Pokemon is no longer the cultural phenomenon it was when it set the record for North American box office earnings for an anime film, but with the Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire videogames in stores now, the property is still robust enough to rank #39 on this week's Lycos Top 50 List of Internet Searches.  Still it was a sign of how far the franchise has fallen when Miramax announced that the fifth Pokemon theatrical feature, Pokemon Heroes, will receive only a limited theatrical release when it bows on May 16.  Another indication of changes for the property can be seen in the switch of the Pokemon collectible card game from Wizards of the Coast to Nintendo (see 'Nintendo To Do Pokemon CCG').

Even with only a limited theatrical release, Pokemon Heroes stands to do well when released on DVD thanks to a large built-in audience (the Pokemon TV series continues to garner solid ratings) and the relative lack of quality DVD competition targeting Pokemon's young demographic.