Small Details You Missed In The Sword And Shield Expansion Trailer
Today's Pokemon Direct presentation brought with it a slew of new announcements. Some major changes are coming for Pokemon Sword and Shield, including two new expansions which feature new monsters and new regions to explore. We even got a chance to see some exciting new footage from the two content drops, which are titled The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra.
Because mainline Pokemon titles have traditionally been limited to handhelds, the games have never really had the opportunity to grow larger via DLC. The two expansions announced today are firsts for the franchise, and make the large world of Sword and Shield even larger. There are new Pokemon to catch, new rivals to face off against, and new items to collect. It all looks like a Pokemon fan's dream.
But anyway, back to that footage. A nearly four-minute-long trailer teased us with what we can expect when The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra both arrive later this year. And you know what that means: it's time for us Pokemaniacs to pore over every little detail like the detectives we are.
Let's take a closer look at the new trailer and try to catch all of the details that we might have missed on the first go-round.
New clothing options — of evil!
Early on in the footage, we get to see a regular fashion montage of our heroes in different apparel and hairstyles. We even get to see some new accessories, such as hats and tennis shoes, all with rotating color palettes and design patterns.
The most interesting bit, though, is the apparent option to dress up as enemy factions from previous games in the series. There are brief glimpses of eyewear in the trailer that resemble those worn by members of Team Flare from Pokemon X and Y. In the same shot, one can see a one-eyed visor similar to the one worn by Ghetsis, the main villain of Pokemon Black and White and their sequels.
Original Pokemon get an upgrade
Longtime Pokemon fans are more than familiar with the trio of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Commonly referred to by fans as the Legendary Birds, these three were scattered around the Kanto Region, just waiting for the right trainer to capture them. Though there have been dozens of Legendary Pokemon introduced to the franchise since then, these three still hold a special place in the hearts of many fans.
Those same fans are likely to be very pleased to see these three are not only present and accounted for, but they appear to have been updated. Each of them are sporting interesting new color palettes, which seems to suggest that these are the Galarian forms of the Legendary Birds. These are versions of Pokemon exclusive to the Galarian region in Sword and Shield, which come with new designs and altered move-sets.
We also see what appear to be Gigantimax forms of classic Pokemon Blastoise and Venusaur. This is especially exciting for fans, considering these two were sadly omitted from the Pokedex in the original release of Pokemon Sword and Shield. That's a whole other controversy, though. The important thing is that these classic monsters are back and better than ever.
Your rivals seem to know their types
Two new rival characters are introduced in the trailer, as well. Who you are matched up against will depend on which version of the game you're playing.
Pokemon Sword pairs you with Klara, who seems to have a poisonous intent hidden behind her cutesy exterior. The bow on the top of her head somewhat resembles the wings of Dustox, a Bug Pokemon with Poison-type abilities.
Meanwhile, Shield's more theatrical-looking Avery is wearing a frilly top reminiscent of the body of Psychic-type Pokemon Gothitelle. This would make sense, considering it appears as though Avery has the ability to levitate multiple Poke Balls around his head.
Two new "Regis"
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire introduced a set of Legendary Pokemon affectionately dubbed "the Regis" by fans. These Pokemon were Regirock, Registeel, and Regice, collectively known as the Legendary titans. Generation 4 saw the introduction of Regigigas, who was presented as something of a master over the other three titans.
Fans who remember the titans and have a soft spot for them should be excited to learn that there are two new members of their roster. Though glimpsed very briefly, they are referred to as "brand new Legendary Pokemon." These two are unnamed as of yet, but they feature the same kind of unmistakable dotted designs on their bodies as the previous Regis.
We'll undoubtedly learn more about The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra in the months ahead, so stay tuned.