Monopoly to include 'Pokémon' and 'Zelda' editions
Nintendo's resolution to extend its best-known brands beyond the realm of game consoles appears to be bearing fruit in the form of two special edition Monopoly boards.
The board gaming pair are due out on August 21, according to separate Pokémon and Zelda Monopoly listings found on US board gaming and card collection specialist Southern Hobby, as surfaced by Nintendo World Report.
Prototype box shots indicate that the Pokémon Monopoly set would focus on the series' version of Japan's Kanto region, the focus of the first few Pokémon games, opening up the possibility of alternative Monopoly editions should this one prove successful -- perhaps the New York-style Unova from "Pokémon Black and White" or French-inspired Kalos from most recent additions "Pokémon X and Y."
By contrast, the "Legend of Zelda" version appears to draw on 2011 Wii title "Skyward Sword" rather than 1990s classic "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" or even its modern-day descendant "A Link Between Worlds" on the 3DS.
Prior to the discovery, Nintendo's attempts to extend its best-known brands beyond home and handheld and consoles came with Google's April Fools day prank, a working Google Maps monster hunt called "Pokémon Challenge."
A previous partnership between Nintendo and Hasbro had resulted in two Monopoly Pokémon editions in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, both centered around the Kanto era of "Pokémon Red," "Blue," "Gold"" and "Silver."
