Nintendo of America's Original Pokémon Pitch From E3 1998 Is Wild To Watch Nearly 30 Years Later

The Video Game History Foundation archived Nintendo of America’s 1998 E3 pitch reel for Pokémon.

The presentation focused on sales figures, anime ratings, merchandise potential, and why retailers like Walmart should carry it.

The footage also features an early version of the Pokémon theme song with the lyric “Catch ’em if you can!”

The reel shows how Pokémon was first introduced to the U.S. market before its later 1998 debut.

It also highlights how E3 has evolved from a retailer-focused trade show into a more player-facing event.