Pokémon Presents 6.17.2020 event report

We’ve seen Microsoft’s ebony obelisk and Sony has shown us the future of play. This socially distant E3 season, Nintendo has only been pulling rabbit punches as the other platforms are throwing haymakers. Since announcing a new Paper Mario title, the Big N has been quiet until 6/17/20. At 9:00am EST, Nintendo dropped a new Pokémon Presents, a 10 minute showcase of what’s to come from the Pokémon Company, helmed by Tsunekazu Ishihara we are treated to 5 announcements regarding those pocket monsters.

Pokémon Smile

Starting with the most perplexing announcement, Pokémon Smile is a mobile app which hopes to help young children brush their teeth better by gamifying the process. Utilizing your mobile device’s front facing camera, you are adorned in a pokémon hat as you brush your teeth to reveal what pokémon has found itself in your maw. Once cleaned you have a chance to capture the pokémon and add them to your menagerie. Pokémon Smile launches today on Android and IOS and features no in-app purchases. Hopefully 5 out of 5 dentists will recommend this title.

Pokémon Cafe Mix

Another non-mainline pokémon game featuring a distinct art style. This is a puzzle game which casts you as a Pokémon Cafe owner. Cook meals for pokémon and expand your cafe to entice new species to patronize your business. The game mechanic is to make the longest string of the same pokémon icons to “cook” the meal they are requesting. Did I mention once the pokémon can join your cafe and the uniform includes a red newsboy hat? Customize the cafe to your liking as you expand your eatery. Pokémon Cafe Mix is coming soon on Switch, Android and IOS and it’s “free to start”. I personally will pay whatever I need to pay to get that squirtle in a hat…Nintendo, just tell me where to sign.

New Pokémon Snap

So if it’s like New Super Mario Brothers, will this game feature a soundtrack with that “wah wah” beat? Stupid questions aside, finally a new entry in the Pokémon Snap has been revealed. We’ve gone through at least 5 generations of Pokémon since the last Snap title, so hopefully there will be a lot of species to capture on film. Some highlights of the trailer include scenes of Wailords breaching, a Pidgeotto(?) swooping in an absconding with a Magikarp and a Squirtle enjoying a ride on a Lapras. The trailer also implies like the first title it will be an on rails safari style affair as the ZERO-ONE is back and apparently it projects an AR track. The parting shot shows the game’s development will be handed by Namco Bandai, thus assuming the partnership between the companies continues to be strong. Pokémon Snap is coming to the Nintendo Switch, with no release date revealed.

Pokémon Go

The mobile game that erroneously raised the share price of Nintendo is still going strong (even though I have long since stopped and sold off my Go’tcha). Ishihara relays that Niantic is still making tweaks to the title to make it playable despite this quarantine environment. Furthermore this year’s iteration of Pokémon Go Fest will be digital, thus accessible by all players who wish to participate. Also a silhouette of an upcoming “Victory Bringing” pokémon that will be spawning soon in the game (Spoiler: it’s Victini). Mega evolutions will be coming to Pokémon Go as Niantic looks to incorporate the feature in a way which is compatible with their title.

Pokémon Sword and Shield: Isle of Armor

The first of two add ons for the latest mainline Pokémon titles is here. As a celebration of it’s release events will be happening in Sword and Shield as well as Pokémon Go. A new max raid battle against Zeraora is now live and if one million players can complete the battle, all players will be gifted a Shiny Zeraora. On the Pokémon Go front, Galorian Farfetched will now appear in game and players will be able obtain the training gear from the Isle of Armor for their avatars.

Ishihara closes the presentation by saying there is another major project that he wishes to share with everyone, however that announcement will happen next week on 6.24.20. So find a way to occupy yourself for 7 days and we’ll do this again…me? I’m gonna fight periodontal disease, while catching some cutesy critters. GOTTA BRUSH THEM ALL! Pokémon!

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