Pokémon maybe famous for that cooperative gameplay, a fun spin-off, and makes an intimidating genre approachable, but the franchise also has a long history of creative and engaging gadgets.

This series is full of technology. The original in-game Pokédex clearly took inspiration from devices like the early Palm Pilot, for example. And if you think about it, pokéballs are technological marvels: they somehow turn living things into particles that can be transported around the world (and on TV shows, pokéballs can even shrink). So it is not too surprising that there are many Pokémonthemed toys and hardware.

We’ve collected just a few of the many memories Pokémon gadget to honor 25th anniversary of the series. IRL devices range from gamified pedometers to custom video game consoles to replicas of actual pokéballs (although they haven’t been able to turn living things into particles yet). There are tons of gear you can get if you want to catch them all.

The real Pokédex

Tiger Electronics and Hasbro released the pokédex toy in the late 90’s, and I still consider it one of my all-time favorite toys. It was modeled after Pokédex Ash from the first season of the TV show, albeit with a few distinct features that allow it to actually function as a real-life toy. It has a keypad and numeric pad to look up information, a small screen that shows which pokémon you are viewing, and can show information about each pokémon such as height, weight, type, and some of the attacks it can learn. It made me feel like I was a bona fide pokémon trainer, and I remember spending hours reading about different pokémon to my pokédex.

Pokémon Pikachu

My Pokémon Pikachu was a staple of my childhood. Released in 1998, it’s a pocket-sized gadget like the Tamagotchi, unless you take care of the digital Pikachu. But it also has a built-in pedometer which you can activate by simply shaking the device up and down. (Or, as in the ad pinned above, jump.)

That wobble ability means me always bounce off the tiny device to get a currency called watts. You can either give Pikachu the wattage or, oddly enough, bet it on the slot machine. You can learn more about that on this fun Japanese Nintendo website it’s still there.

Nintendo released an improved model, Pokémon Pikachu 2 GS, in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in North America and Europe, according to Bulbapedia. It has a color screen and can be connected to Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal via the Game Boy Color infrared port, allowing you to swap watts for items.

Pokémon themed camera

Just look at this point-and-shoot camera. It has a giant Pikachu on one side, two poké balls holding the flash and lens, and the adorable Diglett is the shutter button. The camera shoots 35mm film, and each photo will also have a pokémon themed frame, according to the manual. (You can see that border, which features Pikachu, Meowth, Squirtle, and Blastoise, on this album.) Some eBay listings have their release date set as 1999.

Picture: Pokémon company

Hey You, Pikachu’s “Voice Recognition Unit”

Hey you, Pikachu is a Nintendo 64 game that lets you talk to Pikachu with the help of the Voice Recognition Unit, or VRU, which is included in the game. It was released on 1998 in Japan and 2000 in North America.

You can see the VRU in the image above – the user attaches a large microphone to their controller, connects it to a special module (which stores a vocabulary of 256 words of Pikachu, based on Popular science), then plugged in that module to the Nintendo 64 itself.

And speaking of Pikachu themed hardware …

Picture: Nintendo.co.jp

Pikachu-themed Nintendo 64

Pikachu themed Nintendo 64, released in 2000, give an interesting touch to the console design by making the on-off button a poké ball and Pikachu’s right foot a reset button. I love how giant Pikachu is – it dominates almost half of the console. And while I don’t remember actually using one of these myself, I imagine it must have been very satisfying to press down on Pikachu’s little feet to reset the game.

Mini Pokemon

Pokémon mini is a small handheld console specially designed for playing Pokémon-themed games from cartridges. It was released on 2001 in North America and Japan and 2002 in Europe. That’s 74mm x 58mm x 23mm – described at the still active Nintendo UK Pokémon mini website and “well under half the size” of Nintendo’s iconic Game Boy Advance – and available in three colors. It even has motion sensing and innate roar.

Pokéwalker

The Pokémon Pikachu set was replaced by the poké ball-themed Pokéwalker in 2009, which comes bundled with every copy. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Like Pokémon Pikachu, Pokéwalker is a pedometer, allows you to accumulate watts, and allows you to care for pokémon. But unlike Pokémon Pikachu, you can transfer pokémon back and forth from Pokéwalker, meaning you aren’t forced to just care for Pikachu. You can also find new wild pokémon and items directly on your Pokéwalker by spending watts playing mini-games.

Nintendo has uploaded Online Pokéwalker Guide, if you want to learn more.

Poké Ball Plus

Nintendo released another poké ball themed device in 2018 at the same time Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!: that Poké Ball Plus, a true and functional game controller compatible with Nintendo Switch. You can play both games with the controller and catch Pokemon by making a throwing motion with your hand. Similar to the Pokéwalker, you can also store pokémon in Poké Ball Plus, and they’ll even cry from them if you shake them. The controller is also compatible with big mobile hits Pokémon Go.

This “no-throw” replica of this Poké Ball

This only counts as a gadget, but I have to include it. Last November, The Pokémon Company International and The Wand Company announced this $ 99.99 die-cast replica of the Poké Ball. Even though it looks realistic, don’t throw it at your cat as a joke; weighs 10.5 ounces, twice the weight of a baseball. And in fact, Said The Wand Company that he “shouldn’t be thrown” and “throwing the Poké Ball will damage it and could injure someone”.

But if you’ve ever really wanted to get hold of a poké ball, buying one is probably the closest you can get to it. It even shines.

Take your cue. Break the arrow. Take that ax.

Pub games like billiards, darts, and ax throwing will resume, with restrictions, in New York on March 5, according to new guidelines released this week by the state’s Health Department.

The fine print on the rules comes after Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement Monday The billiard / billiard room, along with the cinema, can reopen on March 5 with certain restrictions.

The state’s new Department of Health guidelines outline the rules more specifically, along with a note that the new order applies to “pool and pool halls, and companies that provide both recreational activities (eg, darts, game of throwing / bowl / shaking, racket game, throwing axes, etc.) and food and beverage service for customers. “

William Crowley, a spokesman for the State Liquor Authority, confirmed that the new order means bars, restaurants and other companies holding liquor licenses can restart their game, following state guidelines.

The manual describes certain requirements: At least six feet of social distance must be maintained between tables, lanes, etc. (Or a physical barrier between the two must be erected); the player must wear a mask except when “actively consuming food or drink;” and the group of players must maintain separation from the party at the table, other lines, etc.

The regulations also call for the premises to “strictly clean and disinfect rental or shared equipment (for example, bowling balls, bowling shoes, pool / billiard sticks, billiard / billiard racks, or throw, throw, or other objects of play) between each. each player or party usage protector. “

All other standard restrictions for bars and restaurants still apply: The number of occupancy must not exceed 50% of capacity and liquor-licensed premises must still be closed and all customers leave by 11pm.

For bar owners, the new rules show a move to return to pre-pandemic operations, but they are far from “normal”. Customers should not expect all bars to reopen their game areas immediately.

“This is good news, but we still have to figure out how to make it work,” said Matt Bruce, owner Blarney’s Stone Stall on Syracuse Tipperary Hill.

Blarney has a pool table and dart machine in an elevated section right in the heart of the entire tavern space. In normal times, some customers play the game there while others use it to move from one part of the shop to another, which can cause distance problems.

Before he removed the cover for the pool table, Bruce said, “We have to see if we can do it safely and in a way that follows the rules. That (pool / darts etc.) is a big part of what we do, so we want to get it back. But I need to talk to the staff to see how we can do it productively. “

The same sense of caution applies to Bad Ax-Throwing rods in Camillus and Rochester, said Mario Zelaya, owner of the Canadian company that operates them. Facing previous restrictions, Bad Ax decided to give up its liquor license, so that it could legally order the group to throw axes.

Ax throwing, in particular, has run into a bit of a rollercoaster by state rules. They were originally allowed to stay open with booze last summer, but have been shut down by SLA inspectors in recent months.

Bad Ax will reapply its liquor license but it will be “very slow,” Zelaya said, citing uncertainty in dealing with state regulators.

Statewide curfew 11pm, meanwhile, remains oOne of the biggest problems bar owners face, having said it cuts their most profitable operating hours.

Some bars remain closed altogether rather than risk losing money with shorter hours of work.

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Call him on [email protected], or follow him on NYup.com, in Indonesia or Facebook.

The 18th-ranked South Carolina softball team swept a pair of matches over Coastal Carolina on Wednesday night during their 2021 home opener at the Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.

The Gamecocks beat Chanticleers 8-0 in the opening six innings before closing out the day with a 10-0 run-rule over five innings.

Leah Powell (1-0) and Rachel Vaughan (1-0) grabbed a win in the circle for Carolina by closing the game in total. The duo held Coastal a hitting average of 0.108 with only four strokes allowed and four strikeouts. Powell and Vaughan combined to allow just one run in 11 working innings. The outing was Powell’s Carolina debut.

Mackenzie Boesel shone on the plate, making a 4-for-4 combination between two games with three RBIs and three runs. Kenzi McGuire was just as prolific, posting a 2-for-3 day in the leaders doubles with three free bases and three RBIs. The duo combined to score eight of the 18 Carolina runs.

Of the 14 South Carolina strokes in the afternoon, seven went for additional bases including Jordan Fabian’s three home runs in game two.

The South Carolina softball team can finally play at home in 2021 because it needs a pair from Coastal Carolina –
8-0 in game 1 (F / 6) and 10-0 in game 2 (F / 5). It marked the first competition at Beckham Field in 349 days. @Tokopedia pic.twitter.com/hIZoxj19aT

– Reggie Anderson (@ReggieWLTX) 25 February 2021

Gamecocks will set a 4-1 record in home games this weekend comprising the Gamecock Invitational which starts Friday and runs through Sunday at the Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.

With all the players officially reporting to spring training, the regular season is just around the corner and it’s time to circle some dates on your calendar for Rockies baseball, if you haven’t already.

Here are the matches I’m most looking forward to in 2021:

Thursday, April 1 – Los angeles dodgers @ Coors Field – 14:10 MDT

It’s home opener, defense World Series champions, and division rivals … what more could you want ?! It also appears that this is the first time some fans have been able to watch a match at Coors Field since the end of the 2019 season, something to celebrate. On paper, the Rockies will be totally beaten by the Dodgers here, but maybe they can feed the Opening Day energy and ask the fans in attendance to lead them to victory.

Tuesday, April 20 – Houston Astros @ Coors Field – 6:40 MDT

In the team list sorted by “reasons to hate the Astros,” the Rockies don’t rank highly, but that doesn’t mean fans (and players) don’t have a sour taste in their mouths after the Astros cheating scandal broke last year. Houston may have avoided a fan reaction early last year “thanks to the pandemic,” but sports fans don’t forget to be quick and you can bet Rockies fans will give the Astros a hard time when they come to town.

Friday, May 7 – St. Louis Cardinals @ Busch Stadium – 18:15 MDT

Welp. It will be awful and you should probably keep your wipes close at hand but this will be our first chance to see Nolan wearing a Cardinal red (assuming you can avoid it until then). Obviously we’ll have some good moments before the game Nolan reunites with his old teammates, and hopefully he’ll relax at the Rockies as a token of thanks. Regardless, watching Nolan’s game will always be fun, especially if he doesn’t wear purple.

Monday, May 10 – San Diego Padres @ Coors Field – 18:40 MDT

Believe it or not, this will be the Rockies’ first showdown of the year with their divisional rivals who, according to most, are big off-season winners. The Padres made a dizzying number of moves in a bid to catch up with the Dodgers, notably picking up the top two starters at Blake Snell and Yu Darvish. I would be lying if I said this team was not fun to watch last year and I can imagine it will be more the same this year. Much to the disappointment of the Rockies and their fans, this team has a lot of talent and many of them are quite young (see: Fernando Tatís Jr.)

Friday, May 28 – The Pittsburgh Pirates @ PNC Park – 4:35 PM MDT

All right, the two worst teams on paper to enter this season don’t seem like television appointments, but hey, if projections are accurate, the Rockies should be some game better than the Pirates. That makes this battle where the Rockies will have the upper hand, something that doesn’t seem like it will happen often this year. The end of May is too early for this kind of talk, but if things are as bad as expected, it will at least be a fight between two teams looking for the No. 1 in next year’s draft. Not to mention that PNC Park is one of the best in baseball.

Thursday, July 1 – St. Louis Cardinals @ Coors Field – 18:40 MDT

This will be the second coming of Nolan Arenado’s pain but given all he has put in for the franchise, he deserves the warmest welcome in his first game at Coors Field. She may leave on relatively bad terms, but that mostly has to do with front office and fans liking Nolan – something that won’t change when she comes to town as a member of the Cardinals. Any fan who is in the stadium at that time of season will stand on their feet whenever he’s introduced, and I’m looking forward to any video montage the Rockies staff have made to hit the big screen. Again, keep your network close together.

Sunday, October 3 – Arizona Diamondbacks @ Chase Field – 1:10 p.m. MDT

This doesn’t bode well for your franchise if the final game of the season is listed as a must-watch, but no matter how the Rockies fare over 2021 it could be listed as a positive. Except for the shocking turn of events that get the team playing quality baseball, it’s possible this game could have wild card implications. A little contrived? Maybe. But that’s the fun of baseball. At the end of February and March, everyone can dream of their team playing baseball in October. On the opposite end of the spectrum if the Rockies were as bad as advertised, this game would have been a bit sent over to previous years. Hopefully by then we’ll at least have an idea of ​​where the team is going.

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As much as Rockies fans (myself included) have expressed their dissatisfaction with the club during the offseason, most of us are here because we love baseball and that may not change this winter. No matter what happens off the pitch, we love watching the Rockies, and I’m one of them, can’t wait for the team to return to the diamonds. Let me know what game you’d like to watch the most in the comments!

On a completely unrelated note, this is Charlie Blackmon at its best, making us laugh

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Rodgers looked at second base: ‘I’m ready to be me’ | MLB.com

Brendan Rodgers has been the next player over the years for the Rockies, but a large number of injuries and traffic jams in the Rockies midfield have prevented him from getting a full exit. This year, he’s ready to put things together and prepare for the opening of second base in the line-up.

Speaking with Rockies reporter Thomas Harding, Rodgers said he is feeling good this year and is ready to prove himself at camp.

“You’ve never seen me become me. I’m ready to be me. ”

The former number three overall arrives at camp weighing five pounds heavier than last year and hopes a better diet and a clean approach to “running my business” will mean he is ready to take over second place in 2021.

MLB Strength Ranking in Early Spring Training 2021 | Bleacher Report

1, 2, 20, 25 and 29. These are the five spots held by the NL West team in Bleacher Report’s first Power Rankings of the 2021 season with spring training officially underway. The two unfortunate truths here are that you probably know where the Rockies are, and (spoiler alert) the two best teams in all of baseball are in their divisions, and not them.

Unfortunately, this is just a pre-season prediction and anything could happen once the season starts, even if it’s safe enough to assume the Rockies won’t reach those one and two spots by the end of the year. At the very least, the Rockies will get the chance to play lots of games against two of the best clubs in baseball, and, hopefully, learn from all the things they do right.

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With a team scheduled to only play four to eight regular season games, there is a playoff feel each week. Every win counts for a conference championship, and losses sting a little more on the playoff resume.

Here are five must-see matches on the FCS schedule between 26-28 February (all CT times; TV subject to change):

South: No. 11 Wofford (1-0) in Chattanooga (0-1, 0-0), 11:00 am Saturday (ESPN +)

Wofford won 35-34 in the 2019 clash by denying Chattanooga’s pass attempt to end extra time. Three-time reigning champions Terriers raced past Mercer 31-14 to kick off their SoCon schedule, and the offense, behind quarterback Jimmy Weirick, was 5 of the 5 red zone chances (four goals, one field goal) just one season after it finished third on the FCS. with a percentage of 0.935. Mocs lost 13-10 heartbreaks in Western Kentucky in their only fall game and their SoCon opening was postponed due to COVID-19 issues in the VMI program. In 2019, hardworking running-back Ailym Ford led FCS freshmen in sprint distance per game (108.1), and she has more than 20 carries in seven of her 11 career games.

Missouri Valley: No. 3 South Dakota State (1-0) at No. 14 North Dakota (1-0), Saturday afternoon (ESPN + / MidCoSN2)

They played inside the Alerus Center, but perhaps also a steel cage with both of them picking up their second straight win over national-ranked MVFC opponents. Although this is their 86th all-time encounter, their old rivals have only faced off twice since 2003 – SDSU won in 2010 and ’13. The last time the Jackrabbits allowed fewer yards rushing than last Friday’s 24-20 win at UNI (28) was their 2013 win at UND (21). The Fighting Hawks know about running defense too, having limited Southern Illinois, which averaged 232.4 yards rushing and 5.1 yards per carry in 2019, to 90 and 2.6, respectively, in 44-21 ambushes.

Big Sky: No. 12 Eastern Washington (0-0) in Idaho (0-0), 5pm Saturday (Pluto TV Channel 1060 / SWX)

While only 6-10 at Big Sky since returning from FBS level, Vandals opened their 2019 conference schedule by beating Eastern Washington 35-27. They built up a 28-0 lead in the first half and Charles Akanno’s defense got a national defender this week. EWU midfielder Eric Barriere is a top contender for the Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award and has an average of 390.5 yards fouls and eight goals in his two games against Idaho. This is perhaps the Eagles’ most critical game as none of their six opponents (including Vandals for the second time at EWU) have a winning streak overall or in Big Sky in 2019.

Southland: No. 18 Southeastern Louisiana (0-0) at No. 17 Sam Houston (0-0), 6pm Saturday (ESPN +)

Sam Houston, whose 99 wins in the 2010s were the second most at FCS, is not far from making the 2019 playoffs, taking the lead in the fourth quarter or extra time in three of his five defeats, which is a combined 22 points. Since 2000, only one other Bearkats team has allowed fewer points per game (17.8) and just two yards less per game (330) than the 2019 unit. That advantage is expected again, but needed against Southeast teams playing the playoffs while in the lead. Southland in yards per game (484.8, the Lions’ highest average since 2004) and points per game (36.6).

Ohio Valley: No. 23 Tennessee Tech (1-0) in No. 16 Jacksonville State (3-1, 0-0), 3 pm (ESPN +)

After opening their 99th season with a loss to fellow OVC 2019 champions Austin Peay, the Golden Eagles enter the JSU Stadium with their first national ranking since 2011. The state of Jacksonville is fairly automatic at home – 41-4 combined in the regular season (46-7 overall ) since 2012. TTU’s dual threat midfielder Bailey Fisher had a career-high 121 yard rush in the 2019 win over the Gamecocks, but he will be chased by defending DJ Coleman, who had a ridiculous 17 QB rush in his last four conference games. Zion Webb’s junior signal caller came from the bench to help direct FBS’s win which ended the fall at FIU.