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After Math: Take a mental health break from this crisis with these games
It’s been a bonkers week. So if you feel the need to take a breather from this hellscape reality before diving back into the political fray (or even doomscrolling through Twitter again), this week’s headlines have your back.
‘Pokémon Go’ raid invites will let friends join your battle remotely
‘Pokémon Go’ is adding raid invites to make it easier for you to play with friends from a distance, as well as stickers for gift messages.
The latest Pokémon short is a homage to Looney Tunes
Pokemon meets Looney Tunes in the series' latest animated video.
Pokémon Go Fest 2020 is a stay-at-home event starting July 25th
Pokémon Go Fest 2020 will be a virtual event rather than an in-person meet-up this year.
‘Pokémon Journeys’ will be a Netflix exclusive in the US
Pokémon Journeys -- the 23rd season in the long-running series -- will be a Netflix Original in the US. Fans can watch the first 12 episodes on June 12th.
'Pokémon Go' introduces remote raids to encourage staying at home
'Pokémon Go' has added raids you can play while staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Razer's Pikachu wireless earbuds are stored in a Poké Ball
These earbuds are the cutest, like no one ever was.
Pokémon Home is now available on Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android
After a short wait, Pokémon Home is now available to download on iOS, Android and Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo-made app allows you to transfer your Pokémon to the franchise's latest entry, Pokémon Sword and Shield, from past Switch and 3DS games like Pokémon X and Y. In the future, it will also work with Pokémon Go.
The Nintendo Switch has passed the SNES in lifetime sales
Nintendo sold 10.81 million Switch consoles last quarter, bringing lifetime sales to 52.48 million. That's a 15 percent increase on the 9.41 million units it sold in the same quarter 12 months prior, and the best three-month period since the console launched in 2017. With over 50 million lifetime sales, the Switch has now surpassed the iconic Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The console's next target is the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which managed 61.91 million sales.
Pokémon Home costs three times more than the service it replaces
Ahead of the launch of Pokémon Home sometime next month, Nintendo has shared pricing for the upcoming cross-platform storage and transfer service. A month of the Premium subscription to Pokémon Home will set you back $3 every 30 days. Nintendo also plans to offer quarterly and annual subscription options, in which case you'll need to pay either $5 every three months or $16 per year. That is a significant increase from the cost of Pokémon Bank. The 3DS-exclusive service currently costs $5 annually.
Pokémon Home's cloud transfer service launches next month
Since Pokémon Go debuted back in 2016, it hasn't been possible to keep all the creatures you collected throughout the various Pokémon titles in one place. They were split between your 3DS and phone, and the problem only got worse with the introduction of Pokémon Sword and Shield, which weren't compatible with Pokémon caught in any of the older titles. But relief is on its way next month, when The Pokémon Company finally releases Pokémon Home, a cloud service that will connect all the different games to give your precious fighting pets a single happy place to live between battles.
'Pokémon Sword' and 'Shield' are getting an expansion pass
For the first time in the franchise's history, Game Freak will release an expansion pass for one of its mainline Pokémon games. The studio announced today that it's developing two new downloadable packs for Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Pokémon games are available to play on Facebook
You don't have to fire up a Nintendo console or launch a phone app to play Pokémon video games from now on. The Pokémon Company has released its first two Facebook Gaming titles, Pokémon Medallion Battle and Pokémon Tower Battle, through both the Gaming tab on the social network as well as is in-beta Facebook Gaming app. Tower Battle (shown at right) is available worldwide and has you fighting other players in real time by creating the tallest Pokémon towers -- it's not Jenga with Jigglypuffs, but it's getting there. Medallion Battle, meanwhile, is a more traditional card battler for the Asia-Pacific region that has you tracking down new creatures (new ones are available each month) to build your dream deck.
‘Pokémon Go’ will let you play with your monster pals 'soon'
Pokémon Go developer Niantic is close to putting the finishing touches on a feature that will likely fulfill a longstanding wish for a lot of the game's fans. By 2020, Ninatic says you'll be able to play with and feed your favorite Pokémon in augmented reality thanks to the "Buddy Adventure" feature the studio plans to add to the game.
‘Pokémon Sword & Shield’ had the best-selling launch of the series
The latest pair of games in Nintendo's Pokémon series, Sword & Shield, debuted for the Switch this past weekend, and as expected, the titles are already successful in terms of sales. Today, Nintendo announced that the company has sold more than six million units between the two versions of the game worldwide. Two million of those copies were purchased in the US during the first two days, making it the highest-grossing Pokémon launch yet.
‘Pokémon Go’ users can add PokéStops and gyms with Niantic Wayfarer
Last week, Pokémon Go developer Niantic announced several new features for its AR game. One of the updates, Niantic Wayfarer, is now available for all trainers who have achieved level 40 or higher, allowing them to add real-world locations to the game's map. These spots can serve as Pokéstops (where you can buy supplies) or gyms (where you can battle other players). Qualified trainers can nominate a location after passing a short quiz. Others can then vote on whether or not the location should become a PokéStop or gym. The feature was available to select areas as a test, but it is now enabled worldwide.
The best gifts and games for console gamers
This year will mark the end of an era for console gaming. Next-generation consoles are coming in 2020, but it also means both the PS4 and the Xbox One are at the peak of their power and popularity. Not to be outdone, there's also Nintendo's Switch, which has already seen a second-generation hardware twist in the handheld Switch Lite. Our selection for this holiday season runs across all these consoles, as well as including Sega's nostalgia-baiting Genesis Mini. We've focused on tried-and-tested AAA titles like Overwatch on the Switch, and Control available on both Xbox and PlayStation, while also suggesting more under-the-radar hits like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Risk of Rain 2. Naturally, Pokémon Sword and Shield isn't quite out yet, but from our early impressions, we know it will satisfy any Pokémon fans you're shopping for. And, if you need even more recommendations for the gamers in your life, we have a guide for every console.
'Pokémon Go' will let you play with your friends’ monster pals in AR
Niantic has been around for nine years now (it was originally part of Google before it spun out on its own), and the company is still going strong. A lot of that has to do with the success of Pokémon Go, as well as the recent debut of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Today, the company is making several announcements — a couple of improvements to Pokémon Go and new programs for small businesses and developers — that it hopes will fulfill its ever-growing AR ambitions.
Gigantamax Pikachu is coming to ‘Pokémon Sword’ and ‘Shield’
We know that Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will feature a new mechanic called Gigantamaxing, which will turn certain creatures into giant forms and give them a special move. Today, Nintendo revealed the Gigantamax forms for some of the most popular Pokémon: Pikachu, Charizard, Eevee, Meowth and Butterfree.
You'll be able to wave at Pokémon on the Pixel 4
After so many photo and video leaks, the daily revelations about the Google Pixel 4 can officially be referred to as a deluge. The latest comes from 9to5Google, in the form of a tech demo for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL's radar-equipped motion sensor. The proof-of-concept app lets users pet, splash and wave at Pokémon characters using vertical and horizontal hand gestures.
