The recent Sonic the Hedgehog Happy Meal promotion officially came to an end today, but McDonald’s now has free items based on a totally different video game property. Participating U.S. locations now have Pokemon items available, with each Happy Meal containing a pack with four cards. In total, 15 cards are being offered, and they feature fan favorite characters such as Pikachu, Eevee, Jigglypuff, and even Charizard! The promotion is largely centered on Dragon-types though, with Drampa, Rayquaza, Dragapult, and more being featured. These Pokemon are also being given the spotlight in the marketing for the promotion.
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Dragon-types have infested every aspect of the Happy Meal, from Dragapult appearing on the apple slice bag, to Miraidon showing up on the milk jug. The company has also released a trailer for the promotion, which features Dragonite flying through a city to arrive at a McDonald’s location.
In celebration of the promotion, the official Happy Meal website has uploaded a small Pokemon game that can be played for free inside the browser. The game has players slide a Poke Ball around a maze in an attempt to find Pokemon. Some are out in plain sight, but others are hidden. The Poke Ball slides around the mazes in a manner similar to the mazes in the Ice Path in Pokemon Gold and Silver, which means the Poke Ball slides around the maze from end to end and can’t stop in the middle of a path. It’s a neat little distraction, and visitors can also find coloring sheets based on the franchise.
A McDonald’s Pokemon TCG promotion in 2021 proved to be very messy, with resellers buying up all of the cards before fans and kids could get their hands on them. During that promotion, McDonald’s and The Pokemon Company took active measures to stop that from happening, by preventing employees from selling the toys outside of a Happy Meal, and increasing the supply to meet the high demand. Pokemon Happy Meal promotions have basically become an annual thing since, and the last few promotions seem to have gone a lot smoother.
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The Pokemon Trading Card game saw a lot of renewed interest a few years ago, when unboxing streams became a big thing on platforms like Twitch. The release of Pokemon TCG Pocket last year also seems to have increased interest in the physical cards. Last week, The Pokemon Company released a new set called Scarlet & Violet – Prismatic Evolutions, and fans are already having a really hard time obtaining the cards. Demand has been a lot higher than anticipated, and resellers seem to be out in full force. Hopefully, there won’t be any issues with this year’s McDonald’s promotion, and anyone that wants these cards can get them with little difficulty.
Do you plan on getting a Happy Meal this month? Which of these cards are you hoping to obtain? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
