The mainline
Pokémon games, as even their most dedicated fans will admit, have certainly
become set in their ways. For over two decades and eight generations of titles,
the basic formula set forth by Pokémon Red and Blue has barely been touched.
Between the
gym challenge and the Evil Team™ to thwart, the fundamentals remain largely the
same. Crucial additions like breeding, the physical/special damage split and so
on have been introduced, and Pokémon Sun and Moon mixed things up somewhat with
the trials of the Island Challenge, but overall, players know exactly what
they’re getting into with a Pokémon game.
The question is, what has this meant
for Nintendo Switch’s Pokémon Sword and Shield, and what will it mean for the
franchise moving forward to Generation 9?