A mythical reward for Sword / Shield owners

The release date for Pokemon Legends: Arceus is just a few months away, and today, Nintendo announced some extras that players of previous Pokemon games can pick up. Those who boot up Pokemon Legends: Arceus with play data from Sword or Shield will get a chance to catch Shaymin.

The Mythical Pokemon will be available in its Land Forme to join your team. A special research request for Shaymin will be available after you've rolled credits on Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

//twit?ter.com/Ni??ntendoAmerica/status/1458472041351364608?s=20

Alongside the Pokemon, there's a cosmetic Sha?ymin Kimono Set available to claim too.

Another Pokemon game coming soon also has some tie-ins for those with previous save data. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will have a few Pokemon to pick up for those with previous save data. Jirachi can be acquired if you have Sword or Shield save records, and Let's Go, Pikachu! or Let's Go, Eevee! nets you a Mew.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set to put a new spin on the world of Pokemon in January, with a little more action, exploration, and some terrifying wild Pokemon chases. Some of the new Pokemon in the region have also been shown off recently, like the Hisuian variant of Zorua and Zoroark.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus will hit Nintendo Switch on Jan. 28, 2022.

The post Pokemon Legen?ds: Arceus players can get Shaymin if they have Sword or Shi?eld data appeared first on Destructoid.

Hardly a scheme worthy of Team Rocket

A Japanese man has been arrested by authorities for allegedly generating and selling hacked critters from Nintendo Switch release Pokémon Sword & Shield. Th??e 23-year-old was apprehended in Nago?ya City, Aichi Prefecture after being caught allegedly selling a hacked Sobble.

The suspect is accused of having used a "jailbroken" Nintendo Switch console to run a service online in which they would create hacked Pokémon to order, with each critter retailing for around ¥500, with a commission fee of up to ¥800 should an individual order six Pokémon or more. It is alleged that the man has made somewhere in the region of ¥1.15 million (or roughly $10,000 USD) since Pokémon Sword & Shield's release in November 2019.

The arrest comes shortly after Nintendo Japan's January statement where the publisher announced its intention to come down hard on players who utilize titles such as Pokémon Sword & Shield, Pokémon GO, and the Pokémon Home service for nefarious or criminal purposes, banning accounts?, restricting access to the service or, in this case, se?nding in Five-O.

"We have confirmed that some users are playing Pokémon Sword & Shield and Pokémon Home using illegally modified data," said Nintendo. "We will regularly monitor and respond to fraudulent and annoying acts s??o that our users can enjoy themselves with peace of mind. We look forward to your co?ntinued support of the Pokémon series."

So, if you're on a mission to be ??the ve??ry best, like no-one ever was, better stick to the rules.

M??an arrested after selling hacked Sobble from Pokémon Sword & Shi??eld [Asahi News / Kotaku]

The post Man arrested for selling hacked Pokemon Sword & Shield Sobble appeared first on Destructoid.

Card Tricks

The long-lost Pokemon Kadabra is set to return to the Pokedex after the end of a dispute th??at has lasted some two decades. The Psi Pokemon has been missing from the famous card game decks since 2003, when British-Israeli illusionist Uri Geller claimed that the spoon-carrying creature infringed upon his brand and likeness.

At the weekend, the "originator of spoon-bending" apologized for ever kicking up a fuss, and stated that it was now up to Nintendo whether it wanted to bring Kadabra - originally known in Japan? as "Yungerer/Yungeller" - back into the fold.

"I am truly sorry for what I did 20 years ago," said Geller on Twitter. "Kids and grownups I am releasing the ban. It's now all up to Nintendo to b?ring my Kadabra Pokemon card back.? It will probably be one of the rarest cards now! Much energy and love to all!"

Speaking with The Gamer, Geller cited the v?oluminous amount of emails he has received over the years, which encouraged him to contact Nintendo and give them "permission to relaunch the Uri Geller Kadabra/Yungeller worldwide." Nintendo is yet to comment on the situation, so we'll just have to wait and see whether Kadabra makes a mystical comeback.

Uri Geller gives permission to print Ka?dabra on Po??kemon cards again [TheGamer]

I am truly sorry for what I did 20 years ago. Kids and grownups I am releasing the ban. It’s now all up to #Nintendo to bring my #kadabra #pokemon card back.
It will probably be one of the rarest cards now! Much energy and love to all!//t.co/Rv1aJFlIKS pic.twitter.com/5zDMX5S8WA

— Uri Geller (@TheUriGeller) November 28, 2020

The post Kadabra might return to Pokemon?? decks following Uri G?eller apology appeared first on Destructoid.

Mystery Gifts Galore!

Pokémon Sword & Shield. Remember those games? They're the ones most Switch owners were obsessed with before trying to master the stalk market or lure Raymond to their island. In a couple of weeks, players around the world will dive back into the?? Galar Region when the Isle of Armor DLC launches. To get everyone ready, The Pokémon Company is dropping some dope Mystery Gifts over the next few w??eeks.

Starting today, you will receive a Galarian form Pokémon with a special ability, as well as some Poké Balls, whe??n you download the Mystery Gift. Each week brings new gifts to receive. Here is a breakdown of everything being given away:

• Week 1: Galarian Form Mr. Mime w/ Hidden Ability Ice Body
• Ice Body Ability heals 1/16 of its HP when it's hailing during battle. Also protects the Pokémon from being damaged by hail.
  
• Will also receive a Moon Ball, Heavy Ball, Dream Ball, Lure Ball.
• Starts May 21 at 5:00 pm PST.

• Week 2: Galarian Form Ponyta w/ Hidden Ability Anticipation
• Anticipation alerts the Pokémon if their opponent has a one-hit K.O. move.
• Will also receive Level Ball, Love Ball, Fast Ball, Beast Ball, Friend Ball.
• Starts May 28 at 5:00 pm PST.

• Week 3: Galarian Form Corsola w/ Hidden Ability Cursed Body
• Cursed Body has a 30% chance of disabling a damaging move from your opponent for four turns.
• Will also receive the Evolution Item Set, which includes Sweet Apple, Tart Apple, Chipped Pot, Cracked Pot, Whipped Dream, and Sachet.
• Starts June 4 at 5:00 pm PST.

• Week 4: Galarian Form Meowth w/ Hidden Ability Unnerve
• Unnerve prevents opponents from eating berries in battle.
• Will also receive 50 Big Nuggets and 100 EXP Candies.
• Starts June 11 at 5:00 pm PST.

Get Galarian Form Pokémon, Loads of EXP Ca?ndies, and a Massive Haul of Nuggets ?in this Special Promotion! [Pokémon]

The post Pokemon Sword & Shield are giving out Galarian form Pokemon, EXP Candies, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

Promoted from our Community Blogs

_{[I’ve always been fascinated with peoples’ stories about how smaller or potentially overlooked elements of a video game can resonate with them in a unique and personal way. Not only is it just interesting to hear about, but it can at times help me gain a newfound appreciation for a feature or design element that I may have otherwise missed. In this case, Zalno explains why they’re appreciative of the Pokémon Camp feature in Sword and Shield -- Dennis]}

For the past several months leading up to its release, I’ve been upset at Game Freak and The Pokémon Company for their decision to, amongst other things, cut a large swath of Pokémon from the newest games Sword and Shield. For months, I’ve poked fun at the graphical hiccups, laughable animations, and Game Freak’s questionable responses to valid concerns. For months, I proclaimed that I would skip this pair, preferring to wait until the next pair of games come out and pass the time by going back to the older Pokémon games or finding some alternative. And come release day, I stuck to my w??ord??.

One week later, I’m throwing pretend?? balls at my pretend dog in my pret?end camp. So much for sticking to my guns.

In the first few weeks of Pokémon Sword and Shield’s release, I’ve spent a lot of time traveling through Galar. The game is fine, I suppose. The core gameplay loop of finding new Pokémon, c??atching them, and battling them against other wild Pokémon and trainers is still satisfying. Despite my irritation at the game’s many shortcomings, I found myself having fun. Although, most of that fun came from a relatively smaller feature that most people wouldn’t even pay attention to: Pokémon Camp.

Of all the gameplay features that were shown off in promotional material, Pokémon Camp is the one I was most interested in. Not the Wild Area, not the co-op Max Raid battles, and certainly not Dynamaxing. That’s not to say they didn’t look neat. Indeed, playing through the game, there was some fun to be had with all these new features. While those features were fun in their own way, none of them felt as enjoyable to me as playing with my Pokémon in Camp. Hell, I just played with my doggo in Camp to get more screenshots for the final draft, and I'm still spending too much time in it.

Ever since the jump to 3D with Pokémon X and Y, the main games included a somewhat rudimentary way to interact with your favorite Pokémon. Pokémon-Amie let you pet them, feed them cupcakes, and play little mini-games with them. Sun and Moon kind of expanded on it with Pokémon Refresh. While you’re no longer able to play mini-games with your favorite Pokémon, you are able to cure status ailments with various utensils without having to use consumable items. The backgrounds were also chang??ed to resemble whatever part of the world you were in rather than the overly happy void from Pokémon-Amie. That was neat!

There have also been a couple ways to express yourself with your Pokémon throughout the 3DS era. Speaking as someone who cares way too much about self-expression, I was all about that. X and Y let you create your own short videos of yourself and your Pokémon. I didn’t use it very much, but it was pretty neat. Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon introduced the Alola Photo Club, which allowed you to have pictures taken of your trainer with your favorite Pokémon. This is something I got waaaaaay more mileage out of. I loved getting pic??tures of with my various favorites that I&rsqu?o;ve transferred over the years.

The first time I used Pokémon Camp in the Wild Area, it was rather plain. My party members hadn’t formed any kind of bonds with anyone else, least of all me. That all changed when my Yamper, Beatrice, evolved into a Boltund. Beatrice was the name of my favorite childhood dog. Boy, was that ?the right name for her.

Though I spent the majority of my time with Beatrice, I made sure to spend plenty of time with the rest of my party. Before I knew it, my party was opening up to each other. I’d frequently see party members racing each other, someone nodding off with a cute snoozing animation, getting into arguments, having nice conversations, or my Obstagoon Halford being socially inept. That may sound like me reading too much into very rudimentary interactions between Pokémon. Don't worry, that's exactly what it is.

I’m a sad, overly-sentimental chungus. Perhaps it’s because I like animals and inanimate objects more than actual human beings, but I’ve grown very attached to certain clouds of ones and zeroes in Pokémon games over the years. Hell, I still have my Porygon from Let’s GO in my Poké Ball Plus. And Beatrice is no exception. The simple act of throwing a ball for her and watching her fetch it (or sometimes just excitedly running in circles) is very enjoyable. Mind you, a lot of it c??omes from a co??mbination of being unable to afford or care for a pet, missing my favorite childhood dog and living alone. But being able to play with a pretend dog whenever I want? It helps. It helps a lot.

I g??uess all it takes is the right Pokémon in the right circumstances to make all t?he difference in the world.

To be clear, this does not make up for all the features and content that have been cut up to this point. It doesn’t make up for the lack of any side activities to do with your Pokémon (contests, Pokéathlon, musicals, etc), the Battle Tower being stripped down, the lack of multi-floored dungeons, the practically non-existent post-game content, and it certainly doesn&r???squo;t make up for not being able to bring my Porygon2 to Galar.

Some of these issues seem like they’ll be rectified somewhat in the coming expansion packs, but that remains to be seen. Game Freak mentioned that The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra were &ld?quo;two key examples” of what they were working on, so I’m hopeful there’s at least one more expansion in the works. Maybe something t?hat builds on Pokémon Camp? With more toys and features? Maybe a minigame or two? And maybe something that lets me pet my Pokémon again? That’d be nice.

I’ve already forgotten most of Pokémon Sword by this point. Hell, if the upcoming DLC doesn’t do anything for me, I’ll have forgotten the Galar region entirely by the time Gen IX comes out. But I’ll never forget the time ?I spent with Beatrice. She will always be my girl. I just hope she’ll be with me wherever I wind up next.

_{[Image credit: @beaveresque]}

The post My Pokemon Adventures Through Galar with Beatrice appeared first on Destructoid.

Galar's most wanted

Back when Pokémon Sun and Moon released, I hopped onto Smogon.com and took a stroll around the Uncharted Territory forum to explore the potential of a lot of the newer Pokémon. A lot of them held down their position as powerful Pokémon, like Mimikyu and Araquanid. Others, like Salazzle, went down in history as being more of a gimmick than anything else. So now is the time to take a look at what's going on the ladder and see what's really cooking on Pokémon Sword and Shield's battles.

Note that most of these choices are personal observation through the lens of most common single battle formats. A lot of it is also informed by Smogon, one of the most researched and scholarly places for competitive Pokémon battling.

The interesting part of exploring the newest metagame of Pokémon is examining the fresh contenders. But a large part of any Pokémon game's generation? is going to revolve around older, more established characters, regardless of the decisions of who g??ets included with the most up-to-date Pokédex. So really quickly, let's bring up older Pokémon who are big threats, either due to new toys they got or because certain competition in the meta is no longer present alongside them.

A good example of th?e latter is Durant. Durant was introduced after Scizor and was immediately seen as an inferior version of the bug/steel Pokémon. Scizor was ??stronger and bulkier in every way, its most infamous staple being Bullet Punch: a priority move guaranteed to go first while also having its power boosted by Scizor's Technician ability. But now Scizor is no longer present in Galar and Durant is here to act as the rebound in the breakup. With a very powerful First Impression attack boosted by Hustle, Durant now reigns as Galar's bug/steel revenge killer, even if Hustle trades power for accuracy.

Gyarados is a safe ??example of a powerful Pokémon from previous games not just retaining their power but thriving off new mechanics. While Gigantamax Pokémon look cooler, Dynamax Gyarados has many key qualities that push this classically powerful Pokémon over the edge. One option in particular that lends itself to Gyarados really well is one of its abilities, Moxie. Moxie still triggers in Dynamax form, raising his attack after a KO. Find a turn to set up with Dragon Dance, pave the road with Dynamax boosted moves, and watch the situation snowball out of control with Moxie.

Gengar is also back baby, and now he has Nasty Plot this generation for absurdly powerful boosting and wall br??eaking. I also think it's hilarious Mega Gengar with Shadow Tag is gone and in its place is Gigantamax Gengar with a G-Max Move that traps the target.

Lastly are Ferrothorn and Toxapex with the dreaded FerroPex core. If you don't know what a core is, at its most basic, a core is a strategic pair or even trio of Pokémon put together to specifically alleviate and switch into their respective weaknesses to support each other. If your first reaction to Ferrothorn is a fire or fighting attack, any trainer with half a mind in this situation simply switches to Toxapex, who proceeds to laugh at the incoming damage and steal some momentum for themselves in a favorable matchup. If Toxapex gets threatened by electric or psychic damage, simply switch to Ferrothorn. See how it's p??retty hard to get super effective damage on these two? Well, the addition of a new Galarian Pokémon down below ensures that this pair isn't going to budge anytime soon.

Let's start the newcomer list with the most popular Galarian poster child for ridiculous damage, Dracovish. Its signature attack, Fishious Rend, doubles in power if Dracovish moves first. This move counts as a biting attack for the purpose of boosting power with its ability, Strong Jaw. Now throw in a water boost from rain or maybe a choice band instead, and?? you get an attack with bord??erline the same attack power as Self-Destruct or Explosion. I think it's important to note that if Dracovish's plan gets messed up in any way, like status ailment or facing priority moves, he immediately becomes mediocre at best. Dracovish isn't all that speedy without investment either, so he needs either a choice scarf for extra speed or a trainer with good knowledge of the speed tiers to switch him out if things look dicey. But Dracovish gains more leeway with a very strong defensive typing of water/dragon, preventing almost all super-effective damage except for fairy and dragon type attacks.

Dragapult is this generation's newest high-spec dragon Pokémon and, oh baby, is it flashy. It's one of the fastest Pokémon around with good offensive stats on both sides of the physical/special spectrum. It even has a neat signature move that hits twice for a total of 100 base power, allowing more possibilities like more critical hits or breakin?g substitute??s and dealing damage around them. Dragapult also has a diverse move pool, so it's difficult to get away from him before taking super effective damage. Dragapult is fairly straightforward but powerful nonetheless with stats to back it up.

Galarian Corsola is sure to be the bane of many peoples' existence. Despite not being fully evolved, it has higher defenses than its evolved form, Cursola. Slap an Eviolite on it, boosting both defenses by 50% if the Pokémon isn't fully evolved??, and you have the third member of the FerroPex core to create a brick wall. With Stealth Rocks, Spikes, Toxic, and Will-O-Wisp between them, they're sure to drive any opponent to a slow and agonizing death.

Galarian Darmanitan is an example of hilarious overcompensation. Its ability, Gorilla Tactics, boosts its power by 50% but locks it into the first move it uses. You know why that sounds familiar? Its ability is basically a choice band, but it can still stack an actual choice band on top of that. On top of 145 attack, it can hit for 2.25 times damage turn one, no set up necessary. Or give it a choice scarf and let it clean hou?se late game when nothing is left to contest it with full health. If you have one with its zen mode hidde??n ability it only gets more obscene. Ice is viewed as a defensively weak type and offensively minded force, and Galarian Darmanitan is definitely as offensive as they come.

Orbeetle is interesting, as psychic-types rarely get much whenever they're in the spotlight. This defensively minded bug/psychic type does, however, get access to a fairly powerful Stored Power set. Every boost makes Stored Power a stronger attack, and Orbeetle has access to Iron Defense, Calm Mind, Agility, and can even use Recover after boosting all those stats. However, most discussion I've come across simply want to emphasize that Orbeetle is probably the best user of Sticky Web this generation, seeing as how 110/120 defenses allow it to do all of the above without dying to a glancing blow like Galvantula does. Orbeetle is the kind of setup lead Dracovish loves, since every enemy Pokémon setting foot on Sticky Web will immediately lose speed, which is exactly what Dracovish wants.

I personally like Toxtricity, despite it lacking defensive bulk and speed to give it any real direction. Being electric/poison is its one saving grace defensively, being able to resist a lot of different attacks. Its other saving grace is its ability, Punk Rock, which boosts sound-based attacks. Not only is its signature electric attack, Overdrive, affected by this, it finally brings Boomburst into the realm ??of viability and turns it into one of the strongest normal type attacks of this generation. I've loved the idea of using Boomburst for years, since with STAB (same type attack bonus), it becomes a 210 base power attack. Unfortunately, the only real user of this move before, Loudred, just plain sucks. Toxtricity doesn't even get STAB with Boomburst and its by far his strongest attack.

The last choice I want to highlight is one I wasn't expecting, Indeedee. Indeedee fills the Psychic Surge void left behind by the absence of the Tapu Guardians from the last generation, amping the power of psychic attacks by 50%. If that weren't enough, it gets the weirdest coverage move possible against the steel types that usually wall psychic types, Mystical Fire. While Hatterene is a more interestingly designed Pokémon, Indeedee having Psychic Surge allow it to do things Hatterene simply can't in its space as a bulky psychic type. It also helps that Psychic Surge blocks all priority a?ttacks, so something with Extreme Speed or Aqua Jet can't just revenge kill it easily.

But those aren't the only strong Pokémon in the Galar region??. Have you found some success with your own unique selections?

The post Here are Pokemon Sword and Shield’s most competitive Pokemon so far appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't judge my child. My child wants to grow a beard.

I'm on the precipice of finishing the Galarian Gym Challenge in Pokémon Shield, after catching a wide array of Pokémon and scoring copious amounts of EXP Candy from Max Raid Battles I've grinded in the Wild Area. Even though there are plenty of older Pokémon on my team really carrying their weight like Katsu the Bewear, Bobert the Crustle, and Kevin Durant, I've taken a real shine to the new Galarian Pokémon.

I'm quite attached to Yukki, my Frosmoth, as some Pokémon games tend to introduce high-spec bug Pokémon. Though I will admit, I don't love it as much as her previous form, Snom. And the first time I saw Grapploct, I knew I had to catch him but he continues to elude me thanks to his difficult catch rate. I really need to up my critical catch rate the? way that guy breaks out of my pokébal?ls.

They're great, but my absolute favorite new Galarian Pokémon in Sword and Shield has to be Galarian Meowth and its evolution, Perrserker, so don't even come a??t me with your contentious opi??nions on its hair.

I knew I liked this shit eating grin for some reason pic.twitter.com/0N4Mp41Au7

— Strider (@StriderHoang) December 4, 2019

Meowth is the baseline, I have to hand it to him for existing to give rise to Galarian Meowth. Alolan Meowth proved putting a regional spin on an older Pokémon can lead to interesting results, hence turning the alley cat design into a proper and pampered rich cat. But Galarian Meowth is amazing, turning the street cat flavor to eleven until he becomes an almost feral, wild child of a feline that's barely contained in its own fur.??

Its Dex entry states Meowths in the Galar region have hung out in the rough and tumble sailor scene so much that their fur has turned to iron. The normally small silhouette of Meowth has ballooned out as it grew a huge beard. When it evolves, it becomes even mor?e ridiculous, as its horns aren't horns at all but merely hair that has hardened into the shape of a horned helmet. When you see Perrserker in motion, you'll even see its cat claws merge together as they extend and transform into one, giant dagger.

Its design and lore, combined with some nice battle design, make me really love Pokémon like Meowth and Perrserker. It's simple and straightforward in battle, as a no-frills steel monotype and abilities devoted to letting it easily hit above its weight class. All of this comes together to make Galarian Meowth and Perrserker my favorite new Pokémon to come out of Sword and Shield.

But I know plenty of people think he's icky and gross and it's ok to be wrong. So what is your favorite new Pokémon in Sword and Shield? Yamper? Polteageist? If Destructoid's unofficial favorite Pokémon is Gard??evoir and she can be tsundere sometimes, might I? direct you towards the new yandere Pokémon, Hatterene?

The post My favorite Pokémon in Sword and Shield is a dirty, smelly, metal cat. What’s yours? appeared first on Destructoid.

Now with 100% less chest and facial hair!

Dreezy continues his conquest in Pokémon Sword? to become the best there ever was in the Galar region and now with as little body hair as possible! As always, we'll also be giving away copies of whatever is currently streami??ng or Amazon gift cards to lucky viewers! To be eligible to win, you'll first need to type “!raffle” into the Twitch chat to enter and complete two simple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel.
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord group.

The current schedule for this week:

Monday (November 25, 2019)
Time: 11:00pm - 1:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword

Tuesday (November 26, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Borderlands 3

Thursday (November 28, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword

Saturday (November 30, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 3:00am
Game: Pokémon Sword

Don't forget to also check out the VOD for last week's TUESDAY NIGHT WAXDOWN! Featuring Nanerboots who was tasked with waxing Dreezy's chest for the glory of internet viewage! So, relax, pull up your ?favorite chair, and listen to the sights and sounds of a man who sacrificed body hair (on numerous occasions now) for video games live on the internet. Just as thi?ngs were always intended to be.

The post We’re live on Twitch this week with even more Pokemon Sword! appeared first on Destructoid.

Tuesday night waxdown!

Dreezy is live this week on the Destructoid Twitch channel with Pokémon Sword and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare! We're also gonna be giving Dreezy another round of waxing this Tuesday with special guest Nanerboots! But, what games do you wanna see? We're always in ne??ed of more community requested games for every Monday, so, feel free to let us know in the comments down below or in the Destructoid Discord chan??nel!

We'll also be giving away ??????????????????????????copies of whatever is currently streaming to lucky viewers! To be eligible to win, you'll first need to type “!raffle” into the Twitch chat to enter and complete two simple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel.
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord channel.

The current schedule for this week:

Monday ( November 18, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword & Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Tuesday (November 19, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 3:30am
Game: Getting chest wa?xed Live on stream and then Yoga with ??Nanerboots!

Thursday (November 21, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword & Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Saturday (November 23, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 3:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword & Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

So, relax, pull up your favorite chair, and listen to the sights and sounds of a man who will once again sacrifice chest hair and sanity for video games live on the internet. Just as things we??re always intended to be.

The post We’re live on Twitch this week with Pokemon Sword and another round of chest waxing! appeared first on Destructoid.

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild area

Another iteration of Pokémon is upon?? us, and now it's time for everyone to get really joyous or mad while cute creatures frolic on-screen.

With the exception of the second generation (which many still herald as the best to date), each entry has provided its own twists and turns while mostly sticking to the same formula that so many have grown out of. I've been playing Pokémon since I picked up my copy of Red in 1998 at Toys "R"Us (RIP), and I've s?een it all before.&nbs?p;

Sword and Shield may take more than it gives, but it still manages to provide some of us a reason to come back: ev??en if this generation might not have that same lasting appeal.

_{[Read our review of Pokémon Sword here.]}

Pokémon Shield (Switch)
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: The Pokémon Company
Release: November 18, 2019
MSRP: $59.99

Since CJ already covered a lot of the housekeeping elements with his expansive review, I'm goin?g to talk about some of the bits that stood out the most to me in this new generation.

My first thought: "Wow this game is beautiful." Despite the misgivings with the framerate, or the "copied and pasted character models," the environments and Game Freak's vision of the Galar region blew me away at times. It's so weird to pop that little Switch into docked mode and play Pokémon on the TV! Even if the narrative is one of the weakest in years, portions like the cheering crowd in stadium gym battles bring real gravitas to the world, as do the bits and pieces of English folklore (that aren't really committed to). It finally feels like you're part of th?e world the anime built up decades ago.

The lack of a full National 'Dex — as much as it pains me in theory as a living 'Dex trainer for over two decades (I have them all!) — was not as much of a bother as I thought it would be, nor is the reduction of moves, many of which are now redundant. Game Freak made some great picks when it comes to the regional Galar 'Dex, to the point where each area feels fresh. The new Wild Zone, which is basically like a mini-sandbox with a full control camera, allows Galar to breathe and feel more alive than some of the other entries when it comes to creature diversity. Right now Sword and Shield's isolated creature ?offerings feel large in scope, though the lack of DLC additions and the lack of Pokémon Home may hurt it over time. There isn't that sense of something big to look forward to and give the games a second wind.

Though, I think the quality of life upgrades help Sword and Shield's case more than any other aspect of the new generation. You can fly pretty much everywhere instantly near the start of the adventure. Surfing just...happens when you walk on water. If you get bored of a zone you can instantly head to the Wild Area, catch some exotic creatures you've never seen before, then zip back to the critical story path. You can move creatures from box to box out in the wild (!). The "shortcut/favorite" system returns where you can just throw a Poke Ball with the press of a button outside of menus. Seeing creatures out and about (pulled from Let's Go) is a huge upgrade, as is witnessing a sight like an Eldegoss float across the screen on a breeze.

What I do mind — and I mean really mind — is the lack of the Global Trade System (GTS). Hands-down it was one of my favorite aspects of the series when it was added in Generation IV. After a number of years a lot of my local Pokémon group members moved away or grew apart, and it was a perfect way to enjoy?? light social interactions by way of an expansive online trading service. The new Y-Comm system is a downgrade in every sense of the phrase, substituting useful features for fluff like an in-universe Twitter feed system. I'm sure someone thought it? was cute, but it doesn't make up for the removal of the GTS or the gutting of online functionality in general.

Select portions of the game are missing a lot of emotion and soul. Unlike Sun and Moon, I wasn't invested in the story as a whole or the new faction, "Team Yell." Team Skull absolutely stomps on them in terms of memorability and impact, and I felt nothing when Sword and Shield's narrative came to a close. Going further: why don't the Pokémon? talk yet? Now is the time to really break new ground on Switch, not use muffled scratchy noises for most of the cast. There was a lot of potential here and Game Freak only managed to tap into some of it, most of which ended up as Galar aesthetics.

The Wild Area, while fun in a vacuum, doesn't do enough to push long-term play forward in its current state. The idea is that it functions as an MMO-like zone where other people are wandering around, doing co-op raid battles to reap big rewards. It's a great place to go back to daily and an even better place to blow off some steam in if you have a few minutes to play. But as CJ mentioned in his review of Sword, practically none of the actual social elements work, as player characters are constantly dropped or glitched off-screen, and getting non-bots to raid is an utter pain. I want to see the next Pokémon extend the Wild Area concept to the entire game world, but Game Freak w??ill need to really step it up.

Pokémon has always literally been give and take since the second generation. Some give more than others, and Sword and Shield has taken away quite a bit. But in the end, I was smiling on most of my journey throughout the Galar region, and 2?1 years later, I still have a desire to catch them all. "All of the Galar region" will do nicely for the time b?eing, even if it feels more fleeting than past generations.

_{[This review is b?ased on a retail build of ??the game provided by the publisher.]}

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