With Pokémon Sword and Shield’s November release date around the corner, developer Game Freak has started ramping up the promotions for the monster-collecting game. The latest ad, while short, is a joy to watch — I’d totally play an entire game that mixes retro pixels with realistic backgrounds.
Probably, a lot of people would. For years now, it’s been a trend to mix old-school video pixel art with modern settings.
On a more informational note, it’s also worth pointing out that while this clip only lasts 30 seconds, it’s packed with creatures. It seems that, despite all the controversy about the Galar Pokedex not including the entire roster, Sword and Shield’s compendium is still enormous. Some of the pals you can spot here, such as Remoraid and Octillery, are new announcements that Pokémon website Serebii confirms can actually be found in the game.
In a recent interview with Polygon, Sword and Shield producer Junichi Masuda said the decision to limit the upcoming Pokedex was a combination of limited resources and differing creative ambitions.
“In any design situation, resources and time are always a constraint on what you can do in a project,” Masuda said. “But at the same time from a creative perspective, it’s part of a discussion we’ve had at Game Freak with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, and we came to the decision that, at some point, we need to be able to prioritize new gameplay ideas. We need to be able to find a way to balance the right number of Pokémon and also still introduce new ways for players to enjoy the game, new gameplay ideas to keep the series fresh and enjoyable far into the future.”
