In the Mix: Pokémon Presents, 8/18/2021

It's been about a year since the first Pokémon Presents came about, and it becomes clear that whenever Pokémon Presents (and previously, Direct) is involved, big-time Pokémon news is at hand. And there was that in yesterday's edition, which warrants it to be covered not on the day of - it came at 8 PM my time, barely enough to capture every sentiment - but the day after, in other words today. The big-time news this time can also be described in a certain way, and that would be "in the mix", the tag I've chosen for this edition.

This edition of Pokémon Presents started off with a roundup of happenings in the spinoff Pokémon games, including Pokémon Go. That particular bit I'll cover in its own rollup since it's relevant there (hint: it involves a generational curveball), but the other games can still be discussed in brief. Pokémon Unite, which was released one month ago for the Switch and next month for mobile will have a few new Pokémon added to the game. Pokémon Masters EX is having a Sync Pair event, and that's fairly significant as far as fans are concerned. Pokémon Café Mix, the new hit puzzle game, is getting a major update, and with it a new name, akin to Masters EX; it is now called Pokémon Café Remix. That's a mix of games and a mix of updates as well, and so the tag fits.

The bread-and-butter of this edition of Pokémon Presents, however, is the new big games to be released over the next year. Two of them would be the true long-awaited Sinnoh remakes of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which are due out on November 19. The earlier description of it being a "faithful remake" still applies, but with the preview here, there are a few additions that add flair to that remake, such as revamps to Pokémon Contests and the Sinnoh Grand Underground. They also won't replace the current Sword and Shield games as the main competitive venue and the games effectively simply complement them. Yet there's a lot to be said for all the nostalgia these games bring in a new form, and the new additions may be sufficiently enticing.

The third game would be Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the "open-world proposal". This game still takes place in a bygone time of the Sinnoh region, but it's not called that; it's called Hisui, its former name. The preview in this edition is more richly detailed and comes complete with a display of gameplay mechanics, one of which is move styles for Pokémon to attack either more strongly or more quickly. A number of new Pokémon (forms) were also introduced, such as Wyrdeer, an evolution of Stantler, and Hisuian Growlithe, a truly archaic-looking version of the well-known Pokémon. This preview should be able to erase some doubts from those who had seen the earlier preview, and then entice them to purchase it when it comes out on January 28 of next year.

In this edition of Pokémon Presents, there was an apparent mix. The roundup of things from the different games were a mix, and so were the things that were previewed in the upcoming major Pokémon games. The decision now for Pokémon fans is to "mix" these games (later, for the upcoming ones) into what they've got going. That decision could prove to be a hefty one, but the information gained from this edition should already provide the semblance of the mix that fans can truly create as they play the games.

One year ago: Too Many Items from Raids?

Two years ago: This Is My House

Three years ago: Local Ex-Raid (and Changes), 8/19/2018

Four years ago: Pikachu Image Pillow