A new generation of Pokemon has arrived on the Switch, and Nintendo is giving us our first look at the Galar region and its starters!
Thus far we don't know a whole lot about our new region, but we've got a full view of the map and some shots of the environments.
The Pokemon Twitter described the new map as having countrysides, modern cities, plains, and snowy mountains. Looking at the released image, it's taller than it is wide. Maps in the past have been based on places in the real world, like Kalos being based on France and Alola being Hawaii, and this new map seems the same. With its variety of locations and specifically having an area that looks like a Victorian-style city with a clock tower, Galar is believed to represent the United Kingdom. I'm liking the imagery these settings provide, and getting to run through a modernized Victorian city is intriguing. In terms of the map, this region is special in that most are wide as well as tall, but Galar is a straight shot up and down with some locations on the sides. The Pokemon League is at the tip top, and you can see the settings grow more difficult as the journey progresses, starting with rustic villages and travelling to snow-covered mountains. There's also an island off the right side of the top of the map, and I wonder what its significance will be for the player. Having the names be "Sword" and "Shield" has my interest, as usually thus far the games have been named after colors or some kind of precious material/stone. After red and blue we had gold and silver, then came ruby and sapphire, and then of course we had a change with "X" and "Y." Now, we have a drastic change like the new map style, going from the typical colors and gems to combat weapons. Typically the games' names have to do with their respective legendaries, like "Gold" for Ho-Oh and "Silver" for Lugia, so perhaps these names are important. We've had weapon comparisons before, like the fossil Pokemon Rampardos and Bastiodon being compared to a spear and a shield, respectively. Maybe the legendaries for this game will be like that, with one being more of an attacker as the trainer's sword, and the other a defensive shield.
Now we have the starters, and first up is a monkey, the grass type Grookey, who caught my attention solely because I love monkeys.
I enjoy Grookey's design, though the face somewhat reminds me of Rowlet; I like Grookey's ears and mouth, which look like some type of nut to me. It's name seems to suggest a dancer, as according to Bulbapedia, the first part of its name seems to come from "groove," and its Japanese name is "Sarunori," which can be split into "Saru" (monkey) and "nori" (excitement, rhythm). At the moment we don't know what any of the starters evolve into, so we're in the dark on what their second types will be. The use of browns to give this grass type an earthy feel suggests a possible ground-type, but we've have that with Turtwig and I'm hoping for something new. I do find it a bit strange that the creators decided to go with a monkey grass type, as we've already got Pansage, who is also a grass monkey. We've had this kind of thing before, though, as Charmander and Treecko are both lizards, and we've had numerous seals. I feel like a monkey can easily be a fighting type, but this would also be rather dull, as generation four's Chimchar is this way. Having a bipedal grass type is a good way of continuing to rotate between forms, as throughout the generations we've have quadrupeds, some bipedal, and with Rowlet even a flying one. Until Grookey's evolutions are revealed, it's all speculation what type it will later have, and I'm optimistic for now that it'll become something I enjoy.
Next up is a rabbit, the fire type Scorbunny, whom I'm honestly feeling mixed about at this point despite how I typically choose fire types.
Scorbunny's design definitely gets some points in the creativity section, as being mostly white is a drastic change from the typical fire starter. Whereas most of them focus on oranges and reds, as would be expected, and a few bringing in black, Scorbunny is more white-hot. It took some time for me to warm up to this (pun not intended but enjoyed), and the aspect that more worries me is the patch between Scorbunny's eyes. This resembles a bandage like you'd see on a typical fighter character, and I, like most fans, am dreading the thought of this starter gaining the fighting type. At this point, we've had Torchic, Chimchar, and Tepig all become fire/fighting Pokemon, and while not a fighter, Litten's final form was a wrestler. I'm also not a huge fan of Scorbunny's name thus far, as to me it feels a lot more forced and less creative than some past names. Over time we've had starters whose names had meaning while effectively rolling off the tongue, like Charmander, Squirtle, Cyndaquil, Treecko, and Tepig. While usually they're a combination of words, like "char" and "salamander" or "squirt" and "turtle," sometimes they're puns, like "tepig" both containing "pig" and being a play on "tepid." With Scorbunny, we obviously have two words put together, "scorch" and "bunny," but they don't really mesh well, and for me it doesn't feel creative or interesting. According to Bulbapedia, the Japanese name is "Hibani," which actually seems more interesting to me and hints as its future secondary typing. With "Hi" meaning fire, the rest of its name seems to match "bunny" as well, but "hibana" apparently means spark, suggesting a fire/electric duality I would love. Scorbunny is still cute, and has a cool design, and for now I anxiously await the official reveal of its second type.
Last, but definitely not least, is the chameleon who is taking the Internet by storm, the water type Sobble.
Sobble has quickly gained attention due to its sad appearance and cute design, leading to memes where people declare their intention to protect it. Sobble's design definitely intrigues me thus far, obviously appearing like a chameleon but having a strange fin on its head. For now at least it's a quadruped, and people have begun speculating that Sobble will become a water/dragon type when it evolves. I would certainly like to see something like this, especially if his design were to match a traditional Chinese dragon by remaining quadrupedal and developing more legs. This would help distinguish Sobble from the original lizard starter, Charmander, who of course became the always-popular Charizard. As things stand, there's already another chameleon Pokemon, Kecleon, but I personally always found it to be rather dull, and had a concept that while interesting, was far too easy to take advantage of. Kecleon is a normal type, but it takes on the typing of whatever move hits it, so splashing it with a water gun would turn it into a water type. I always found Kecleon too easy to beat for this to matter, hitting it with one or two fighting moves. If it manages to last a few turns, you just have to remember not to use the same type of move if it would do little damage, like attacking repeatedly with fire. Matching its sad appearance, Sobble's name seems to be a combination of "sob" and "bubble," and according to Bulbapedia, its Japanese name is "Messon," a possible combination of "mesomeso" (sobbing) and chameleon. Sobble has taken the Internet by storm, and I have to admit I'm curious as to what our mopey little friend will become and what it can do.
Last up we'll take a look at the character and location graphics, and I personally am loving it and find the scenery to be gorgeous.
I've seen some complaints that the game hasn't updated much graphically from recent installments, despite the Switch's capabilities. This could be true, but I feel like it's good to keep in perspective how far Pokemon has come from its origin, when everything was flat and pixelated. Heck, in the oldest games there weren't even specific sprites for each Pokemon; they just got a general image shared by others of similar looks. Considering how small everything appeared in the original games, and as someone who, to be fair, hasn't gotten to play the latest installments, seeing the characters in intricate clothes surrounded by scaled buildings is fantastic. Even just looking at the scenery is amazing, with such a variety in settings that are all beautifully designed. There's lush green areas and simple, clean building interiors, and there's also lights reflecting off snow-covered towns and mines sparkling with gems. This game might not be a massive step from things like the "Let's Go" duo, but even a small step forward is something.
In the end, I'm ecstatic as I wait for more information and look forward to the games hitting shelves in a few months.
I'm hesitant about some things, but overall I enjoy all three starters, which doesn't always happen, and I admire the obvious effort that went into graphics and design. The region is doing something new by giving us a vertical map, and it is taking us to a variety of interesting locations, with the Victorian city especially exciting me. One thing I've always wished I could revisit after its gone is the excitement I felt when a new Pokemon game was announced, especially when it brought a new region. I can still remember announcements for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl that had me in awe as a kid, awaiting the beautiful, improved games and the show's next season. Each time a new game was brought out, things had been improved, from graphics to the Pokemon to how much motion there was. I love looking back and seeing this progression, comparing the original flat, static Gameboy games to the current, motion-filled 3-D images. I'm glad to be feeling that again now, ready and willing to dive into a new world again and continue my journey with the creatures we call "Pokemon."
"Pokemon Sword and Shield" trailer from the Pokemon YouTube page.
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AuthorI love the entertainment side of things. Video games, tv shows, superheroes and movies are my passion and I'd love to get the news out for things I enjoy. My contact page has links to my social media, so if you enjoy what I have to say, likes, shares, comments, and follows are always greatly appreciated! Archives
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