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Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver dated

Includes pedometer to walk with pets.

Nintendo plans to release Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver in Europe on 26th March.

These new instalments (themselves remakes of Gold/Silver on Game Boy Colour) will be bundled with a new Pokéwalker pedometer so you can tend to your digital pets while on the move. This measures the distance you walk and translates the data to the DS. The further you walk, the more experience a Pokémon gains and the closer the bond between player and pet will be. Your in-game Watts currency will be boosted, too.

The Pokewalker is a small red-and-white disc-shaped object that fits easily the palm of a hand. It looks a lot like those tamagotchis of yesteryear, which I suppose is the point.

Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver has been selling by the barrel-load in Japan, where the game launched in September 2009. It has sold sold 3.5m copies there to date.

HG/SS lets players explore the world with, out-of-its-ball Pokémon pet, a bit like that boy did in the cartoon with his friend/slave Pikachu.

There's Wi-Fi support and the game's fully compatible with Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum.