Pokemon Sword and Shield are out today, marking the next generation of pocket monsters to catch and battle. Like most of the main series Pokemon games, it has a little Easter egg to Nintendo’s current system, but this one is even more special than you might realize.

The player character has a Nintendo Switch in his or her bedroom. This in itself is pretty standard–Pokemon player characters have had shout-outs to Game Boy, DS, and more in their rooms throughout its long history. This particular Switch, though, showcases the customizable nature of swapping your Joy-Con controllers. As noted by several people on Twitter, the colors of the tiny Switch change to match the first-party Joy-Con you have on your own actual Switch.

It’s easy to miss since the system is so tiny on screen, and if you happen to be using third-party Joy-Con they’ll appear as a default gray instead. Still, it’s a nice touch that helps reflect that the player character represents you, personalized Switch and all.

The reception to Pokemon Sword and Shield has been mostly positive from critics, including in GameSpot’s review.

“In collecting, battling, and exploring, Sword and Shield cut out the bloat and focus on what makes these pillars of the Pokemon games so captivating in the first place,” Kallie Plagge wrote. “You’re not held back by overly complicated back-end systems or hoops to jump through; from the outset, you can start wandering the Galar region, seeing its new Pokemon, and trying out its new battle strategies with very little in your way. This leaves you free to enjoy what Pokemon is all about, and that makes for an incredibly strong showing for the series’ proper debut on Switch.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shield-has-a-neat-easily-missed-/1100-6471493/

Pokemon Sword and Shield have finally arrived on Switch. While the games may not include every Pokemon in the series, they do feature a good mix of old favorites and new Gen 8 monsters, so you still have plenty of options to choose from when assembling your Pokemon team.

Where To Catch Certain Pokemon

Most monsters in Sword and Shield can be found roaming about the Wild Area, a sprawling open-world expanse that stretches across the Galar region. The Wild Area isn’t the only place you can encounter Pokemon, but it is home to the largest variety of them (some of which will actually be too strong for you to catch at first), making it the best place to look for new monsters.

As you explore the Wild Area, the weather will change dynamically, which will influence what Pokemon appear in the wild. You also need to keep in mind that you can only catch Pokemon of a certain level depending on how many badges you’ve collected, so you can’t capture every wild Pokemon you encounter.

Fortunately, this isn’t as restrictive as it sounds; you’ll still encounter plenty of monsters, including a bunch of old favorites very early on in your journey. Many can be found in various portions of the Wild Area, but your first chance to catch some will actually be in certain routes and other places. If you’re just getting started, here are some Pokemon you’ll likely want to add to your collection and where you can find them:

Rare And Fully Evolved Pokemon

As you progress through the adventure, you’ll also encounter rare and even fully evolved Pokemon in the wild. You’re guaranteed to run into some in certain parts of the Wild Area, but there may be only one of them at a time, so if you miss your chance to catch it, you’ll need to wait a while for it to spawn again–something to keep in mind before you challenge any fully evolved Pokemon you spot.

Fortunately, you can save right before you battle the monster and restart if you inadvertently knock it out (although to ensure a clean reset, you should disable autosaving in the options menu). These Pokemon’s habitats also won’t be listed in the Pokedex, so we’ve rounded up some rare Pokemon we’ve encountered and where they can be found:

Pokemon Sword and Shield are available now on Nintendo Switch. You can read our thoughts on the games in our Pokemon Sword and Shield review. If you’re just getting started on your Galar journey, then be sure to check out our other Sword and Shield guides below for more helpful tips.

Pokemon Sword & Shield Guides

• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Applin
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Sinistea Into Polteageist
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Galarian Linoone Into Obstagoon
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Milcery into Alcremie
• Pokemon Won’t Drop Its Guard – What Does That Mean?
• Pokemon Sword & Shield: What Are Watts?

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shield-where-to-catch-cool-and-r/1100-6471487/

Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now on Nintendo Switch, marking the start of the series’ eighth generation. While the games very much follow in the footsteps of previous Pokemon titles, they also shake the formula up in some notable ways, introducing a slew of new features and items to the mix.

Among the new additions are Watts. As you explore the Wild Area, you’ll notice Max Raid dens scattered about the environment, and interacting with these will net you a number of Watts. So what exactly are Watts, and what are they used for?

What Are Watts?

Essentially, Watts are a secondary form of in-game currency in Sword and Shield. As previously mentioned, you’ll primarily earn them from Max Raid dens. If a den is glowing but isn’t currently hosting a Max Raid Battle, you’ll receive 50 Watts simply by interacting with it (this number will increase to 200 after you’ve cleared the main storyline). If a Max Raid Battle is occuring at the den, then you’ll receive 300 Watts (or 2,000 post-game) before participating in the battle. Watts can also be earned by battling or catching wild Pokemon that are glowing.

As you progress through the game, you can exchange Watts for items and services from certain NPCs around the Wild Area. For example, the Digging Duo near the Pokemon nursery in Bridge Field will excavate items for you for 500 Watts, and the items they can potentially dig up include evolutionary stones and other rare finds. You can also use Watts to upgrade your bike, extending how long you can dash with it, or purchase Technical Records–single-use teachable moves–from different Watt Traders around the Wild Area. These characters are dressed in League clothes, so they’ll be easy to spot while you’re out in the field.

Below, we’ve rounded up a list of the different characters in Sword and Shield who accept Watts and the services they provide, so you can easily keep track of where they’re located and what they sell. For more on the games, be sure to read our Pokemon Sword and Shield review.

Where To Spend Watts

• Fisherwoman – Roaming around lakes
  • Sells various Pearls she fished up for 100 W

• Watt Trader – Meetup Spot
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Watt Trader – Dappled Grove
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Watt Trader – East Lake Axewell
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Digging Duo – Bridge Field
  • Dig up evolutionary stones, fossilized items, and more for 500 W

• Watt Trader – Hammerlock Hills
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Watt Trader – Giant’s Cap
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Watt Trader – Giant’s Seat
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shield-what-are-watts/1100-6471472/

Every Pokemon game has those few Pokemon you just can’t figure out how to evolve. In Pokemon Sword and Shield, there’s one Pokemon in particular that doesn’t evolve through any existing means: Milcery, which evolves into the adorable Alcremie. Trading, evolutionary stones, and other evolution-related items don’t work on Milcery. Instead, it requires one of the strangest methods to evolve of any Pokemon to date.

First, you have to catch yourself a Milcery. They can be found on Route 4 outside Turffield, and you can only encounter them through the exclamation points that pop up as you walk through the tall grass–you won’t see one roaming the overworld. Once you have one, your next stop is one of the three Battle Cafes found throughout Galar. The Motostoke cafe is the easiest to beat, followed by the one in Hammerlocke and finally the one in Wyndon, but any of them will work.

One of the many rewards you can get from winning the daily battle at a cafe is a Sweet of some sort. So far, we’ve found a Berry Sweet, Strawberry Sweet, Love Sweet, and Flower Sweet–we’ll update this article if we find more. Each of these Sweets will have a description indicating that Milcery loves holding them, so give one to your Milcery and get ready for the weird part.

Simply giving a Sweet to a Milcery isn’t enough to evolve it. Rather, you have to spin the left analog stick in circles until your character does a fancy twirl followed by a pose–then Milcery will evolve into Alcremie. It seems the thinking here is that you have to stir heavy cream a bunch in order to make whipped cream… but regardless, you’ll get a form of Alcremie corresponding to the kind of Sweet you had it hold. As far as we can tell, it’s purely aesthetic, but the Pokedex will track and display each different form for you.

Alcremie has the potential to be a great support Pokemon in doubles matches, so it’s definitely worth the hassle; its signature move, Decorate, increases the Attack and Special Attack of another Pokemon on the field, which can be a boon in a number of situations. For more on Gen 8, be sure to read our Pokemon Sword and Shield review. For other weird evolutions, check out our guides on evolving Applin, Galarian Linoone, and Sinistea.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shield-guide-how-to-evolve-milce/1100-6471475/

Pokemon Sword and Shield‘s Galar region is inspired by the United Kingdom, and in that spirit, the games introduce a ghost-type Pokemon that’s themed after tea. Sinistea, a teacup, evolves into a whole pot of tea called Polteageist. As far as Pokemon names go, they’re some of the best. But they’re also cool Pokemon, and it’s not too hard to get them if you know where to look and what to do.

Sinistea can be found in Glimwood Tangle, the cool mushroom forest between Stow-on-Side and Ballonlea. You’ll have to rustle through the tall grass to trigger an exclamation point to pop up, and Sinistea is among the Pokemon that can show up when the battle starts.

Once you catch a Sinistea, head back to Stow-on-Side and talk to the right-hand man running the marketplace stand. He sells a different “bargain” item every day, most of which are evolutionary items for various Pokemon. The item you’re looking for is the Cracked Pot–if he’s not selling it today, ask him for his next bargain to see if it’ll come tomorrow. One you get it, all you have to do is use it on Sinistea the way you would use an evolutionary stone to get Polteageist.

Polteageist’s signature move is Teatime, which forces all Pokemon on the field to eat their berries at once. This can be useful if you think your opponent’s Pokemon are holding berries that reduce the damage they’d take from a super-effective move, for example–that way, you can hit the Pokemon head-on for full damage right off the bat.

For more on Pokemon Sword and Shield, be sure to read our review! And we have other guides on how to evolve specific Pokemon in the game, including Milcery, Galarian Linoone, and Applin.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sword-and-shield-guide-how-to-evolve-sinis/1100-6471477/