A sizable chunk of today’s Nintendo Direct dealt heavily with Pokémon Sword & Shield, as new features, mechanics, and (of course) Pokémon were revealed during the presentation. For the sake of brevity, here’s a rundown:
- Character customization has made an expected return, but is much more extensive than before. Now, beyond just picking a top and a bottom to wear, you can pick outerwear and gloves; your hair/eye options have increased substantially; and you can even put on makeup. (No word on whether cosmetics or clothes are gender-neutral, but let’s hope.)
- There’s a new feature called Pokémon Camp, which appears to be a variation on Pokémon-Amie. You can set up camp anywhere in Galar, where you’ll be able to play with multiple Pokémon to your heart’s desire (which will also improve their performance in battle). In the Wild Area, you can visit other players’ camps as well — bring your own Pokémon or play with others while you hang out with up to three other players at once.
- Another new feature: Curry! At camp, you can cook various ingredients together to whip up plates of curry, whose quality depends on ingredients, berries, and how well you perform the associated cooking minigames. There’s over a hundred types, and the animations of you and your Pokémon eating the food look pretty adorable.
- There’s obviously new Pokémon! Polteageist is a little Ghost-type fella hiding out in a cracked teapot with the Weak Armor ability, increasing its speed at the cost of defense when hit by physical attacks. There’s also Cramorant, a Flying/Water-type with a giant gullet and a unique ability, Gulp Missile — after using either Surf or Dive, it’ll emerge with a fish in its mouth, which it spits out for damage if hit before swallowing.
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- Outside of the presentation proper, we got news that Alcremie will have many forms based on coloration and the fruit adorning its… earlobes? Whatever those are. You can have blueberries, clovers, hearts, flowers, and potentially more.
- Finally, we got a peek at the League Card function, which allows you to personalize your Trainer Card and show it to others. Snazzy!
That’s all the Pokémon news we’ve got for today. Stay wired for more details as we await the Pokémon release in just two months’ time.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
