Oh Gamefreak, what are you doing?

Another feather on their cap.

It always sucks for me to have to talk critically about a game company I like or game that I enjoy playing, and Pokemon is a game I literally love to play. Heck, I've already put over a hundred hours into Pokemon Sword over the past month and was actually shiny hunting for a Grookey with the Masuda Method when I first saw this news pop up. (And no, by the way. After three straight days of breeding I still haven't received a Shiny Grookey. And know I hate them.) But it wouldn't be fair of me to treat one area of coverage with preferential treatment for whatever reason, so I couldn't just let a story as important as this one pass me by.

Firstly, let me establish a little background for you all. In previous Pokemon games, everytime a new generation was released with it's cadre of new Pokemon, the games always maintained the coding of every previous Pokemon, allowing them to join the game through an additional Pokedex that was known as 'The National Pokedex' as opposed to the 'Regional Pokedex'. But it wasn't possible to capture those Pokemon from previous games in the new games, so how would one fill out that 'National Pokedex'? Well, through a service known as the Pokemon Bank, of course! The Pokemon Bank cost £5 a year and allowed for the user to move their Pokemon from game to game across consoles and generations. This meant that people could bring their Pokemon with them all the way from the initial implementation of this system to the newest release. Or at least they could, until Pokemon Sword and Shield.

As I have covered before, for Pokemon SWSH Gamefreak decided to go a different direction with how they wanted to implement their Pokemon. (And if that sentence sounded vague to you, then I accurately nailed my impersonation of their power for explanation on this matter.) For whatever reason, Pokemon SWSH would be the first game to break the streak and axe the National Pokedex in favour of packing the base game with as many Pokemon as possible. This ended up only being exactly 400 Pokemon which was just under half the amount of Pokemon who existed in the franchise as a whole. Fans were understandably rather upset about this, feeling as though they had been ripped off, but Gamefreak assured fans that they had done the best they could and there was no way they could bring all the Pokemon they needed to on time without a delay. (Which fans happily asked for, but Gamefreak doesn't listen to them, they listen to investors.)

Of course, things started to make a bit more sense when the announcement dropped early this January that Pokemon SWSH would be the first game in the franchise to receive DLC. Not small scale micro-purchases, but full-blown expansions of land, story and Pokemon. These new locations, 'The Isle of Armor' and 'The Crown Tundra' would be flush with a bevy of the Pokemon that were missing from the base game, explaining their absense rather nicely. Gamefreak had planned on DLC and needed to recycle some of those previous Pokemon in order to fill up these new areas. (Also, given that these two DLC's only add 200 more Pokemon, we can probably expect two more to be announced next year.) Gamefreak were eager to add that this was not just a case of them recycling old content and charging for it, (although it kinda is) and they sought to reassure fans by letting them know that, as soon as the DLC dropped, folks would be able to withdraw their corresponding Pokemon from their Bank. (Which presumably means we'll see some regional variants in the eco-system.) Also, DLC Pokemon could be freely traded with those that declined to purchase the content, making it feel less like a hard roadblock. (But still not shaking that feeling entirely.)

And that brings us to the news recently for, you see, Gamefreak have revealed the next step of their master plan, and it may just leave the Pokemon fan-community with no survivors. You see, Gamefreak have been wanting to transition away from the Pokemon Bank for a while now and move to a platform that is more integrated with core features of Pokemon. Something that would be invaluable for every player to get their hands on, not just those that are looking to bring their army from game-to-game. It is for that reason that Gamefreak have pulled back on online features to such a point where Sword and Shield feels like a total crap-shoot as to what you'll get from the trading. And so was born Pokemon Home, the new service that would integrate a global trade system, extended Pokemon banking and, down the line, the ability to move Pokemon between games. (At launch it will be between 'Pokemon: Let Go Eevee and Pikachu' but later they'll add 'Pokemon Go' support.)

As they described it, Pokemon Home was supposed to serve as a home hub for players to come back to between their adventures. A nexus with hooks that link every franchise game together going forward and ensure that one can play and interact with their Pokemon wherever they go and become a mindless Pokemon-obsessed zombie. (So a utopia, right?) This new service would completely replace Pokemon Bank and completely eclipse it in features, so most folk were pretty excited. Such a shame, then, that the service is charging an extortionate £14 annually for the 'premium' version of the system. Way to try and literally fleece children for money, Gamefreak! (I wonder if this will negatively hit back at Nintendo due to that common misconception that they have anything to do with these games?)

Of course, the launch month will be free in order to allow people to transfer their Pokemon to the new game (to get you hooked) and there's a free version of the service that you can use thereafter. But there are so many drawbacks to the basic version that it's insulting to offer it in the first place. For one, you can only store 30 pokemon (as opposed to the 6000 in the premium version)  and you cannot move Pokemon from the Pokemon Bank service to Home without the premium membership. Why. Literally why. If basic subscribers only have 30 bank slots anyway, what is the actual harm? No to mention, if they're currently using Pokemon Home, that means that they are paying for that subscription, so you're charging people 2 subscriptions for the honor of moving their Pokemon to the current Gen. (At what point is this supposed to be okay?) Additionally, Basic users are given the table scrapes for using the GTS and Wonder Box mechanics and cannot host trade rooms. (That last bullet point at least makes a little sense.) Finally, and bafflingly, basic users cannot use the judge mechanic on their Pokemon. That is literally a mechanic you can unlock by beating the main campaign (and the first rank of Battle Tower), why paywall it on your stupid app?

This is terrible way for Gamefreak to treat their hardcore audience after all the nonsense that they've put them through already up until now. Stripping and neutering trade features and then charging a subscription for their reimplementation is the kind of desperate grubbing tactic that you'd expect from EA, not a children's game company! What's more, this comes at a supremely bad time considering that 'Tem Tem', an early access Pokemon clone, has just come out and is proving to be steep competition for Gamefreak. Yeah, their monsters may not be anywhere near as cute, but they've got Online infrastructure that doesn't feel like it's from the late 90's. The Pokemon Company is not, let me remind everyone, hardup. Pokemon is one of the most profitable brands in the world (I think it was 3rd, last I checked) and that is a brand built upon a foundation of trust and history. If these guys seriously think they can try to rip off their consumers, and hide behind that legacy to keep them clean from the splashback, I respectfully recommend that they take a good look at the toilet bowl that Bethesda and Blizzard's respect has been flushed down in the past year. If there's one thing the gaming community is good for, it's a consumer revolt.

Where are the Pokemon?

Pokedex gone local.

As we rapidly approach the end of the year the next entry in the legendary Pokemon franchise looms ever closer, and I for one could not be more excited. And why shouldn't I be? The globe trotting series has final come to my home landmass (at least in inspiration) and I'm curious to Game Freak's vision for a Pokemon-ruled Britain. (At least they've gone out of their way to ensure that the legendaries are indicative of our national animal: The Wolf. Wait a second...) They say that you never know your home until you've explored it with a tourist, and in a way I suppose that is kind of what I'm looking forward to with this game; To take a look at England through the eyes of someone who hasn't lived here for 20-odd years and hates it. (Like practically everyone here.)

That excitement comes from a place of long fostered reverence too, considering that the Pokemon games are quite possible the first franchise that I fell in love with. (Metal Gear Solid might be my earliest gaming memory but I didn't pick up that series again until I was 12. Which was both far too early and far too late.)  As my first ever personal console was the Gameboy Advance, Pokemon Emerald was my jam and still very much is. (Through methods that I cannot officially disclose but might rhythm with 'Ventalation') I spent a great many nights with my hunched over in the backroom playing Pokemon from dawn to dusk. (literally.) That's the kind of love that I put away when I left that series behind and that's what I want to recover with this upcoming Pokemon game.

However, controversy has already struck with this new entry before it's even so much as hit the shelves. Why, you ask? Because of the apparent limitations that the team have had to employ in order to bring this current entry to life. You see, Pokemon Sword and Shield are set to be the very first main-series Pokemon games that are designed for a home console (The switch may be portable but it has the capabilities of a home console) which has allowed Game Freak to go to new extremes when it comes to updating this engine for the new entry. They can expand upon the graphical overhaul that began in Sun and Moon, create 3D battle environments with animated foliage (Cool?) and entirely remodel every single Pokemon in the game. The problem is, this increased workload has meant that not every Pokemon will be able to make the final cut.

This is a shame because ever since Gen 2, each Pokemon game has possessed something called the 'National Pokedex' which allowed for players to port their fighting monsters from game to game and improve them along the way. In this way, every single Pokemon game has maintained the coding of every single Pokemon in existence up to that moment in a manner that represented the ever expanding universe. As every entry added around 100 new Pokemon, they would be added to the rooster and no one would be left behind in the evolution of the franchise. If you read my last blog on this situation, then you likely know where I'm going with this;  Sword and Shield will officially discontinue this National Pokedex and everyone will start afresh.

Initially this caused substantial backlash from fans who were desperate and eager to bring their Pokemon with them. "Is this a matter of balancing? Time? Take all the time you need, just bring us our Pokedex", they pleaded. However, Game Freak have officially claimed that it would be impractical for them to work on that feature. (Plus they wouldn't delay the game seeing as how the Pokemon Company are hellbent on providing a Pokemon release every year.) Recently the game's producer, Junichi Masuda, claimed that it wasn't an issue of gameplay balance, but of development balance: "We need to be able to prioritize new gameplay ideas, We need to be able to find a way to balance the right number of Pokémon and also still introduce new ways for players to enjoy the game, new gameplay ideas to keep the series fresh and enjoyable far into the future.” 

Just when things seemed their darkest, however, there was a glimmer of hope. The National Pokedex may be as good as scrapped, but that didn't mean that the new Pokedex couldn't be just as varied. Afterall, this is going to be the first home console Pokemon game, surely that means the game will be capable of much more, right? More animation, more fidelity and more memory. So it is feasible that the Pokemon Devs could find a way to bring every single Pocket monster into the game afterall, even if it won't be the specific one's that we've bought with us all this time. However, that was recently revealed to be a pipe dream once a leak from development revealed a sobering truth: The final game would only feature 400 Pokemon, essentially cutting over half of the full roster. (There exists just over 800, to save you a google search.)

Now sure, fans knew that this would be the case, but they still bemoaned the news like a wound being freshly opened. Especially as some fan favourites didn't make the final cut, like Blaz- Wait, Blaziken isn't in the game? I think I need a moment... Okay so that undeniably sucks, but people aren't willing to let bygones be bygones in this issue as many believe that it is just a matter of logistics and that all parties could, feasibly, come away from this issue happy, if only Game Freak were given the space and time to put their game together.

Personally, I am more inclined towards considering this a non-issue, as I treat every new Pokemon as a fresh experience. But as I say that, you must realize that I am not the target demographic for a feature like the National Pokedex. I forge new friendships with my digital pets each game, but some people have Pokemon they've dragged around since their first Pokemon, and they are distraught at the prospect of leaving these friends behind. Honestly, I think it's rather short-sighted for The Pokemon Company to force this issue, as I do believe they are the culprits, but then I'll always be iffy of yearly franchises because I vividly remember what happened to the Assassin's Creed franchise when they underwent a similar transition. Pokemon may not be cheapening it's own brand by becoming that rapid fire, (yet) but the extra pressure on development has already resulted in one major development casualty and put everyone on edge for what might be the next one. I know that I will be keeping a close eye on reviews for this title to see if it mirrors the 'blemish-free' reputation of classic Nintendo titles or if the rough edges of western AAA releases will start to seep into the development room. Keep your eyes on this one just in case these missing Pokemon are the smoke leading to a greater fire.

Sword and Sheild and no National Pokedex.

I wanna be the very best.

The premise of Pokemon is both simple and instantly recognisable. Gotta catch 'em all. Not 'Gotta catch some of them' or 'gotta catch the new ones' but 'all of em'. It was this simple phrase that allowed Game Freak to literally release the same game twice for the past twenty years, without anyone batting an eye. If you wanted every Pokemon you had to either strategically purchase each game alongside a follow Pokemon enthusiast, rely on Nintendo's weird online systems to fill up your blank spaces or just bite the bullet and buy two games. But people ate it up readily without complaining. In generation 3 (The best generation.) The Pokemon Company deigned it appropriate to take this concept to it's logical conclusion with the introduction of the National Pokedex.

You see, usually a Pokedex would list all of the Pokemon that were available to collect in the game that you are playing. Or, within the game's universe, the 'reigon' that you are operating within. This allows the player to trudge towards 100% completion with a list of possible-to-obtain Pokemon to refer too. The National Pokedex, much as the name implies, expanded the reach of that Pokedex. With the National upgrade, the Pokedex would now display any-and-all Pokemon that was known to exist up to that point. That meant including the roster of every single Pokemon from every game, a list that would constantly expand with each entry.

This seemed perfect for an RPG that was never really built with the core concept of balance and scale in mind. Pokemon was a game that took it's fundamental premise, of an RPG with a roster of hundreds, more seriously than it took many of the fundamental tenets of creating an RPG. You never hit a roadblock that couldn't be grind-ed over and, if you were stubborn enough, all the special attack values could be totally ignored if you just buffed up your main to out-damage your opponent's special effects. In a RPG that offers that much freedom in the player's approach it makes sense that they would also allow you to take the same overpowered Pokemon from the last game and bring it over to the next one to cause mayhem. Why start at the beginning each time when you can just drag along Arceus, literal god of creation, to wreck shop on low-level trainers like some sort of rich playground bully?

Fans of the games responded positively too, loving the ability to take their favourite Pokemon with them on this decades long journey around the ever expansive world. It made the Pokemon feel like more than just squad mates, it made them feel like companions. Like we were all Ash Ketchums
going on our very own globetrotting adventure, only with us waking up with a new mother, father, best friend and rival in every game for some reason. Those 'hidden stats' that Game Freak always kept around as little personality definers really came to fruition too, when you where with your virtual pet long enough to tell it's quirks apart from others you met along your adventure. You became one big family with your huge-ass Pokemon roster backing you up.

Only now that family is about to be a broken one. In the lead up to 'Pokemon: Sword and Sheild' Game Freak have decreed that the National Pokedex will be scrapped in order to start again from scratch at the new entry. This doesn't mean that your favourite Pokemon will definitely be unable to travel to this new game, you just better hope that Pokemon also exists in the Galar Region. This move has eviscerated the number of playable Pokemon from the 809 of 'Pokemon: Sun and Moon', to however many are in the finished game. Likely around 150. This means that if your Pokemon-of-choice does not fit within the thin confines of the Pokemon that Game Freak consider a 'neccesity', you ain't gonna get to bring that Pokemon along. (Rayquaza, no!)

This move has, understandably, upset a lot of die-hard fans who have been travelling along with the same roster since the Hoenn days. People have demanded to know why The Pokemon Company seems to be abandoning one of the core pillars of the Pokemon world, the ability to 'catch em all'. This has become the spearhead in a flurry of attacks that fans are levelling at 'Sword and Shield' as a whole. They have been lamenting the fact that Pokemon seems to have taken little-to-no steps
forward with this game, despite having made the move from 3DS to a whole new, more powerful, system. Visually, it looks the same as Sun and Moon and many of the new features are either gimmicky, like the 'Dynamax' mode, or steps backwards, like how enemy randomness has been reworked.

Game Freak have, however, provided some context behind the decision. Explaining that they made the choices that they did with a heavy heart and a reason. Whether or not this explanation makes up for their transgression is up to you. For one, they claimed that Pokemon was undergoing a huge tech leap from 3DS to Switch, allowing them to achieve so much more but requiring more time. One of the complications comes from the fact that in 'Pokemon: Sword and Shield', every Pokemon now boasts a high fidelity model, whereas before they could deal with just sprites. This means that Game Freak would have to redesign 809 Pokemon just to accommodate for the National Pokedex. A daunting task indeed. This does however lend water to a major fan contention.

Given many of the graphical and mechanical weaknesses that I mentioned earlier, Many fans have made the claims that Game Freak it rushing out 'Sword and Shield'. Sure 809 Pokemon are a lot to handle, but what is wrong with just delaying your game long enough to work on it? Surely The Pokemon Company can take the hit. It seems to fans that in recent years, Pokemon games have upped their release dates to start becoming yearly. 'Pokemon Go' came out in 2016, 2017 saw the release of 'Pokemon: Sun and Moon', 2018 was the year of 'Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Evie' and 'Pokemon: Sword and Shield' is slated for 2019. It feels like The Pokemon company are tilting their production to make Pokemon yearly and, thus, start competeing with the yearly money-makers like CoD and Battlefield.

In Game Freak's defence, there could be another, totally innocent, reason why the would abandon most of their 809 strong roster. Just straight-up balancing. I know that earlier I mentioned how that wasn't important in the Pokemon game-creation process, but things have started to spiral out of control in the later generations. Game Freak even had to introduce the concept of 'Mega Evolutions' in order to raise the ceiling cap of their new Pokemon's possible power level and add space to expand. Not to mention the fact that, out of those 809 Pokemon, many of them are total trash. I'm not talking in terms of stats because that can be easily amended, I'm talking in terms of basic design. Remember Trubbish? He was a bin bag. Vanillite and her evolutions where all just increasingly generous servings of an ice cream cone. Probopass was an Easter island head with a comedy fake-moustache glued on. Game Freak clearly had issues pushing the limits of their creativity during some of later generations, resulting in some truly awful designs. Perhaps 'Sworld and Sheild' is chance to finally sanitize that roster and start from the beginning, kind of.

Finally comes the issue of money. Does 'Sword and Shield' really have to make these kind of concessions when it comes from a franchise that totals up to 90 billion revenue? Don't say that you don't have the staff or resources to manage such a huge undertaking because you could easily afford it without making a sweat. Perhaps The Pokemon Company are staring to become more frugal in recent years, but if that means stunting your biggest cash cow than doesn't that just end up hurting their long-term profits anyway? They can afford to delay the game long enough to work on the National Pokedex. Heck, They can afford to rent out an island and create 'Pokemon land' if they wanted to. The Pokemon Company have reached the goal of Eric Sacks from the TMNT movie and become 'stupid rich'. Let's just hope that they haven't become 'Stupid rights holders' by the same merit.

As a Pokemon fan, I can understand the disappointment even if I don't feel it myself. I've always started from the beginning in every Pokemon game, usually because I lacked the online capabilities to take advantage of the National Pokedex. People who have devoted a lot of themselves into the collectathon nature of Pokemon have a right to be dissatisfied by this slap in the face. But on the bright side, this is a brand new place to start for a whole new generation of trainers. Even I might fianlly dive into the revamped National Pokedex this time. (Wait, Nintendo charges for their crappy online service now? Scratch that, I'm sticking to being a loner.) Is this controversy enough to sink the game? No, not even close. But it does strike at the heart of the dedicated fan base and those are the fans that you do not want to lose.

Pokemon: Sword and Shield

Remember to pack an umbrella.

Hang on, is this another video game set in England? Has there ever been another point in history where we've been looking at 3 big releases set in the British isles? I don't think so. Forget those hacking simulators set is dystopian London or that terror attack in Piccadilly Circus, (Thanks again, Modern Warfare) this is the game that will truly capture the majesty of England. If by majesty I refer to torrential downpours and fields of evil roaming sheep. (In fairness I cannot confirm whether real English sheep try to attack you upon making eye contact, personally I try not to look at them.) Will the switch's first proper Pokemon title live up to the high bar that Game Freak repeatedly set themselves? Well it's on my home turf, so it better!

Unsurprisingly, I have a history with Pokemon. As, I assume, does everyone who was a child during the syndication of the Ash Ketchum show. Though it may look silly now, back then Pokemon was the highlight of my post-school day in addition to Yugioh, Beyblade, Sonic X and- oh my god, I'm a Weeb, aren't I. But can you really blame kid-me when that original show kicked off with one of most rocking theme tunes ever put to children's TV? Easily the most memorable and best part of the show was Jason Paige's oddly sincere vocals from that guitar-strewn introduction. He made me want to be the very best, like no one ever was. Shame the show was a poorly written mess that insulted my intelligence even back then. I'm not even kidding, I would sit down for the theme tune and then wander off or change the channel; all because the accompanying show was that bad.

When it came to the game, however, I stuck by it a little bit more. Pokemon Yellow was the first handheld game I ever owned for my Game Boy Color and was honestly the last one I'd ever need. Due to the portability of the console, I played that game everywhere and for as long as possible. I remember days when I would play the game from the light of my window in the morning and keep going until it was too dark outside to see the screen anymore. I was enamoured by the collect-athon gameplay, the training of my Pokemon and exploring of the world. I would have days hunting in the safari zone to fill up the blank spots on my Pokedex or training my Pikachu and Nidoran combo team on low level mobs. (In hindsight, an extremely inefficient way to farm EXP.) I was the prototypical Pokemon nut.

But that wasn't the height of my Pokemon addiction, not by a long shot. Later I would get my Game Boy Advance and my favourite entry of the entire Pokemon franchise, (so far) Pokemon Emerald. Emerald seemed to solve every issue I had with the dual releases of the Pokemon generations. (Yeah, that's right! Even as I kid I saw through that cheap gimmick for the cynical marketing ploy is really is.) Emerald wasn't sharing half it's content with another, practically identical product, No, Emerald was uniting the very best elements of Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire into one feature compete game! I'm fairly certain that you still couldn't fully complete your Pokedex without utilising the trade feature, which required having real human friends; (What's up with that, Nintendo?) but you could get both of those games legendaries: Groudon and Kyogre; as well as my favourite Pokemon of all time: Rayquaza. And let's be honest, getting the legendaries is all that really matters in the end isn't it? So, with all that to offer would be safe to say the Pokemon Emerald was my dream game, at least for a while? Why yes, yes it would. Why else would I have played that game until by Game Boy Advance broke and then emulated it on every emulator capable device I have owned since? I have that sucker on my phone right now I love it so much.

Pokemon Emerald boasted a vibrancy in its presentation that non of the previous entries had. The Hoenn region was colourful and vast; spanning land and ocean, from subterranean caverns to a burning volcano and allowing you to tread the ocean floor and trudge through fields of ash. It was the first time I truly felt like I was going on an adventure in a video game, and the first time I found out that I loved going on adventures. I even resonated with the delightful simple and easy to comprehend story. Themed around Ruby and Sapphire's villains in a silly plot about eco-extremism that gets out of hand and needs to be resolved by a ten year old. Even now, Emerald remains my favourite of Pokemon's plot lines.

Since then I haven't remained as close to the Pokemon franchise as I would have liked. Not just from growing out of the proposed age demographic (I mean I already told you how I still play Emerald to this day) but more because it moved out of the range of accessibility to me. While I progressed onto console gaming, Pokemon went down the road less travelled; and it made all the difference. In the relationship. Between myself and the franchise.(Forced Scott Peck reference is forced.) The deal was really sealed when Pokemon released on the Nintendo DS; A system, I hesitate to admit, that I have never owned in any form. As such it would be years until I ended up owning a system with a mainstream Pokemon planned for it. 13 years in fact. Because it is now, in 2019, that we have finally crossed paths again and I couldn't be more excited. Like the days before reconnecting with the one who got away, I cannot contain my nerves and anticipation.

Will Sword and Shield Deliver. If what I have seen so far is any indicator: yes. The game looks every bit as pretty and simple as one would expect from a Game Freak creation. Characters are anime-esque 3d sprites that lean heavily off of the visual style established in Sun and Moon, but they are still designed in a way to highlight the world in which they now inhabit. The Male and Female PC's have touches of English and Scottish designs in their garb and both now sport stylish longcoats, prepared for the inevitable downpours we all expect in England. (Though I must say the fact that Nessa wears a bikini seems a little off brand for Britain. It's never the right climate for swimwear over here. Ever.) Galar is realised as hills worth of countryside interspersed with small towns and one bustling capital. I've also noticed touches of steampunk in the building aesthetic too which seems fitting seeing as how the steampunk genre is heavily inspired by England's industrial age.

The meat of the game is, of course, the Pokemon collecting and the battle systems; and these systems have had a few new additions. The one everyone is talking about right now is 'Dynamax'. A mode which is designed to boost the spectacle of Gym fights and raid battles. Both Pokemon are given the chance to balloon to a huge version of themselves and fight with specific powered moves that impart secondary effects. Crowds cheer as hits land and neon lights glitter in the massive stadiums. Game Freak really wanted to bring the epic nature of the Gym battles to life in a way previous games just didn't. (Without several boxes worth of pre-amble.) In a way, I suppose this is Pokemon's version of a 'set peice' moment. Big, loud and memorable. Smaller touches include the way in how trainers can now throw a little bit of dialogue in the middle of a fight, similar to the mid-battle taunting mechanic of Star Wars: The Clone Wars only hopefully a little less awful. The result is a dynamic (See what I did there?) twist upon the time honoured turn based systems Pokemon was founded on.

Okay, so maybe Pokemon Sword and Shield isn't poised to rewrite the way we see Pokemon games going forward, but it is showing small improvements that the diehard will appreciate. That's more then you can say about some yearly sports titles. Of course there will always be touches that I don't necessarily like that others will; such as the way how random encounters have been replaced with in-world sprites letting you know exactly where your enemy is. But in the end, none of these changes are big enough to break the experience or make it, really. Fans of Pokemon will likely love Sword and Shield and those who dislike it probably won't have their minds changed. I think I've made my stance clear, I'm ready to jump back into my favourite collect-athon franchise once again.