When it was revealed at E3 2019 that not every Pokemon would be available in Pokemon Sword and Shield, the internet erupted in rage, with players upset by the idea that some of their favorites might not be usable in the latest Pokemon entries. A few weeks after the initial outcry, Game Freak has decided to step forward with an official statement on the matter. Pokemon series producer and director Junichi Masuda claimed that Game Freak is passionate about every Pokemon that they've created, but that the company had to make the difficult choice to not include the full lineup of over 800 monsters. Masuda also says that even if some Pokemon won't be in this series of games, they still have a chance to appear in further entries, later down the line. Perhaps that means we'll see a full Pokedex when the inevitable revision or sequel game releases one day.

For those unimpeded by the controversy, Pokemon Sword and Shield is set to launch worldwide on November 15th.

Thank you to all of our fans for caring so deeply about Pokémon. Recently, I shared the news that some Pokémon cannot be transferred to Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. I've read all your comments and appreciate your love and passion for Pokémon.

Just like all of you, we are passionate about Pokémon and each and every one of them is very important to us. After so many years of developing the Pokémon video games, this was a very difficult decision for me. I'd like to make one thing clear: even if a specific Pokémon is not available in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, that does not mean it will not appear in future games.

The world of Pokémon continues to evolve. The Galar region offers new Pokémon to encounter, Trainers to battle, and adventures to embark on. We are pouring our hearts into these games, and we hope you will look forward to joining us on this new journey.

Junichi Masuda

Source

 

[MasterJ360]

competitive play will just be boring since everyone will copy the same strat due to limited dex.
I just hope they are doing this only if there will be a pokemon game in the future that will include all regions for national dex

 

[DSoryu]

They haven't done that since the DS days

I have to disagree a bit with you there. The HG SS versions where pure fan service and at least for me, where one of the last pokemon games that showed love for the franchise.

I mean:

-EVERY pokémon CAN follow you.
-The remixes from the original songs where treated with an excellent quality level, still being to date one of the best BGM's you can find in the entire DS library, I mean, just hear this:



-It had both Kanto and Johto untouched and you could still battle 16 Gym leaders.
-The legendary Pokemon stories were updated and improved vs the original GS releases, Lugia and Ho-Oh got encounter cut-scenes and side-stories.
-The Legendary Trio side story from crystal was even included.
-We got battle frontier straight from Platinum without any changes or cuts (Stares sadly at ORAS)
-Every special Pokéballs you could make in the originals with the apricorns where included, and with their respective feat untouched.
-You could catch other legendaries post game, and every one of them got their encounter music themes remade to fit the DS capabilities (ORAS legendaries and Regi themes being my favorite)
-We got a cool side story to catch Arceus and even "create" Dialga, Palkia or Giratina.
-The game was actually challenging.
-Coolest rival in the series, the last one to have a true personality and character development, even a side story.
-A key item (GB Player) that plays the ALL original tracks in their original 8-bit style versions, something that wasn't made in the ORAS with maybe a GBAplayer(?) for unknown reasons.

And the rest being personal reasons.
I said that I partially disagree because just after a couple of years, with Gen 5 (B/W), GF began to do the infamous "yearly releases thing" with the mainline series, and throwing to the window the improvements. In other words, make a step forward to just go back three.

EDIT: Man, just remembering all of this made me to realize that the SW/SH controversy is not enraging anymore for me, it is now sad. What are you doing GF? You where one of a kind before...

 

[Deleted User]

I have to disagree a bit with you there. The HG SS versions where pure fan service and at least for me, where one of the last pokemon games that showed love for the franchise.

I mean:

-EVERY pokémon CAN follow you.
-The remixes from the original songs where treated with an excellent quality level, still being to date one of the best BGM's you can find in the entire DS library, I mean, just hear this:



-It had both Kanto and Johto untouched and you could still battle 16 Gym leaders.
-The legendary Pokemon stories were updated and improved vs the original GS releases, Lugia and Ho-Oh got encounter cut-scenes and side-stories.
-The Legendary Trio side story from crystal was even included.
-We got battle frontier straight from Platinum without any changes or cuts (Stares sadly at ORAS)
-Every special Pokéballs you could make in the originals with the apricorns where included, and with their respective feat untouched.
-You could catch other legendaries post game, and every one of them got their encounter music themes remade to fit the DS capabilities (ORAS legendaries and Regi themes being my favorite)
-We got a cool side story to catch Arceus and even "create" Dialga, Palkia or Giratina.
-The game was actually challenging.
-Coolest rival in the series, the last one to have a true personality and character development, even a side story.
-A key item (GB Player) that plays the ALL original tracks in their original 8-bit style versions, something that wasn't made in the ORAS with maybe a GBAplayer(?) for unknown reasons.

And the rest being personal reasons.
I said that I partially disagree because just after a couple of years, with Gen 5 (B/W), GF began to do the infamous "yearly releases thing" with the mainline series, and throwing to the window the improvements. In other words, make a step forward to just go back three.

EDIT: Man, just remembering all of this made me to realize that the SW/SH controversy is not enraging anymore for me, it is now sad. What are you doing GF? You where one of a kind before...

I say that black and white and their squeal was the last entry that took care
Pretty much sped up the combat, animated the Pokemon actually (was a nice touch) and probably the best story a pokemon game had.
Then black 2 and white 2 completely smashed expectations, pretty much expanding the lore of the first game, telling events that happened between the two years of black to black 2. And then let's not forget the story was mostly different, a character who was extremely interesting colress. And then let's not forget that a couple of locations were completely different either in name and esthetic or just one. Added the ability to challenge passed champions, and then added a easy mode and hard mode through the key system which I've yet to see a other game try. And many other changes that I can't list. While ultra sun and ultra moon is the proof of this decline, which many things, so many things were exactly the same from sun and moon. Until 3/4 in the game remembers it's supposed to be different from the base game. Sure somethings happen slightly different, but it definitely does not qualify to be a entirely separate game.

And that's excluding the fact that every gym in black 2 and white 2 got their own unique theme song,and gym's completely redesigned (which ultra sun and ultra moon didn't change the challenges for the most part, only changing totem Pokemon)

 

[DSoryu]

I say that black and white and their squeal was the last entry that took care
Pretty much sped up the combat, animated the Pokemon actually (was a nice touch) and probably the best story a pokemon game had.
Then black 2 and white 2 completely smashed expectations, pretty much expanding the lore of the first game, telling events that happened between the two years of black to black 2. And then let's not forget the story was mostly different, a character who was extremely interesting colress. And then let's not forget that a couple of locations were completely different either in name and esthetic or just one. Added the ability to challenge passed champions, and then added a easy mode and hard mode through the key system which I've yet to see a other game try. And many other changes that I can't list. While ultra sun and ultra moon is the proof of this decline, which many things, so many things were exactly the same from sun and moon. Until 3/4 in the game remembers it's supposed to be different from the base game. Sure somethings happen slightly different, but it definitely does not qualify to be a entirely separate game.

"However *fixes his glasses* I AGREE!!"

Yeah, I fully agree with you, B/W and their sequels are one of my personal favorites, the only gen in the series to have a direct sequel (GS are different gens so those don't count) and expanding it's own lore rather that re-telling the same things just with different skin or mechanics.

Apart for the things you already mentioned, I remember that it was mind blowing how the first ending from B/W was a heavy twist and instead of the champion, you had to battle a true final boss.

This being said, I need to clarify that I was referring as how the series became yearly releases after those games, and started to drop their quality levels because of that.

 

[Deleted User]

"However *fixes his glasses* I AGREE!!"

Yeah, I fully agree with you, B/W and their sequels are one of my personal favorites, the only gen in the series to have a direct sequel (GS are different gens so those don't count) and expanding it's own lore rather that re-telling the same things just with different skin or mechanics.

Apart for the things you already mentioned, I remember that it was mind blowing how the first ending from B/W was a heavy twist and instead of the champion, you had to battle a true final boss.

This being said, I need to clarify that I was referring as how the series became yearly releases after those games, and started to drop their quality levels because of that.

what blew my mind, is when I did a repeat play through of black and white and their squeals, remember the ruins in the sandstorm? Depending on which squeal you play, either the ruins are more destroyed white 2, or in black 2 the ruins are being refurbished/maintained. Which a detail they didn't need to add, but I love it none the less. It gives reason for them splitting games other than different pokemon

 

[pedro702]

I have to disagree a bit with you there. The HG SS versions where pure fan service and at least for me, where one of the last pokemon games that showed love for the franchise.

I mean:

-EVERY pokémon CAN follow you.
-The remixes from the original songs where treated with an excellent quality level, still being to date one of the best BGM's you can find in the entire DS library, I mean, just hear this:



-It had both Kanto and Johto untouched and you could still battle 16 Gym leaders.
-The legendary Pokemon stories were updated and improved vs the original GS releases, Lugia and Ho-Oh got encounter cut-scenes and side-stories.
-The Legendary Trio side story from crystal was even included.
-We got battle frontier straight from Platinum without any changes or cuts (Stares sadly at ORAS)
-Every special Pokéballs you could make in the originals with the apricorns where included, and with their respective feat untouched.
-You could catch other legendaries post game, and every one of them got their encounter music themes remade to fit the DS capabilities (ORAS legendaries and Regi themes being my favorite)
-We got a cool side story to catch Arceus and even "create" Dialga, Palkia or Giratina.
-The game was actually challenging.
-Coolest rival in the series, the last one to have a true personality and character development, even a side story.
-A key item (GB Player) that plays the ALL original tracks in their original 8-bit style versions, something that wasn't made in the ORAS with maybe a GBAplayer(?) for unknown reasons.

And the rest being personal reasons.
I said that I partially disagree because just after a couple of years, with Gen 5 (B/W), GF began to do the infamous "yearly releases thing" with the mainline series, and throwing to the window the improvements. In other words, make a step forward to just go back three.

EDIT: Man, just remembering all of this made me to realize that the SW/SH controversy is not enraging anymore for me, it is now sad. What are you doing GF? You where one of a kind before...

yeah hands down heartgold and soul silver are the best remakes one could want, srs that is how remakes should be done, oras was lazy and even cutted battle frontier, FRLG were okay i guess but besides those tiny islands they were just 1-1 remake but still better than oras.

maybe someday we will get gen 2 remake all in glorious 3d if gamefreak stops being lazy with their games that is, i still dont get why we cant have a camera angle like colosseum and xD specialy now that everything is in 3d so no need to be so top view, a more diagonal camera angle would be nice imo.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Reminder that the Gen VII games had walking animations for every Pokémon.

Not including every Pokémon is just sheer laziness since the assets already exist.

 

[wsh1994]

Hey, wouldn't you guys rather them put more money into graphics/mechanics instead of the whole budget going into having all the Pokemon looking just "okay".

Honestly... this post exactly describes the one thing i hate most about vidoegames nowadays, and no i am not a 45 year old basement dweller. Nowadays all the world seems toncare about is graphics and FPS, and while i agree that it has to be a smooth experience and that calling a blob of yellow pixels "pikachu" is unacceptable, i beleive a game does not just exist of a 4K resolutikn and a 180FPS framerate. In my opinion all it adds is limitations. Scaling down the graphics and accepting 60fps would leave more than enough space to add in all pokemon in this case, heck maybe even a second (mini)region! But nope, gamefreak decided to focus on revamped graphics and cameratricks instead

 

[Ericthegreat]

Honestly... this post exactly describes the one thing i hate most about vidoegames nowadays, and no i am not a 45 year old basement dweller. Nowadays all the world seems toncare about is graphics and FPS, and while i agree that it has to be a smooth experience and that calling a blob of yellow pixels "pikachu" is unacceptable, i beleive a game does not just exist of a 4K resolutikn and a 180FPS framerate. In my opinion all it adds is limitations. Scaling down the graphics and accepting 60fps would leave more than enough space to add in all pokemon in this case, heck maybe even a second (mini)region! But nope, gamefreak decided to focus on revamped graphics and cameratricks instead

All I can say is there are some good Android games that are "Gameboy" style pixel games, yet they have very little downloads, I think younger kids refuse to play anything that doesn't look modern, I have to say, other then Mario or Zelda or Metroid I don't care for nes games. (Though I do like most new games in that art style)

 

[Kris823]

I think Mewtwo.

 

[wsh1994]

All I can say is there are some good Android games that are "Gameboy" style pixel games, yet they have very little downloads, I think younger kids refuse to play anything that doesn't look modern, I have to say, other then Mario or Zelda or Metroid I don't care for nes games. (Though I do like most new games in that art style)

true... maybe nintendo should add some kind of DLC to play new zelda/mario/metroid games with 'legacy' graphics so they cna learn that graphics dont make a game

 

[Deleted User]