Screen cap from Pokemon Shield. I can now customize my character to look like myself AND eat curry with my Pokemon, like this Morpeko. It’s a beautiful time to be alive. 

In 1998 my parents gave me Pokemon Blue for Christmas. I have since played every main storyline game, including the most recent Pokemon Shield for Nintendo Switch.

There are currently 32 main story games and I am two Pokemon championship titles short of having beaten all of them. 

Please hold your applause.

Whether for you, your child, or your grandchild, I feel that Shield and its accompanying game Sword make a great addition to the ongoing Pokemon series. With a Pokedex of 400 Pokemon, many of which are new to this eighth generation, there is no shortage of creatures to find.

Probably the hardest part of this game, as a veteran Pokemon player, is the introduction of so many new species, meaning I was less familiar with type advantages when going into battle without doing prior research.

That however was far from the only difference as this generation introduced the wild area and Dynamaxing.

The wild area changed the game for me. In previous games, once I became the Pokemon champion, I was done with the game. Sure, there are typically more things you can do, but they were never things that I felt held my attention.

In Sword and Shield, the introduction of a large, open area with wild Pokemon of various types and high levels made me want to continue exploring the region long after I received my metaphorical Pokemon crown.

The wild area also brought the introduction of camping, which is mostly adorable. 

Camping allows the player to literally set up camp with their Pokemon team. This means you can play games with your team and cook them meals. It may seem trivial, but its a fun addition that makes your team more friendly towards you and just generally makes for fun screen caps.

Dynamaxing is an odd addition, and I’m still undecided how I feel about it. I don’t think we need giant Pokemon, but Game Freak thought we did, so we have them. Now, every major gym battle ends with the final Pokemon “Dynamaxed,” which just means it becomes giant. Think Godzilla for mental reference.

Certain Pokemon can also “Gigantamax,” which just means when they get giant, they look different and have a different exclusive move. Again, was this a necessity? Nope. Is it something that makes you want to try to get a Pokemon that looks different when its giant? Absolutely.

Veterans and newcomers alike can appreciate the new style of gym battling. Gone are the days of small gyms with no audience. Sword and Shield have introduced arena style battles with fans cheering you on as you take down your opponent. Again, did I need a crowd of computer people cheering for me? No. Did it make me feel as cool as I can feel being an adult still playing Pokemon? Yes.

As far as if you should buy Sword or Shield for yourself (or your substantially younger family member), it can be based solely on which legendary Pokemon you think looks cooler: weird wolf holding a sword or weird wolf with a shield neck? You really can’t go wrong either way. There are a couple of other game exclusive Pokemon and exclusive gym leaders, but again, this is all just personal preference. Neither game is “better” than the other.

For those looking to treat themselves, or become the favorite relative, you can purchase both games in a two-pack and not miss out on a single Pokemon or Pokemon championship title. 

Desiree Carver is a reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be reached at (229) 244-3400 ext. 1215.