Giddy about Galar: Reaction and Analysis to Pokemon Sword and Shield

Please excuse the unorganized and possibly flustered nature of this post.

So Nintendo just released a new Nintendo Direct covering Pokemon Sword and Shield, the next generation that is set to release November 15th, 2019. I am beyond excited for it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the direct since I am at my day job ( where I'm currently writing this post :p ), so my information may be wrong or I may not cover everything.

First I wanna talk about the few new Pokemon they decided to show us. I'll start with my personal favorite, Gossifleur.

Look how pretty it is! I love it's design and all it's colors. I'm sure she's a grass type - grass only maybe? Again, I watched this at work without volume so I only got logical guesses to go on. It was revealed that Gossifleur has an evolution, the name currently escaping me, where it's head gets this huge balle of pollen and seeds. The seeds are said to be able to revitalize both human and Pokemon. Her design alone makes her my favorite new Pokemon, the fact she is my favorite type is also a plus.

Next up let's talk about the first newly announced monster, Wooloo.

Look at this chubby muffin. Adorable. I am instantly reminded of Mareep, obviously. Simple, cute, and a whole lot of fluffy. I'm betting that Wooloo is a normal type but a fairy type is not out of the question. It seems to be the Bidoof of the Galar Region and I am perfectly fine with that. I don't see myself having Wooloo on my final team, but I still like it.

Let's talk about the coolest looking one, Corviknight.

A cool raven with a knight theme, excellent. I'm guessing it'll be the Pidgey/Starly of this region and I am perfectly fine with that. It'll probably be a dark/flying, though I think it be interesting to see it get a steel/flying typing. I'll more then likely use Corviknight on my team. It was also revelead that this Pokemon will be the fast travel feature of this game. Similar to how ride Pokemon worked in Sun and Moon, you'll see Corviknight sitting on a wooden post and he can fly you to other locations. A nice touch, a cool looking Pokemon, I love it.

Next let's look at the scary one, Drednaw.

The more I look at it, the more I like it. Drednaw may be my second favorite of the newly announced monsters. It's intimidating looking and I'm sure it'll be tough to fight. I'm guessing a steel typing, maybe coupled with a rock typing. It's quickly becoming one of my favorites. As my better half pointed out, he looks like either a prehistoric Totodile or a cross between Totodile and Turtwig. I'm a sucker for turtle Pokemon and I am pretty confident Drednaw will find his way to my team.

We also got to see 2/3 legendaries - these ones being the mascot of the game's.

Zacian, the legendary of Pokemon Sword. He looks awesome. I'm immediately reminded of Sif, The Great White Wolf from Dark Souls, as were a lot of people on Twitter. I'm guessing it'll be a steel type, but I'm not sure if it'll have dual typing. If it does, I'm thinking maybe psychic but I just don't know. Regardless, I'm loving his look and I'm excited to use him - seeing as I'll probably pick up Sword.

And then there's Zamazenta. Yep, we're getting legendary dogs. Zamazenta is the mascot of Shield and he looks like it. I'm betting he's gonna be such a tank. No doubt a steel typing again but mixed with what I couldn't tell you. From what I'm told the two doggos we're getting ready to face off against an unseen foe during the trailer - my guess is the 3rd legendary and probably the landmark we were teased with when the region was first announced.

But that is it for the new Pokemon we were introduced to. Some game mechanics were revealed along with a little bit of lore about the region.

In this region, Pokemon battles are considered a national past time. These huge stadiums serve as the gyms and crowds of people fill the seats to watch the fight. I love this idea. I was always a fan of the Pokemon League being more like a tournament, like it is in the anime. I always wanted to face off against multiple rounds of nobodies as I tried to reach the final rounds. I feel like this is a great step in that direction and I would love to see more of it.

We were also introduced to some new multiplayer modes. There is a online co op more, as well as local wireless play. What this co op entails, I'm not sure. I'm hoping for an improved version of Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee, with player 2 being able to bring their own team instead of just borrowing from player 1's. I'm thinking this will be the case considering the online play. I'm hopeful good things will come of it. And I'm more then likely going to get a second switch just to try it out.

We were also introduced to a new raid mechanic, a la Pokemon Go. Similar to raids in MMORPGs such as WoW, players will gather to take on a particularly powerful Pokemon. I don't know much about this mode but I'm certainly excited to learn more.

We also saw the new rival and champion, Pokemon free roaming, and much more. I'm incredibly excited to play this game and don't want to wait until November 15th. But alas, that is what just be done. Oh well. Guess it gives me time to marathon the older games.

Which leads me to a personal announcement: I will be Let's Playing the older games on my YouTube channel in preparation for the new game's release. I'm going to be starting with Leaf Green and I plan on doing a Nuzlock run. So if you want to watch that series subscribe to my channel using the YouTube about above. I'll be updating the series every Saturday, with the first episode airing at the end of this week.

But that is all I have got for now. Thank you so much for reading. Did you watch the direct? What Pokemon or feature has you the most excited? Let me know in the comments below and consider subscribing to get email updates every time I post on this blog. Thanks again and as always, Good Night and Joy be with you all.