Playground Games slipped a sly wink to Pokémon into Forza Horizon 6, and the racing franchise's self-aware humor is drawing laughs from players who caught the reference.
During in-game radio segments, hosts suggest players snap photos while exploring Japan, urging them to "Snap 'em all" - a direct play on Pokémon's iconic "Gotta catch 'em all" slogan. The hosts then break character entirely, noting it's "like that Japanese collecting game we're not allowed to name for legal reasons." The wink-wink moment has resonated with fans, who appreciate the cheeky acknowledgment of Nintendo's notoriously aggressive legal team.
The Pokémon nod fits naturally into Forza Horizon 6's broader embrace of Japanese culture. The game marks the franchise's long-awaited move to Japan, a setting players have requested for years. Playground Games built the title around the country's thriving car culture and cultural touchstones: drifting mechanics, indestructible cherry blossom trees, and even a sequence where players race a giant mech through city streets.
Japan itself becomes a character in the game, woven throughout the design and moment-to-moment gameplay in ways that feel intentional rather than cosmetic. References to local culture pepper the experience, but the Pokémon joke stands out for its meta-awareness and timing.
The reference arrives as Pokémon itself celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Nintendo's franchise has been everywhere lately, including in unexpected places like grocery store shelves. Target and Kellanov partnered on a limited-edition Pokémon Pop-Tarts line that became so scarce, resellers immediately began flipping boxes for four to five times retail price. The collectible snacks vanished almost as quickly as they arrived, falling victim to the same scalping phenomenon that plagues gaming hardware and trading cards.
Forza Horizon 6's playful jab at the franchise giant works precisely because everyone knows Nintendo doesn't joke about its intellectual property. The self-deprecating acknowledgment that Playground Games can't even name Pokémon without risking legal trouble is funny because it's true. Somehow the game manages to celebrate Pokémon while simultaneously poking fun at the very thing that makes such direct references risky.
Author Emily Chen: "Playground Games nailed the tone here, landing a joke that's funny specifically because it couldn't exist in any other medium where lawyers have the final say."
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