Pokémon Sword and Shield is Nintendo and Game Freak's first foray into integrating major Pokémon games on the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite.
Pokémon Sword and Shield, whose official release is scheduled for November 15, sees the beloved series being redesigned (a bit controversial). Pokémon Sword and Shield takes place in the new Galar region (essentially a UK version of the UK) and includes a number of new Pokémon, including the Scorbunny, Sobble, and Grookey launchers, as well as a new combat mechanic called Dynamaxing that will replace Z-Moves and Mega-Evolutions.
However, to make way for these new Pokémon, Game Freak decided to make big cuts to the Pokémon Pokémon Sword and Shield, while eliminating the national Pokédex. This is a controversial decision that has caused many #GameFreakLied fans and trends to craze on Twitter.
Despite the controversy, Pokémon Sword and Shield has drawn a lot of critical acclaim. Critics have praised the new gaming region, outnumbering Pokémon battles and, in some cases, as potentially the best entries in the series.
So, with the official release date set in a few days, this is all we know about Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Cut to the hunt
- What is the eighth generation of Pokémon games.
- When can I play November 15, 2019
- What can I play in? Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite
Pokémon Sword and Skyline Shield
Critics of the new Pokémon games are out now. We've compiled the verdicts for your pleasure during our Pokémon Sword and Shield review, as well as a link to the full review of each post. We still don't have enough time with the game to meet our standard of evaluation, so watch The Comparison to see our verdict soon.
GamesRadar+
Sam Loveridge - 4.5/5
& # 39; This is a truly memorable Pokémon adventure. The story offers enough twists and turns to allow you to guess, steeped in myths and legends that you'll forget the British Isles are crowded. & # 39;
IGN
Casey DeFreitas - 4.5 / 5
"Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are closer to my Pokemon RPG dreams than anything that's ever been done before."
Nintendo Life
Alex Olney - 10/08
"What we have here is an experience full of ups and downs, ranging from unrivaled amazement to the happiness of seeing an entirely new Pokémon in a stadium full of jubilant crowds, to the monotonous, drawn-out dialogue that we simply wanted to avoid. # 39;
Gamespot
Kallie Plagge - 10/09
"By gathering, fighting and exploring, Sword and Shield has reduced the burden and focused on what makes these pillars of Pokémon games so captivating in the first place."
Eurogamer
Chris Tapsell - No Badge
"Pokémon Sword and Shield adds shiny new creatures, but as with their gigantic Dynamax forms, the games give the impression of being a hollow projection."
Pokémon Sword and Shield release date
At a special Pokémon Sword and Shield conference, Nintendo Direct, on June 5, Nintendo revealed that Pokémon Sword and Shield will be available worldwide on November 15, 2019 for Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite.
Pokémon Sword and Shield Trailers
Do you wonder what the cities of the Galar region would be like? A trailer released during Gamescom will give you a better idea. Green hills, picturesque railway stations, and the familiar comfort of the Pokémon Center. Check out the new images below:
Pokémon Sword and Shield will make the fight bigger and better than ever, and we're literally talking about the first one. In a trailer published in August 2019, new combat mechanisms are explored. Watch the trailer below to see the new hidden abilities, moves, items, and some additional details on the dinamax.
A new day, a new trailer. We could have expected a deeper Pokémon, but this two-minute clip gives us a glimpse of the new Pokémon designs, as well as the "rivals" you'll find in the game.
Look the following video:
Another Pokémon Sword and Shield trailer allowed us to take a closer look at Dynamaxing, the new Pokémon, and the Galar Pokémon League. Check below:
The best preview we have of Pokémon Sword and Shield was during a Nintendo Direct special in June. Nintendo Direct has shed some light on the new features to expect alongside new Pokemon friends.
Look the following video:
The first trailer for Pokémon Sword and Shield didn't give much, but you can get a first look at the environments and art style.
You'll also see three new starter Pokémon for the first time: Fire Bunny Scorbunny, Grookey, Twig Monkey, and Sad Tadpole (sadpole?) Called Sobble.
Check out the trailer below:
Another trailer, released around the time of E3 2019, highlighted some of the geographical features of the Galar region and introduced us to the raid battles, a mechanism borrowed from the mobile game Pokémon Go.
Pokémon Sword and Shield news and features
Pokeleak
Atheerios, a Resetera user, has released several spoilers and leaks on new games, including a list of all the Pokémon we can expect to see, including lists from eight generations, various Galarian forms and evolutions, and new gigantamax forms. . And much more.
We won't be posting spoilers here, because it's up to you to choose whether you want to find them yourself, but the lists do indicate the classic Pokémon that are returning, and the ones that aren't.
What we will tell you is that there are a total of 81 new species and 13 forms of Galarian, which gives a total of 94 new Pokémon and a total of 400 Pokémon.
Leaving Nintendo Switch online?
Upcoming Pokémon Nintendo Switch games will launch this week, but players who wish to participate in online battles will generally require a subscription to Nintendo's paid online service, as it does for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon. 2 or similar multiplayer games.
However, Sword and Shield seems to do things a bit differently, with the option to pay for online access just for your Pokémon game.
Nintendo's official website cites the unusual payment strategy in the text below (underlined by ourselves): "Nintendo Switch Online Subscription (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. includes an in-game purchase option for non-subscription users Not available in all countries Internet access required for online features. Terms applicable nintendo.com/switch "online".
On the surface, even those who do not have a full and paid subscription to Nintendo Switch Online will have the means to participate in online battles, trades, etc., although we do not know yet. it would act as a profitable alternative. , given the already low price of € 3.99 / € 3.49 / € 5.95 AU.
Another search update
As promised, a new search update was released on October 16 that allowed fans to take a look at some of the new forms of Gigantamax that will appear in the game. The video (embedded below) reveals that Pikachu, Meowth, Eevee, Charizard, and Butterfree will all have Gigantamax forms.
While Charizard and Butterfree will generally be available through in-game Max Raid battles, Pikachu and Eevee will be available to those who have purchased the Let's Go title and still have game discs on their Switch, while Meowth will be a gift. advance purchase for those who want it. who get the game before January 15, 2020.
Revealed download size
Time to empty! Pokémon Sword and Shield will occupy 10.3 GB of storage on your Nintendo Switch.
The Flow of Life by Glimwood Tangle
Budding Pokemon researchers listened to the promised video of Sword and Shield and what did they discover over the 24 hours? There seems to be a variant of the Galar region of Pokémon Ponyta, which looks like a horse.
This psychic type will be exclusive to Shield, balancing out the recent announcement that Sirfetch'd will be exclusive to Sword.
This Ponyta will have two special abilities: Pastel Veil and Run Away. The latter seems quite explicit, while the former will prevent Ponyta and her allies from being poisoned during battle. This ability can also heal poisoned Pokémon when they join a battle.
(Photo credit: The Pokemon Company / Game Freak)
Automatic registration
A rumor has been confirmed that Pokémon Sword and Shield will be the first game in the series to include an autosave feature. In an interview with GameInformer, Director Ohmori said that automatic backup was running in the background throughout the game. The feature will be enabled by default, but fans looking for a more traditional experience will be able to disable it, save it, and do a manual backup.
Exp share
Another feature that will be automatic in Sword and Shield is Experience Share, which will see XP divided evenly among your default Pokémon team, rather than experiencing the use of an item.
Meet Sirfetch & # 39; d
Nintendo presented the new Wild Duck Pokémon: Sirfetch & # 39; d. According to Nintendo, "Farfetch'd living in the Galar region can become Sirfetch'd after many battles." However, this new Pokémon is exclusive to Pokémon Sword.
Check out the Pokémon Leek Handling Trailer below:
Nintendo Direct September 2019
Nintendo released Direct in early September with new details on Pokémon Sword and Shield.
First of all, as we already knew, character customization is profitable, but its reach will be greater than ever. Now, in addition to changing over and over again, you can change your hairstyle, put on makeup and take off your stylish outerwear. Catch Pokémon with a leather jacket? You gamble.
There is also Pokémon Camp that allows you to set up a tent during your travels and play with your Pokémon. This will improve their combat performance and you can even take your Pokémon to other players' camps online.
Camping also means cooking. Now you can lovingly create curry and rice dishes for you and your Pokémon with over 100 variations to enjoy. To keep track of your recipes, you will be using the Currydex (yes, seriously).
Of course, there are also new Pokémon. The Direct introduced us to the Cramorant and Polteagiest ghost guy.
Gamescom 2019
Gamescom 2019 has come and gone, and despite the fact that Nintendo released a new Pokémon trailer just days before the event, new footage was shown. Are we not spoiled?
The new images gave us a good overview of a city still unknown to the Galar region. These images revealed that in addition to the flying taxi service previously revealed in the game, players will also be able to travel by train. Hopefully the attempt to mirror the UK is only level or that we get nowhere by train. Cities will also have, as expected, Pokémon centers, supermarkets, and clothing stores to browse and spend money.
New combat mechanics.
In a trailer, new details of the battle were confirmed.
Corviknight has been shown to have a hidden ability called Mirror Armor that allows him to reflect the effects of lowering stats on his opponents.
Hidden Abilities, this has been confirmed in a blog post, are a bit more special than Standard Abilities as they will only appear on Pokémon captured during Max Raid battles (thus a Corviknight captured during a normal encounter will not will have the mirr armor ability).
Coincidentally, these Max Raid battles are the way to meet another type of Pokémon Special: one that is capable of Gigantamaxing. If you are lucky, you can participate in a Max Raid battle and escape with a Pokémon capable of gigantamax and with a hidden ability, but it will be a very rare event and you will have to participate in many raids. . .
New items will also be introduced to the game, one of them being room service, which will slow down the celebration of the Pokémon in the cheat room. The other is the Eject Pack, which allows the Pokémon to keep the fight if its stats drop, allowing you to replace it with another on your team.
Battle online
Some additional details about the online combat stadium have been confirmed. Players with a Nintendo Switch Online membership will be able to connect over the Internet and compete in single or double battles. These battles can be ranked or occasional, the first involving trainers of similar ranks trying to earn points for progress, while the second is, well, just for fun. Thanks to the operation of the Nintendo Switch Online service, this means that Pokémon Global Link is not supported.
Pokemon has jobs now
An official listing on the Pokémon Sword and Shield website shows one way to earn experience points by offering your Pokémon to independent employers for their choosing. Exploitation or fun at summer work? At the very least, it's a great way to make sure your boxed Pokémon don't languish as you take your main team on their adventure, as it can happen sometimes. It seems unfortunate that you can't accompany your Pokémon and participate in a mini-game for some jobs, but it's a great way to keep up your Pokémon training and bring in special items as a reward.
Region variants
The familiar regional variations of Pokémon still make exploring new areas even more fun. The region variants for the Galley region really play this inspiration from the UK.
The Galician Weezing is clearly inspired by the Industrial Revolution with his chimney cap and the Victorian atmosphere of the factory owner.
Meanwhile, Zigzagoon and Linoon were more like the badger.
There is also a new Pokémon confirmed for the Galar region: Morpeko. This little hamster-like creature is adorable until it's hungry. In the most assimilated Pokémon behavior of all time, when Morpeko goes into surveillance mode, he goes from electric type to dark type and looks totally ruthless.
? New Pokémon Discovered! AlGalarian Weezing consumes polluted air and toxic gases for its livelihood. Then they emit purified air from the top of their heads. How useful! https://t.co/zwlpel56bD pic.twitter.com/iJnWwlXw3VAugust 7, 2019
The bad guys
Pokémon grunt organizations are rarely subtle and Team Yell continues this trend with their name, fashion, and deep adoration for Marnie.
Marnie is one of your main rivals in Sword and Shield and she is determined to become a champion. Team Yell are his followers who will stand in your way to help you achieve it.
Bede is your other rival. She is a bit more mysterious than Marnie (and she looks a bit more like a grandmother too). Although he also aims to become a champion, he has other motivations that he will try to discover.
(Image credit: Game Freak)
New Models
The Pokémon Sword and Shield development team enraged their fans after learning that all Pokémon would never be available to be caught in new games. The latest rumors suggest that Game Freak has used older 3DS creature models for the Switch. play to cut costs. This theory was disproved by an earlier Famitsu interview with Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori (via Polygon), in which it is stated that the models for the new game were created from scratch.
It was also said that the switch's more intensive graphics had lengthened the time it took to render Pokémon, so the limited number of Pokédexes would have arrived at some point.
Version exclusive gym leaders.
Pokémon Sword and Shield will have exclusive gym officers for this version. In Pokémon Sword, you will face the karate marvel Bea, while in Pokémon Shield, you will face the emo king Allister.
Gigantamaxant
Previously, we had heard of the Dynamax feature that allowed Pokémon to become super big in battle, but Nintendo has now revealed the "phenomenon" of Gigantamaxing.
Although dinamaxing can occur only in specific areas of the Galar region and is a common phenomenon for Pokémon in the region, Gigantaxmaxing is specific to certain Pokémon species and greatly increases congestion by increasing Pokémon Size, but also giving it an appearance.
Additionally, Gigantamaxing increases the Pokémon's power and allows it to use a single move called a G-Max move. Each G-Max move is specific to a specific species of Gigantamax Pokémon.
More new Pokémon
In a recent trailer, Nintendo introduced us to the new Pokémon we'll meet in Galar, including Alcremie Ice Cream, the adorable Yamper Puppy, Rolycoly Coal Piece, and the Duraludon Steel Dragon.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
double
Pokémon producer Junichi Masuda reiterated that not all Pokémon would be available in Sword and Shield in a statement to fans on the official Pokémon website. In this statement, Masuda thanked fans for their love for the Pokémon series, while also reaffirming the decision to limit the game's Pokémon to those in the Galar region.
He added, however, that "even if a specific Pokémon is not available in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, that does not mean that it will not appear in future games."
Fan reactions to the news have been harsh, but it appears Game Freak is sticking to its guns. Masuda added in his statement that the Galar region would see "the world of Pokémon continue to evolve." The Galar region offers new Pokémon to meet, Trainers to fight, and adventures to take. We are investing our hearts in these games and we hope you look forward to joining us on this new journey. "
I can't catch them all
It has been confirmed that Pokémon Sword and Shield will not feature every Pokémon in the franchise thus far, making it the first major game to do so. Since there are now more than 800 species of Pokémon, it may not be that surprising.
The reason, according to Game Freak producer Junichi Masuda (via Famitsu), is that by the eighth generation, there will be over a thousand Pokémon in the Pokédex. So many means "it has become extremely difficult to actively engage Pokémon with a new personality and balance their compatibility," as well as ensuring that everyone is balanced in combat.
Also, it would be too difficult to have so many models in play with a high enough graphic quality.
Although Masuda's choice hurts, he says it is a decision he "had to make one day" and that he chose to "choose quality."
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Pokemon Ball Plus
We hadn't heard much about Pokémon Sword and Shield from the Nintendo Direct at E3 2019, but it was teased that Pokémon Ball Plus could be used to take your Pokémon for a "ride." "However, the ball cannot be used as a controller.
Also, he teased that "good things" would happen if you made a strong connection with a particular Pokémon.
Release date revealed
On June 5, Nintendo hosted a Nintendo Direct specifically dedicated to Pokémon Sword and Shield, which revealed that both games will be released worldwide on November 15, 2019.
Max Raid Battles
Like Pokémon Go, Sword and Shield has a feature that allows Trainers to team up with up to three other people online to take on more powerful Pokémon.
legendary
Pokémon Sword and Shield are Legendary Pokémon that resemble Zacian (sword) and Zamazenta (shield).
Dynamax mode
This new mode allows Trainers to build their Giant and Super Powerful Pokémon. This mode can only be activated once during a battle and lasts for three turns before a Pokémon returns to normal size.
More new Pokémon
In addition to the starter Pokémon, Nintendo has also revealed some new Pokémon joining Sword and Shield: Wooloo (Pokémon Sheep), Gossifleur (a fantasy Pokémon that turns into Eldegoss), Drednaw (that looks like a serpentine turtle), and Corviknight ( a raven). ). and glorified taxi service for the Galar region).
Wild area
Galar has a wild area where Trainers can explore, fight, and capture Pokémon. The choice of Pokémon depends on the environment and weather conditions.
stadiums
Trainers will take on Pokémon leaders in stadiums instead of regular gyms. These stadiums are huge and packed with an enthusiastic audience.
New characters
Nintendo revealed that your new rival is Hop, whose older brother is Galar's Pokémon champion. Meanwhile, Professor Magnolia and her assistant Sonia will be your guides.
Coach outfit customization will be a feature
While this isn't a new feature, training gear customization has been popular with Pokémon players since its introduction in X and Y. It's a feature that, according to a recent Uniqlo competition, will be in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
In collaboration with The Pokémon Company, the clothing brand asked fans to design a top that would later be sold in stores. Now that the winning entry (a design featuring Magikarp and Gyrados) has been chosen, it has been revealed that the top could also be used in Pokémon Sword and Shield as a trainer.
We still don't know how many outfit options in the games.
Made for handheld
While the Pokémon Let's Go games were developed for TV mode, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said that Pokémon Sword and Shield "will focus on the fun of playing Nintendo Switch in handheld mode." Furukawa made these comments at Nintendo's Financial Results Meeting in March 2019 (via Nintendo Life).
A whole new world
We know that the game takes place in a new area of Galar, rather than in a new version of Kanto or a previously visited territory. Galar seems to be slightly inspired by English towns and countryside, with its hills and brick villages to explore.
The trailer also took a look at the gem-encrusted mines and what might even be a football stadium (see kit below), although we were waiting to see if the competition in a Football World Cup on the theme of Pokémon will be. possible.
New pokemon
Yes, it is a new generation of Pokémon, which means that you will see many new faces, as well as many old ones. The trailer showed us a mix of familiar Pokémon like Pikachu and Hoothoot, and we hope Game Freak manages to keep the new designs interesting (no Pokémon for ice cream and candlesticks, please).
Modern at the base
Sword and Shield seeks to preserve the look of the 3D Pokeemon Let's Go games that were released on Nintendo Switch last year.
Pokémon games haven't been flat 2D games for years and are increasingly turning into great avatars and 3D environments. Some may lose the old-school pixel charm of previous games, and find the 3D creature models a bit bland, but for better or worse, that's what we get.