Hi there, Pokémon fans. Today The Pokémon Company released a short presentation on the official Pokémon YouTube Channel to celebrate the launch of the first expansion to Pokémon Sword and Shield, The Isle of Armor, as well as announce some upcoming games in the popular monster catching franchise, and we’re here to provide you with a brief overview.
I’m just going to start with what is, without the question, the presentations biggest announcement. That of course being the game mentioned in the headline, New Pokémon Snap. The original Pokémon Snap first came out on the Nintendo 64 in 1999. It was kind of a big deal for being the first time anyone saw Pokémon in 3D. Of course it differed greatly from the main games, in that you were not a Pokémon trainer and you did not capture and fight with Pokémon, but instead you were a photographer taking pictures of them. In terms of gameplay it was a little like a cross between a rail-shooter and puzzle game as you traveled along a track in multiple locations, took pictures of the Pokémon living there, and also used tools such as apples and the Pester Ball to get better pictures and gain access to some more hidden Pokés. New Pokémon Snap seems to follow closely in it’s predecessors footsteps, featuring an updated list of Pokémon across multiple generations, new environments, and, of course, modern visuals. No word on a release date at the moment, but it will be for the Nintendo Switch.
Another announcement you may find interesting is a new puzzle game available on both Nintendo Switch as well as mobile called Pokémon Café Mix. In Pokémon Café Mix you’ll run a café where you’ll server your Poké customers drinks and snacks in the form of a unique sort of matching puzzle in which you’ll link Pokémon icons together by swirling them around and trying to make big chains. As you progress new Pokémon will join you and offer help. Pokémon Café Mix will be “free to start” with in-game purchases, and while it’s not available right now you can run to your digital store of choice, pre-load, and pre-register.
Other announcements included Pokémon’s first venture into the world of mobile, Pokémon Go. The annual Pokémon Go Fest, a yearly gathering of Pokémon Go players held in many cities around the world since 2017, will still happen this year, however the event will be entirely online. I’m sure this does not come as a surprise to many of you. Victini, err… I mean “A certain Pokémon that will be sure to bring you victory..” will be available in game. But that’s not all for Go, mega-evolutions will also be coming for the first time, as well as some gen VIII content in the form of Galarian Farfetch’ds making an appearance, along with some new trainer outfits inspired by The Isle of Armor.
Finally, with the release of Isle of Armor, there will be a new Max Raid event in Pokémon Sword and Shield featuring the legendary Pokémon Zeraora. Not only can players snag Zeraora but there’s even the possibility to obtain a shiny Zeraora. It’s not made explicitly clear, but I do not think Isle of Armor is required to participate.
If you’d like to watch the complete presentation, you can do so below:
