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New Pokemon Sword and Shield details shared in Pokemon Direct

Catch up on what you missed during the Pokemon Sword and Shield direct, which packed 15 minutes of new information into one exciting stream.

Brittany Vincent

June 5, 2019 6:12 AM

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During a new Pokemon Sword and Shield-themed Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed several new details about the upcoming Switch-exclusive games. There was a deluge of information revealed throughout the 15-minute presentation, and it looks like the Galar region is shaping up to be one of the most interesting we've seen in the core Pokemon games yet. 

When the presentation began, we were treated to a litany of new footage showing off the colorful new world trainers will be able to explore. There were a variety of different locations and terrains to discover, including snowy tundras, desert areas, wooded forests, and more. 

Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori from Game Freak were on hand to discuss some of the visuals seen in an exciting new clip. Trainers will embark on a new journey to become the "champion" as they travel through a variety of locations filled with "rich personality." There are various stadiums throughout the region that find gym battles being broadcast throughout the Galar region.

Art director James Turner at Game Freak was on hand to discuss some of the never-before-seen Pokemon in the Galar region, including the Sheep Pokemon Wooloo, which has gorgeous fur that those in the Galar region prize, and the Flowering Pokemon Gossifleur that enjoys going to places with clean air and water with pollen that has healing properties. Drednaw is the Bite Pokemon that has sharp, jagged edges of its jaw and has a vicious nature.The Raven Pokemon Corviknight works as a flying taxi that can take players back to any town they've previously visited.

Gossifleur evolves into the Cotton Bloom Pokemon Eldegoss, with seeds scattered across its head that promotes growth in plants and can revitalize people and Pokemon. There are "lots more" Pokemon in the region, Turner said, as he noted there are plenty more Pokemon you're already familiar with to be seen in the game.

The widest variety of Pokemon you can find will be seen in the Wild Area. It stretches between cities and is filed with a abundant nature as far as the eye can ee. Different Pokemon can appear where you are and what the weather is like. While headingg through the area you can control the camera to search better for items and Pokemon, searching in the skies, tall grass, and even the lakes.

In some regions in Galar, a phenomenon called Dynamaxing can super-size Pokemon – this is what we saw near the beginning of the video. Kazumasa Iwao, planning director for Sword and Shield, was on hand to chat about the changes coming to the game. Pokemon from the Galar region can Dynamax to become larger and boost their power. All moves they know will turn into powerful new abilities. Dynamaxing can be used once per battle, and the Pokemon will go back to normal after just three turns.

If you connect to other players, you can find additional ways to play with Dynamaxing. A new feature called Max Raid Battles will let up to four players work together to fight giant Dynamax Pokemon for an entire battle. It has extremely strong attacks, and only one player will be able to Dynamax in response. If you win the battle, you'll get a chance to capture the Pokemon from there.

The Pokemon in Max Raid Battles will vary depending on where you are in the battle, the weather, and location. Some Pokemon can only be caught in this way, so you'll have to make sure you try your best to seek them out whenever you can. You can connect via local wireless on Switch or use Nintendo Switch Online to engage in Max Raid Battles.

A final bit of video aired during the Pokemon Direct showed off the two games' Legendary Pokemon, as every Pokemon version has, including Zacian and Zamazenta. Zacian appears to be the sword Pokemon, and Zamazenta is the shield Pokemon. They look quite similar to each other (and previous Legendary Pokemon), but it will be interesting to see how their presence in the game shakes out. 

Pokemon Sword and Shield will release on November 15, 2019. 

Brittany Vincent

Senior Editor

Fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games, Brittany is a Senior Editor at Shacknews who thrives on surrealism and ultraviolence. Follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake and check out her portfolio for more. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched!