Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Nintendo Details Pokéwalker Accessory
As If your Nintendo DS or DSi isn’t already portable enough, Nintendo is setting out to insure you never have to be without your favorite digital monsters again.
Slated to release March 14, Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver will come bundled with a new accessory called the Pokéwalker, (previously announced for Japan) allowing players to take their favorite Pokémon with them as they pound the pavement.
Players can wirelessly transfer one Pokémon to the Pokéwalker, coaxing it to walk virtual paths as the player walks in real life. Walking earns the Pokémon experience points and the player Watts, which can then be used to catch wild Pokémon or sniff out items. Watts can also be transferred back to HeartGold or SoulSilver, unlocking new virtual paths to explore.
Nintendo has gone as far as to include special versions of popular Pokémon that can only be found through the use of the Pokéwalker, providing an extra incentive not to forget the device at home. Other functionality includes the ability to wirelessly connect a pair of Pokéwalkers and trade items.
Nintendo’s mantra of late has been to redefine the way we interact with games. This combined with a fondness for peripherals makes the Pokéwalker accessory seem like a natural progression for developer Game Freak. And we can’t ignore the merit of extra items and experience points motivating players to get a bit more physical. But what do you think? Are you excited for a new way to interact with your Pokémon? Or does the pedometer/Tamagotchi amalgamation feel a bit gimmicky?
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
