2001 · Pokémon · Japan · console
Pokémon Mini
The smallest cartridge system Nintendo ever made, and all Pokémon.
Mixed Trivial to run ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
The smallest cartridge system Nintendo ever released — a 2001 Pokémon-branded handheld barely larger than the cartridges it took, with a motion sensor, rumble and a real-time clock built in. About ten games appeared for it.
Those games were Pokémon minigames almost to a one: pinball, puzzle collections, a party compilation — pleasant diversions rather than the main event.
What it cost
a rounding error against a month’s pay in 2001 · about $80 today
| US launch list price ($45 with Pokémon Party mini) |
$45 (2001)
Smallest cartridge-based gaming console ever produced; included accelerometer shock sensor. |
|---|---|
| Typical street price | — No verified mass-market street price recorded yet. |
| Units sold | ≈500,000 estimate Estimated 500,000 units sold. |
Why it mattered
The Pokémon mini is Nintendo shrinking a cartridge system to its limit as a merchandising experiment — a curiosity that shows how far the brand alone could carry hardware.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | PokeMini (libretro), PokeMini |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Trivial to run (0 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | A standard modern controller covers the ordinary controls, though unusual accessories may need custom mapping. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
The emulator names above are starting points, not a promise that every title or accessory behaves identically. Computer platforms usually add model selection, disk handling and keyboard setup even when CPU emulation itself is mature.
Firmware
This system needs no firmware file. Install an emulator, open a game, and it runs.
How many files you need: none to go and find. No separate firmware file is needed for an ordinary setup.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see Libretro documentation for the current list.
Where the software is
Preservation catalogues describe verified dumps; they do not grant permission to download commercial software. A curated, correctly matched set is easier to use than an undifferentiated archive.
Copyright: Commercial software remains copyrighted unless its owner explicitly released or relicensed it. Homebrew, public-domain programs and current reissues should be treated separately from abandoned commercial titles.
This site names preservation projects and explains what they are. It does not link to ROM downloads.
Where to start
- Pokémon Pinball mini 2002 pinball
- Pokémon Puzzle Collection 2002 puzzle
- Pokémon Party mini 2001 party
The pack-in for the smallest cartridge system Nintendo ever released.
The verdict
A charming novelty for Pokémon fans; the ten-odd games are slight.
These are minigames built around a licence — pleasant for a few minutes, not a library.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about nintendo, modern and oddball and willing to learn how the original machine worked.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants a large, instantly accessible library and no model, firmware or control decisions.
Scored 3/5 for fun today and 3/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
Read more & watch
This page is 50% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.