Uniting the Heart

Last week, a lot of new information on some upcoming Pokémon games were presented through something called Pokémon Presents. It was so packed with information that another one was scheduled for the following week - in other words, yesterday. There was a bit of further info on one of the previously mentioned games, being the availability of Café Mix for the platforms of concern. However, for the most part, the follow-up presentation was for something that is quite revolutionary as far as Pokémon is concerned, and perhaps could be considered a "breakthrough" of sorts.

In today's world of gaming, especially mobile gaming, there is one kind or genre of games that many players are attracted to. It is called "multiplayer online battle arena" or MOBA for short. It's a dynamic genre of gaming, an expansion of the strategy game genre for multiple players to take part in, often in teams of five. So popular is this genre nowadays that many "eSports" competitions feature different games of this genre. Because of what the games demand, it seems possible that Pokémon may somehow fit, but it wasn't clear how this would be... until yesterday's presentation.

Enter Pokémon Unite. This new game, announced in yesterday's follow-up presentation, is a MOBA in a very true sense. Players grouped in two teams pick Pokémon and then take on each other to dominate. Remarkably, this game is being developed along with Tencent Timi, developer of another popular MOBA. It will be available for both mobile and the Switch, and cross-platform play will be possible. The gameplay was also demonstrated in yesterday's presentation, which likely explains why a second edition of the presentation was needed in order to showcase the game.

While the presentation itself had some mixed reactions, some people, including me, think that the game might be interesting enough to be played. Those that play MOBA but not Pokémon may try the game to get into Pokémon, while those that play Pokémon but not MOBA may be swayed by the Pokémon aspect to play. Though only a possible gameplay scenario was demonstrated the other day, it might not be too far off from typical scenarios, and like most games of the genre, it might make for a pleasant playing experience for both players and viewers. What is next needs to be seen.

The title of this post, aside from being a pop culture reference and referencing the new game's subtitle, is also in reference to the "union" of the spirit of MOBA games and Pokémon through the newly announced game. As of yet, the reactions are still up in the air, but time may prove something different, hopefully positive. Regarding the "union of hearts", however, it may still be considered to apply over the two editions of Pokémon Presents, with all the announced new games and/or features appealing to the many hearts of Pokémon fans, some of which may just desire to unite with them all.

One year ago: Evoked Emotions

Two years ago: Promoting Local Establishments with Go

Three years ago: Four Notions