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The studio behind Pokemon is making a game about a militarized elephant

The studio behind Pokemon is making a game about a militarized elephant

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And it looks amazing

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Based on the title alone, Tembo the Badass Elephant could be the best game of 2015. It's an upcoming side-scrolling action game that looks almost like Contra starring an elephant commando: you destroy tanks and soldiers, and at one point you can use a giant bowling ball to knock over your enemies. The first trailer for the game makes it look like a whole lot of fun.

Tembo the Badass Elephant

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the game though, is its developer. While Sega is handling publishing duties — perhaps in search of a new mascot — the game is being made by Game Freak, the Japanese studio behind the Pokemon series. However, while the company is closely associated with Nintendo and best known for games where fictional animals fight each other for sport, Game Freak has been known to release games on other platforms and in other series as well.

In 2014 it launched the mobile game Soriti Horse in Japan, while the excellent rhythm action game Harmoknight came out in 2013 for the 3DS. Over the last few years the company seems to be making a concerted effort to branch out from Pokemon.

Tembo, meanwhile, won't be coming to Nintendo platforms at all: it's slated to launch this summer on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

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