Category: Games

Pokemon Sun and Moon for 3DS introduced Alolan forms to the series–regional-exclusive variants of some older Pokemon that boast a different appearance and typing. The upcoming Sword and Shield for Switch will have their own regional variants as well, and we got a look at a handful of them in the games’ latest trailer.

First is Galarian Weezing, which could very well be this generation’s equivalent of the wonderful Alolan Exeggutor. Galarian Weezing has smokestacks atop its two heads that resemble long top hats, while the smog around its mouths looks like facial hair. You can see the dashing Pokemon for yourself below.

We also got a look at Galarian Zigzagoon and Galarian Linoone. Unlike standard Zigzagoon and Linoone, these forms have black and white fur rather than brown, giving them a distinctly punk aesthetic. Intriguingly, Galarian Linoone is capable of evolving into an entirely new Pokemon named Obstagoon. The official Pokemon website explains that “some regional forms have developed unique Evolutions unseen in any other region,” which suggests that other regional variants may also be capable of evolving into brand-new Pokemon.

Beyond that, the latest trailer revealed an entirely new Gen 8 Pokemon named Morpeko, which appears to be this generation’s adorable Electric rodent Pokemon. Interestingly, Morpeko is able to change between “Full Belly” and “Hangry” modes, the latter of which turns it into a Dark-type and gives it a more menacing appearance. The trailer also introduced two new rival characters named Bede and Marnie, as well as this generation’s villainous team, Team Yell, who appear to be more like hooligans than an actual criminal organization.

Pokemon Sword and Shield arrive for Nintendo Switch on November 15. A few days prior to their launch, Nintendo will release a special edition Pokemon-themed Nintendo Switch Lite that features the games’ Legendary Pokemon, Zacian and Zamazenta, on the console. For more on the titles, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.

Move over, Pikachu. I have a new favorite Pokemon. His name is Morpeko and he is hungry gosh darn it!

Morpeko is a new creature coming to Pokemon Sword and Shield who was revealed in the latest Galar Research Update. It’s described as “a form-changing Pokemon discovered in Galar,” and an electric/dark type. So far, two forms have been revealed for Morpeko: full belly mode and hangry mode, in which he becomes adorably irritable because of a lack of food. In this form, Morpeko’s Aura Wheel move changes from electric type to dark. It’s unclear if the creature has more forms that are yet to be revealed.

It appears Morpeko is based off hamsters or similar rodents, judging by the way it runs in its Aura Wheel. It also bears a slight resemblance to Pikachu–as one new creature typically does in new generations of Pokemon.

Elsewhere in the new Pokemon Sword and Shield trailer, Galarian forms were revealed for Weezing and Zigzagoon. The latter has a new evolution, Obstagoon, which evolves from Galarian Linoone. The trailer also unveiled the games’ new rivals, Bede and Marnie, as well as this generation’s evil team, Team Yell.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. It’s unclear as of yet how many Pokemon will appear in the games, but we know you won’t be able to transfer every old monster to them–a decision that has proven so controversial that the games’ producer, Junichi Masuda, had to issue a statement addressing the drama. For more on the titles, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.

The Pokemon Company revealed more details about Pokemon Sword and Shield today in a Galar Research Update. The presentation showed some new Pokemon and variants, but the big reveals were your newest rivals and the new evil team you’ll be taking on.

The rivals are Bede and Marnie. Bede is a boy in a long maroon coat with curly hair. He’s described as a skilled trainer who has joined the Gym Challenge. Marnie is a girl in a leather jacket with a distinctly punk aesthetic. She’s also the ostensible head of Team Yell, a group of hooligans that are called “Marnie’s wild fans.” They’re similarly punk, and an accompanying press release says they try to interfere with other competitors to help Marnie take the championship.

The presentation also showed off several new Pokemon and variants, including a Hangry new Pokemon and the Galar-region version of Weezing in a fancy top hat. It’s fabulous and you can see it below.

The Pokemon Company also recently announced that it will be opening a Pokemon pop-up store in London this October, leading up to the November 15 launch of Sword and Shield. That will house Pokemon merch including some exclusives. We can only hope there’s a Galar Weezing plush.

In March, Disney took control of Fox’s entertainment assets, a deal which meant a number of big movie properties moving over to Disney. These include Marvel titles such the X-Men and Fantastic Four, long-running sci-fi franchises like Alien and Predator, and James Cameron’s Avatar series. Five months down the line, we are starting to get an idea of where Disney’s priorities lie with these inherited properties, and what we can expect more of in the future.

As reported by Variety, during the studio’s quarterly earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that much of the development slate inherited from Fox was being axed. However, two properties that will definitely continue are Avatar and Planet of the Apes. Cameron is currently making several Avatar movies simultaneously–production stared in 2018 and the first of these is due in December 2021, with another three lined up over the coming years. Although is nearly ten years since the first Avatar was released, it was only toppled as the most successful movie of all time last month by Avengers: Endgame, and box office expectations are high for the sequels.

Planet of the Apes was also a hugely successful series for Fox–the recent trilogy grossed a total of $1.6 billion worldwide. However, no further movies in the franchise have been announced to date, and director Matt Reeves has moved over to DC to make the long-awaited The Batman.

As for the Marvel titles, we are unlikely to see any of those for some time. The recent X-Men movie Dark Phoenix was a financial failure, and contributed to an overall loss of $170 million for Fox’s properties this year. In addition, Marvel has now announced its line-up for the next two years and beyond, and they do not include any of the Fox characters.

In related news, Disney has also announced plans to reboot a series of Fox family titles, including Home Alone, Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. All of these will appear on the studio’s upcoming streaming platform Disney+, which launches in November. In addition, an additional pricing level has been announced for the service, which bundles it with ESPN+, and the ad-supported version of Hulu.

The Pokemon Company has teased “more information” on its upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield titles. The new Galar Research Update will drop today, August 7, at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST / 11 PM AET.

We don’t yet know what information could be included in the update–the major details such as the games’ release date and legendaries have already been revealed. It’s possible we could learn more about the games’ evil team, who haven’t been revealed yet, or see some new creatures.

The most recent Galar Research Update brought news on Gigantamaxing, the Galar Pokemon League, and on the game’s Gym Leaders, among other details. We also learned Sword and Shield have version-exclusive gyms–for more check out all the differences between Pokemon Sword and Shield.

The games launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. It’s unclear as of yet how many Pokemon will appear in the game, but we know you won’t be able to transfer every old monster to them–a decision that has proven so controversial that the games’ producer, Junichi Masuda, had to issue a statement addressing the drama. For more on the titles, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.

In other news, The Pokemon Company announced its plans for a Pokemon Center pop-up store in London in October. The store will be located in Westfield, Shepherd’s Bush, with further details to be revealed in the coming months.

In one of the biggest moves ever in the game-streaming world, Tyler Blevins AKA Ninja recently quit Twitch to stream exclusively on Microsoft’s Mixer platform. His move to Mixer was immediately successful, it seems, as Ninja has racked up 1 million active subscribers in under a week.

That makes him among the most popular streamers on Mixer; this is the kind of quick success that Microsoft was likely looking for when recruiting him to the platform. Ninja’s rapid climb on Mixer was expected, given he tallied 100,000 subscribers in 24 hours.

It’s likely Microsoft paid Ninja to leave Twitch for Mixer, but no terms have been announced. Responding to the 1 million subscriber achievement, Ninja said, “Thank you for all the incredible support. I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”

Microsoft’s signing of Ninja comes not long after the company laid off content creators and producers at Mixer and Inside Xbox, according to GameDaily.

According to Ninja, nothing will change in terms of content on his streams for Mixer compared to Twitch. “It’s the same me, just a different platform,” he said. Intriguingly, Ninja also said he plans to “get back in touch with my roots” as it relates to streaming. That’s noteworthy because Ninja started out as a popular Halo streamer before going on newer titles; he is most recently famous for streaming Fornite. Microsoft’s next Halo game, Halo Infinite, launches in Holiday 2020.

Ninja coming to Mixer could be part of Microsoft’s plan to promote Halo Infinite, but nothing is confirmed at this stage.