Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield

[ShiraNoMai]

It would if there were version-exclusives, which they haven't quite addressed yet but they honestly haven't talked too much about the new dex yet at all. I think we've got, what, 11 Pokemon revealed, including starters and legendaries?

[Moonface]

It would if there were version-exclusives, which they haven't quite addressed yet but they honestly haven't talked too much about the new dex yet at all. I think we've got, what, 11 Pokemon revealed, including starters and legendaries?

True, I forgot that was a reason to trade Pokemon as well as trying to get things from older generations that aren't obtainable normally in the current game. Also, the legendaries are clearly version exclusive and there would be no reason to buy both games just for a single legendary if you wanted to complete your Dex without trading with other players when it'd be easier to just trade with someone for the one Pokemon you'd be missing.

Also, there's 12 currently confirmed Pokemon: Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, Gossifleur, Eldegoss, Wooloo, Corviknight, Drednaw, Zacian, Zamazenta, Yamper, and Impidimp. The last two were seen during gameplay at E3. If you want you could say there are technically 18 confirmed Pokemon, as there are two evolutions for each of the starters that despite not being revealed, we know will be happening, so that makes six more that we know will exist but just haven't officially seen yet.

There's also previous generation Pokemon that have been confirmed, which are Axew, Bewear, Braviary, Budew, Butterfree, Duskull, Flygon, Frillish, Ghastly, Golurk, Growlithe, Grubbin, Gyarados, Hawlucha, Hippopotas, Hoothoot, Inkay, Lucario, Mantine, Mantyke, Minccino, Miltonic, Meowstic, Mudsdale, Munchlax, Pancham, Pikachu, Quagsire, Rhyhorn, Sawk, Seismitoad, Snorlax, Snover, Steelix, Stenee, Stufful, Tyranitar, Zwelious, Wailmer, Weavile, Wobbuffet, Wingull, Wishiwashi, Wulfric, and Wynaut.

[Kazan X. Lemuris]

Yeah, Wonder Trading is something I'm assuming will still exist since it's about the only mechanic they've added and not dumped into the abyss after one set of games. Hopefully it's kept so I can continue Wonderlocking.

That list makes me sad. No Zubat, Woobat, or Noibat.

[Moonface]

That list makes me sad. No Zubat, Woobat, or Noibat.

Weren't any Pokemon seen at E3 found during Wild Areas gameplay, which at the time was all outdoors? Perhaps Zubat and company will be in interior areas and that's why we didn't see them yet. Can't have a cave in a Pokemon game without those annoying pests coming for you every few feet.

[Kazan X. Lemuris]

That list makes me sad. No Zubat, Woobat, or Noibat.

Weren't any Pokemon seen at E3 found during Wild Areas gameplay, which at the time was all outdoors? Perhaps Zubat and company will be in interior areas and that's why we didn't see them yet. Can't have a cave in a Pokemon game without those annoying pests coming for you every few feet.

I hope so. I love bats, so any bat pokémon are instantly my favourite.

It also helps that during a PokéMMO run I did with friends some time ago, we'd all meet up after each gym and battle for supremacy. In Mt. Moon I caught a Zubat and raised her religiously to the point she was in the high 70s to the rest of my team's 45-50. She proceeded to sweep my entire friend group repeatedly because speed is EVERYTHING.

I love bats.

[Moonface]

So Game Freak put out a statement on the official Pokemon website addressing the Pokedex concerns.

https://www.pokemon.com/us/a-message-for...-game-fans

tl;dr version is "We hear you but we're changing nothing, please understand."

[Kazan X. Lemuris]

Yeah, it's pretty much just confirming what we already knew. Just goes to show that sometimes having a tantrum doesn't get you what you want, and fans need to learn that.

[Moonface]

If it mattered to me, I'd like to know if Game Freak intend to bring back all existing Pokemon further down the line in a later game, or if they'll only bring back certain ones or limit how many of them will show up in a single game. If a Pokemon returns in Sw/Sh, will it always remain or will it be axed for other Pokemon to fit into future games unless it's a major fan favourite?

Pokedex issues aside though, I still think Game Freak are putting this game out sooner than it's going to be ready for. The visual quality of the Wild Areas could be so much better, and some of the animations aren't great either. Despite cutting out Pokemon, it doesn't seem like that extra time helped in polishing up the rest of the game to be the best it can be.

[ShiraNoMai]

Yeah I think that their publishing window is way too short for what they're going for. It was amazing that they even put out Pokemon Let's Go in the time frame that they did (which was in response to the popularity of Pokemon Go to try and bridge over players). They really should get other studios to help work on main-game Pokemon games.

[queenzelda]

Here's my unpopular opinion:

I don't even care if I can't bring over all the pokemon'z. I never end up catching 'em all anyway.

[Moonface]

Yeah, to be fair even I would never catch all 800+ of them. I only care for the missing Pokemon because the time that hasn't been spent on making them for Sw/Sh doesn't seem to have allowed for any other areas of the game to really amaze as much as they should. For being the first new generation Pokemon game on a home console, it just doesn't cut it for me. At roughly 6:28 in the E3 gameplay video a trainer just suddenly pops in mere feet away from the player. That's the sort of things that stand out to me and make me question if enough time is actually being spent on this game when content is being cut and yet we can't even render a character within less than 5 seconds worth of distance from the player in the Wild Areas. Does it matter in relation to gameplay? Not at all. But to see Game Freak using time restraints as the reason for cutting content, when the content that is there isn't decently polished, doesn't give me great hopes for the game.

[queenzelda]

Did some reasearch & came to find out that GameFreak doesn't even care about Pokemon anymore; "Game Freak as a company is prioritizing Gear Project… more than Pokémon in general." sauce

[Kazan X. Lemuris]

It's a hell of a leap in logic to go from "prioritising other projects" to "doesn't even care anymore".

[King Atem]

It's a hell of a leap in logic to go from "prioritising other projects" to "doesn't even care anymore".

Welcome to internet logic.

[queenzelda]

More like; "We're focusing on everything else but pokemon cause we know that the Pokemon fans might scream, cry & throw a tantrum about what we're not giving them But we'd rather focus on other titles." Is how the interview comes off.

In the end, Sw/Sld might undersell because Gamefreak won't bow it's knee to the fans will. Which means the mobile game will probably end up making more.. Which makes me wonder if that's what they want, for the fans to just play the mobile titles. So that they don't have to work on any more mainline pokemon titles for the switch & just move thier team over to making mobile pokemon games. It wouldn't surprise me.

Though tbh.. If you look at the way the Pokemon & character's look.. On the Switch, it still feels like the 3DS version. Which is probably why it feels less polished.