Pokémon turns 20: How to celebrate

It's been 20 years, and we're still trying to catch them all.

The Pokémon franchise turned 20 years old last week, marking two decades that gamers of all ages have been collecting those little pocket monsters to train and battle in the pursuit of being the very best. (Like no one ever was.)

It also means that you could now buy the show's starring Pikachu a beer in its native Japan, where the drinking age is 20. If, you know, Pikachu were available to do such things.

Nintendo and the Pokémon Company tapped heavily into the nostalgia Friday with a short digital news conference that took us down memory lane and briefly touched on the next two games in the series, called "Pokémon Sun" and "Pokémon Moon." Both are due out for holiday 2016.

Nintendo also released a video, which not only shows how Pokémon has evolved with the world's technology (remember those link cables you had to use to trade in the early games?), but also may give you a mild case of the feels if you're a big sap like me.

While the latest games aren't due until the end of the year, the company won't leave players hanging entirely. If you can't wait and also want to revisit your younger years, Nintendo is also digitally releasing the original Pokemon games, "Red" and "Blue" ("Green," if you're in Japan), as well as "Yellow." Those hit the Nintendo eShop Feb. 27 - Pokémon's actual birthday.

The company offered precious little information on "Sun" and "Moon," apart from the fact that you'll be able to bring Pokemon from previous games into the new titles. And, thanks to the digital releases of "Red," "Blue" and "Yellow," you'll even be able to bring Pokemon from the original games into the new titles by way of something called the Pokémon Bank. This app is free to download for the Nintendo 3DS, but has an annual $5 fee.

The new games will also be available in nine languages, including traditional and simplified Chinese for the first time.

"Sun" and "Moon" aren't the only games coming out in 2016. Pokémon is also due for another interesting technological makeover in the form of "Pokemon Go," an augmented reality title that will let you wander around the real world and catch Pokemon by using your smartphone and a small wristband. It's due to launch this year, but there hasn't been a date specified yet.

Video: https://youtu.be/hmzDL1l3Fag