Sword & Shield **Official news only** DLC Crown Tundra 22nd October

[Dan_Noodl]

I hope we get some Galarian forms or Gigantamax forms for some Kalos Pokémon. It would feel very fitting and it always was a bummer that Generation 6 mons barely benefitted at all from their own generations gimmick. But more important I want my boy Goodra to get a new form. Make him Dragon Water Gamefreak...please...and give him recover

Not sure what exactly you both are referring to about SM/USUM having terrible optimization

Tbf, I don’t think Vince was referring to SM. Seems like they were referring to how file sizes could be misleading if the games aren’t well optimized.

 

[Vengeance417]

10.3 GB is very small for a game these days, at least compared to other consoles. Some of them are well over 50+ gigs minimum without factoring in DLC + updates.

 

[Kurona]

10.3 GB is very small for a game these days, at least compared to other consoles. Some of them are well over 50+ gigs minimum without factoring in DLC + updates.

Yes, compared to other consoles. But I don't think it makes sense to take that into account unless making a statement about the Switch as a whole.

 

[Ironmage]

Nice, hopefully the step up from Let's Go's file size isn't just due to more mons + improved graphics engine and is an indication that there will be more than enough other content to justify the price tag.

given that Let's Go included the data of non-kanto mons, it would require a massive size increase of the graphics engine for this to be the case. Of course, a bigger engine does not imply better graphics, so it may still be this behind the scenes.

 

[Dan_Noodl]

Great video. Turner’s explanation on the core style of Pokémon design’s being that they should be appear like something that you can be friends with is very fitting.

 

[Kurona]

given that Let's Go included the data of non-kanto mons, it would require a massive size increase of the graphics engine for this to be the case. Of course, a bigger engine does not imply better graphics, so it may still be this behind the scenes.

Wait, it did? The entire Pokédex, or?

 

[Pyritie]

As someone who works in game development, the vast majority of file size bloat in games is from video, followed by textures and audio.
We also know that the newer graphics engine supports way more different types of materials, like specular, emissive, etc etc, and making a ton of those for every pokemon + all the other textures for the world add up to a lot.
If you combine this with game freak's general incompetence then 10GB isn't very surprising

 

[Siggu]

As a reference, Let's Go occupies 4.1 GB

 

[Prof. Almeida]

Nice, hopefully the step up from Let's Go's file size isn't just due to more mons + improved graphics engine and is an indication that there will be more than enough other content to justify the price tag.

The size makes me wonder how much space I have on my Switch's SD card, and whether I ought to get cartridge over eShop this time. I usually go with eShop so I can play asap. Does anyone in the US have experience with the reliability of Amazon's release day delivery using Amazon Prime?





Not sure what exactly you both are referring to about SM/USUM having terrible optimization, but in case it's about that claim that the developers had duplicate models for several areas (e.g., a separate model of Lilly for nearly every time she appears) and encrypting/decrypting 100s of unnecessary times, then that's just some misunderstanding and misinformation that was spreading a while back.

See this Kaphotics twitter thread:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1139581454621523969

I mean the fact they put assets in the game that are higher resolution than the console is able to support. Had the assets been the right size, the games would probably be way smaller than that.

 

[Pikachu315111]

View attachment 200857

I also think this is the first in-game model of Zacian we've seen.

W-w-wait. Turtonator is confirmed? That's interesting, because he's a duo with...

OH MY LORD

Hate to be a downer but I wouldn't say this confirms Drampa being in the game. Pokemon who were Version Exclusives that didn't have such a direct relation are often de-linked after their initial gen (and this can either appear by itself or with its previous exclusive partner in a same version of a future gen). While Drampa and Turtonator share a lot of traits I think a notable difference between them makes them more unrelated then related: where they're found: Turtonator is found on Blush Mountain while Drampa is found on Mount Lanakila. Many version exclusives who remain as such usually share the same locations they're encountered in, but since Turtonator is found in hot/volcanic locations and Drampa is found in colder/higher-up locations there's honestly no reason to keep them connected.

Of course wouldn't mind Drampa to be in since, being found on Mount Lanakila, that meant you didn't get to use it until you're right about to face the Elite Four (great job GF... actually why was the ice caves section of Mount Lanakila blocked off? I can understand blocking off the peak as that's where the Pokemon League construction was going on, but the ice caves before it were left untouched. Would have been a nice opportunity to offer Ice-Types (and Drampa) at the 2/3 or 3/4 point of the game; just barely at that point you have your whole team made).

But more important I want my boy Goodra to get a new form. Make him Dragon Water Gamefreak...please...and give him recover

I think GF wants to ignore mistakes they made with Mega Evolutions and reserve Regional Variants for Pokemon who need a buff (or at least more attention) but they don't want to completely change what that Pokemon is. And with them not making that many new Pokemon anymore it's also a good way to fill in certain Type gaps they may not have a new Pokemon for or would want more of.

Great video. Turner’s explanation on the core style of Pokémon design’s being that they should be appear like something that you can be friends with is very fitting.

So there's some interesting factoids:

• A hiring practice for an GF artist is to draw an original Pokemon design. While the one James Turner drew was never made into a Pokemon, it was reworked into what eventually became Phantump.
• If you know what to look for you can tell one artists style from another, the "Pokemon Style" is more about the concept behind the Pokemon rather then the art style thus giving the artists more artistic room and adds visual variety.
• James Turner's preferred style is stranger and sometimes more "whimsical" looking Pokemon. Hasn't actually drawn that many animal-looking Pokemon.
• One of, if not the core concept behind a Pokemon's design is that its a creature you can think "I can be friends with/would want to be part of my team".
• If you're applying to be an artist at GF you should have a portfolio showing you can draw appealing creatures and characters, it doesn't necessarily need to fit the Pokemon style.

BTW, here is James Turner's Twitter if anyone would like to see other things he has drawn.

 

[Yung Dramps]

Hate to be a downer but I wouldn't say this confirms Drampa being in the game. Pokemon who were Version Exclusives that didn't have such a direct relation are often de-linked after their initial gen (and this can either appear by itself or with its previous exclusive partner in a same version of a future gen). While Drampa and Turtonator share a lot of traits I think a notable difference between them makes them more unrelated then related: where they're found: Turtonator is found on Blush Mountain while Drampa is found on Mount Lanakila. Many version exclusives who remain as such usually share the same locations they're encountered in, but since Turtonator is found in hot/volcanic locations and Drampa is found in colder/higher-up locations there's honestly no reason to keep them connected.

Of course wouldn't mind Drampa to be in since, being found on Mount Lanakila, that meant you didn't get to use it until you're right about to face the Elite Four (great job GF... actually why was the ice caves section of Mount Lanakila blocked off? I can understand blocking off the peak as that's where the Pokemon League construction was going on, but the ice caves before it were left untouched. Would have been a nice opportunity to offer Ice-Types (and Drampa) at the 2/3 or 3/4 point of the game; just barely at that point you have your whole team made).

If you wanna argue based on locations, I'd say it supports Drampa appearing even more actually. There doesn't really seem to be any big volcanic places in Galar that we can see, most we got are some rocky mountain areas. Meanwhile, you mention Drampa being found on Mount Lanakila, a snowy mountain. Guess what Galar has to the north?

Also, can I get a specific example of one member of a past-gen "duo" (eg lotad and seedot lines) being split up in the sense one appears in a game's regional dex but not the other? Sorry for pressing you so hard on this but I need to believe F A T H E R is gonna be in SWSH. If he ain't Turt is deadass gonna be my new most hated Pokemon, or at least in the bottom 5 lol

 

[Melons-N-Soda]

Also, can I get a specific example of one member of a past-gen "duo" (eg lotad and seedot lines) being split up in the sense one appears in a game's regional dex but not the other?

Only Sableye was in the Alola dex prior to USUM
Seedot's line is not native to the Kalos dex, but Lotad's is.
Mantine and Skarmory were a duo in Gen 2 but that seems to have been dropped. You can't find Mantine in Hoenn, and you can't find Skarmory in Sinnoh.
Ekans and Sandshrew's lines were a duo for the first two generations. You can find Sandshrew in Hoenn, but you can't find Ekans anywhere. Same thing goes for Unova.
Vulpix and Growlithe were counterparts for the first 2 gens, and you can also only find the former in Hoenn.
Phanpy and Teddiursa were a duo as well. And again, only Phanpy is in the Hoenn dex.
You can find Murkrow in the Kalos dex but you can't find Misdreavus there. Although these were made into a duo (officially (as in being in the dex) only in DPP but they were used as counterparts in BW1 and FRLG) rather than being introduced as counterparts it still counts.
Another case of a duo that didn't start out as one, Pinsir was in the Alola dex from the beginning, but Heracross didn't get added until USUM. They were duos in Unova and Kalos.

Probably some more I missed but still.

 

[Kurona]

Only Sableye was in the Alola dex prior to USUM
Seedot's line is not native to the Kalos dex, but Lotad's is.
Mantine and Skarmory were a duo in Gen 2 but that seems to have been dropped. You can't find Mantine in Hoenn, and you can't find Skarmory in Sinnoh.
Ekans and Sandshrew's lines were a duo for the first two generations. You can find Sandshrew in Hoenn, but you can't find Ekans anywhere. Same thing goes for Unova.
Vulpix and Growlithe were counterparts for the first 2 gens, and you can also only find the former in Hoenn.
Phanpy and Teddiursa were a duo as well. And again, only Phanpy is in the Hoenn dex.
You can find Murkrow in the Kalos dex but you can't find Misdreavus there. Although these were made into a duo (officially (as in being in the dex) only in DPP but they were used as counterparts in BW1 and FRLG) rather than being introduced as counterparts it still counts.
Another case of a duo that didn't start out as one, Pinsir was in the Alola dex from the beginning, but Heracross didn't get added until USUM. They were duos in Unova and Kalos.

Probably some more I missed but still.

A major one imo is Caterpie and Weedle. The former can be found in Alola just fine, but Weedle can't be found at all in SM and must be bred from an island scan Beedrill in USUM. On the opposite end, you can find Kakuna in ORAS' safari zone; but nothing from Caterpie's family is anywhere to be found.

The latter is of course due to Beedrill's Mega, but that itself shows that sometimes one counterpart is given attention while the other gets nothing -- Megas were given to Beedrill, Slowbro, Banette and Glalie but not to their counterparts; and it also took a year for Gallade and Sableye to get Megas after Gardevoir and Mawile did. To look at something more recent, Vulpix and Sandshrew's families both got Alola forms while Growlithe and Ekans didn't get anything; and while Weezing has a regional variant now, Muk had one for a good 3 years prior.

If a Pokémon gets to be in a game or gets a new form and it has a counterpart of some sort, there's a good chance that counterpart will get similar attention at the same time; but that's unfortunately hardly a guarantee. I'll also point out that it's suspicious we've once again seen Caterpie to be available in SwSh, and yet there's been no sign of Beedrill...

 

[Deleted User 465389]

A major one imo is Caterpie and Weedle. The former can be found in Alola just fine, but Weedle can't be found at all in SM and must be bred from an island scan Beedrill in USUM. On the opposite end, you can find Kakuna in ORAS' safari zone; but nothing from Caterpie's family is anywhere to be found.

The latter is of course due to Beedrill's Mega, but that itself shows that sometimes one counterpart is given attention while the other gets nothing -- Megas were given to Beedrill, Slowbro, Banette and Glalie but not to their counterparts; and it also took a year for Gallade and Sableye to get Megas after Gardevoir and Mawile did. To look at something more recent, Vulpix and Sandshrew's families both got Alola forms while Growlithe and Ekans didn't get anything; and while Weezing has a regional variant now, Muk had one for a good 3 years prior.

If a Pokémon gets to be in a game or gets a new form and it has a counterpart of some sort, there's a good chance that counterpart will get similar attention at the same time; but that's unfortunately hardly a guarantee. I'll also point out that it's suspicious we've once again seen Caterpie to be available in SwSh, and yet there's been no sign of Beedrill...

who is banette's counterpart?

 

[Kurona]

who is banette's counterpart?

Duskull. They were version exclusives in RSE and their remakes.

 

[Vengeance417]

Yes, compared to other consoles. But I don't think it makes sense to take that into account unless making a statement about the Switch as a whole.

I should clarify. I wasn't really taking anything into account, nor was I really downplaying the controversy surrounding the file size of SwSh. I'm just not used to full games being that small nowadays since I mostly play on PC where the sizes of these newer titles can sometimes push 50-70+ gigs just for the base game.

 

[Kanburi]

*squint* Drampa and Mandibuzz! And is that a Reuniclus?

 

[Vengeance417]

Inb4 Yung Drampus loses his shit lmao

 

[Vinc2612]

I have just noticed that the Download Card shows us we are limited to one player per Switch. No more co-op mode à la Let's Go, but also no free battle mode à la Stadium/Colosseum.

Not a big surprise, but it could have been fun, especially the latter.

 

[Kanburi]

Bit of a random question here hoping that someone here can give me an answer...

I bought my 3DS when I was in Canada in 2013, so naturally my 3DS games (XY, SM, USUM) are all linked to my North American Nintendo account. Then I moved to Japan and bought my Switch, and it was just easier to make a Japanese account for that.

So my question is, how does Pokemon Home work? Is it linked to Nintendo accounts? Because if so, then I'm guessing I have to add my North American one to my Switch to transfer my Pokemon from Bank to SS. And would I be able to play SS using my Japanese account? I think I should be able to if Home works the same way as Bank in that it detects whatever software is compatible with Home on your device, right?

 

[Rarycaris]

*squint* Drampa and Mandibuzz! And is that a Reuniclus?

View attachment 200982

This pseudo-confirms a bunch of version exclusives aswell, right?

 

[Pyritie]

Bit of a random question here hoping that someone here can give me an answer...

I bought my 3DS when I was in Canada in 2013, so naturally my 3DS games (XY, SM, USUM) are all linked to my North American Nintendo account. Then I moved to Japan and bought my Switch, and it was just easier to make a Japanese account for that.

So my question is, how does Pokemon Home work? Is it linked to Nintendo accounts? Because if so, then I'm guessing I have to add my North American one to my Switch to transfer my Pokemon from Bank to SS. And would I be able to play SS using my Japanese account? I think I should be able to if Home works the same way as Bank in that it detects whatever software is compatible with Home on your device, right?

I don't think we know anything about Home besides it being the replacement for pokebank.

 

[Kurona]

Well, what I and Melons-N-Soda said yesterday still stands true; but now I feel really dumb about it lol.

I do want to say though it kiiiind of looks like they might be exclusives, for them to show up on this card and not on Sword's. That especially gets stronger once you consider that Mandibuzz and Braviary are, of course, defensive and offensive counterparts respectively.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Well, what I and Melons-N-Soda said yesterday still stands true; but now I feel really dumb about it lol.

I do want to say though it kiiiind of looks like they might be exclusives, for them to show up on this card and not on Sword's. That especially gets stronger once you consider that Mandibuzz and Braviary are, of course, defensive and offensive counterparts respectively.

Does look like they confirmed a few version exclusives with the cards (just going off past gen Pokemon, don't think any of the Gen VIII Pokemon shown on the card are version exclusive):

Sword & Shield:
Mawile & Sableye
Turtonator & Drampa
(Rufflet family) & Vullaby family
Gothita family & Solosis family
Deino family & Larvitar family

Gotta go now, but if anyone wants to HERE is the list of confirmed Pokemon via Serebii and HERE is the list of Version Exclusives from past gens via Bulbapedia. If no one does I'll do so myself later today. ;)

Though a quick cute detail I noticed, they had Pikachu on the Sword download card and Eevee on the Shield download card, I see what you did there. ;)

 

[Yung Dramps]

*squint* Drampa and Mandibuzz! And is that a Reuniclus?

View attachment 200982

Inb4 Yung Drampus loses his shit lmao

You better believe I am, even if I won't type it out again! Drampa confirmed on my birthday... ...this has to be a sign. Well, assuming he is a Shield exclusive I know which version I'm getting. Sorry Sirfetch'd!

And so this isn't a one-liner, lemme type up the dex count right away!

Kanto - 47 (44 original, 3 regional variants)
Johto - 24 (15 original, 5 cross-gen evolutions, 4 cross-gen pre-evolutions)
Hoenn - 29 (26 original, 2 regional variants, 1 cross-gen pre-evolution)
Sinnoh - 31 (19 original, 9 cross-gen evolutions, 3 cross-gen pre-evolutions)
Unova - 58 (all original) (+2)
Kalos - 28 (25 original, 1 cross-gen evolution)
Alola - 26 (all original) (+1)
Galar - 30 (28 original, 2 cross-gen evolutions)
Total - 273 (+3)

Percentages (Rounded down)
Kanto - 31% of Kanto mons, 17% of Galar dex
Johto - 24% of Johto mons, 8% of Galar dex
Hoenn - 21% of Hoenn mons, 10% of Galar dex
Sinnoh - 28% of Sinnoh mons, 11% of Galar dex
Unova - 37% of Unova mons, 21% of Galar dex
Kalos - 41% of Kalos mons, 10% of Galar dex
Alola - 29% of Alola mons, 9% of Galar dex
Galar - 10% of Galar dex

Unova is creeping up ever closer to Kalos' proportion of home dex representation, although the latter still has a good 4% lead. Johto and Hoenn's count continue to stay stagnant, why this is is hard to tell, although once again I restate my belief it'll be fixed by currently unrevealed Galarian forms. Alola is a "rising star" of sorts, now only 2% less represented than Kanto on average thanks to recent reveals! On the overall Galar dex side, Kanto and Unova keep up firm leads while the rest hover around the 10% mark.