Fashion brand ZOZOTOWN teams up with Pokémon to make hoodies, T-shirts featuring first games’ art

Fans of Pokémon’s original Red and Blue (or Green) games, this is for you!

It’s now been more than two decades since the first Pokémon games, Red and Blue (or Red and Green in Japan), were released, and those of use who have been around since the beginning remember the 8-bit graphics, chiptune music, and tiny 151-entry Pokédex with nostalgia. Fire up that first opening screen with that classic battle music playing, and you’ll get our old hearts a-thumping.

▼ It may be simple, but it’s enough to strike nostalgia in the hearts of many.

That’s why the new line from online fashion shop ZOZOTOWN, retailer of Mr. Sato’s Zozosuit, is sure to steal the heart of any millennial who grew up playing the games. It includes sweaters, hoodies, hats and T-shirts, which were created in partnership with The Pokémon Company to commemorate the release of the Nintendo’s new Let’s Go! Pikachu and Let’s Go! Eevee games.

The styles contain minimalist designs that will likely appeal to Pokémon and fashion fans alike, such as these hoodies with the original Japanese “Pocket Monsters” logo on them. They come in black or white and retail for 6,480 yen (US$57.83).

The line also comes with hoodies that have a printed screenshot of the battle between Nidorino and Gengar featured in the games’ opening sequence on the back, with a simple and tiny “Pocket Monsters” written in 8-bit font on the front (8,100 yen). They also come in black and white, to match the screenshot.

If you want to really dive deep with an age-old Pokémon inside joke, buy this hoodie that features the Boy Scout from the Pewter City Gym on the back (8,100 yen). You may remember that he’s the one who attempted to insult you by saying, “You’re 10,000 light-years from facing Brock!” before taking you on in battle, only to remember after losing that, “Light-years isn’t time! It measures distance!” This very quote is printed on the front of the sweater in Japanese. Only the cool kids will get it!

For a little more of a subtle nod to the Pokémon franchise, fans can instead buy this long-sleeved T-shirt with the Pokémon logo printed down each arm in Japanese (4,104 yen). It comes in black and white, with green or pink writing, respectively.

But one of the best selections on offer is the red, blue, or green long-sleeved T-shirt with icons of Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur and their two evolutions on the arm (5,184 yen). These icons are the original icons from the very first Red and Green games, so they’re quite different from the ones we know today. Faithful fans of either of these starter Pokémon will want to show off their love with these cozy-looking shirts!

For those who live in warmer climates or prefer short sleeves, they’re also selling “Pocket Monsters” logo T-shirts (3,240 yen) in white, black, red, and green. And for hat-wearing Pokémon fans, you can also find the same logo on a hat (4,104 yen), which comes in black or white.

ZOZOTOWN is also releasing a limited edition Nanoblock set featuring Eevee, Pikachu, and, for some reason, Machoke, which comes in a special ZOZOTOWN box that can also be used as a stand (2,700 yen). Commemorative pins featuring 8-bit icons of the player character, Pikachu, and the three starters (2,160 yen) are also available as part of the limited edition line.

These items are available by reservation only on ZOZOTOWN’s online shop, which means you can order and pay for them now, but they won’t be distributed until the end of February. You can put in your order until December 26 at noon (Japan time). However, although ZOZOTOWN does have an international shop through their partner Buyee, these products do not appear to be available for international customers yet, so get a friend in Japan who can speak Japanese to order them for you if you really want one!

Source: ZOZOTOWN via Otakomu
Images: ZOZOTOWN

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