Pokémon Sword and Shield might be eschewing the series’ long-held tradition of featuring a National Dex, but that doesn’t mean the upcoming Switch exclusives won’t be packed with critters to catch.
In fact, if a new TV commercial released recently is any indication, developer Game Freak is doing its damndest to re-introduce as many ‘Mons from Generations past as possible. The ad in question, which you can see above, takes a trip through the franchise’s modest beginnings on Nintendo’s original GameBoy and through every subsequent handheld console, before finally ending with an intense burst of light transforming the series’ original 2D Pokémon sprites into fully-fledged 3D creations. Brace yourselves for some overwhelming nostalgia.
So, what implications does today’s development have on the beginning of Generation 8 next month, exactly? Well, while nowhere in the footage is it confirmed that all the Pokémon featured will appear in Sword and Shield, it’s hardly a stretch to reach that same conclusion. After all, advertising them with Pokémon that Game Freak has no intention of having show up in the Galar region would be disingenuous, to say the least, and with the studio already keenly aware of the negativity surrounding so-called ‘Dexit,’ the weird and wonderful wildlife showcased above will undoubtedly have been hand-picked to appear.
There are far too many of the blighters to list off here, but at the very least, I noted representation for every Generation past and present, so regardless of which is your favourite, Sword and Shield won’t leave you hanging when it comes to building a top-tier team.
Pokémon Sword and Shield are out November 15th for Nintendo Switch and will mark the debut of several brand new features. See here for all the latest announcements.