As the fallout from the Pokemon Sword and Shield National Pokedex removal announcement continues, the always-loyal Japanese fans have added their voices to the growing list of complaints.
Unfortunately for Game Freak, the highlight -or lowlight- moment of their Pokemon Sword and Shield Treehouse presentation at E3 2019 was the confirmation of the National Pokedex removal. The news was confirmed by Director Junichi Masuda and was a key reason for the 80% dislike ratio across 1.5 million views.
The uproar since has been like nothing the Pokemon community has ever seen before. Complaints have been incessant and have caused division between fans, with some claiming not to care and others promising to boycott Pokemon Sword and Shield upon release.
Even the Japanese are upset
Video game fans have become increasingly vocal over the years when it comes to the direction and quality of the games they’re passionate about. With the growth of social media, players have access to a quick and effective avenue of sharing any thoughts or opinions.
Japanese fans are sometimes considered less vocal than their Western counterparts but they have been quick to share their displeasure with the National Pokedex situation. While they remained respectful in their complaints, they have been sure to let Nintendo know how upset they are. Their gripe seems to be the lack of information surrounding which Pokemon will be missing, rather than the removal of them itself.
National Pokedex removal not announced in Japan
The following Tweets have been translated by Nintendo Soup.
“Could you please announce the Pokemon that aren’t compatible (with Pokemon Sword and Shield) before pre-orders start? It’s cruel to find out myself that my favorite Pokemon is missing after I purchase the game,” were the concerns of one Japanese fan.
予約開始の前に不参加ポケモンの公表を望みます。買ってから好きなポケモンがいないことを知るのは残酷です。
— キイロスキー (@kiiroski) July 5, 2019
Another fan, who was equally respectful in their reply, also believes Nintendo should reveal the full list before release.
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“I’m planning to pre-order both games early,” they say. “But you should reveal the full list of Pokemon appearing in the game so people can decide whether or not to buy it! There’s a chance sales will decrease if you do that, but I hope your company will show sincerity during these times.”
流石に予約開始までに登場するポケモンと登場しないポケモンを公式サイトに掲載しますよね？
— ビビ (@vivi3days) July 5, 2019
Elsewhere, there seemed to be a sentiment that the game devs would hide the list in order to maximize sales.
One fan asked: “Are you serious? You’re still hiding the fact that Pokemon are going to be cut from the game when pre-orders are about to begin? I have a feeling you’re going to continue to hide the fact even after the release date.”
ポケモンリストラする事を隠したまま予約開始するゲームがあるってマジ？まさか隠したまま発売日迎える気じゃないよね#BringBackNationalDex
— 柔軟村長 (@sontyou0629) July 5, 2019
Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is the claim that the Japanese Nintendo and Pokemon accounts haven’t even announced the cut Pokedex situation at all. For them to not announce it in Japan risks leaving a lot of Pokemon trainers disappointed come November 15.
Despite Game Freak’s alleged silence on the matter, the above tweets show plenty of fans from Japan are fully aware of the National Pokedex removal and less than happy about it.
We’ll continue to see how this plays out over the coming months – the pressure is mounting on Nintendo and Game Freak to perhaps reverse this decision but so far they have remained steadfast in their approach.