Nintendo may be holding back most of the review copies for this game until Friday (Us included), but a select handful of publications got their hands on early code and now that the embargo is up, they have plenty to say.

Maybe you have a gripe and you need the world to know that you won’t stand for a reduced Pokemon count, that one texture of grass not being on par with your expectations and your outrage that 800 of the Pokémon you don’t care for aren’t in the game. Or maybe, and hear me out here, you kind of need to shut the hell up because the rest of us are still looking forward to a grand ol’ time.

Mr Mime has never been high on anyone’s list of desired Pokémon. Sure, he usually boasts a superb defense but unless you’re looking to complete a pokedex then the Marcel Marceau-inspired Pokémon is usually only good for a spot of quick breeding so that you can complete a Pokedex. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, he’s getting a side-evolution of sorts. Say hello, to Mr Rime.

There’s a new Pokémon game out this Friday and like most of you, I can’t wait to collect most of them. With hundreds upon hundreds of critters now officially existing within the pocket monster library, developer Game Freak is now forging ahead to keep the National Pokedex trimmed of all fat.

This year promises to be the biggest Pokémon adventure to date, a grand journey across the Galar Region that is home to regional variants and new pocket monsters galore.

There’s a new Pokémon coming this month; an actual 8th gen game with new critters to collect. It’s the first “true” Pokémon game for the Switch too, so it has people incredibly excited to “catch em all.” Unfortunately, despite that being the series trademark catchphrase, it seems players won’t be able to catch em all.

Folks, we have made it. Through the fire and flames (Which is a kickass Dragonforce track by the way), through the controversies and the glitches. You’ve weathered disappointments and lukewarm launches, you sat through the hype and the triumphs of a year that was nothing short of memorable. And here we are, brothers in video game arms who are ready for one last push. One final dab of that interactive hot sauce that we simply cannot get enough of.

Between the quaint villages, football stadiums and bustling big cities, there exists a zone that is wilder and untamed. Appropriately named the Wild Area of the Galar region, this huge slice of land where the various towns and cities can be found is aiming to be absolutely massive in scale. How big? How about two entire regions from Breath of the Wild stacked next to each other big.