A new Pokémon Presents livestream took place today, giving more information on current titles as well as upcoming games from the franchise.
During the livestream on YouTube today, the Pokémon Company released information on updates coming to currently released titles Pokémon Unite, Pokémon Café Mix, Pokémon Masters EX and Pokémon Go, as well as new details for the next major titles Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl and Pokémon Legends Arceus.
The footage shown for the Diamond and Pearl remakes showcased several new features being added to the game, as well as what players can expect from Legends Arceus, which takes place in the Sinnoh region in the distant past and is taking a different approach to the traditional Pokémon game formula.
Below is a breakdown of all that was talked about during the livestream. You can watch the presentation in full here.
Summary:
- Pokémon Unite
- Pokémon Café Mix
- Pokémon Masters EX
- Pokémon Go
- Pokémon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl
- Pokémon Legends Arceus
Pokémon Unite
The recently released free-to-play online team battle game, Pokémon Unite, will see a mobile version launch on 22nd September this year.
Pre-registration is now available for Android and iOS systems and depending on the number of pre-registration numbers, players will receive bonus items to begin their game with.
Users who log into the game on the Nintendo Switch will be able to receive Zeraora before 31st August.
Both the Nintendo Switch version and the mobile version will allow cross play and two new Pokémon were shown to be added into the game in future updates; Mamoswine and Slyveon.
Pokémon Café Mix
The free-to-play mobile puzzle game will be receiving a major update, including a revamp of some of its systems and a new title: Pokémon Café Remix.
Puzzles will include new elements to help complete missions, new Pokémon will be added, and a new customisation option will be added to allow players to customise their Pokémon.
The new update will release in Fall this year.
Pokémon Masters EX
To celebrate the two-year anniversary of the mobile title, a new legendary event is taking place to allow players to unlock the sync pair of Hop from Pokémon Sword and Shield with the legendary Pokémon Zamazenta, as well as champion Leon is his Sygna Suit with the partner Eternatus.
Players who log in as of today will be able to unlock up to 100 new characters for at no cost, with three legendary events set to return soon.
On 29th August, Pokémon Black and White antagonist N will be available in a special anniversary outfit, partnered with legendary Pokémon Reshiram.
Finally, a new story arc will begin on 15th September featuring villains from across the series history, starting with Team Rocket leader Giovanni.
Pokémon Go
A new update will come to Pokémon Go on Friday 20th August that will introduce select Pokémon from the Galar Region (Pokémon Sword and Shield) to celebrate the games 5th anniversary.
The first Pokémon to appear will be Wooloo, Skwovet and Falinks who will be available until Tuesday 31st August.
Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta will appear in five-star raids between 20th August to 26th and 26th August to 1st September respectively.
The mythical Pokémon Hoopa is also being teased as mysterious rings will appear in the skyline of players games soon.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
A new trailer was shown for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Nintendo Switch remakes of the 4th generation titles that released on the Nintendo DS is 2006.
The remakes are being developed by ILCA instead of original series developers Game Freak, who are currently working on Pokémon Legends Arceus.
These titles are set in the Sinnoh region and follow the traditional formula established in the mainline games that see you journey across the region, catching Pokémon and earning gym badges to become that regions Pokémon champion.
Several features have been brought forward to this remake in new ways such as the grand underground allowing for exploration and base building to find certain Pokémon encounters, Pokéball customisation that will allow for different effects to appear when you summon Pokémon, customisation options for your player character and a revamped version of contest shows, a union room to play with other players online and the ability to have your Pokémon follow behind you in the overworld.
A special edition Nintendo Switch Lite will also release on 5th November featuring art of the legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia.
Pokémon Legends Arceus.
While ILCA develop the Diamon and Pearl remakes, series veterans Game Freak are working on Pokémon Legends Arceus, a new entry for the series set in the distant past that uses a different style of gameplay than the one fans of the series are used to.
The new direction seems to be inspired by titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild which sees players exploring vast open spaces in order to study and capture Pokémon.
This region is known as the Hisui region and in this time period, the collaboration between humans and Pokémon is rare.
The main village of Jubilife will act as your hub and features a group of people called the Galaxy Expedition Team, made up of people from different regions in the Pokémon world, featuring the medial corps, security corps and survey corps.
In the Galaxy Expedition Team, you will meet; Professor Laventon who will give you your starter Pokémon from the choice of Cyndaquil, Rowlett and Oshawott, Captain Cyllene who is the leader of the survey corps and Commander Kamado who oversees the entire organisation.
Out in the wild, you will complete missions for the survey corps, starting out at a base camp where you will be able to buy new items or craft items with ingredients found in the environment.
Wild Pokémon can harm you as you explore the wild and taking too much damage will send you back to a base camp, where you can recover any damage done to your partner Pokémon too.
Catching Pokémon in Legends Arceus is different than in the past, as you will have to aim and throw Pokéballs manually, still engaging with stronger Pokémon in the wild to weaken them for capture.
To engage in a Pokémon battle, players will throw a Pokéball containing a Pokémon near to a wild Pokémon.
Combat has been altered to allow for faster Pokémon to take multiple turns depending on speed stats and style of attack used, Strong style and Agile style, the former will make your Pokémon slower but do more damage while the latter will do the opposite.
The main objective of this title is to complete the first Pokédex for the Hisui region and will introduce new Pokémon to the series in the form of new evolutions and regional variants, first introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon.
Wyrdeer is an evolved form of Stantler that lives in the colder parts of the Hisui regions and Basculegion is a new evolution of the Pokémon Basculin that swims in the rivers and lakes.
Hisuian Braviary travels to the region in the winter and has developed psychic type abilities and Hisuian Growlithe has developed new, strong fur that gives it rock type abilities.
Wyrdeer, Basculegion and Hisuian Braviary are also shown to be ridable across the overworld in the opening trailer, but details of this were not shown specifically during the breakdown.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will release for Nintendo Switch on 19th November, while Pokémon Legends Arceus will release on 28th January 2022, pre-orders are now live on the Nintendo eShop.
Image Source: Digital Trends
