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NWR Interactive => TalkBack => Topic started by: NWR_pap64 on August 12, 2011, 05:49:38 PM

Title: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: NWR_pap64 on August 12, 2011, 05:49:38 PM

The eco-friendly creature was too similar to the Pokemon mascot.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/27432

Eco-chan, a character created to promote the environment by Japan's Yamaguchi Prefecture, has been retired to due claims of the character being too similar to Pokemon's Pikachu.

The character has the same facial features as Pikachu, but painted green in order to fit with the message of nature protection. The media started noticing the similarities between the two characters, forcing the city to retire the mascot costume. The original character illustrator claimed that they didn't know who Pikachu was when creating the character.

The illustration of the character, however, will still be present in marketing material.

Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: Ryan Cannon on August 12, 2011, 06:01:14 PM
"The original character illustrator claimed that they didn't know who Pikachu was when creating the character"
[/size][/color]
[/size]How stupid does he think we are?[/color]
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: Sessha on August 12, 2011, 06:29:08 PM
Yeah that sounds believable
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: TJ Spyke on August 12, 2011, 06:34:11 PM
Unless he created the character in 1995, he is BSing it. Pikachu is recognizable be almost everyone, even those who never touched a Pokemon game. In Japan it's even more true.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: NWR_pap64 on August 12, 2011, 07:08:13 PM
I'm calling BS on the whole "Don't know who Pikachu is" as well. Unless the guy is a hermit and has cut himself from civilization, and only comes out when he is commissioned to create crappy characters for promotions. :p
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: Flipster on August 12, 2011, 08:45:18 PM
Man I would love to raid whatever storage locker that costume is being kept in =p
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: ShyGuy on August 12, 2011, 08:57:13 PM
lol, getting a pokemon banner ad on this article.

Change the nose and mouth, no problem.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: famicomplicated on August 12, 2011, 09:13:41 PM
Well, if the guy was over say, 70, he might not know who Pikachu was.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: Mop it up on August 12, 2011, 10:47:15 PM
Pikachu isn't a very unique character, things like those eyes and cheeks seem common with Japanese characters. I could see someone creating a character like Greenachu there who hasn't seen Pikachu. I have no idea if that's true or not in this case, but it is possible.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: GK on August 13, 2011, 12:28:35 AM
Look closer to Pichu to me...
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: zachs1997 on August 13, 2011, 01:21:22 AM
his tail needs to be the recycling sign
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: NWR_pap64 on August 13, 2011, 02:19:53 AM
Quote from: famicomplicated on August 12, 2011, 09:13:41 PM
Well, if the guy was over say, 70, he might not know who Pikachu was.

True, but if there was a team behind it all, someone must have realized that Eco-chan looked like Pikachu.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: Lithium on August 13, 2011, 10:51:57 AM
It's the extremely rare grass type Pichu, I thought it only existed in legend
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: Ceric on August 13, 2011, 11:17:17 AM
Its someone in a Pichu costume with a slight green tint to the Photo.

Make it Super Green and A recycling symbol tail and give it some claws.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: KDR_11k on August 13, 2011, 01:28:02 PM
It may be a simple and pretty standard Japanese design but they could've picked a different animal than a mouse. Ecolis has three different Japanese-designed eco monsters and none of them look like Pikachu.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: ShyGuy on August 13, 2011, 02:07:31 PM
Nintendo should have capitalized on this and made it a special downloadable Pokemon. I googled Pichu and it does look more like that.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: KDR_11k on August 13, 2011, 02:21:21 PM
You never played Smash Bros Melee?
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: ShyGuy on August 13, 2011, 03:39:09 PM
I bought it used once but the disc was broken, so I returned it. I was then going to buy it at Target out of their $20 section but they told me it was $30. So I got fed up and decided I wouldn't buy it until I found it for $20 or less. I never did.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: Mop it up on August 13, 2011, 07:09:38 PM
You've no excuse anymore.

http://www.gamestop.com/gc/games/super-smash-brothers-melee/17824
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: ShyGuy on August 13, 2011, 11:03:29 PM
I gave my sister my gamecube and my Wii still needs a disc repair.
Title: Re: Pikachu Lookalike Discontinued in Japan
Post by: zachs1997 on August 13, 2011, 11:22:20 PM
shy guy you can do it your self and buy the disk drive on ebay for $10. not the disc drive the disk sensor