Pokémon Sword and Shield Direct Reveals A Big Surprise

Nintendo finally dropped its Pokémon Sword & Shield Direct this morning, and along with the standard looks at new characters, new Pokémon, and new ways to play, the Direct also gave us a big surprise. Literally.

Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen giant Pokémon in the franchise; that honor goes to Season 1, Episode 17 of the anime. The franchise also has a history of larger than average Pokémon showing up out of the blue. However, this is the first time they’ve been a central mechanic in the video games. The Direct showcases these monster-sized Pocket Monsters as an integral part of Sword & Shield’s gameplay.

Both your roster and wild Pokémon can gain a giant, or as it’s known in Sword & Shield, Dynamax form. There are also special Dynamax Pokémon that can be obtained through Sword and Shield’s new Max Raid Battle feature. While regular Pokémon can only be in its Dynamax form for three turns, these special wild Pokémon will stay giant for the duration of the battle. If your team succeeds in weakening these behemoths along with the help of a single player’s own Dynamax Pokémon, they can be caught with the help of an equally giant Pokèball.

The effects created for this new Pokémon form are astounding. Even the simple act of catching a Pokémon is amplified, from a player having to hold and throw a Dynamax Pokeball with both hands, to the sheer implied weight of the Pokéball which will not only crash into the ground but also kick up craters of the earth as the Pokémon inside struggles to escape.

There’s no word yet on whether this new feature will be available to all Pokémon, or just a select few, as in the case of Mega Evolutions and Z Crystals. However, when Pokémon Sword & Shield drops on November 15th, we’ll all see just who’s King of Monsters.