The newest installments of Pokémon have finally arrived for the Nintendo Switch. Prior to the release of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, the first mainline games to appear on a home console had been clouded in controversy.
Pokémon being cut from the game and not enough change led to people being disappointed in the game before even playing it. Since the game was released, some of this anger died down and people are getting to enjoy the game. Like many RPGs and Pokémon games before it, this one has plenty to offer, some of which you probably aren't even aware of.
10 Get a Special Pikachu or Eevee (with save data)
For those that played either Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu or Pokémon Let's Go Eevee, a special gift awaits. At the Wild Area Station, the train station where you first enter the wild area in the game, there is a couple in the upper left corner of the station.
One of them offers an Eevee to players with matching save data and the other offers the same for Pikachu. Both Pokémon have special Gigantamax forms, with Pikachu rocking his original "chonk" design and Eevee getting a thick mane.
9 Hire Miners
Located in Bridge Field about halfway through the wild area there is a digging duo who doesn't have a name for some reason. One is more skillful and the other has better stamina changing the chances for the items they uncover. It costs 500 Watts, the currency used in the wild area and acquired through raid battles and other activities.
As the attributes suggest, stamina gets more items and skillful gets higher quality although it seems like both of them have access to the same pool of items, ranging from stones to treasures.
8 Have Up To Four Pokémon In Daycare
Like many games before it, you can leave your friends in the trusted hands of daycare professionals to let them level up or breed. The Galar region features two separate daycare centers, meaning that you can leave four (two in each center) there while you play.
This means that you can have Pokémon leveling up or two separate breeding operations running while you continue on through your journey. One is located on route 5 and the other in the wild area.
7 Limited Wonder Trade
In previous Pokémon games, the worldwide trade system allowed for trading with any player on the globe. The system is different in the new games, connecting you with other players in the same online session in whatever area you are in.
Wonder trade just randomly trades a Pokémon of your choice with another random Pokémon. Suprise trade has the same concept, but it is limited to people in your online session. Like most Nintendo games, the online is extremely confusing.
6 Play One-Handed
The games get a ton of flack for being simplistic and tailored for children. That being said, the game features the option to use "Casual Controls" which are designed for players to be able to play the game with a single hand.
The purpose of playing with one hand is unknown and the game does not tell you what the new controls are but its still a cool option. The controls work best with a single joy-con but can also be used with one side of a pro controller.
5 Collect Watts From Inactive Dens
The big new feature of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield is the wild area, a vast open area where you can roam around catching Pokémon. In the wild area, there are little rock structures that emit beams of light, signaling there is a raid Pokémon available to be battled and potentially caught.
The wild area also features its own currency, Watts, which can be used to purchase items from people in the area. What the game doesn't tell you is that the inactive raid dens contain Watts that you can collect, so they're worth interacting with even if they don't have a Pokémon inside.
4 Customize Your Menu
In one of the more interesting choices the game allows you to rearrange all of the menu icons. Meaning if you use the save function and the camp function more often than other people, you can move those to the front of the menu.
It's a neat little feature that most people probably won't care to use, but any quality of life improvements are welcome.
3 Poké Jobs
Furthering the theory that Pokémon aren't people's friends but instead slaves to humanity, the game features the option to send creatures out on jobs, in order for them to earn experience. The quantity of experience and the amount of Pokémon varies per job and improves as you move through the game.
These postings are available at the Rotom kiosks inside Pokémon centers. Hop will eventually tell you about Poké jobs but they are available pretty much the first time you can enter a center.
2 Sparkling Items Respawn
In addition to items located inside Pokéballs that can be found around the environment, there is another findable item. Represented only by a golden sparkle, it isn't immediately clear what the difference is between these items and Pokéballs.
The difference is that the golden sparkles will eventually respawn and can be collected again. The exact amount of time it takes to respawn isn't 100 percent clear, but it's worth taking a glance around when returning to areas you haven't been to recently or when exploring the wide-open wild area.
1 Gold Pokémon Have Above Average Stats
During your time in the Galar region, you may notice a wild Pokémon roaming around that has a gold sheen around it. This sheen signifies that Pokémon has above average stats and is worth taking the time to catch.
These extra special creatures are typically found in the wild area and reward you with some Watts when caught but the improved stats should be enticing enough to catch them. It's important be on the lookout while on your quest to become champion.