Old Pokémon Games Are Dominating The 3DS eShop Charts – Is It Thanks To Pokémon Bank?

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Pokemon Bank Chespin Fennekin And Froakie

Savvy Pokémon fans will know that the 3DS is a very important artifact in the Pokéworld. As the only console that has Pokémon Bank, the storage system for all your digital battle-pets, and the Virtual Console, the 3DS is basically Noah’s Ark for Pokémon, allowing players to transfer their shinies, competitive Pokémon, and beloved childhood starters across generations of games.

And, according to the 3DS eShop charts, that might be what scores of fans are now doing, following the news that the eShop has only a year left to live. The top ten recent bestsellers are as follows:

  1. Pokémon Crystal
  2. Pokémon Yellow
  3. Pokémon Red
  4. Pokémon Dream Radar
  5. Pokémon Gold
  6. Pokémon Silver
  7. Pokémon Blue
  8. The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Seasons
  9. The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Ages
  10. Pokémon Trading Card Game

Granted, the top ten usually includes a lot of Pokémon games — this chart from just a couple of weeks ago shows as much — but the Pokédominance could imply that people are racing to rescue their old Pokémon.

Pokémon Bank is going to be free from March 2023, which could be why we’re not seeing it on the charts — the service is currently an annual subscription that costs $5 a year.

It’s also interesting to see people downloading the AR game Pokémon Dream Radar, which occasionally drops in and out of the 3DS charts, perhaps due to its sub-$3 pricing. Dream Radar is a 3DS exclusive that allows you to grab a bunch of rare legendaries with unique Hidden Abilities, and unique formes for the three original Forces of Nature, Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus. You can only transfer these Pokémon into Black and White 2, however.

Wow, so simple!!
Wow, so simple!!

If you want to get in on the hustle, we have a walkthrough on Pokémon Bank and the Nintendo Switch equivalent, Pokémon Home, which you can access by clicking here.

Pokémon Bank is compatible with the following games:

If you want to transfer Pokémon from Black & White or Black & White 2, you’ll have to download the linked free application Poké Transporter.

Of course, this is all speculation — maybe people just really, really like the old Pokémon games. Including Dream Radar.

Are you panic-saving all your old Pokémon, or just revisiting the good ol’ days on 3DS? Let us know in the comments.