Here’s your first look at Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield

Twenty years ago, we only had 152 Pokémon and we liked it dammit (MissingNo. totally counts, I don’t care what Nintendo says). These days, the Pokémon zoo has expanded…considerably. After an additional six generations of pocket monsters were added to the existing menagerie, we’ve got a grand total of over 800 of these fellas.

While last year’s Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee was the first proper Pokémon game to be released on a Nintendo Switch console, that was more of a reintroduction into the classic mechanics of the series and a sneak peek at what the games were capable of being. And it was great! That was a game that focused more on a new market, simplifying the gameplay and scaling back on more obscure mechanics that had come to define Pokémon in the Nintendo 3DS era of X,Y, Sun and Moon games.

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What does Generation 8 hold in store for Pokémon? This:

Here’s a look at the Galar Region that you’ll explore:

As for the starter Pokemon? Pokemon Sword and Shield has the usual trio of Grass, Water and Fire-types:

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• Grookey
• Scorbunny
• Sobble

Pokemon Sword and Shield will be out late 2019.

Last Updated: February 27, 2019