Pokémon Art Academy
Educational drawing game teaching Pokémon art through 40 lessons.
In 2014, Headstrong Games developed and Nintendo published Pokémon Art Academy, an educational drawing title for the Nintendo 3DS. This spin-off of the Art Academy series incorporates characters from the Pokémon franchise. It was sold both at retail and as a download from the Nintendo eShop, and it holds the distinction of being the first 3DS game to include built-in Miiverse support for sharing artwork.
The game teaches players to draw Pokémon through 40 lessons divided into three skill levels: Novice, Apprentice, and Graduate. As players advance, they unlock tools like pastels and paintbrushes while learning techniques such as shading, hatching, and freehand sketching. Early Novice lessons cover head-on portraits, angles, and construction shapes. Finished drawings can be placed into a Pokémon Trading Card Game card border, with an optional background image. A Free Paint Mode lets users draw anything, with templates available as references. Quick Sketch Mode challenges players to create simple drawings using limited tools. Additional templates become available by completing lessons or through special promotions via Nintendo Network. The Miiverse functionality allows uploading artwork to the Miiverse Community and participating in art contests. Unlike earlier Art Academy titles, this game includes digital conveniences like layers and an undo function—tools usually omitted to preserve a traditional art experience. Because Pokémon Art Academy targets a younger audience, it is more lenient with these digital aids.
Nintendo first announced Pokémon Art Academy in April 2014. It launched in Japan on June 19 of that year, followed by English releases in Europe, New Zealand, and Australia in July. The North American version arrived in October.
During its debut week in Japan, the game topped sales charts with 31,080 copies sold. By August, it had sold 91,232 units in the region before dropping out of the weekly top 20. Japanese magazine Famitsu gave it a total score of 31 out of 40 (individual scores: 7, 8, 7, 9), earning its Silver Award. In Europe, the game received mostly positive reviews, with a 77% aggregate on GameRankings and a 76 out of 100 on Metacritic. Official Nintendo Magazine called it "challenging, fun and educational in the best of ways," though the reviewer noted that lessons jumped too drastically from very simple early stages to advanced skills
- Developer
- Headstrong Games
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Platform
- Nintendo 3DS
- Release Year
- 2014
- Genre
- Educational drawing game
- Skill Levels
- Novice, Apprentice, Graduate
Lore & Background
Pokémon Art Academy teaches players to draw various Pokémon characters through 40 advancing lessons across three skill levels: Novice, Apprentice, and Graduate. Players unlock tools such as pastel and paintbrush as they progress, learning techniques like shading, hatching, opacity, and freehand sketches. Each drawing can be transferred to a Pokémon Trading Card Game card border with an optional background image. The game also includes Free Paint Mode and Quick Sketch Mode, with additional templates obtainable through lesson progression or downloadable content via Nintendo Network. Unlike the main Art Academy series, this title features non-traditional tools such as layers and an undo function, a leniency justified by its focus on teaching young children.
Reader's Guide
Pokémon Art Academy was first announced by Nintendo in April 2014 and released in Japan on June 19, 2014. European, New Zealand, and Australian releases followed in July, with a North American version in October. It entered the Japanese sales charts as the number-one selling title of its debut week with 31,080 copies, selling a total of 91,232 copies in the region by August. The game received a 31 out of 40 from Famitsu editors, earning the Silver Award. In Europe, it earned a 77% score from GameRankings and a 76 out of 100 from Metacritic. Official Nintendo Magazine found it challenging, fun, and educational, though noted lessons advanced too drastically from simplistic to advanced without explanation of proportions or expressions. The magazine also felt experienced artists might be put off by limited tools, but praised the game for being encouraging and non-punishing.
Did You Know?
- Pokémon Art Academy is the first 3DS title with built-in Miiverse support for sharing artwork.
- The game includes 40 lessons across three skill levels: Novice, Apprentice, and Graduate.
- It sold 31,080 copies in its debut week in Japan, becoming the number-one selling title.
- Unlike the main Art Academy series, it features non-traditional tools like layers and an undo function.
More in Drawing video games 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record