Why is this 90s icon such a hit again?

It’s actually adults that are driving sales of Pokémon in 2025

It might seem like an odd thing to say, but Pokémon is big again. Yes, the Nintendo console hit from the nineties that became a highly successful card game, movie and that generated countless items of merchandising is the surprise hit of spring 2025.

Across the world, sales of trading cards are soaring. There are reports from numerous shops of new releases selling out almost immediately.

“People have gone crazy,” one Belgian newsagent told Tagtik, after telling another adult fan to come back the next day. In Ireland, a Belfast newsagent is seeing clients come from across the border. “[One] told me that he has had no luck getting cards in Dublin as staff there were buying them before stores opened. But here, he knows if he shows up early and waits, he’ll get them. That’s real dedication.” In the US? There have been cases of people being mugged to steal rare cards that can reach over $8,000 for collectors.

One shop has started allocating a maximum of ten packets per client. “All the boxes are gone within minutes.”

 Pokemon: "A funny side of society"

The truth is, Pokémon never went away. What drives the ongoing success? “It shows a funny side of society,” says music producer Ben Schwag. “And Pokémon has managed to build  a complete world that is immersive.” At SplicedOnline magazine, they point to the fact that adults that played as kids are going on a nostalgia trip, often playing with their own kids. Some see the cards as an investment. Lastly, social media and local events extend the presence of the game into new areas.

Currently, 45% of the people discovering the game are between the ages of 10 and 20 – so a stream of new players is assured for some time to come.

Fans of the game are looking forward to 2026, when Pokémon will celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Pokémon: the Pocket Guide

• Pokémon originated as video games Pokémon Red and Green, developed by the magazine publisher Game Freak and released in Japan in 1996 for the Game Boy.
• Created by Satoshi Tajiri, the games introduced a world where humans catch and train creatures called Pokémon (pocket monster).
• The franchise rapidly expanded with the release of the anime series "Pokémon, I Choose You!" and the trading card game in the late 1990s.
• Pokémon became a global phenomenon dubbed "Pokémania" between 1998 and 2000, spreading worldwide with games, anime, movies, and merchandise.
• The Pokémon Company was established in 1998 by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures to manage the franchise.
• Over the years, the series has evolved through multiple generations, introducing new Pokémon and gameplay innovations, with the ninth generation starting in 2022 with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
• The franchise remains one of the highest-grossing media franchises globally, appealing to all ages2.
• According to a survey conducted by Pokémon itself, the most popular Pokémon game of all time is Pokémon Red and Blue, which was released in 1996.

(Michael Leahy. Source SplicedOnlin et al. Photo: ©Erik McLean / Pexels)