Pokémon Red and Green 30th Anniversary Fender Guitars Revealed
Fender and Pokémon Center are celebrating Pokémon’s 30th anniversary with two Made in Japan electric guitars inspired by the games that started it all. The new collection includes a Pokémon “Red Version” Stratocaster and Pokémon “Green Version” Telecaster, both covered in pixel-art graphics inspired by the original Pokémon Red and Green games released in Japan in 1996.
The collaboration goes well beyond putting Pokémon artwork on two familiar Fender shapes. Both guitars include a specially developed “8-Bit Sound System” activated by pressing the volume knob. Fender says the feature adds 8-bit sounds to the guitar’s natural output, combining electronic tones reminiscent of the original games’ background music with the sound of the instrument itself.
Visually, both models draw heavily from the early Pokémon games. Pixel-art graphics cover the bodies, while specially designed pickguards use imagery with what Fender describes as a fluorescent-like visual effect that changes depending on the viewing angle. Each guitar also receives a custom neck plate engraved with a Pokémon 30th anniversary pixel-art logo. Each guitar comes with an exclusively illustrated certificate of authenticity, a dedicated hard case and a collectible pick tin containing 11 guitar picks. Ten of those picks feature Pokémon pixel-art designs, while the final pick commemorates Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
The Made in Japan Pokémon “Red Version” Stratocaster uses custom Pokémon Red Version Stratocaster single-coil pickups developed specifically for the model. Fender describes them as high-output pickups designed to produce a powerful and focused tone while retaining the versatility associated with the Stratocaster. The guitar carries a suggested retail price of ¥396,000 in Japan, including tax.
The matching Pokémon “Green Version” Telecaster is priced at the same ¥396,000 and receives its own Pokémon Green Version Telecaster single-coil pickups. Those pickups are designed for balanced output, clear articulation and the crisp high-end response traditionally associated with a Telecaster. Like the Red Version Stratocaster, the Green Version model also includes the push-activated 8-Bit Sound System.
The two instruments are being offered in Japan through a lottery-based sales program on Pokémon Center Online rather than through a conventional first-come, first-served release. Applications will be accepted beginning November 19 at noon Japan Standard Time and will close November 24 at 4:59 PM Japan Standard Time. Fender says shipping for that program is available within Japan only and directs collectors in other regions to check their respective official websites for availability information.