In the first Nintendo Direct of 2020, the focus was on Pokémon. Here’s what they announced:
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX will be a remake of the Game Boy Advance titles Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team. It will release on March 6, 2020. A free demo version will launch today, which will allow you to bring over your save data to the final game.
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will get a paid DLC two-part Expansion Pass this year for a total of $29.99. If you pre-purchase the pass, you can get some special edition clothing. Each version of the game will get the two expansion passes, which will use your existing save data. Different Pokémon, people, and places will appear in each version, so your Sword experience with the passes will be slightly different than your Shield experience. Both areas are seamless maps, similar to the Wild Area.
- The first pass focuses on The Isle of Armor area and launches in June 2020. It will focus on the theme of growth. Your new mentor will be Mustard, who also mentored Leon. Your rival in Sword will be Klara, while your rival in Shield will be Avery. Through your training with Mustard, he will entrust you with Kubfu, which has two style options in its evolution. You will also see new forms for the three original starters from Sword and Shield.
- The second pass, which focuses on The Crown of Tundra area, launches in the Fall 2020. It will focus on the theme of exploration. The psychic and grass-type named Calyrex is a legendary, which is rumored to have ruled over parts of the Galar region. The Crown Tundra will also include a co-op mode, which allows you to catch a number of previously released and brand new legendaries.
Over 200 well-known Pokémon from past games will be present in the Expansion Passes. If you don’t have the passes, you can still get Pokémon from those areas via trading after a free update. You can also bring over Pokémon from the new Pokémon Home (launching in February), as long as they appear in the Expansion Passes.
There will be a free software update today. It will allow you to run into Gigantimax versions of specific Pokémon in Max Raid battles in the Wild Area. Also you can also encounter Klara or Avery and a Galar Slowpoke that has wandered over from The Isle of Armor.
What are your thoughts on all these announcements? Let us know in the comment section!
If you missed the video version of the Pokémon Direct, check it out below:
Steve is the Senior Editor of NintendoFuse and co-host of the NintendoFuse Podcast. He’s been a Nintendo gamer since age 6 and has been on staff with NintendoFuse since 2008.