Nintendo plans online Pokémon title

[12.16.99] » Tentatively titled Pokémon X, the new game will rely on cell phone connections.

   Nintendo today revealed that a new Poké game, tentatively titled "Pokémon X," is in the works for the Game Boy Color and will be released sometime next spring in Japan. What makes it any different from its predecessors? Pokémon X -- which may be either a brand new game or an update to the Gold and Silver editions -- will support the upcoming Game Boy Color cellular phone adapter.

   Via the adapter, players will be able to use their cell phones to connect their Game Boys to the Internet and battle and trade with trainers from all around the country. Nintendo may also issue new Pokémon or other game patches from the network.

   The service won't have any trouble finding subscribers -- Pokémon remains as popular as ever in Japan, and, according to IGN Pocket, about 60% of Japanese teenagers have access to a cell phone. The set-up also helps Nintendo prepare for the August launch of the Game Boy Advance, which features a built-in cell phone adapter that allows any game to include Internet capabilities.