Pokémon Sword and Shield is almost here!
Hey folks, just a fair head’s up that this post is just going to be a long ramble on my personal opinions on the new Pokémon game, and Pokémon in general. If this is the kind of thing that interests you, feel free to read on!
It’s hard to believe that it is almost here! Pokémon Sword and Shield is set to come out next week on November 15. I’m so very excited for this game! Perhaps the biggest reason that I’m so excited for this game in particular is because this will be the first “flagship” game to release on a console. Now, I know that we’ve had Pokémon Stadium and Coliseum before, but to me, they’ve never had that feeling of exploring the world of Pokémon like the handheld games had.
I will admit, the last couple of weeks have kept me a little busy to the point where I’ve not been able to update the site as often as I wanted to, but I think a lot of that is going to change when this game comes out. I’ve been carefully planning out some lifestyle changes that I think will make it easier for me to spend time on gaming and Videogame Guy. I’ve even thought of setting up a video series on YouTube, but based on the number of views I get on my site, I’m not sure if there’s going to be a lot of people who would rather hear me ramble on videos. I’ll keep that thought on the backburner for now.
Lately, I’ve been cleaning out my computer’s hard drive, freeing up some space so that I can upload more pictures and video clips of in-game footage as I play. I’ve got a really good feeling about this game, so I want to make sure I have some content to share when it launches.
On another note, one thing I’m most proud of is averting myself of spoilers, recent news, and leaks for this game in particular. Since I was busy the last several weeks, a lot of news on Sword and Shield has gone right over my head! It seems that every time a game gets closer to launch, there’s always someone who finds out some details about a game and puts it on the internet for all to gobble up the juicy details. I’ve heard of a few whispers of the PokéDex being leaked as well as the starter evolutions, and you know what I did? I ignored the links, closed the tab I was on, and continued going about my day.
Truth is, I want to keep as much information on this game out of my head until I’ve actually sat down and played the game myself. I didn’t want to end up becoming one of those people who looks at potentially spoiler-worthy things before the game’s release, especially this close to launch. The funny thing is, I seem to be doing this specifically for this game, and there’s a reason. Ready for a little story? Keep on reading…
It was 1994. At the time, I was just a little boy who never saw a movie in theatres. That changed when one day, my aunt had taken me to see The Lion King. This was my first ever Disney movie, and it was then that I learned the joys of films. Naturally, I knew nothing about movies at the time, so I went in with next to no idea what I was about to see.
That was 25 years ago. Fast forward to 2019, and things have come full circle. I’ve had the pleasure of taking my aunt back to the movies to see the new remake of The Lion King that released this year. Until I set foot into that theatre, I deliberately avoided trailers, teasers, and online news so that I could see that movie, completely with fresh eyes and no reviews in my mind. It was a very satisfying feeling to go into this movie, and when the Circle of Life started playing, I felt like a little boy once again.
And that’s the end of my little story. You’re probably wondering what this has to do with Pokémon, right? I didn’t either, until I started writing about my thoughts. When this little story popped into my head, the wheels started turning and soon I started drawing up some interesting connections. Ready for another fun fact about myself?
Want to know the last handheld Pokémon game I ever owned? Pokémon Crystal. Nothing else since then (not including Pokémon GO here)
When did that game come out? Around Dec. 2000 (or 1999 for Gold and Silver)
It’s 2019 now… 20-ish years later… Sounds a bit like déjà vu in my opinion.
What we are looking at here is quite a big time gap between the time I last got to enjoy a flagship Pokémon game. Mind you, I’ll admit that I have played a bit of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, but I’ve never come to own them myself, or play any of the newer games since then. Everything is going to feel like stepping foot into the world of Pokémon all over again. Just like I did when I stepped foot into that theatre to watch The Lion King all over again.
So there you have it. I know it’s weird to draw such a comparison, but that’s just how my mind works sometimes!
Side stories aside, I’m proud of myself for not delving too much into the news of Pokémon Sword and Shield since it was first announced. At this stage, we’re so close to launch that it seems a little silly to obsess over any bits of news on the game. I can afford to wait a little bit longer to play, and let’s be honest, is a little bit of news really going to make you change your mind and cancel your pre-order? When the game launches, I’ll sit down, play the game myself, and form my own opinions on how I feel about this game.
As much as I wish I could have played all of the Pokémon games leading up to this one, I still know that I’m going to really enjoy this one. I have no doubt that I’m going to be blown away by all of the new game mechanics that have been introduced since Pokémon Crystal. I feel like this could make for a very entertaining playthrough. A grown man playing a flagship Pokémon game for the first time in 20 years? Perhaps a YouTube series might be a good idea after all? We’ll have to see…
Thanks for reading!
~ Ken