Gaming
Pokemon announces trio of relaxing Pokemon games
Including a new Pokemon Snap
Who doesn’t need more Pokémon in their lives? After a few relatively tepid months from the popular monster-catching series, Pokémon is back with a brigade of upcoming games for the dedicated trainer. Coinciding with the first Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC, the company has announced three new titles in the spinoff series: Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Café Mix, and Pokémon Smile.
That’s right, Trainers—#PokemonSnapIsBack! #NewPokemonSnap is an all-new adventure inspired by the classic Nintendo 64 game.
Grab your camera, and get ready to photograph Pokémon while exploring beautiful islands on Nintendo Switch! https://t.co/7lqjl7saf0 pic.twitter.com/p6oJgmwZ8d
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) June 17, 2020
Pokémon Snap
A classic title from the Nintendo 64 era, Pokémon Snap is coming to the Nintendo Switch as an all-new game — officially titled New Pokémon Snap. Much like the main battle-focused titles, New Pokémon Snap is a collecting game but, instead of throwing PokéBalls at cute creatures, you just take photos of them. The upcoming title is designed to be a much more relaxed experience as you try to fill up your Photodex. New Pokémon Snap does not have a release date yet, but it’s coming soon.
Pokémon Café Mix
Remember Diner Dash, the classic strategy game where you control and manage your own restaurant? Pokémon Café Mix follows the same plot. However, instead of beating the clock to satisfy customers, you solve puzzles to make the perfect cup of coffee. Like New Pokémon Snap, the café-building game offers a chillout experience away from the bustle of trainer battles. It will come free-to-start starting June 23.
Get ready to show us your pearly whites!
Introducing #PokemonSmile, a free app designed to provide a fun toothbrushing experience for even the tiniest Trainers! https://t.co/MDb4C4uxzl pic.twitter.com/l3xpxJcG1v
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) June 17, 2020
Pokémon Smile
Sometimes, teaching a child to brush their teeth is as difficult as pulling your own teeth. Pokémon Smile aims to help with that particular childcare predicament. Using a front-facing AR camera, players can save Pokémon from bacteria and catch the newly saved Pokémon. The app can also set notifications for brushing and provide brushing advice. (Though the app is made for kids, us adults sure could use some help brushing our teeth, too. Especially for that cute Charmander.) Pokémon Smile is available now on Google Play and the App Store.
Gaming
Project Helix is Xbox’s next console, and it plays PC games
It might be as powerful as a modern PC.
Among all the platforms in today’s generation of consoles, the Xbox has to be biggest loser. Compared to the PlayStation 5 and the Switch 2, the Xbox Series X|S isn’t as memorable. To rectify its position in the rankings, Xbox is heavily teasing its next console codenamed Project Helix.
As was hinted before, Xbox is trying something different with its next-generation console. Rather than just a simple iteration over the current-generation console, the upcoming one will reportedly double as a PC. Today, the company itself has confirmed that this is the case for Project Helix.
Through a post on X, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said that the console will “lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games.”
Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console.
Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games. Looking forward to chatting about… pic.twitter.com/Xx5rpVnAZI
— Asha (@asha_shar) March 5, 2026
There are two things to unpack here. Firstly, Project Helix will aim to bridge the perilous divide between console players and PC players. Unlike the past, there will be a way to play both platforms on both devices… except for games exclusive to the PlayStation and the Switch, that is.
Secondly, a “lead in performance” seems to indicate that this isn’t just a mini-PC. Most recently, Valve announced the Steam Machine. Though it offers a convenient way to play Steam games in one device, it doesn’t have the best specs. Project Helix, if Sharma’s words are to be believed, might be as powerful as a modern PC.
Xbox won’t wait long before revealing more details about the console. Sharma, who only recently started her post as CEO, will be at next week’s Game Developers Conference to explain Project Helix more.
SEE ALSO: AMD teases next-gen Xbox coming in 2027
Gaming
Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake
It’s officially called Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced.
If you ask an Assassin’s Creed fan what their favorite game of the series is, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag will likely be one of the top contenders. Because of its reputation, gamers are constantly asking for a remake of the popular pirate simulator. Now, the dream is finally here. Ubisoft has confirmed that a remake, called Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced, is coming.
Released in 2013, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag saw the journey of Edward Kenway, a vagabond pirate haplessly thrust into life as part of the Assassin Brotherhood against his will. The critically acclaimed game was something that all gamers have been clamoring for since Sid Meier’s Pirates: a true pirate simulator. It was no surprise that the game got as popular as it did.
Today, through an official roadmap shared by the company, Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is real, and it might launch later this year. The company also released the first concept art for the remake.
Currently, there’s no official word as to how Ubisoft is remaking the game. At the very least, we can expect significant graphical upgrades to put it up to par with the modern games. We wouldn’t be opposed to more stories and missions too.
Now, though the Black Flag remake is already a big deal, the same roadmap also emphasizes that Codename Hexe, the next mainline title, is still coming. Ubisoft hasn’t confirmed the actual timeline yet, but the game will depict “a pivotal moment in history.” With post-launch development for the ongoing Shadows winding down, efforts to launch Codename Hexe should be ramping up soon.
SEE ALSO: Assassin’s Creed Shadows gets Attack on Titan-themed content
Gaming
PlayStation will stop releasing its games on PC
A new reports suggests that Sony is going back to console exclusives.
PC-only gamers have been eating well for the past few years. The formerly exclusive PlayStation library opened its gates and released worthy ports for PC. Unfortunately, Sony is putting an end to this short-lived era of openness to PC gamers. According to a new report, the company is once again making first-party PlayStation games exclusive to the console.
During the pandemic, Sony started releasing its critically acclaimed first-party games on PC. The new wave saw gamers get the ability to play titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and God of War on another platform. Even now, players are still eagerly awaiting the PC launch of Death Stranding 2, due out later this year.
However, as reported by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Sony has just had a change of heart and will no longer release any more games on the PC, beyond those already confirmed for future launches.
This will mean that last year’s Ghost of Yotei and the upcoming Saros will remain PlayStation exclusives for the foreseeable future.
It’s a big change to Sony’s direction. However, it’s not without its precedents. For one, Microsoft has started to compete in the non-exclusive market. The company is already set to launch Fable and Forza Horizon 6 on other platforms, including PC and PlayStation, concurrently with the Xbox launch. To compare, PlayStation still waits a long time before launching exclusive games on PC.
Also, now that rumors have begun to speak of a fabled PlayStation 6, Sony might want to keep things close to its chest for now. After all, selling the console might be its top priority for now.
SEE ALSO: PlayStation 6 reportedly delayed to 2029 because of RAM shortage
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