Pokémon Frienda

Pokémon Frienda (Japanese: ポケモンフレンダ) is an arcade game developed by Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. and , which also developed the Pokémon Battrio, Pokémon Tretta, Pokémon Ga-Olé, and Pokémon Mezastar arcade games. It was officially announced on April 15, 2024, and was launched in Japan on July 11, 2024.
==Release history==
Original series
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Promotional
==Game picks==
The game picks used in Pokémon Frienda are plastic tiles measuring 38×60.3×3.2mm. Each pick features a single Pokémon species together with a set of its type (Tera type if the Pokémon is capable of Terastallization), stats, and move(s) as derived from the core series of Pokémon games. This data is present on the QR code on the reverse of each pick, which is read into the game when it is placed in one of the console lanes.
===Stats===
Pokémon have a Poké-Energy stat that possibly determines catch rate. Their main stats are detailed on the reverse of the pick. The HP stat determines how much damage Pokémon can sustain before they can no longer partake in battle. The Attack and Defense stats respectively determine how powerful Physical moves used by Pokémon are and how susceptible they are to damage from them. The Special Attack and Special Defense similarly determine the power of and vulnerability to Special moves. The Speed stat is shown as a number ranging from 1 to 5 and determines which Pokémon attacks first on their turn.
===Types and moves===
The types attributed to Pokémon are indicated by symbols to the right of their name on the obverse of picks. A Pokémon's typing determine what types of move it will be weak against or resistant to in battle. Only one type is shown on the pick; if a Pokémon has two types, its primary type is shown. If the Pokémon is rated 5 Stars, its type is presented as its Tera type. The types featured in Pokémon Frienda are the same as those found in the core series and share their individual strengths and weaknesses. Most Pokémon can use only one move, as opposed to four in the core series, but Pokémon that can Terastallize can also use . The move name and its type are present on the reverse of the picks.
Pokémon Frienda	Pokémon Frienda	Pokémon Frienda	Pokémon Frienda	Pokémon Frienda	Pokémon Frienda	Pokémon Frienda	Pokémon Frienda	Pokémon Frienda
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===Stars===
Pokémon in Pokémon Frienda have star ratings ranging from 2 to 5 Stars. 
* 2- and 3-star ratings are standard ratings with light gray plastic, portrait illustrations, and a red or blue background respectively.
* 4-star picks have varying background colors and patterns, landscape illustrations, and blue plastic.
* 5-star picks have landscape illustrations (or 3D Models) depicting the Pokémon and translucent, glittery purple plastic.
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
==Gameplay==
Much like the core series games, Pokémon Frienda focuses on battling and , and the battles are in a turn-based format. It costs ¥100 to start a game, after which point the player has the option to either battle Pokémon found in the wild with a chance of catching them or move directly to a location where they can catch Pokémon. The latter will happen regardless of which option the player chooses. Pokémon caught are distributed by the machine as physical game picks that can be used during future gameplay sessions.
The player also has the option to store their saved data in a separate game pick for ¥200, which also gives the player one of the Paldea first partner Pokémon (, , or ). This first partner Pokémon 'levels up' a certain amount at the end of each session, with the possibility of evolving.
===Get it in battle!===
The "Get it in battle!" option is one of the two options given by the Captain for what to do during the session. This one is labelled as "recommended". On a wheel, a biome is selected at random, with the player having to choose one side of the wheel (one location within that biome) to progress. At the edges of each section of the wheel, a Pokémon's icon is shown, along with their star rating. When the player selects a biome, two of said Pokémon appear at either side, with only one of them appearing later on.
After a cutscene, a battle begins between one of the Pokémon mentioned previously, as well as two randomly-selected Pokémon. If the player does not have physical game picks yet, a team will be randomly generated for them.
The first partner Pokémon, gained when creating a new user, is the only Pokémon owned by the player that can not be directly used in battle from use of physical game picks. It can be used, but only with a 25% likelihood, after the player's lead Pokémon has already dealt damage.
* On both sides, there is one lead Pokémon out of the three. The player's can be chosen at the beginning of each battle. The lead Pokémon is responsible for dealing damage to the other side.
** If the Pokémon is rated 5 stars, and therefore capable of Terastallization, the player can input the Tera Orb item (sold separately at some Pokémon locations) to do so. If they do not, there is no certainty of it happening, and it rather depends on a random selection. 
* Damage is determined by a spinning wheel with arbitrary numbers, with the player having to stop it at the exact right time. A higher number leads to higher damage. Some of these possible numbers can be increased if the Pokémon were to Terastallize.
* Damage is dealt by mashing both buttons on the machine.
* All three Pokémon on the opposite side are damaged equally. Type advantages and base stats on both sides change this value. Once damage has been dealt, there is also a 50% chance that the player is given the chance to allow a fourth Pokémon to attack, with this Pokémon being either the player's first partner Pokémon or a randomly selected one.
* The order of attacks depends on the Speed stats of both lead Pokémon.
After a set number of moves, and when at least one enemy Pokémon has fainted, the player can insert ¥100 for a chance to catch all of them. Another spinning wheel determines the type of Poké Ball used, with the options being the standard choices of a regular , Great Ball, Ultra Ball, and a very small chance for a Master Ball. Three of the Poké Balls the wheel lands on are thrown at all three enemy Pokémon, regardless of how much HP they have left. Multiple can be caught, but only one can be taken away, while the others are released.
When one battle ends and no Pokémon on the player's side have fainted, another one begins. This repeats until one of the player's Pokémon has fainted.
Stars are earned whenever a Pokémon has fainted and certain moves are used. These stars can allow the player to move that number of spaces along a board game-like path. At the end of one path, there is a large stone gate with a certain number of diamond shapes on the front (up to 3). In this gate, a Pokémon is found. It can be pet, raising a friendship meter, and the player can pay ¥100 to receive it.
=== Treasure Tag Battle ===
When selecting your area at the beginning of the game, there is a chance that an area without a displayed Pokémon will become available for exploration. If this area is selected, a silhouette of a rare Pokémon (usually a Legendary or Mythical) will appear on both screens, even if the connected console does not currently have anyone playing. At this point, a second player can join you to face the Treasure Tag Pokémon together. When this happens, the screens will play an animation that combines the "split screen" into a single connected display.
The gameplay differs significantly from the standard "Get It in Battle!" mode. When deciding attack power using the damage wheel, the highest number landed on by either player will be applied to both players. The battle continues as normal until the boss is defeated or its HP reaches approximately 25%.
At around 25% HP, players will be prompted to perform an "All-Out Attack." During this phase, both players swipe orbs containing the typing symbols of their selected Pokémon. If done correctly, this action instantly defeats the Treasure Tag Pokémon.
Following the battle, players are prompted to insert ¥100, and a spinning wheel determines the Pokéball tier for both players. As with the attack power, the highest-tier Pokéball will be chosen for both participants. If the Treasure Tag Pokémon is successfully captured, both players will receive a Frienda Pick as a reward.
===Get it now!===
This option can either be chosen from the beginning or after playing the "Get it in battle!" option. 
A number of patches of grass, of varying designs and sizes, are shown on screen. Quick Balls can be throw at the patches of grass, with the targeted patch being decided by a quickly moving cursor that can be stopped at will. Each throw costs ¥100. 
In each gameplay session, only five Pokémon can be caught. If the player chooses this gameplay option directly or they did not catch any Pokémon in the "Get it in battle!" section, then five patches of grass are shown; if one Pokémon was caught, four patches are shown, and so on. Stars can also be earned here based on the Pokémon that were caught.
===Ending===
The number of stars earned throughout the entire session accumulate and increase the level of the player's first partner Pokémon, shown as a meter with three dividing sections. When the meter is filled, the Pokémon evolves.
All Pokémon either encountered or caught are registered to the Pokédex, which is then saved to the player's profile.
==Frienda TV==
Similarly to the previous titles released by the developers, Pokémon Frienda has its own set of hosts that promote the game at in-person events, online, and within the game itself. Pokémon Frienda's set of four hosts, called Frienda Navigators, consists of Hiroto (Blue), Nagisa (Purple), Mai (Yellow), and Jin "Peace!!" (Red). Each of the Frienda Navigators has their own niche, similar to the Mezastar Navigators. Hiroto specializes in knowledge related to Pokémon Frienda Picks, Nagisa focuses on collecting 5-Star picks, Mai excels at searching for and collecting the rarest Pokémon possible, particularly Mythical Pokémon, and Jin serves as the comedic relief, making the group laugh. 
The first Frienda TV video was uploaded on the Pokémon Mezastar TV YouTube channel, now rebranded as Pokémon Frienda TV, on May 31, 2024. This video featured the theme song for Pokémon Frienda, "Dadada! Pokémon Frienda." The channel has since uploaded videos every Friday, with additional content, such as advertisements for Pokémon Frienda and other videos, occasionally being posted on other days.
==Gallery==
Pokémon Frienda logo.png|Logo
==Related articles==
* Dadada! Pokémon Frienda
Category:Arcade games
ja:ポケモンフレンダ
zh:宝可梦互联达