Saturday, November 30, 2019
What's the enduring power of 'Pokémon'? A newbie and expert discuss over 'Shield' and 'Sword'
Pokemon Sword & Shield Adding Gigantamax Snorlax Next Week
A new Gigantamax Pokemon will begin appearing soon in Pokemon Sword and Shield. As part of the games' latest trailer, The Pokemon Company officially revealed Gigantamax Snorlax, and you'll have your first chance to encounter one starting December 4.
As with other Gigantamax Pokemon, it appears the only way to catch Gigantamax Snorlax is to first defeat it in a Max Raid. The Pokemon will appear in Max Raid dens from December 4 to early January. In order to be able to encounter it, you'll need to either connect to the internet while exploring the Wild Area or go into Mystery Gift and select "Get the Wild Area News" to ensure your game is up to date.
While Snorlax is already well-known for its laziness, Gigantamax Snorlax moves so little that it has a field of grass and a giant berry tree growing on its belly. When Snorlax Gigantamaxes, its Normal-type attacks become G-Max Replenish, which deals damage and also restores any berries that Snorlax or its allies have eaten during battle. You can check out footage of Gigantamax Snorlax in action in the trailer above.
Snorlax isn't the only Gigantamax Pokemon you can encounter in Max Raids until early January. Gigantamax Butterfree will also appear until then. Sword players can also encounter Gigantamax Drednaw more often in Max Raids, while Shield players can encounter Gigantamax Corviknight. If you need help taking on these Pokemon, be sure to check out our Max Raid guide.
Pokemon Sword And Shield News & Guides
Pokemon Sword and Shield are available exclusively on Nintendo Switch. You can read our full thoughts on the games in our Pokemon Sword and Shield review. If you're just getting started on your Pokemon journey, we've rounded up our Sword and Shield guides below to help you out.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Here Are The Best Nintendo Switch Black Friday Game Deals: Pokemon Sword / Shield And More
Nintendo doesn't have major sales on its games as often as most publishers, so seeing discounts on select Switch and 3DS games for Black Friday 2019 is exciting. The publisher has dropped the prices of plenty of its first-party games--some as low as $30, though the games being sold at those prices are quickly selling out. Most Nintendo Black Friday prices hover at around $40. Even at those discounts, however, these are likely to be the best prices we see on most of these games for a good while, so make sure to hop on these major Nintendo Switch game deals while you can.
Best Nintendo Switch Black Friday Game Deals
Where to find the best Nintendo Switch game dealsNintendo's official Switch deals are available at a variety of stores. This year, retailers like Amazon, Target, Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart will have some of the most popular Switch games for 33% off, dropping the price on games like Mario Tennis Aces, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Mario Odyssey from $60 to $40.
Google Shopping arguably has the best game deal of all, offering a bundle that includes Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield for $81 plus tax with promo code NOVSAVE19. This isn't the official double pack, so you won't get the bonuses that come with it. But you're still getting both games for roughly $20 off a piece, and it comes with free shipping, too.
Nintendo has also launched its Black Friday Eshop sales for both America and Europe if you prefer to buy Switch games digitally. There's a nice selection of games on sale, like Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, Celeste, Cuphead, and Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. The Eshop sale includes hundreds of games, so check our roundup for the absolute best deals on digital Switch titles right now.
More Black Friday 2019 DealsThursday, November 28, 2019
Black Friday deal on Pokemon Sword and Shield: $48 for either game, $89 for both
Look for Gigantamax Pikachu in Pokemon Shield and Sword.
Screenshot by Corinne Reichert/CNET This story is part of Holiday Gift Guide 2019, your source for the season's best gifts and deals, hand-picked by the experts at CNET.Did you catch a Black Friday deal on Pokemon Sword or Shield yet? Here's your chance: For a limited time, and while supplies last, eBay seller Rushhourwholesaler has Pokemon Sword or Shield for $47.99. That's one of the best deals to date on these super-hot Nintendo Switch games.
Want to buy both? Here's the single best deal we've seen on that option: Nationwide Distributors via Google Shopping has Pokemon Sword and Shield for $88.88 with promo code 19CYBER12. That deal ends Nov. 30, though obviously the store may sell out before then.
There's yet another option worth considering: Geek Alliance (via Rakuten) has Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield for $55.49 -- and your purchase also nets you Rakuten points worth $11. Those points (which require you to have a Rakuten account, natch) are nearly as good as cash: They can be applied to any other purchase you make from the online store. In fact, you could purchase one of the games for $55.49, claim your points, then come back and get the other for $44.49. (The math: $55.49 minus $11.)
These two new Pokemon games sold more than 6 million copies over launch weekend. I won't suggest which one to get; it depends on which exclusive Pokemon you want: Monsters like Deino, Hydreigon, and Farfetch'd come in Sword, while Tyranitar, Goodra and Galarian Ponyta are exclusive to Shield.
So, are these games the answer to all your Pokemon hopes and dreams? That depends upon how you want to feel about them: The internet is outraged, as it often is, over seemingly inconsequential details, like the fact that Sword and Shield don't include, you know, every Pokemon ever. But if you're OK with that, rest assured that GameSpot rated the game "Superb" with a rating of 9.
Now playing: Watch this: Nintendo shows latest Pokemon game, Sword and Shield
2:13
Originally published last week. Updated to reflect new sale prices and availability.
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The Pokemon Company Is Suing 'Pokemon Sword And Shield' Leakers
The Pokemon Company is taking legal action against those who leaked confidential information about the recently released "Pokemon" games "Pokemon Sword" and "Pokemon Shield."
Several leaks about the latest "Pokemon" titles, "Pokemon Sword" and "Pokemon Shield," were released to the gaming public recently, revealing many of the games' details before The Pokemon Company released the titles.
Forbes reported that according to a lawsuit filed in a Seattle court, lawyers for The Pokemon Company are now looking for those who leaked the information before the titles could be released to the public. The leaked information pertains to pictures of previously unknown Pokemon taken from the games' Strategy Guide. The pictures were shared online via Discord and 4Chan earlier this month.
Following the initial leak, the images were also shared via mainstream social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Imgur. They were also spread across via popular video game sites such as Polygon and Dot Esports. About 300 web pages, on dozens of platforms, "linked to websites containing the leaked Strategy Guide pictures," the lawsuit said.
Polygon noted that the Strategy Guide was released on Nov. 22, a week after "Pokemon Sword" and "Pokemon Shield" were released for the Nintendo Switch. The Pokemon Company explained that it had security measures designed to ensure that such leaks do not happen.
The security measures involved background checks to make sure employees are clean. These employees will then store files on secure computers, restrict access to the confidential game files, trace the files, and mark the files. Anyone who's had access to the files are also required to sign an NDA – a non-disclosure agreement.
" Only production facility employees with proper security clearance have access to the Strategy Guide during the production process," lawyers for The Pokémon Company wrote. "Those with permission to access the secured areas are not permitted to bring in cellular phones or cameras."
The lawyers from Perkins Coie, a firm that worked with Google and other tech companies, said the aforementioned leaks caused "irreparable injury" to the brand. The Pokemon Company is seeking "compensatory damages" as well as exemplary damages, monetary relief, and injunctive relief. For now, however, they are still looking for those responsible for the leaks.
Pokémon Sword and Shield star three starter Pokémon: Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. Photo: The Pokémon Company
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
'Pokémon Go' Raid Update: Terrakion Counters and Every Boss Change
The next update for Pokémon Go will occur in the Raids, as another of the Swords of Justice joins the battle.
Terrakion, the bulky Rock and Fighting-type Legendary has begun appearing in Level 5 Raids in the popular mobile game, giving players another rare Pokémon to battle and catch. Similar to Cobalion, Terrakion will take quite a bit of teamwork to take down.
Pokémon Go will begin a new event on Wednesday, November 27 called Friend Fest that will boost the attacking power of your Pokémon if you enter a Raid with a friend, so gather your teammates and head into battle.
Terrakion will begin appearing in Raids starting Tuesday, November 26 at 4 p.m. EST until Tuesday, December 17 at 4 p.m. EST.
With the debut of Terrakion in Pokémon Go Raids, the rest of the Raids have also updated to feature different bosses. If you're looking to build a team to take on Terrakion, here's everything you need to know.
POKEMON GO TERRAKION COUNTERS
Terrakion is a Fighting and Rock-type Pokémon, which makes it weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Psychic, Steel, and Fairy-type attacks.
There are plenty of strong Psychic-type Pokémon options in Pokémon Go like Mewtwo, Latios and even non-Legendary Pokémon like the Metagross and Ralts lines.
Other Legendary Pokémon like Groudon and Kyogre are also great choices to take on Terrakion, as they both have Water and Ground-type attacks to combat this new Raid Boss. But if you're looking for non-Legendary options, some of the Starters like Venusaur and Swampert are great options. And there are plenty of Fighting-type Pokémon to use as well.
Here are some great options for your Pokémon team as you head into battle against Terrakion:
POKEMON GO RAID UPDATE
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
What Pokémon are you going to select to take on Terrakion? Which of the Swords of Justice are you looking forward to catching? Let us know in the comments section.
Black Friday 2019 Pokemon Deals: Sword And Shield, Poke Ball Plus, And More
Thanksgiving is nearly here, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019 are just around the corner. As usual, you'll be able to find some great deals on video games, consoles, and accessories during the big shopping days, including Nintendo's popular monster-catching franchise, Pokemon.
While the latest entries in the series, Pokemon Sword and Shield, may have only just launched on Nintendo Switch this month, you can already find the games for cheaper at Ebay with free shipping. That's not the only worthwhile deal available through the digital store. If you're interested in the new Pokemon games but don't yet have a Switch, you can pick up a Nintendo Switch Lite in your choice of color along with a copy of Pokemon Sword for $230--$30 off of their usual combined price.
Some older Pokemon games are also on sale ahead of Black Friday. You can pick up last year's Switch Pokemon titles, Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, for $43 each at Amazon, while Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon for 3DS are $23.09. And if you're in the market for a Poke Ball Plus, the accessory will be on sale for only $20 at various retailers as part of Nintendo's official Black Friday sale.
Those are just a few of the good Pokemon deals we've seen ahead of Black Friday 2019; we've rounded up even more below. We'll update this list with any additional Pokemon deals we find, so check back often as we get closer to Black Friday. You can also see even more of this year's best Black Friday deals across gaming, tech, and entertainment below.
Best Pokemon game deals
Pokemon Sword and Shield (Switch) Pokemon Sword & Shield | $48 ($60) The first Gen 8 Pokemon games take players to Galar, a picturesque region that's home to a variety of new and familiar Pokemon to catch and raise. While the games don't stray very far from the series' established formula, Sword and Shield introduce a handful of new features to help keep the experience fresh, including the Wild Area, an open-world locale where some incredibly strong Pokemon roam about. There are also some new battle mechanics to master like Dynamaxing, which temporarily supersizes a Pokemon during battle.
Right now, the cheapest place to buy Pokemon Sword and Shield is at Ebay, where you can get a brand-new copy for $48 with free shipping as part of the site's Black Friday sale.
Nintendo Switch Lite bundle with Pokemon Sword Nintendo Switch Lite + Pokemon Sword Bundle | $230 ($260) Nintendo's portable-focused Switch Lite runs for $200 by itself, but you can get it along with a copy of Pokemon Sword right now for $230--a $30 savings. You don't have to wait until Black Friday to take advantage of this deal, but you'll want to act soon if you're interested, as quantities are likely limited and probably won't last long.
While Sword and Shield take place in an entirely new region, last year's Pokemon games, Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee, instead reimagine the classic Pokemon Yellow version. The titles take players back to Kanto, the setting of the original Pokemon games, where you'll encounter the original 150 Pokemon and do battle against classic Gym Leaders like Brock and Misty. The games also take some influence from Pokemon Go, namely in terms of how you catch Pokemon; instead of battling wild monsters, you capture them by swinging your Joy-Con at the right time.
The final mainline Pokemon games to hit the 3DS, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are at their core upgraded versions of 2016's Sun and Moon versions. While the basic storyline generally remains the same, the Ultra games expand the narrative with a new subplot focusing on the Legendary Pokemon Necrozma. A new organization called the Ultra Recon Squad also figures into the story, and there are several new Ultra Beasts to catch as well. The games are already discounted at Amazon, but Best Buy will also have them on sale for $25 each during Black Friday.
Released alongside Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, the Poke Ball Plus is a Poke Ball-shaped accessory that works much like a Joy-Con. The controller is also compatible with the newly released Pokemon Sword and Shield, and it lets you take one of your Pokemon out with you on a walk and earn rewards. On top of that, each Poke Ball Plus comes with Mew as an added bonus, making it the only way you can obtain the Mythical Pokemon in Let's Go or Sword and Shield so far. The accessory normally runs for $50, but Best Buy, GameStop, Target and Amazon will all have it for only $20 during Black Friday.
Best Pokemon collectible deals
The Pokemon Adventures manga has been around since the earliest days of the series, continuing to this day. This box set includes the first seven volumes of the series. Volumes 1-3 follow the story of Red as he journeys around Kanto on a quest to become Pokemon League Champion, while volumes 4-7 take place two years later and star a new protagonist, the titular Yellow and her Pikachu.
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Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Pokémon Sword and Shield show the turbulent road to Internet and esports stardom
Back in the real world, the younger generation wants to be famous on YouTube when they grow up instead of astronauts. More and more, kids are looking up to streamers and esports heroes, or dreaming of going pro themselves. Sword and Shield are windows into that world: You’re an athlete at the top of your game, but you’re also saddled with all the attendant stress and uncertainty.
Game Freak itself has stated that examining sports culture was the team’s intent.
“In the UK, which serves as the inspiration for [Sword and Shield’s setting] the Galar region, sports like soccer and rugby are very popular and players compete to become the very best and lead their team to winning championships,†said game director Shigeru Ohmori in an interview on Pokémon’s official website. “This kind of sports journey is also a very popular genre in Japanese manga and anime, and we’re taking a similar approach with the story for these games.â€
Sword and Shield have similarities to traditional sports, but it expands to esports, too, especially because of the young age group that defines Pokémon trainers: It’s a world that puts child athletes on a pedestal. And along with that spotlight can come pressure, stress and toxicity.
For real-life Pokémon competitors Aaron Zheng and Wolfe Glick, the game reflects their own esports journeys in several ways. Zheng, who began competing at 10 years old, and Glick who started as a freshman in high school, have both found huge success in Pokémon tournaments. Glick won the Pokémon World Championships in 2016, and Zheng has won numerous regional and national championships. Having both played Sword, they connected to its themes of esports culture.
“I think this game is kind of unique because in the previous games, they always have like the Elite Four [the four rivals you normally have to beat], which has been a staple in the games," Zheng said. "But in this game, it was a little bit different where it’s a tournament. And it reminded me a lot of the [Pokémon] World Championships, where they call it the semifinals, and then the finals, and then you go up against the champion. And that was really cool.â€
For Glick, it wasn’t just themes and narrative that paralleled his real-life experience of playing Pokémon competitively. It was also meaningful to him that Game Freak put more emphasis on mechanics and items that are significant for competitive play. Combining all these elements, he said, feels like a perfect unison.
“Something I thought was really, really, really cool about these games is that for a really long time, Pokémon never really acknowledged the competitive scene [in-game]," Glick said. "Pokémon would never make any allusions to that. It just felt like it really wasn’t a priority; that Pokémon was for the main game and the competitive scene was an afterthought. But this was the first game for me that felt very different in a lot of ways.â€
In Sword and Shield, the player is made to feel like a star not just through your accomplishments, but in how the world treats you. With each battle you win, your fame grows astronomically. You stay in swanky hotels, go to extravagant dinners with the chairman of the league and get interviewed about your stardom from reporters who aim TV cameras at your face. Your fans, many of them children themselves, debate and criticize your strategies as you walk past, or tell you that they want to be just like you one day. This all begins, however, to feel like an insular world: Everywhere you turn, characters are talking about you, the championship and who they want to see triumph. That insular feeling can feel suffocating.
You’re a kid. Your character doesn’t have much of a voice â€" literally â€" outside of the rare moments where you can choose a line of dialogue. This adds to the feeling that you don’t have a choice or a say in whether you actually want to be a Pokémon master at all. It doesn’t matter. It’s expected of you.
And your pursuit can leave you feeling isolated. Your best friend Hop, for example, consistently puts your friendship second and the championship first. As the story progresses, Hop’s wavering self-esteem turns into more of a nervous breakdown. He is, after all, in the same predicament, and his brother is a Pokémon champion. It’s in his blood. If he isn’t the very best trainer, then what is he? Who is he?
Mental health problems have become prevalent in esports. In 2018, Justin “Plup†McGrath had a panic attack in front of millions. He came in third place in a Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament at the Evolution Championship Series, the world’s biggest fighting game tournament. Afterward, McGrath took to Twitter to explain that he had experienced his first-ever panic attack and candidly said that his anxiety had him worried about future tournament appearances.
Top esports players are no strangers to long hours beyond a standard 9-5 workweek. Given the high-stakes pressure to perform, many burn out in their 20s.
Zheng is working on his undergraduate degree at Columbia University, and Glick is a full-time consultant, so they both compete in Pokémon on a part-time basis and as a hobby. But even without the same intensity that pro players in esports leagues experience, Zheng and Glick say mental health and balance are a necessity. And it’s not always easy, especially when they both have large followings (Zheng has 74,000 subscribers on YouTube, and Glick has 69,000).
“I think Wolfe and I have been playing for a very long time, and we’ve absolutely felt either burnt out or pressure, because I think as two of the more public figures in the community, you know, whenever you do well, it’s celebrated by a lot of people,†Zheng said. “And the more in the public eye you are, the more often you’re criticized, the more people talk about your performances. That can be kind of rough.â€
Because of burnout, Zheng transitioned out of competing in recent years and into casting for the Pokémon Company International.
“I’d gone to a bunch of international events and I really didn’t do very well,†he said. “And that kind of led me to reevaluate everything. I asked myself why I was competing, and what my priorities were.â€
Sword and Shield don’t exactly delve into mental health in an in-depth manner, but it’s subtly touched upon. Halfway through the game, Hop has a breakdown and feels inadequate because his skills aren’t where he wants them to be. His character arc never fully resolves these issues, which is a shame, but it’s fascinating to see a series that’s generally been apolitical touch upon the subject at all.
“It’s crazy, the mental pressure you have to deal with, not only when you’re playing, but from all the fans and all the criticism that you get as well," Zheng said. "So it absolutely exists in our scene as well, even though it’s a little bit smaller. I think just the pressure of wanting to do well yourself is already enough.â€
Being in the spotlight can be polarizing and add complications, especially when a fan base resorts to harmful behavior. Sword and Shield’s story has a version of a toxic fan base called Team Yell. Team Yell’s attempts to stop you are childish and, at worst, frustrating, but it has a similar anatomy of an Internet mob. Its members see their favorite trainer, Marnie, as an untouchable luminary. Their admiration twists into overzealous obsession: From their point of view, she’s the justification for their wrongdoing, and she herself can do no wrong.
Internet toxicity can have serious ramifications. When Toronto-based culture writer Wanna Thompson criticized Nicki Minaj’s music on Twitter last year, for example, she was harassed by an army of superfans who insulted, degraded and threatened her on various platforms. Of course, we don’t see anything nearly as drastic in Sword and Shield. It’s a Pokémon game, after all, but it has fascinating themes relating to the topic.
Glick has faced similar harassment depending on his performance in competitions.
“Our community can be really critical, because Pokémon is a game where someone can win and maybe it’s not as always clear like how high their skill is,†Glick said. “There’s a lot of just general bitterness within the community. There’s a lot of mockery and a lot of trying to tear other people down. So that in particular is taking a toll on me recently because I’ve been the subject of some of that."
Sword and Shield’s themes of sports culture and Internet toxicity bring a welcome change of pace to the story and overall feel of the game, and while they’re not deep enough to truly be a statement, the fact that they exist sparks excitement for the series’s future.
“I love the game,†Glick said. “I think this is the most fun I’ve had playing through a Pokémon game just casually in a long time. It might be my favorite one ever, honestly."
Nearing the end of my play-through of Shield, I entered the final gym and thought about the culmination of these themes: Team Yell’s toxicity and what it means for Marnie, Hop’s breakdown and what his future would hold, and the pressure facing my own character as a child athlete. I was going to make it. I was going to be the very best. But I couldn’t overlook all my character had endured to reach the top. As Glick and Zheng know, the costs of the climb are very real.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Who Leaked ‘Sword And Shield’ Secrets? Pokémon Lawyers Want To Catch ’Em All
Pokemon Company International is chasing four unknown individuals who leaked monster info on Discord ... [+] and 4Chan.
David McNew/Getty ImagesLawyers for the Pokémon game developer are hunting down unidentified individuals in America who leaked Sword and Shield game information before its release, a new lawsuit has revealed.
Pokémon Company International is particularly peeved at people who posted pictures of previously unseen Pokémon from the Sword and Shield strategy guide on Discord and 4Chan earlier this month. The pictures were also shared on mainstream social social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and Imgur as well as on popular video game sites Polygon and Dot Esports. In total, the developer found 300 Web pages on “dozens of platforms that linked to websites containing the leaked Strategy Guide pictures,†according to the suit.
The Pokémon leaks started on November 1, when a picture of a new Pokémon, Gigantamax Machamp, appeared on Discord. (The Gigantamax versions of Pokémon are given extra power before a battle, a new feature in the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games). Just 17 minutes later, the image was shared on 4Chan. Ten minutes later it was on Reddit. Another 18 pictures appeared on Discord, a site that started out as a gamers forum but has been abused by a number of criminal types, from child abusers to hackers.
Lawyers from Perkins Coie (a firm previously hired by Google and other tech giants) wrote that the leaks had caused “irreparable injury†to Pokémon and that the company “is entitled to damages in an amount to be proven at trial.â€
Pokémon Company International isn’t suing any named individuals as yet, simply naming the defendants as “John/Jane Does†in its suit, posted Friday. It has identified four Discord users, though, after it hired outside forensic experts to hunt down the leakers. One is believed to be the person who supplied the images to the other defendants, who posted or helped post the photos online. However, as it hasnâ€t been able to identify the people behind the monikers, Pokémon wants to serve subpoenas on Discord and 4chan to get their help in tracking down the leakers. It’s awaiting the court’s decision.
It’s the second time in two months that a major gaming company has taken to court to deal with a leak. In October, Fortnite developers sued an individual alleging he spilled secrets about its upcoming Chapter 2 release.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Pokémon Sword and Shield: Nintendo Switch's fastest selling game
Gamer playing Pokémon Sword and Shield
Have you played Pokémon Sword and Shield yet?
Well if not you will probably heard of it as it's become Nintendo's fastest-selling switch game of all time.
Believe it or not the game was only launched last week - and already six million games have already been sold.
What is all the fuss about?
In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, players go on a journey through the Galar region, where they'll catch, battle and trade a variety of Pokémon.
They'll also meet a lots of different characters and unravel the mystery behind the Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta.
The games also introduce players to some brand new characters and ways to battle.
Players can select to be Grookey, Scorbunny or Sobble
Have you had a go yet? What do you think of the games?
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
'Pokémon Sword and Shield' Shiny Rates, Brilliant Pokémon and Chain Fishing Officially Revealed
Almost a week after the release of The Pokémon Company has revealed new information about Shiny Rates and Brilliant Pokémon, a new feature in the Gen 8 games.
The official Pokémon website posted information that trainers should know regarding a few features in Sword and Shield. There's stuff about the Wild Area and Max Raid Battles, but we're going to focus on the Brilliant and Shiny Pokémon for now.
Here's what was revealed in the latest blog post.
SHINY POKEMON HUNTING AND RATES
Before the release of Sword and Shield, dataminers discovered how Shiny Pokémon are determined with rates and a new form of Shiny Hunting.
However, The Pokémon Company revealed that the more Pokémon you battle/catch, the higher the chance a Brilliant or Shiny Pokémon will appear. For those that don't know the term, Brilliant Pokémon are Pokémon in the overworld that have a yellow aura around them.
Brilliant Pokémon have at least one Egg Move as well as some perfect IVs. Trainers will also receive some Watts for catching/defeating these Pokémon.
The Pokémon Company confirmed that the more of a specific species you battle, the higher the chance a Brilliant or Shiny Pokémon will appear. The blog post also confirmed that the battles don't have to be consecutive, so you can continue to rack up encounters on your playthrough without much fuss.
Here are the exact rates of finding Brilliant and Shiny Pokémon:
At least one Brilliant Pokémon may appear At least 20 Brilliant Pokémon have 1.3× the likelihood of appearing At least 50 Brilliant Pokémon have 1.6× the likelihood of appearing, and Shiny Pokémon have 2× the likelihood of appearing At least 100 Brilliant Pokémon have 2× the likelihood of appearing, and Shiny Pokémon have 3× the likelihood of appearing At least 200 Shiny Pokémon have 4× the likelihood of appearing At least 300 Shiny Pokémon have 5× the likelihood of appearing At least 500 Shiny Pokémon have 6× the likelihood of appearingCHAIN FISHING
Chain Fishing was a Shiny Hunting method in Gen 6, but it's making a return in Sword and Shield but for Brilliant Pokémon.
Trainers will be able to fish in Sword and Shield early on their adventure, and, if they build a streak, Brilliant Pokémon are more likely to appear. Unlike the battle streaks, Chain Fishing in Pokémon Sword and Shield only works if you build a streak and it's lost once you fail to reel in a Pokémon. If you catch a Pokémon, leave the area or turn off the game, your streak will stop.
Here's the rate of Chain Fishing to get a Brilliant Pokémon:
Successful hooks Effects on future encounters 0–2 Brilliant Pokémon may appear 3–6 Brilliant Pokémon have 1.3× the likelihood of appearing 7–14 Brilliant Pokémon have 3.3× the likelihood of appearing 15–24 Brilliant Pokémon have 6.6× the likelihood of appearing 25+ Brilliant Pokémon have 16.6× the likelihood of appearingPokémon Sword and Shield are available now for Nintendo Switch.
Are you enjoying the Gen 8 games so far? What do you think of Brilliant Pokémon? Let us know in the comments section.
Pokemon Sword & Shield Max Raid Guide
Pokemon Sword and Shield mark the eighth generation of Pokemon games, and they of course introduce new features and Pokemon to the series. One of the biggest additions is the Wild Area, an open-world stretch of land in which you and wild Pokemon can roam freely. It covers the space between the bottom part of the map and Motostoke and then extends up along the eastern side of Motostoke to Hammerlocke. This space is home to a wide variety of Pokemon that come and go with the weather, and you'll even encounter Pokemon so powerful that you won't be able to fight them at first.
On top of that, the Wild Area is also home to the new Max Raids. These 4v1 battles pit you and three other players (or NPCs) against one Dynamaxed Pokemon, which is both enormous and extra powerful. They start out easy, but make no mistake--the high-level raids can be intensely challenging. Here's everything you need to know about Max Raids.
Playing OnlineFirst things first--you can do raids solo with NPCs, but it's a lot easier with at least one other real person. By pressing Y and going to the social screen, you can connect to the internet and interact with other people online. From this screen, you can join other people's raids provided they're seeking help and there's still room. In order to invite others to your raid, you have to initiate a raid from a den and select "invite others," and other players can join both locally and online.
Max Raid BasicsRaid Pokemon are separate from the powerful Pokemon you see walking around. You have to go up to a raid den to start a raid--you'll know a Pokemon is inside if there's a red or pinkish-purple beam of light shooting out of it. When you interact with the den, you'll see a screen showing the silhouette of the raid Pokemon and its type so you can prepare. Max Raids vary in challenge from one star to five stars, which will be indicated on this screen as well.
In a Max Raid, four players fight one Dynamaxed (or Gigantamaxed) Pokemon. By virtue of being Dynamaxed, these Pokemon get boosts to their moves and stats, and they will often move twice in a row or put up shields. If you defeat the raid Pokemon, you get a chance to catch it. You can decide whether you want to do the raid solo (with three NPCs) or search for other players locally or online; each person only brings one Pokemon. The battle is over when 10 turns go by or Pokemon faint four times--a fainted Pokemon will automatically be revived after a turn, so it could be any combination of Pokemon fainting, even if it's the same Pokemon fainting multiple times.
One Pokemon on your side is allowed to Dynamax during the raid. The player who initiated the raid has the opportunity to Dynamax first, but if they don't, the Dynamax power moves to the next person on the list (including NPCs) until someone uses it. While the raid Pokemon will be Dynamaxed the whole time, the Pokemon on your side will only remain Dynamaxed for three turns as normal.
If you defeat the Pokemon, you have a chance to catch it. If you defeat it and fail to catch it due to bad luck, the Pokemon will be gone (though you still get all the other rewards, like berries and TRs); if you simply lose, you can try again from the same raid den. You can use a Wishing Piece, which you can find or buy from various Wild Area vendors using Watts, to trigger a raid even if the den is currently empty, though it may not even be the same species of Pokemon.
Max Raid Battle TipsMax Raid battles themselves work mostly like normal battles. Each of the five Pokemon on the field will move according to their speed stat, though the raid Pokemon gets to cheat and use moves multiple times in a turn. After it's been damaged a bit, the raid Pokemon will put up a shield, which can take anywhere from two to six hits to break down; this shield blocks it from most damage and all status effects. A Max move from a Dynamaxed Pokemon on your side will take down two shield slots, though moves that hit multiple times, like Fury Swipes or Double Kick, will only break one shield slot.
The raid Pokemon will occasionally nullify all stat changes on your side of the field, so powerup moves like Dragon Dance aren't recommended. Instead, super-effective attacks are your best bet, as strong ones will usually cause a bit of damage even through a shield. Breaking a shield will damage the Pokemon and lower its defenses, too, so you'll want to prioritize breaking the shield with standard attacks rather than using something like Helping Hand to power up an ally's moves.
You're also better off using a move with middling damage over an all-out move that causes damage to the user, like Wild Charge. Staying alive is paramount, as four faints will get you tossed out of the raid den, so moves that heal allies, like Life Dew, can be helpful too--you can only use items from your bag to heal your own Pokemon.
For especially tough raids, you should also take into account the raid Pokemon's stats--Turtonator, for example, has extremely high defense but much lower special defense (on average), so using special attacks can make all the difference.
Wishing Pieces And Triggering More RaidsOnly a few dens in the Wild Area will be "active" at a time. If you want to trigger a raid encounter at an inactive den, you can throw a Wishing Piece in it to instantly spawn a raid Pokemon. You can buy Wishing Pieces from various vendors around the Wild Area--see our guide on Watts and where to spend them for more details.
Each raid den has a set of Pokemon that can spawn there, and some only spawn during specific weather patterns. Wishing Pieces are useful for initiating a raid at a specific den, but if you just want more raids, you can also complete all the existing raids, at which point more will pop up throughout the Wild Area--and at least one should be a strong purple pillar of light, which signals a rare Pokemon.
Rare Pokemon, Gigantamax Forms, And Purple Beams Of LightThe Pokemon you catch in raids are much likelier to have perfect stats and hidden abilities, and the likelihood goes up as the difficulty of the raid goes up. Every five-star raid Pokemon I've caught has had several perfect stats, and the maximum I've seen is five out of six perfect stats from a raid. You might also see a strong purple pillar of light instead of the usual red one; that means the raid Pokemon there is more likely to be a rare spawn, and there are some rare Pokemon you can only find in raids.
At the five-star tier, you may also encounter Gigantamax Pokemon, which are individual Pokemon of select species that change forms when Dynamaxed. See our Gigantamax guide for more details on how to find these Pokemon.
Friday, November 22, 2019
'Pokémon Sword And Shield' Reached A Whopping 6 Million Copies In Sales Globally In One Week
The latest and greatest 'Pokémon' entries are finally here. 'Pokémon Sword and Shield' have landed on Nintendo Switch, and fans of all stripes can't wait to get their hands on them, even despite a kerfuffle over cut Pokémon and other complaints from fans.
Together, the games have sold over 6 million units globally, with 2 million attributed to Japan alone. This makes the games a bigger success, as such, than 'Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee,' which only managed to sell 3 million in their first week. Comparatively, 'Pokémon X and Y' sold 4 million in the same timeframe. 'Pokémon Sword and Shield' has also managed to surpass 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,' which sold around 5 million units.
According to The Pokémon Company's official announcement, this is a record-breaking new accomplishment for the Nintendo Switch system as a whole. The new wave of 'Pokémon' games has proven that fans are indeed interested, and are hungrily burning through the games. As analyst Daniel Ahmad noted about the sales, the games are already part of the top 10 best-selling Switch titles across the world. If the titles continue to sell at their current rate, they're projected to sell more copies than both 'Let's Go' games around Q1 2020.
Pokémon Sword and Shield star three starter Pokémon: Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. Photo: The Pokémon Company
However, 'Sword and Shield' still pale in comparison to one of the earlier 'Pokémon' titles that released ahead of these new Switch entries. 'Pokémon Sun and Moon' on Nintendo 3DS sold around 7.2 million in just its first week on sale. It's clear that this new duo of 'Pokémon' titles are set to do big numbers, at least for the foreseeable future if they continue to sell around the same rate.
'Pokémon Sword and Shield' are the first "core" entries in the 'Pokémon' series, transporting players to a new location called Galar. While there, players can capture several new monsters, use special attacks called Dynamaxing, and compete in knock-down, drag-out gym competitions. There's a lot to do for both new and old fans of the series, which likely has contributed to the sales numbers for these entries.
Both games are available now as Nintendo Switch exclusives.
Nintendo Switch Pokémon bundle deals are finally live on Amazon
A new generation of Pokémon is coming to the Nintendo Swi tch and Switch Lite. Image: Amazon
By Joseph GreenMashable Shopping2019-11-21 07:05:49 -0800TL;DR: Get the Nintendo Switch Lite, Pokémon Shield or Pokémon Sword, and a sticker set for £219 on Amazon.
Please don't panic, but Amazon has finally dropped impressive Nintendo Switch bundles for Black Friday. OK, maybe you should panic a bit.
Nobody can say for sure how quickly these bundles are going to sell, but a similar offer on Currys PC World cleared out stocks in a matter of days, so we reckon these will go in a flash. You'll have to act fast to avoid missing out.
The best bundle deal available right now on Amazon is the Nintendo Switch Lite, Pokémon Shield or Pokémon Sword, and sticker set for £219. This deal is exclusive to Amazon, and pretty much blows everything else out of the water.
The Nintendo Switch Lite is a compact, lightweight addition to the Nintendo Switch family with integrated controls for gaming on the go. It’s perfect for people who have lots of opportunities to play outside and also for anyone who wants to play online or local wireless multiplayer with friends who already own a Nintendo Switch console.
Grab this deal before it's too late.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
'Pokémon Sword and Shield' Sell 6 Million Units Globally in its First Weekend
Pokémon Sword and Shield, the latest installment to the franchise, made a huge splash in its first weekend, becoming the highest-grossing and fastest-selling Pokémon games in U.S. history.
According to Nintendo's internal numbers, Sword and Shield sold more than 6 million units worldwide during its launch weekend. The 6 million is a sell-through number, meaning that's how many people actually bought the games physically and digitally, not just how many units were shipped to retailers.
This sales figure is active from Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17.
Nintendo also revealed that Pokémon Sword and Shield sold more than 2 million units in its first two days on sale in the U.S., making the Gen 8 games the fastest-selling in the franchise's history in that region.
"This past weekend, millions of people began their Pokémon journeys through the new Galar region," said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing in a press release. "With such a momentous launch, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield have proven to be two of the must-have games this holiday season."
To put the numbers into perspective, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee sold 3 million units in its first week while Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sold 5 million during its launch window. This makes Sword and Shield one of the fastest-selling titles on the Nintendo Switch in the console's two-year history.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate took 11 days to sell 3 million units in the U.S., which Sword and Shield will surpass in short order.
These Sword and Shield sales figures may be a bit shocking to some, as the leadup to the launch was marred by controversy. Chief among the hubub was the "Dexit" controversy, when Game Freak confirmed during E3 2019 that not every existing Pokémon would be included in Sword and Shield.
There is also ongoing controversy regarding claims that models and animations were re-used from 2016's Sun and Moon despite Game Freak suggesting otherwise in translated interviews.
Sword and Shield, despite what some vocal few in the Pokémon Community felt, suggest the general public was more than a little curious to see how the franchise would make the leap into a home console. As we said in our review, the Switch's capabilities make Sword and Shield and the Galar region feel more alive than in any other Pokémon game before it.
Pokémon Sword and Shield are available now for Nintendo Switch.
Did you pick up Pokémon Sword or Shield? Let us know your thoughts on the sale numbers in the comments section.
Pokemon Sword And Shield: How To Evolve Applin Into Flapple And Appletun
There are a number of Pokemon with branching evolution trees, in which various factors can determine if a Pokemon evolves into one form or another. Gloom, for example, can either evolve into Vileplume via a Leaf Stone or Bellossom via a Sun Stone. Pokemon Sword and Shield introduce a new Pokemon with a branching evolution line, but uniquely, it evolves differently based on which version you're playing.
That's only sort of correct, though. Sword and Shield each have an exclusive evolutionary item, and each one can be used to get a different evolution of the grass/dragon Pokemon Applin. In Sword, you can get a Tart Apple to evolve Applin into Flapple, and in Shield, you can use a Sweet Apple to evolve it into Appletun. As the names would imply, this family is all apple-themed. All you have to do is use the Apple on an Applin like an evolutionary stone.
There's a boy on the west side of Hammerlocke who will clue you in to how to evolve Applin, and he'll even give you the respective Apple item. You can also find either a Tart or Sweet Apple under a tree on Axew's Eye in the Wild Area, and they're also one of the many sweets-related rewards for victory at the Battle Cafes in Motostoke, Hammerlocke, and Wyndon. While we haven't been able to test it yet, we assume that you can give an Apple to any other Pokemon to trade with a friend and get the other version's item in your game so you can evolve your Applin as you please. We'll update this story when we can confirm if it works.
For more on Gen 8, check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield review. We also have guides on other strange evolutions of new Pokemon, including Milcery/Alcremie, Galarian Linoone/Obstagoon, and Sinistea/Polteageist.
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Now Playing: Pokemon Sword And Shield Video Review
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Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Reviewing Pokemon Sword & Shield
The newest installment in the Pokemon franchise, Sword & Shield has arrived on the Switch. Despite complaints online about graphics, Pokedexes and more, the game has been reviewing well. Senior Editor of Android Central, Russell Holly joins Cheddar Esports to give us his thoughts on the new game.
Roku devices crashing due to Pokémon Sword and Shield: Here’s a temporary fix
Update 11/18: Roku has released a fix for the Pokémon Sword and Shield issue.
Pokémon Sword and Shield, which launched for the Nintendo Switch on November 15, is causing trouble in some players' homes as the game is reportedly causing Roku devices to crash.
The issue was raised by a Redditor who goes by the name MazInger-Z, who started a thread on the official sub-Reddit. He said that the Roku device in their house started acting up, and upon looking through social media, found many others who were suddenly experiencing the problem. The theory was that the errors, which primarily affected Roku sticks, were caused by an update.
The true cause, however, was not the latest update to the Roku devices, but rather Pokémon Sword and Shield on the Nintendo Switch. When his wife started playing the new Pokémon game, his Roku device crashed. He then tried a solution that he found online, which was to place the Nintendo Switch in Airplane Mode while playing the game.
The solution apparently worked. His Roku device booted up right away and remained stable throughout the day. Fortunately, he and his wife had backgrounds in software development, so they were able to dig into the issue a bit deeper.
An analysis run by MazInger-Z's wife through Wireshark, an open-source tool used for network troubleshooting, revealed that the console keeps repeating attempts to look for other Nintendo Switch units playing Pokémon Sword and Shield. At that point, the Roku device crashes and enters a boot loop, as it tries to read the packet that the Nintendo Switch is sending out.
Roku is apparently already aware of the issue, as it has responded to a similar post on its official sub-Reddit. The problem is affecting a limited number of Roku devices, and the company confirmed that setting the Nintendo Switch to Airplane Mode, or turning it off completely, is a temporary solution until it rolls out a permanent fix.
Causing Roku devices to crash appears to be a random issue for a video game. It just so happens to be linked to Pokémon Sword and Shield, which has drawn immense controversy for various reasons, including developer Game Freak's decision to not allow all Pokémon to be imported into the new titles. In response to the negativity, fans recently banded together to express their gratitude, with #ThankYouGameFreak going viral.
Editors' RecommendationsTuesday, November 19, 2019
'Pokémon Sword and Shield' Shiny Hunting Guide: How to Find Rare Pokémon
Shiny Pokémon are a huge part of the franchise, and with each new game the method to finding them are sometimes changed.
While other methods remain the same, Pokémon Sword and Shield brings some elements of Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee into its Shiny Hunting methods and the rates have been discovered.
The rate of finding Shiny Pokémon is increased when obtaining the Shiny Charm. To obtain the Shiny Charm, trainers will need to fill their PokeDex and talk to the game developer in Circhester.
Here's everything you need to know about Shiny Pokémon in Sword and Shield and how to catch one.
POKEMON SWORD AND SHIELD NEW SHINY HUNTING METHOD
As we alluded to, the new Shiny Hunting method in Pokémon Sword and Shield is similar to the "catch combo" in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee.
However, instead of increasing your combo by catching Pokémon you can increase it in Sword and Shield by battling Pokémon. While the specifics of this "battle combo" have yet to be determined, the more consecutive Pokémon of the same species you faint the higher the chance of encountering a Shiny Pokémon.
It's unclear how this combo can break and we'll update with information as we learn more.
Here are the rates of Shiny Pokémon in Sword and Shield using this new method:
Number of Pokémon Chance with Chain Count (0-2) Chance with Chain Count (3-6) Chance with Chain Count (7-14) Chance with Chain Count (15-25) Chance with Chain Count (25+) Rate w/o Shiny Charm Rate w/ Shiny Charm 1 1.5% 3.5% 6.5% 13.5% 31.5% 1 in 2048 1 in 1024 20 2.0% 4.0% 7.0% 14.0% 32.0% 1 in 2048 1 in 1024 50 2.5% 4.5% 7.5% 14.5% 32.5% 1 in 1365.333 1 in 819.2 100 3.0% 5.0% 8.0% 15.0% 33.0% 1 in 1024 1 in 682.6667 200 3.0% 5.0% 8.0% 15.0% 33.0% 1 in 819.2 1 in 585.1429 300 3.0% 5.0% 8.0% 15.0% 33.0% 1 in 682.6667 1 in 512 500 3.0% 5.0% 8.0% 15.0% 33.0% 1 in 585.1429 1 in 455.1111RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
Of course, the most tried and true method of finding Shiny Pokémon in Sword and Shield is via a random encounter. It should be noted that Shiny Pokémon don't appear in the overworld sprites, but can once you interact with the Pokémon similar to how it's done in Pokémon Go.
The chance of finding a Shiny Pokémon randomly in Sword and Shield is the same as in X and Y, 1 in 4096 or 1 in 1365.33 with the Shiny Charm.
MASUDA METHOD
Another way to get a Shiny Pokémon in Sword and Shield is the Masuda Method. This method revolves around breeding two Pokémon from different regions.
Each Pokémon captured has the region of the world the Nintendo Switch is located, with the country found in the upper right hand corner of the info screen. To obtain a Pokémon from another region, you can trade with someone via Link Trade but it's much easier using the Surprise Trade function.
Once you leave two compatible Pokémon from different regions, there's a chance that Pokémon will hatch as a Shiny. The rate for a Masuda Shiny Pokémon is 1 in 682.7 and 1 in 512 with the Shiny Charm.
Pokémon Sword and Shield is available now for Nintendo Switch.
Which Shiny Hunting method is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section.
Roku releases fix after new Pokémon games for Nintendo Switch cause crashing issues
Playing the latest Pokémon games might send your Roku hardware into a fritz. It's been confirmed by Roku that Pokémon Sword and Shield are causing interference issues for some of the company's products. The problem can be severe enough to crash Roku hardware or send Roku TVs into a boot loop. Players started noticing problems over the weekend, and CNET also reported on the issue. Thankfully, a fix was quickly rolled out this morning.
"We are aware of an issue when using Nintendo Switch and the latest Pokémon game impacting a limited number of Roku devices," a Roku spokesperson told The Verge by email. "We are rolling out a software update to resolve it and impacted users can check for the update by going into Settings > System > Software Update."
Affected devices include select Roku streaming sticks and Roku TVs from brands such as Insignia. A nearby Switch running the games is all that's necessary for some Roku owners to run into trouble — even if the console isn't in their actual home or apartment.
Roku has published instructions for updating to the fixed firmware. If your product is currently stuck in a boot loop, the company recommends turning off your Switch (or putting it into airplane mode) and then powering your Roku on to get back up and running, after which you can install the update.
The leading theory for why this problem arose is Pokemon Sword and Shield's constant search for nearby Switch consoles and players. The data they send out to detect Switches is apparently very close to Roku's own, and this familiar code is what threw a wrench into things.
Pokémon sends a network discovery packet to each device on port 26037. Roku also listen on that port for LAN based updates so that multiple devices on the same network can update each other. It was an obvious decision. Saved Roku around a quarter million dollars in CDN traffic costs. Roku is popular in the commercial space where it's often used as a media source to control sometimes 100s of TVs on the same network. It just so happens that Pokémon's network discovery packet shares the exact same bytes as Roku's signed bytecode to reboot.
The odds are astronomically low. We could have wound up with an alien planet full of Justin Timberlake clones, but the universe decided this was our colossal fluke.
Sometimes there are just those really bizarre bugs that no one saw coming.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Pokemon Sword & Shield: Which Pokemon Evolve Using Which Stones?
Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now on Nintendo Switch. The Gen 8 games feature a variety of new and returning Pokemon, and just as before, many of them can only evolve by using certain elemental stones. On top of the traditional Water, Fire, and Leaf Stones, Game Freak has introduced a number of new evolutionary stones to the series over the years, such as the Dawn Stone and Dusk Stone. If you're not sure which monsters evolve using these items, we've outlined all the evolutionary stones in Sword and Shield and the Pokemon that require them below.
Which Pokemon Evolve With Which Stones? Evolutionary Stone Pokemon Water Stone Lombre -> Ludicolo, Shellder -> Cloyster, Eevee -> Vaporeon Fire Stone Vulpix -> Ninetales, Growlithe -> Arcanine, Eevee -> Flareon Leaf Stone Nuzleaf -> Shiftry, Gloom -> Vileplume, Eevee -> Leafeon Thunder Stone Pikachu -> Raichu, Eevee -> Jolteon Ice Stone Eevee -> Glaceon, Galarian Darumaka -> Galarian Darmanitan Moon Stone Clefairy -> Clefable, Munna -> Musharna Sun Stone Gloom -> Bellossom, Cottonee -> Whimsicott, Helioptile -> Heliolisk Dawn Stone Snorunt (female) -> Froslass, Kirlia (male) -> Gallade Dusk Stone Lampent -> Chandelure, Doublade -> Aegislash Shiny Stone Minccino -> Cinccino, Roselia -> Roserade, Togetic -> Togekiss Where To Find Evolutionary StonesThere are a couple of reliable ways to find evolutionary stones in Sword and Shield. Each day, you can find different stones behind the boulders in the Lake of Outrage, so it's a good idea to return to the area often to pick them up. You can also give 500 Watts--a new type of currency in Sword and Shield--to the Digging Duo near the Pokemon Nursery in Bridge Field to have them excavate items. The items they can dig up typically include evolutionary stones, so you'll want to collect as many Watts as you can and visit the duo often to stock up.
There are a lot of other features to dig into in Pokemon Sword and Shield. If you're just getting started on your Pokemon journey, check out our other Sword and Shield guides below for more helpful tips. For our full thoughts on the new Pokemon games, be sure to read our Pokemon Sword and Shield review.
Pokemon Sword & Shield GuidesGameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
Pokémon Sword and Shield review-in-progress — A warm and comfy, but mild, curry
Pokémon Sword and Shield are showing that a good game can overcome one's up-and-down (mostly down) history with a franchise, and that you're never too old to embrace something your children enjoy.
And embrace Pokémon Shield, I have.
Releasing November 15 in stores, online retailers, and the Nintendo eShop, Pokémon Sword and Shield show that the Game Freak studio and Nintendo have made the right call in finally bringing one of the main games in this long-lived, beloved series to its main console. It's great on the TV, and it's fun in the Switch's handheld mode as well. It makes clever use of the Switch's motion controls and detachable controller, doesn't forget the PokéBall still exists, and is bright and colorful, whether on your TV or as in portable mode. It's fantastic to play with kids, either sharing the controller or having them help you (or you help them) with strategies and the strengths and weaknesses of each critter you encounter.
And turning your cute little Pokémon into giant monsters with crushing abilities is a hoot. As someone who's also dived deep into Magic: The Gathering in recent months, I appreciate how you can still see Pokémon's card game counterpart in the video game.
After a little more than 30 hours in my PokéBall, I've found Pokémon Shield to not only be a fun game I can enjoy with my children but also as a challenge as I learn the different Pokémon, the best teams to create, and how to use my items to get the most out of my monsters (the Pokémon, not the kids, in case there were any confusion here). I'm eager to play online, but servers haven't been turned on during the review period.
What you'll like (so far)It's comfy and filling
Above: Yamper looks like a corgi with a pug head. He's a good doggo.
Image Credit: GamesBeatEvery mainline Pokémon game that comes out is somebody's first — let's remember, the target audience are children. In my case, this is my second main Pokémon game, and the first in which I've enjoyed (I like Let's Go Pikachu as well).
And I find it has a great deal to like. It's got a familiar play loop that's similar to most other RPGs — you go explore a new region, fight and catch Pokémon, take on the gym challenges and its leader, and repeat. Along the way, you find cool items that help your critters level up, giving them better stats or new moves. The Pokémon evolve and grow as they gain more experience from battles, asking if you want to give them new abilities.
If Sword and Shield were just about that, I'd still like it. But I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed camping. This is kinda like taking a break while you're out exploring and battling wild Pokémon. You set up a camp, and you can play with your Pokémon and/or cook for them. Playing with them makes them happier and friendlier toward you, which pays off when you're in combat. Cooking for them heals them.
Cooking has you mixing main ingredients and berries, which also heal or buff your little friends. And Game Freak makes good use of the Joy-Cons' motion-sensing capabilities. You fan the flame under your pot to make a variety of curries, and you can either press a button or move the Joy-Con up-and-down as fast as you can. To stir, you either rotate the right stick or you use the controller as a spoon, stirring in the air. This old fart found this fun, either with a traditional controls or by making motions, and my children loved it. My youngest would cackle as while stirring the pot.
You can also ride around on a bike and take part in races. You can take a pair of male and female Pokémon of the same breed to a nursery, and they'll lay eggs (mine haven't hatched yet).
And just learning the strengths and weaknesses of Pokémon feels like a bit of a game as well. My kids have a bunch of Pokémon books with lists and lists of the monsters, and as we encountered new beasts, they'd look them up to see their what they're strong against — and what they were vulnerable to. It's easy to see how Wizards of the Coast first adapted the video game to the card-game format, and building your team feels just like planning a roster for the tabletop. It also reminds me of putting together a sideboard for a Magic: The Gathering deck.
I found all of this satisfying and enjoyable. Combat only felt like a grind when I was tired, fighting late at night.
Dynamax Pokémon
Above: Dynamax Pokémon loom over the battlefield.
Image Credit: GamesBeatThe only thing I like better than small, cute monsters are giant, cute monsters. Sword and Shield introduces a new mechanic called Dynamax, in which you use a special energy to make your creatures humongous for three turns. They get powerful, use flashy Max Moves when they fight. It's cool to see your Scobble use a Max water move to flood the battlefield.
You use these in fights against trainers, but Dynamax is at its best in the Wild Area. Here, a bunch of dens dot the landscape, each glowing pink. A Dynamax Pokémon lives in each, and when you fight them, you're joined by either some AI-controlled trainers or others online (I couldn't test it, as the servers were down, but I'm eager to once they're live). These trainers help you with the fight, and the rewards are fantastic — a lot of candy and other items that help your Pokemon grow and earn new abilities.
And it's just pretty awesome to see a giant Pokémon loom over you and any allies.
What you won't like (so far)Lack of PokéBall transparency
Just because the series has been around for decades doesn't mean every (relative) newcomer knows how it works. As I went through the Galar region, I'd come to places in which I couldn't catch some or all of the Pokémon in it, even if I had the proper gym badges to capture critters of that level or lower (in this case, I could catch Pokémon up to level 30, but these level 23 buggers just weren't cooperating).
I found this to be frustrating. I'd use balls that gave me bonuses to catch specific types of Pokémon, but they still didn't work. I'm sure, hidden somewhere, the game had some feedback for me on what I could catch and couldn't catch. But I'd be damned if I could find it.
Weird-looking Dynamax Pokémon
When some of your Pokémon grow giant after using the Dynamax power on them, they look a little … off. Some of it could be just the angles of the animation model (after all, you're not used to these things looming over a battlefield). Some of the lines on the fishlike Pokémon look off as well.
Conclusion
Above: Every time I camped and cooked, I got hungry.
Image Credit: GamesBeatPokémon Sword and Shield reminds me of how I feel whenever I play a turn-based RPG — like someone is wrapping me in a warm blanket straight out of the dryer, or that satisfied feeling you get from eating a slice of yellow cake fresh out of the oven after slathering butter on top of it.
It's great, and we love that feeling. But it also isn't innovative, and while the Dynamax battles are cool, they don't feel like a major innovation. They're fun, they're cool to watch, and they're satisfying, just like that piece of cake.
Now, I know some fans are upset that it doesn't have the full PokéDex of past games. I don't miss it, as I don't know all of those Pokémon. I've encountered the few I love while watching the anime with my kids — that loveable doofus Wobbuffet, the big and burly Diggersby (my boys love it when I bellow "DIGGERSBY" in the low country drawl from the show). And my kids are thrilled with every Pokémon that shows up in the tall grass, a trainer battle, or on the business end of my fishing rod.
That's because every main Pokémon is somebody's first. And Sword and Shield do a great job of introducing the world of Pokémon to people while pairing it with everything that makes the series comfortable and warm to most of its longtime fans.
Even if it's not a spicy, innovative curry.
Score: TBD
Pokémon Sword/Shield comes out November 15 for the Nintendo Switch. The publisher provided GamesBeat with a physical copy of both Sword and Shield for the purposes of this review.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Pokemon Sword Vs. Pokemon Shield: Every Version Difference, Exclusive Pokemon, Legendaries, And Raids
Pokemon Sword and Shield have finally launched on Nintendo Switch, marking the start of the series' eighth generation. Regardless of which version you pick up, the core adventure will be the same across both titles, so you can generally expect to encounter similar characters, Gen 8 Pokemon, and story beats whether you're playing Sword or Shield. However, as has been the case since the series first debuted, each version will also feature some distinct elements, so the experience will differ somewhat depending upon which game you play.
Traditionally, the biggest difference between Pokemon games is which monsters you can capture in the wild, but some installments have shaken things up in more dramatic ways with version-exclusive locations and characters. Below, we've rounded up all of the differences between Pokemon Sword and Shield to help you decide which version is right for you. For our full thoughts on the games, be sure to also check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield review.
Version-Exclusive GymsIn a first for the series, Pokemon Sword and Shield will feature some version-exclusive Gym Leaders. As we learned from the games' July trailer, some cities in the Galar region will be home to different Gyms depending on which version you're playing. In Pokemon Sword, players will challenge Bea, a Fighting-type expert. However, the same Gym in Shield will be led by Allister, a Ghost-type trainer. There's a second exclusive Gym in each version as well. The sixth Gym in Sword will be led by the Rock-type trainer Gordie, while those playing Shield will instead do battle with the Ice-type Gym Leader Melony.
Version-Exclusive Pokemon Just as in the past, Sword and Shield will each be home to a handful of Pokemon that can't be captured in the other version. We don't yet know the full list of version-exclusive Pokemon in each game, but The Pokemon Company has confirmed a handful of older monsters that can only be found in Sword or Shield.
Sword-exclusive Pokemon
Shield-exclusive Pokemon
Like previous Pokemon games, Sword and Shield are each represented by a different Legendary Pokemon. The cover of Sword is adorned by Zacian, which wields a sword in its maw and moves about gracefully, while Shield's cover is graced by Zamazenta, which boasts an armor-like mane. You'll encounter both Legendaries in each version, but you'll only be able to catch the one that grace's your game's cover.
Gigantamax RaidsWhile you'll normally face off against standard Dynamax Pokemon in Max Raid Battles, during specific windows of time, you'll have a greater chance of encountering certain Gigantamax Pokemon instead, and it seems these monsters may vary depending on which version you're playing. During the first announced window, which runs from November 15 to early January 2020, Pokemon Sword players will be more likely to encounter Gigantamax Drednaw in Max Raids, while those playing Pokemon Shield will have a greater chance of finding Gigantamax Corviknight.
Version-Exclusive ItemsOne Pokemon, the Dragon-type apple Applin, evolves differently depending on what item it is holding, and the items in question differs based on which version you're playing. In Sword, you'll receive the Tart Apple, which will cause Applin to evolve into Flapple; in Shield, however, you'll receive the Sweet Apple, which will cause the Pokemon to evolve into Appletun.