonchan’s Boxing. The Pokémon Mini however found a second life decades later, after the device was hacked which allowed players to add new games to the console. Although there hasn’t been an official Nintendo game released for the Pokémon Mini in over two decades, a developer has launched a Kickstarter campaign to create a horror adventure game for the discontinued console.
According to journalist Ryan Brown, however, developer Sungrand Studios is creating a brand new game for the Pokémon Mini in 2022 after launching a Kickstarter campaign on May 14th. The exclusive title is based on the studio’s Silver Falls franchise, which has had several games released on the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch. In a video posted on the game’s Kickstarter page, developer Jerrel Dulay explained that the Silver Falls game would try to take advantage of the Pokémon Mini’s features such as the console’s real-time clock, motion sensor, rumble, and the infrared wireless functionality. Although the game is exclusive to the Pokémon Mini console, the Kickstarter campaign announced that players will also be able to play the RPG on PC, and other homebrew portable devices by using free emulators.
Silver Falls is a survival-horror RPG series that follows the lives of locals in a small town called Silver Falls. When the town begins to experience UFO activity, the animals and townspeople become bloodthirsty monsters. Silver Falls tasks players with solving the mystery behind this unexplained activity by exploring the town of Silver Falls armed with limited ammunition and a dynamic storyline that changes based on the player’s actions.
The Pokémon Mini isn’t the first time the Silver Falls franchise has landed on older gaming devices, as there are over 7 upcoming titles being planned for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii consoles. Depending on if the campaign hits its stretch goals, the game will possibly include a feature that will allow players to connect their Pokémon Mini game to previous Silver Falls titles to move saved data between them. According to the developer, the Pokémon Mini console is a natural fit for the Silver Falls series, as the franchise is creating unique stories that are supposed to span decades across retro consoles. Although it’s not technically an official game, it’s incredibly neat to see the 2001-released Pokémon Mini console get a new title developed for it over two decades later.
Sources: Ryan Brown/Twitter, Kickstarter
Brent R. Koepp is a games journalist based out of Los Angeles, CA. An avid Pokemon fan for over 25 years, he has spent his career reporting on the popular Nintendo franchise. Following his role as a Pokemon Content Lead at another company, Brent is now a Pokemon Senior Writer for Screen Rant. You can follow him on Twitter @brentrkoepp.
