Nintendo and Game Freak have unveiled Dynamax Pokemon, a new Pokemon form that will feature in Pokemon Sword and Shield. During Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct that focused on the upcoming Switch titles, humungous Pokemon were shown off as part of a new dynamic of Pokemon battles.
The livestream event revealed exactly how Dynamax Pokemon will work. Players are able to turn their Pokemon into gigantic forms of themselves, during battles, by pushing a button labeled “Dynamax” in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Doing so increases your Pokemon’s size, give them a power boost, and turns all of their moves into “max moves.” Your Pokemon’s moves do massive damage and can cause any enemy type to faint with one blow.
Trainers can only use the Dynamax function once per battle, however, so learning the best time to use this could be the difference between victory or defeat. If you don’t manage to defeat your opponent’s Pokemon after three turns, your Dynamax Pokemon will return to its normal size too.
Players will also be able to encounter Dynamax Pokemon in the wild. By connecting with three other players in the Wild Area of Pokemon Sword and Shield, you have the chance to encounter wild Dynamax Pokemon. These are known as “Max Raid Battles”, and require you to team up with three other trainers to defeat them.
During these encounters, the wild Dynamax Pokemon keeps its gigantic form for the entire battle, and have special moves that will make them formidable opponents for even the most experienced trainers. Only one trainer will be able to use their own Dynamax Pokemon during fights too, so you’ll need to decide whose Pokemon is best equipped to go up against these foes.
Game Freak confirmed that you’ll be able to catch these Pokemon once they’re weak enough, but didn’t elaborate on if everyone or only one player can catch them. Wild Dynamax Pokemon encounters will also depend on what part of the Wild Area you’re exploring, and what the weather is like.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are out on Nintendo Switch on November 15.
Abandoned Pokemon
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10 Abandoned Monsters That Need Help in Pokemon Sword and Shield
There are a lot of Pokemon. Each generation brings around 100 new ones while also maintaining the massive number of returning favorites. Some are bound to be left by the wayside, but it doesn't have to be this way. Here are 10 Pokemon that deserve support in Pokemon Sword and Shield -
Alomomola
Some Pokemon landed on this list because of untapped potential. Alomomola landed on this list because it needs a purpose. It's one of the dozens of water types that never get any attention, it can't evolve, and there's nothing else notable about it. You'd think it would be an evolution to Luvdisc, but it instead just feels like 'dex filler. -
Carbink
Carbink has a cool design and a relation to the Mythical Pokemon Diancie. Sadly, because Mythical Pokemon can't evolve, they have no gameplay relation, just a lore one. Carbink is just left alone as a neat design with neat typing and nothing else going for it. -
Carnivine
Carnivine basically serves a second stab at the Venus Fly Trap Pokemon concept after the Bellsprout line. Despite having a much better design than its Gen 1 compatriots, it gets no love and no support. It's time to see what Carnivine could do with a bigger set of jaws. -
Castform
One of the many gimmick Pokemon that could fill this list, Castform changes into one of several different elemental forms in weather. Despite that being its gimmick, Castform hasn't gotten updated forms as the games have gone on. There are way more than Sunny Day and Hail in Pokemon now, but Castform is trapped in the past. -
Fearow
Some Generation 1 favorites get all the luck. Sure, we probably don't need more birds, but Fearow is an old school favorite that has needed a boost since the original games. The design is there, and some fans still hold out hope for a third evolution whenever a new game emerges from Game Freak. -
Inkay
Inkay has one of the most obtuse and silly evolution requirements of any Pokemon. It requires you to hold your system upside down in order to reach its evolved form. It's cute exactly once, and then it becomes a burden. Will this weird requirement work on future systems? Or will future games have the "Upside Down Chamber" to go with the everpresent Moss Rock? -
Shuckle
When Gold and Silver introduced Shuckle's ability to create Berry Juice by holding a Berry, it was pretty clever. However, besides that and its bizarre stats, there hasn't been much to go around for this classic turtle friend especially since Berries aren't really a thing anymore. -
Stunfisk
Stunfisk got a bum rap going into the previous generation. One of its signature abilities prevented it from being Paralyzed, which is now a standard feature of all Electric types. That means that half of all Stunfisk now have a distinct disadvantage over other members of its species. A Pokemon with such weird typing deserves better. -
Zangoose
Look at Zangoose. In any other monster-driven RPG, Zangoose would be right near the top of the list in terms of sheer cool factor. Because this is Pokemon, it's a crowded field, and this cat ferret Pokemon only gets a rivalry with a similarly overlooked poison snake. Justice for Zangoose. -
Farfetch'd
If I had to rank all these Pokemon, I think Farfetch'd would take the top spot. He's has a great look, his name is fun to say, he has a stick, and yet he has no support. Probably one of the least usable Pokemon out of Generation 1, Farfetch'd deserves way better than he got.
