A big part of Pokemon GO’s longevity is its ability to provide fans with exciting events consistently. The latest one is called “Pokemon Go Tour: Unova,” which features boosted wild encounters and raids, plus rewards, where participating fans can get popular Pokemon Black and White critters. These events happen online or in specific cities (in this case, Los Angeles and New Taipei City) where fans can gather to get event-exclusive perks and merch. While there’s a lot to be excited about in Pokemon GO Tour: Unova, players will have to pay attention and listen closely so as not to miss the best part of the event.
Pokemon GO is one of the longest-running mobile games in the franchise. The game involves finding, catching, and battling Pokemon on one’s smartphone in different real-life places, utilizing a smartphone’s location, gyroscope, and camera sensors to provide an immersive experience. It launched in July 2016 to much fanfare, with players all over the world gathering in landmarks and parks en masse to catch their favorite Pokemon and to take over gyms for their team. The game has a steady player base, thanks to its continuous updates, which often involve tie-ins with mainstream titles and events like the recent Pokemon Go Tour: Unova, which will feature a legendary name in the Pokemon franchise.
Related
Pokemon GO: Black & White Kyurem Raid Guide | Counters, Weaknesses, & More
You can win Black Kyurem and White Kyurem Raids by seleting the best counters listed in this guide.
Junichi Masuda Returns to Bring His Musical Prestige to Pokemon GO
Perhaps the most exciting part of the latest Pokemon GO event is the music, which will feature music inspired by these mainstream Pokemon titles:
- Pokemon White
- Pokemon Black
- Pokemon White Version 2
- Pokemon Black Version 2
Each of these new tracks is composed by none other than Junichi Masuda. Longtime fans of the franchise may know Masuda as one of the founders of Game Freak, the developer behind the mainline Pokemon games. He’s also the musical genius who arranged and composed some of the iconic background tracks of almost every title, including Pokemon GO! Such songs include:
- Pallet Town Theme (Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue)
- Lavender Town Theme (Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue)
- An Adventure Begins! (Pokemon Gold and Silver)
- Mt. Pyre (Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, composed with Go Ichinose)
- Rayquaza Appears! (Pokemon Emerald)
- Gotcha! (Pokemon capture song from Pokemon GO)
Junichi Masuda’s Legend Stretches Beyond Music and Pokemon
Sound Driver
Masuda didn’t just arrange and compose many Pokemon songs. He also helped create the voices of the first few Pokemon. He did so by creating a program called “Sound Driver,” which provides sound effects and music in games. Game Freak eventually used this tool to craft all the original Pokemons’ roars and cries.
Pokemon Game and Animation Direction
Masuda is also a co-director of every mainline Pokemon title since Pokemon Crystal. He also got advising credits for various spin-offs. Junichi played an active role in the creation of some of the Pokemon animated movies, like Destiny Deoxys, Pikachu’s Island Adventure, Jirachi: Wish Maker, and Giratina and the Sky Warrior as well. Masuda also composed tracks for one of the most popular films in the franchise: Pokemon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back.
The Masuda Method
Avid Pokemon trainers who want to capture shinies may default to the “Masuda Method,” which was named after Junichi Masuda himself. While this isn’t officially recognized by the game, it’s a popular way to encounter Shiny Pokemon in the wild or through breeding. Masuda revealed in a 2007 blog post that if two ‘mons are bred from devices with different languages, the egg they will produce will more likely become Shiny. This post was originally intended to showcase the perks of using Pokemon’s “Global Trading System,” which lets players send and receive Pokemon to and from other players worldwide using the internet. However, it has since become scripture for devout Shiny Hunters everywhere.
To say that Junichi Masuda is a household name in Pokemon is an understatement. Much of the franchise’s iconic sounds and some mechanics exist thanks to him. Pokemon GO fans, whether they’re veterans of the franchise or new to it, should listen closely to the Unova event’s soundtrack the next time they log in, lest they miss out on experiencing Masuda’s songwriting genius.
Now you can battle other Pokémon GO trainers online! Try the GO Battle League today. Join Trainers across the globe who are discovering Pokémon as they explore the world around them. Pokémon GO is the global gaming sensation that has been downloaded over 1 billion times and named “Best Mobile Game” by the Game Developers Choice Awards and “Best App of the Year” by TechCrunch
UNCOVER THE WORLD OF POKÉMON: Explore and discover Pokémon wherever you are! CATCH more Pokémon to complete your Pokédex! JOURNEY alongside your Buddy Pokémon to help make your Pokémon stronger and earn rewards! COMPETE in epic Gym battles and… TEAM UP and UNITE with other Trainers to catch powerful Pokémon during Raid Battles!
It’s time to get moving—your real-life adventures await! Let’s GO
- Released
-
July 6, 2016
- ESRB
-
e