Following up on the Pokémon Direct on June 5th, Nintendo has revealed more information on Pokémon Sword and Shield at the Nintendo Treehouse Live at E3 event.[prebreak][/prebreak] The showcase revealed a few things, such as the new Pokémon Yamper and Impidimp, as well as other general gameplay.

However, during discussions with Junichi Masuda, he revealed that not every Pokémon is going to be available in Pokémon Sword and Shield. "What that means for Pokémon Sword and Shield is that players will be able to transfer their Pokémon from Pokémon Home, only if they appear in the Galar Pokédex." This means that certain Pokémon will be completely omitted from the game, for the first time in the series' history. Naturally, people are upset about this, leading to a whopping 40,000 dislikes on Nintendo's official upload, compared to the video's 15,000 likes. Part of the frustration comes from the idea that all Pokémon can be transferred to the new Pokémon Home service, and have no way of leaving, leaving them in what is essentially a Pokémon Prison.

In an interview with USgamer, Masuda explained that the reason for omitting Pokémon was down to the "higher fidelity" of the game, as well as the "higher quality animations". He also said that they're looking to keep the battle system balanced, and to allow the new Pokémon to shine.

Junichi Masuda, Producer: There are a couple of different parts to the thinking behind it, but really the biggest reason for it is just the sheer number of Pokemon. We already have well over 800 Pokemon species, and there's going to be more added in these games. And now that they're on the Nintendo Switch, we're creating it with much higher fidelity with higher quality animations. But even more than that, it's coming down to the battle system. We're making sure we can keep everything balanced and give all the Pokemon that appear in the games a chance to shine.

We knew at some point we weren't going to be able to indefinitely keep supporting all of the Pokemon, and we just found that Sword and Shield would probably be a good point to go back and reevaluate what would be the best selection of Pokemon that appeal to the widest audience while keeping into consideration the balance of the battle system. It isn't just going to be all-new Pokemon in the Galar region Pokedex; there's still going to be a lot of favorites that fans will be able to bring over that they've adventured with previously. But yeah, it was pretty much just balancing and getting this optimal selection of Pokemon for the adventure we wanted to provide.

Previously, all Pokémon were available through trades and cross-generation transfers of Pokémon. This meant that each game had a unique set of Pokémon that appear, but the others can be obtained in some form. It's currently unknown how many Pokémon have been cut from Sword and Shield.

You can find a list of Pokémon confirmed for Sword and Shield here.

YouTube Video
USgamer Interview

 

[MalikTH]

I can't believe people actually want to cancel their preorders over this, esp. what I've seen on social media

Not buying a game is possibly the best way to give feedback. Don't like something? Don't buy it. The developers don't earn as much and they realize something is wrong.

Why's this a big deal? Legit question here, not trying to prove a point. As someone outside of the franchise, I'd like to understand.

You can't catch all of the Pokemon because you can't transfer from past games, a staple since the Game Boy Advance/DS games almost/over a decade ago.

 

[Kioku]

Why's this a big deal? Legit question here, not trying to prove a point. As someone outside of the franchise, I'd like to understand.

It's a niche concept. "Gotta catch em all" has been a thing since the Red/Blue/Green/Yellow days. In some form you've always been able to acquire all Pokemon in any given game. My personal opinion is that after Gen 4? It became tedious and only applicable to those who prefer to 100% or are just avid collectors of digital items.. We're now up to roughly 1000 different Pokemon. Do people REALLY want to go through the trouble of finding a way (most of you here cheat, don't lie) to acquire every single one of them? This doesn't affect me as I'm just a casual player and legitimately see no issue here. I can see why some are offended.

 

[ignare]

A lot of great upcoming games have been delayed recently. If Pokemon needs to join that boat in order to have every Pokemon, so be it!

 

[SonicMC]

I just find it funny. 3ds 40$ game... hear nothing about not having all pokemon available in some form. They up the price to 60$ and you need a 300$ console/portable and now they say not all pokemon aquirable... funny, Funny

 

[Gon Freecss]

Remove the Dynamax gimmick and add all the Pokémon back

 

[FanmadeEndings]

I'll honestly admit I sometimes was a game freak apologist, but not anymore. This is it. This is the first main series pokemon game I'm getting used since Platinum.

 

[pedro702]

It's a niche concept. "Gotta catch em all" has been a thing since the Red/Blue/Green/Yellow days. In some form you've always been able to acquire all Pokemon in any given game. My personal opinion is that after Gen 4? It became tedious and only applicable to those who prefer to 100% or are just avid collectors of digital items.. We're now up to roughly 1000 different Pokemon. Do people REALLY want to go through the trouble of finding a way (most of you here cheat, don't lie) to acquire every single one of them? This doesn't affect me as I'm just a casual player and legitimately see no issue here. I can see why some are offended.

if you can transfer past pokemons you only need to catch under 100 per game lol because you fill the dex with previous gen pokemon duh.

 

[osaka35]

I'm going to make myself look at it as if they're rebooting the series. Making sun/moon the last of the original series. Maybe my brain will accept it in time...

 

[pedro702]

I'm going to make myself look at it as if they're rebooting the series. Making sun/moon the last of the original series. Maybe my brain will accept it in time...

maybe lol, i guess the third version or the next gen will have more returning pokemon, i mean they are cutting like 80% of them anyway so lol.

 

[SG854]

Wow...I've read all six pages, and quite some responses baffle me.

Personally, I've never played a pokemon game before (it just doesn't appeal to me). So I had no idea that every pokémon that was introduced at any time would remain in all future versions of the product as well. I had always assumed that "gotta catch 'em all" meant "gotta catch all the pokemon in this game". It would make sense, no?

Other sequels rarely include all the characters of the previous versions, let alone do this every single time (heck...this is the very first franchise I've ever heard that did this). You don't expect barbie or playmobile to cram every single model they have in the box whenever you buy a new set, right? Fighting games often tend to minimize the characters, because they know that every character they add needs to be balanced against everyone else to prevent people from either ignoring it completely or (even worse) always picking it because it's plain better.

"but the catch phrase is gotta catch em all!"
If that's supposed to be convincing then I'm sorry, but it has a backwards effect: it lowers my expectations of your intelligence. In case you haven't noticed: catch phrases are meant to sell you something. They're invented by marketing in the hopes of selling the game. At best, they aren't straight lies. But they usually are the summary of the most optimistic version of the goal. In other words: straight lies. As such, I would reply to this with "grow up". It's one thing to nurture your inner child. But this is just being childish.

"but it's the highest grossing media franchise in the world"
So I've heard. And I won't lie: it's impressive (worth 10 billion more than the runner up, hello kitty? That DOES shape some expectations). And unlike some critics, I'm not of the conviction that they can't afford it. Or even make a loss on having to do extra work, for that matter. No...my criticism on this front is twofold:
1) like bitcoin, it is ultimately a model that cannot continue forever. No matter how you turn it, pokemon is still a game and not an encyclopedia or something. There is a point on which even the hardcore crowd is going to admit that actually catching them all has become an endless chore.
2) the 'less is more' principle. The more you add, the less individuality each single one has. There's already criticism that some pokemon look like a five year old fingerpaint drawing. Eliminating the worst improves the general likeness of what remains.

Gotta Catch Em All I think was abandoned by 4th gen? I don’t remember.



The competitive scene is a whole ‘nother thing. Usually for balancing issues the fan community broke Pokémon into tiers, only certain Pokémon allowed in certain tiers depending on what tier you want to play.


Usually the goal nowadays is to not catch em all, but get the ones you like and have a huge list to choose from. I don’t think Gamefreak will properly address balancing issues TBH, I think the Tiers will still exist. They will probably rebalance the mons, but the nature of the game being huge I think balancing issues will still exist.

 

[Lacius]

No plans is a PR response to basicaly say no, if you ask any developer like will X agme have a switch release? they will always reply we hae no plans on releasing the x game on the switch.

No plans is a negation, its not being either way, its a NO that PR teams use really.

"Undecided" is the word that was used to describe future updates bringing old Pokemon over. That doesn't mean there are plans, and it in fact means there are no plans right now, but that wasn't how they answered the question, and it wasn't the PR response you're describing.

 

[the_randomizer]

Not buying a game is possibly the best way to give feedback. Don't like something? Don't buy it. The developers don't earn as much and they realize something is wrong.

You can't catch all of the Pokemon because you can't transfer from past games, a staple since the Game Boy Advance/DS games almost/over a decade ago.

I'm sure it will. If people can program all 850+ pokemon into a game, have them all use dynamax, have them all perfectly balanced and all within the constraints of Switch hardware, please, by all means let me know.

I just find it funny. 3ds 40$ game... hear nothing about not having all pokemon available in some form. They up the price to 60$ and you need a 300$ console/portable and now they say not all pokemon aquirable... funny, Funny

Don't you just love double standards?

 

[|<roni&g]

This is just to get yall talking like Mario Maker not having the option to play friends levels, then they announce its going to have multiplayer with friends and “hooray Nintendo listens to its fans” **fan boys kiss Nintendo’s ass**

Same with this, the Pokemon will likely be added in soon for another news story on the subject just to keep everyone talking

 

[Xzi]

I'm going to make myself look at it as if they're rebooting the series. Making sun/moon the last of the original series. Maybe my brain will accept it in time...

It is kind of a reboot since this is the first game to ditch the franchise formula that's been around since gen1. To some extent I can understand the focus on this one negative aspect since its a doozy, but there are some really awesome features being added to S&S too. An open world with dynamic behaviors for wild Pokemon, dynamic weather which affects spawn rates, random encounters mixed in, raid battles, stronger Pokemon the further you explore, etc and so forth. They've basically turned S&S into a single-player MMORPG, which is a concept that can be expanded upon later, and a concept that I am very much on board with. So yeah, definitely a buy for me.

 

[Deleted member 414991]

It is kind of a reboot since this is the first game to ditch the franchise formula that's been around since gen1. To some extent I can understand the focus on this one negative aspect since its a doozy, but there are some really awesome features being added to S&S too. An open world with dynamic behaviors for wild Pokemon, dynamic weather which affects spawn rates, random encounters mixed in, raid battles, stronger Pokemon the further you explore, etc and so forth. They've basically turned S&S into a single-player MMORPG, which is a concept that can be expanded upon later, and a concept that I am very much on board with. So yeah, definitely a buy for me.

The open world is a glorified route with uninteresting environments.

 

[pedro702]

I'm sure it will. If people can program all 850+ pokemon into a game, have them all use dynamax, have them all perfectly balanced and all within the constraints of Switch hardware, please, by all means let me know.



Don't you just love double standards?

oh cmon ofcouser they can lol if 3ds can have 809 pokemons the switch can have 1000 easily, its not as much work as you think, they have the models already from being on 3ds and pokemon go they can improve them but i doubt they will, they will just put afew more vertices and then hd textures and make them.

Most of the extra work they get is because of useless stuff like pokemon amie and such where you play with your pokemon and they have new animations and such when you pet them.

Battle animations are very standard and models are mostly done, they just need hd textures and they are good.

 

[LunarQueen626]

I'm going to make myself look at it as if they're rebooting the series. Making sun/moon the last of the original series. Maybe my brain will accept it in time...

That's a good way of seeing it, imo. It is a reboot of sorts, since it is trying a new way of playing Pokemon games.

 

[pedro702]

That's a good way of seeing it, imo. It is a reboot of sorts, since it is trying a new way of playing Pokemon games.

i didnt see any new way lol dynamax is just a new battle mechanic, you still just collect badges do turn based battles and win badges to beat the pokemon league while destroying a random evil team i guess.

 

[Xzi]

The open world is a glorified route with uninteresting environments.

'Glorified routes' are what we had in X/Y, they didn't even try to give the illusion of an open-world. As for 'uninteresting environments,' we have yet to see even 1/10th of the world, but to each their own I guess.

 

[the_randomizer]

oh cmon ofcouser they can lol if 3ds can have 809 pokemons the switch can have 1000 easily, its not as much work as you think, they have the models already from being on 3ds and pokemon go they can improve them but i doubt they will, they will just put afew more vertices and then hd textures and make them.

Most of the extra work they get is because of useless stuff like pokemon amie and such where you play with your pokemon and they have new animations and such when you pet them.

Battle animations are very standard and models are mostly done, they just need hd textures and they are good.

Can't help ya there, man, it is what it is, nothing we can do about it.