Let’s Recap Today’s Pokémon Presents as an Excuse to Watch All the Trailers Again!

I knew Pokémon was gonna show out today, but that knowledge still wasn’t enough to prepare me for the news that dropped. If you wanna see my “in the moment” responses, you can check out this totally professional Twitter thread:

Spoilers: There’s a lot of excited gif reacts.

Before I dive into everything that was presented, I wanna say a huge WOW to that opening video of the presentation. I don’t think there’s separate video of it, but you CAN watch the entire presentation and see for yourself (along with all the other announcements, but I’ll have separate vids for those).

We were given a summary of the history of Pokémon, and it drove home the fact that this is a HUGE multimedia franchise that’s evolved throughout the decades. It’s a series with all kinds of fans who have been introduced to the world in a number of ways. Personally, I learned about it from the ’90s anime series. At the time, I didn’t even know it was a video game, let alone a trading card game. In fact, my first time playing any form of Pokémon in a gaming capacity was the original Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64.

We all discover Pikachu in our own way.

After that, Pokémon Presents wasted NO time in its announcements. You can check out the trailers below!

• New Pokémon Snap

As I expected, we got more news about what’s gonna end up being our chill game of the year.  I remember saying back when Animal Crossing was released that this wasn’t the type of game … usually, but due to the state of, well, *gestures all around the world,* having a low stakes, mellow game has been vital to my self-care. I feel like New Pokémon Snap has a similar vibe and I can’t wait to explore the Lental region. Watching this trailer reminded me of the hours I spent playing the original, tossing fruit at Pokémon in an attempt to get the perfect shot. To my kid self who thought this would be the end of her Poké-photography career, phew, do I have a surprise for you!

• All The Anniversary Events

Pokémon GO: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo have been appearing in raid battles all week! This will continue until 3/1/21!

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield: There will be special max raid battles featuring Gigantamax Pikachu available now until 2/28/21!

Pokémon Masters EX: Galar Region Champion Leon and his Charizard are here! They’ll be around until 3/17/21!

Pokémon Café Mix: Log in to receive 2500 golden acorns available now until 2/28/21!

• Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Time to go back to the Sinnoh Region in this remake of the Nintendo DS classic Pokémon Diamond and Pearl! The games are set to arrive later this year and there’s already a website full of information! Let’s check out the press release:

Developed by ILCA, Inc., and directed by Junichi Masuda (GAME FREAK) and Yuichi Ueda (ILCA), Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl enable fans to experience the original story and game features from Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl in a fresh way. The original games have been faithfully reproduced and colorfully revitalized for Nintendo Switch. The sense of scale of the towns and routes has been carefully preserved, and fans who played the original games will recognize many familiar places. These games are updated with the easy-to-understand, player-friendly conveniences introduced in recent Pokémon core series video games, in addition to up-close-and-personal Pokémon battle scenes.

Trainers will choose either Turtwig, Chimchar, or Piplup to be their first partner Pokémon before setting off on their journey. Along the way, they will be able to encounter the Legendary Pokémon Dialga in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and the Legendary Pokémon Palkia in Pokémon Shining Pearl.

Honestly, I feel like the presentation could’ve ended with the announcement of Gen 4 Pokémon hitting our Nintendo Switches (Gen 4 is trending for a reason right now). However, in classic Pokémon fashion, there was one more little announcement they had for us.

• Pokémon Legends Arceus

Excuse me.

Ma’am.

I-

via GIPHY

Full disclosure: I assumed we’d get a game announcement (or two since Pokémon likes to do releases in pairs) but … open-world Pokémon? ANCIENT Sinnoh region? In a time before Pokémon trainers and the Pokémon League?

Do we get to be the ones to begin that tradition as we research, and catch, Pokémon in the wild?!

I said this on Twitter, but, this feels like Pokémon meets Breath of the Wild and I’m so charmed by this idea while simultaneously being mystified that they just CASUALLY dropped such an incredible concept for this franchise.

The hours I’m about to spend on my Nintendo Switch. It’s about to be a problem.

Just like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, there’s a website full of information. Now on to that sweet press release:

The fun of exploring while catching Pokémon and filling in a Pokédex has always been a core part of the Pokémon video game series. Pokémon Legends: Arceus was developed with the desire to deliver an experience infused with new action and RPG elements that go beyond the framework established thus far, while honoring the core gameplay of past Pokémon titles.

As Trainers explore the natural expanses in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, they’ll encounter Pokémon that call these grand vistas home. To catch wild Pokémon, players can study the Pokémon’s behaviors, sneak up to them, then throw Poké Balls. Players can also battle wild Pokémon with their ally Pokémon. By throwing the Poké Ball holding their ally Pokémon near a wild Pokémon, players will seamlessly enter battle. This new gameplay angle is intended to provide Trainers with an immersive experience.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus brings Trainers to the vast Sinnoh region as it existed in the past, long before the setting for Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl was established. Rich in nature and with Mount Coronet towering at its heart, this is a Sinnoh unlike anything Trainers have experienced before as they embark to create the region’s first Pokédex.

As they start off on their adventure, Trainers will be able to choose either Rowlet, Cyndaquil, or Oshawott as their first partner Pokémon. These three Pokémon arrived with a Pokémon Professor, who encountered them on research excursions to various regions.

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And thus concludes one of the raddest ways to spend your 25th anniversary.

(Image: Pokémon)

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Briana Lawrence

Briana (she/her - bisexual) is trying her best to cosplay as a responsible adult. Her writing tends to focus on the importance of representation, whether it’s through her multiple book series or the pieces she writes. After de-transforming from her magical girl state, she indulges in an ever-growing pile of manga, marathons too much anime, and dedicates an embarrassing amount of time to her Animal Crossing pumpkin patch (it's Halloween forever, deal with it Nook)

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