The story of Geller and Kadabra dates back to 2000, when the illusionist sued Nintendo. According to the BBC, Geller was “outraged” when he saw Kadabra on a Pokémon map and filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles for “unauthorized use of his name on Pokémon cards and related materials.” “I`m so sorry for what I did 20 years ago,” Geller wrote on Twitter after contacting TheGamer. “Children and adults, I lift the ban. Now it`s up to #Nintendo to bring my card back #kadabra #pokemon. Geller says he has reached out to Nintendo about this and that his post has been seen by two company representatives — Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have yet to release new statements about Geller and Kadabra. This motherfucker is the reason why Kadabra hasn`t been printed in TCG for so long. “I`m so sorry for what I did 20 years ago,” Geller wrote on Twitter. “Children and adults, I lift the ban. Now it`s up to Nintendo to bring my card back #kadabra #pokemon. This will probably be one of the rarest cards now! Lots of energy and love for everyone! For those unfamiliar with his work, Geller is a British-Israeli clairvoyant and illusionist who has had a huge impact on his industry.
Geller claims to have real supernatural powers that he uses to accomplish psychokinetic feats. Spoon flexion is Geller`s signature talent, and he is responsible for making it popular among other psychic artists. He also has a history of taking legal action against people he believes criticize or misrepresent him, so Nintendo found itself in a legal battle with Geller. The Pokémon franchise is no stranger to controversy, as many people accuse the franchise of racism and portray violence against animals. Uri Geller was serious about his allegations that he had filed a lawsuit. According to the BBC, Geller sued Nintendo in 2000 over the card game. Geller demanded money for damages and wanted Nintendo to stop releasing cards with Pokémon based on him. The difference is that Kadabra can actually bend spoons with his mind.
It seems unlikely that Kadabra will return to the Pokémon TCG anytime soon. Pokémon Cadabra cards are also unlikely to be reprinted. The lawsuit is probably settled now, but it`s not worth it for The Pokémon Company to risk future lawsuit when hundreds of other Pokémon may appear in their place. Twenty years later, the collectible card game Pokémon is still very popular. After the ban is lifted, it will be interesting to see when and how Nintendo decides to use Kadabra in the future. Nintendo is familiar with litigation and legal issues, as we just saw the company file a cease and desist letter for a major Smash Bros. tournament. For more news and updates, stay with Shacknews. The psychic Pokémon Kadabra has missed the last 20 years thanks to the controversial actions of professional illusionist Uri Geller in the long-time card game Pokémon and anime. Until he apologized for his actions on Twitter on Saturday and lifted the legal blockade. Neither Nintendo nor The Pokémon Company have commented on Geller`s claims or lawsuit, or when Kadabra might be reprinted in the Pokémon TCG or reappear in the ongoing animated series. Kadabra hasn`t appeared on a Pokémon trading card in nearly two decades as illusionist/clairvoyant Uri Geller threatens legal action.
Nintendo is finally legally allowed to print Kadabra on Pokémon cards. I never knew how powerful and important it was for me to lift the Yungeller/Kadabra ban, especially for all children around the world! I`m sorry for what I did 20 years ago, but you can learn more from his mistakes than from his successes! #kadabra #pokemon pic.twitter.com/3YuxrUHzgq The story seems odd at first, but Geller believed Nintendo had used his name and characteristic spoon-folding ability when he created Kadabra, called Yungerer in Japanese. He sued the company for £60 million in November 2000, and ongoing legal action led anime and card art directors to stop using Kadabra until the issue was resolved. Kadabra continued to appear in the popular video game series without significant changes, including the use of the Japanese name Yungerer. In 2008, PokéBeach interviewed Pokémon anime director/writer Masamitsu Hidaka and asked him about the lawsuit. Hidaka confirmed that the case was still ongoing at that time and that was the reason why Kadabra could not appear on any map. Fans had suspected that legal issues were preventing Kadabra from appearing in the Pokémon TCG, as Kadabra last appeared on a map that was the 2003 Skyridge expansion. To date, there have only been seven different versions of Kadabra in Pokémon TCG history. While Kadabra hasn`t been seen on an official Pokémon card in decades, it`s unclear if the issue was originally settled with a concession to Geller that goes beyond excluding Kadabra from the trading card game.
Geller, who also dismissed Kadabra`s similarities to its resemblance on the grounds that the monster was portrayed as “evil” (he also claimed that the three frills on Kadabra`s chest were a reference to the Nazi SS), did not go so far as to rename Kadabra or remove it from other Pokémon media. He then posted a video in which she sorted through a large suitcase full of Kadabra memorabilia, including maps in Japanese and English. (The Japanese map is called Yungeller, which is very close to Geller`s name.) He also hid a number of figurines and toys in this bag. If it weren`t for the Japanese name Kadabra, I would say that the associations reach at best; The name is really the only thing here. Spoon folding as a concept should not belong to a person, and Kadabra`s appearance does not even look like Uri. Since the lawsuit, The Pokémon Company has been exploring interesting ways to include the Alakazam lineage without the Kadabra. While its first form, Abra, continued to appear sporadically in the TCG, Alakazam was added as a “base” Pokémon in future expansions, allowing full-fledged Pokémon to be played without evolving or using some of the later gimmick mechanics like EX. Apart from the main series, Kadabra has appeared in Pokémon Pinball, Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Stadium 2, Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, Pokémon Trozei!, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team, Pokémon Ranger, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Discoverers of Darkness, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky, Pokémon Rumble, Pokémon Rumble Blast, PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond, Pokémon Conquest, Pokémon Rumble U, Pokémon Battle Trozei, Pokémon Shuffle, Pokémon Rumble World, Pokémon Picross, and Pokémon Rumble Rush. There`s no spoon — or at least there`s no spoon Kadabra catches on Pokémon cards made over the past two decades. Over the long holiday weekend, new Pokémon have erupted that could see Pokémon Gen 1 finally return to the trading card game. Famed illusionist Uri Geller, who filed a lawsuit against Nintendo over Kadabra 20 years ago, has changed his mind and says he agrees with the medium now.