Today, The Pokémon Company, represented by president Tsunekazu Ishihara, held a livestreamed event called Pokémon Presents, shining light on a few new titles from the Pokémon franchise. The event lined up with the release of the first wave of the expansion pass for Pokémon Sword and Shield, with the Isle of Armor being available today.
The most notable announcement out of the event was New Pokémon Snap. For those unfamiliar, Pokémon Snap was a Nintendo 64 title released in 1999, and rather than focusing on collecting Pokémon, it had the player navigate through scenic landscapes with the goal of capturing as many creatures as possible on camera. The original title featured a relatively small number of different species, but it has developed a significant following over the years, and requests for a sequel have been heard of for many years.
New Pokémon Snap will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive title, and as you"d expect considering how long it"s been, the visuals have seen a massive improvement since the Nintendo 64 game. Not many details were unveiled, but the trailer showcased species of Pokémon from all eight generations of games currently in existence. The title is apparently being developed by Bandai Namco Studios, and it doesn"t yet have a release window.
Moving to Pokémon Sword and Shield, to celebrate the launch of the first wave of the expansion, the company has announced a new in-game event. A new Max Raid event is available starting today, and it features the Mythical Pokémon Zeraora, first introduced in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Players will need to face off against the creature and defeat it in Max Raid Battles. While it"s impossible to catch it, if one million players manage to defeat the Pokémon by June 28, a Shiny variant of Zeraora will be given away through the Pokémon Home mobile app. This is the first time it"s possible to obtain a Shiny Zeraora in the games through legitimate methods.
Entering the realm of mobile games, there"s a new puzzle game, Pokémon Café Mix, which will be available "soon". It"s coming to Nintendo Switch, as well as Android and iOS devices, and it has players run a Pokémon Café. Players fulfill orders by playing a puzzle game that involves connecting icons representing the same Pokémon species in a circle shape. As the player progresses, more Pokémon will visit the café and join the staff, granting players new abilities to use in the puzzle portion of the game. The title is already available to preload on Nintendo Switch and pre-order on mobile devices.
Moving on to Pokémon GO, the company announced that Victini, a Mythical Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Black and White, will be obtainable during the Pokémon GO Fest virtual event taking place from July 25 to 26. Additionally, Mega Evolutions are being brought to Pokémon GO sometime soon.
Finally, the most unexpected announcement for the day was Pokémon Smile. Exclusive to Android and iOS, this is a mini-game that"s designed to help parents instill healthy habits in their children, specifically brushing their teeth. The title is completely free, and it uses the front-facing camera on a smartphone to guide children through the process of brushing their teeth. As they do, progress is made in the game, rescuing Pokémon from bacteria and allowing the player to capture them for themselves. The app is available today on both Android and iOS.
With all the announcements done for the day, the presentation closed with the announcement of yet another Pokémon Presents livestream, wihch is taking place in exactly one week, on June 24. It"s unclear what the company is planning to announce during that event, though it"s worth noting that Pokémon Sleep, announced a year ago, has been unheard of ever since. You can watch today"s presentation here.