Listen. You may hop into the App Store over the next few days and stumble across an application titled “Pokemon Yellow” for $0.99. The description of the application itself suggests that it is, in fact, completely like the original.

Here is a bit of that description:

★★★★★ “Just like the Original. Love it!”

It’s Finally Arrived!

Pokémon Yellow is here!

Your very own Pokémon legend is about to begin!

Press Quotes:
✔ “Fantastic and addictive gameplay. Six stars.” 5/5
✔ “Just like the original. Only better because you can play it on the most intuitive device ever – the iPhone.” 5/5 ✔ “Hundreds of hours of gameplay, fun and collecting all Pokémon. Great app from Home of Anime.”

Okay, here’s the thing: this application is a scam. It is not a legitimate copy of any version of Pokémon. In fact, this illegitimate “game” doesn’t even load beyond the opening title screen. It’s a fake, it’s a sham and, as our good Mon Calamari friend above frequently tells us, “it’s a trap!”

Buy it and you may as well have tossed 99 cents into a storm drain and walked away into the sunset.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, friends, but Nintendo has already said several times that they don’t plan on releasing any of their content on any platforms beyond their own. You won’t ever see an official Pokémon from Nintendo on the App Store.

I know this is something you mobile gamers often ask for, but consider it from Nintendo’s perspective. They are a company in the business of making gaming hardware. If they release their games on other platforms, it removes the necessity for consumers to buy Nintendo systems. It would be a stupid move for the company, and it’s almost exactly what happened to Sega when they ran out of options.

As for Pokémon? There are a few less than legal ways to get it on your mobile device…

What I don’t understand? How did this get past Apple’s quality control department?

[via App Store, Joystiq]

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