Nintendo knows the power of its brands, and with so many iconic franchises and characters, partnerships with retailers form easily.Kirby teamed with Japanese burger chain MOS Burger, providing some clever packaging very fitting of theKirbyfranchise’s aesthetic. Some collaborations are more straightforward, like a new promotion forPokemon SwordandShieldat GameStop where fans will be able to pick up a shiny Pokemon.
Pokemon SwordandShieldhave performed well since releasing in 2019. Prior to this entry on Switch, mainlinePokemongames were limited to portable hardware that couldn’t quite stack up to console capabilities.SwordandShieldtake more advantage of the Switch hardware, giving fans a huge world and a Pokedex stuffed with cute critters to train. The game has been a big seller, and as such, tie-ins for the game are still a big deal.
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The latest promotion, set to begin on February 19, involves a shiny Toxtricity and coincides with the release of the newPokemon Trading Card Gameset,Shining Fates. At GameStop locations in the United States (and EB Games in Canada), fans will receive a serial code to download Toxtricity into their game. At this time it is unclear if the purchase of something TGC-related will be necessary, or if fans will have to actually visit a store to receive the serial code. The company would likely fans stopping by after thetumultuous week on the stock market for GameStop.
Toxtricity is an Electric/Poison-type Pokemon that is a new addition to the Pokedex, withSwordandShieldbeing the first games it appears in. Toxtricity evolves fromToxel, a Pokemon that players can make mistakes raising, so if players tried to raise one and the result wasn’t what they hoped, this shiny GameStop Toxtricity might be the answer to their woes.
As a newer Pokemon that is getting a push via this promotion, fans who have been sleeping on the unique typing might be surprised to see thatToxtricity is a powerful Poison-type Pokemon. While its Gigantamax form focuses on the electric side of Toxtricity, and can do big damage with abilities like Punk Rock, being able to toss in a few poison abilities alongside the Pokemon’s more shocking traits is a dangerous mix.
While this promotion might not be as appealing as some of theLegendary Pokemon giveaways of the past, it is a chance to score a free shiny that could fill a gap in a player’s roster.
