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Pokémon Smile uses AR to teach kids to brush their teeth

Don Reisinger
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The Pokémon Company was busy on Wednesday. After unveiling a new Pokémon Snap game, the developer said it is also working on two new titles to help children brush their teeth and solve puzzles.

Pokemon Smile

Pokémon Smile is a new, free app available now in Apple’s App Store and the Google Play marketplace that aims at improving a child’s tooth-brushing activity. It uses an iPhone or Android device’s camera to analyze how the player is brushing their teeth and displays “bacteria” over their faces. As they continue to brush, they’ll kill the bacteria and save Pokémon.

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Pokémon Smile will feature more than 100 Pokémon to rescue and children can collect Pokémon Caps the more they brush. The app will also let parents set reminders and timers, so kids will know when to brush their teeth and for how long. It also features advice on how to effectively brush teeth.

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This isn’t the first time that The Pokémon Company has tried to use its characters to play a role in child health. Last year, the company unveiled Pokémon Sleep, an app that allowed parents to track a child’s sleep.

Pokémon Cafe Mix

The Pokémon Company also announced a new free-to-play video game called Pokémon Cafe Mix for both the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. The game, which will be available on June 23, will launch on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play, in addition to the Switch.

Pokémon Cafe Mix is a puzzle game that requires players to link Pokémon icons by swirling them around, with the ultimate goal of solving puzzles. The story centers on players in the role of a café owner where Pokémon come to visit. Completing puzzles will allow players to serve food and drinks to the Pokémon.

The company said there would be a level-up system, where players can improve their friendships with different Pokémon as they serve food and drinks. They’ll also be able to upgrade the café with new tools to attract more Pokémon to the facility.

The game will be available as a free download, but it’s unclear whether there will be in-app purchases to boost a player’s café, buy tools, or other items.

Both Pokémon Smile and Pokémon Cafe Mix were unveiled alongside a new Pokémon Snap on Wednesday. That game, which will be available on the Nintendo Switch, has yet to get a release date.

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