History YMMV / PokemonSwordAndShield

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The game takes the art-style of the previous games, upgrades it to HD, and the results are beautiful. Ballonlea and the Glimwood Tangle in particular are ''gorgeous''. They wouldn't look too out-of-place in ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland''.

** Zamazenta, whose counterpart Zancien managed to get banned from Smogon Ubers ''twice'' while it languishes in relative obscurity for a box legendary when it comes to competitive play.

** While Hatterene's "buxom" is rather an extension of her "hair", the actual body of the Pokémon being rather small, some CuteMonsterGirl art has dipped into making it more... authentic, so to speak. Of course, that's not to say fanartists are averse to her true form, with some changing her from a thin, noodly thing under that hair into a curvy shortstack.
** Rillaboom's design is a trifecta of fetishes: [[OneHeadTaller bigger than its trainer]], [[MusclesAreMeaningful buff]], and wildman. Naturally, it's often depicted in fanart as the Pokémon eqivalent of a HandsomeHeroicCaveman, and both UsefulNotes/FurryFandom and muscle enthusiasts will pile on the beef to make it ideally thick.

** The fact that the game contains a WideOpenSandbox similar to ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' or the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' franchise got fans excited - even moreso with the Expansion Pass which consist entirely of two ''gigantic'' new areas based on the concept.

** Wooloo gets shipped with Mareep and Cottonee, as they're both based on sheep. Unfourtunately, Mareep isn't available in this game.

** ''Sword and Shield'' are the first games bar ''Let's Go'' that do not include every Pokémon in existence as of their release programmed into them, the announcement of which was ''not'' well received by many people. When the game was released, situations worsened when it was discovered that '''more than 55% of all Pokémon''' were not included, leaving only 400 in the Galar Dex[[note]]319 returning and 81 newcomers[[/note]], and a further 35 which can be transferred via ''Pokémon HOME'' - though all of those are just Legendaries, Mythicals and the Kanto and Alola starters. This was thankfully alleviated somewhat with the announcement that the expansions for the game would add more than 200+ of the missing Pokémon to the game, including for people who didn't buy the pass at all, bringing the amount of Pokémon up to a much more impressive 600+ Pokémon. Data-mining in ''Pokémon HOME'' also reveals incomplete move data for all of the remaining species, and the mobile version has animated high-poly 3-D models for them all too, suggesting there are plans for them in the future.

** When Junichi Masuda [[WordOfGod stated]] that the Galar region features 18 Gym Leaders divided between a major division (the ones that comprise that year's Gym Challenge) and a minor division, many people were particularly excited about the prospect of fighting those ten other leaders as side content. Unfortunately, it was soon clarified that only the major divison Gym Leaders would be available to fight in the game. Bea and Allister are completely unacknowledged in the opposite version, and Gordie and Melony only see mention in the other's league cards (it being implied that one of them is currently minor division in whichever game they don't appear in person in) -- the leaders for the eight remaining types are all but nonexistent outside of their associated uniforms and it being stated they exist (barring two eventual minor division Gym Leaders and a former one who are all encountered in the expansions).

** Galarian Meowth manages to be somewhat adorable, despite looking like a dishieveled feral version of the common Meowth. This could be due to it looking similar to [[Anime/MyNeighborTotoro Totoro]].

** Sordward's hair is meant to resemble a sword, but it's not hard to see the resemblence to a penis. Especially when it flaps in the wind...

** [[spoiler:The battle against Eternatus]]. It is fought in a three-parter: First being a regular battle, the second being a battle in Max Raid Battle format (although it's a HopelessBossFight due to neither you nor your ally Hop being able to attack it [[spoiler:in its Eternamax form]]), and then the third part kicks in where it becomes a proper Max Raid battle where you and Hop are joined by [[spoiler:Zacian and Zamazenta]] with the battle ending with you [[spoiler:catching it in a scripted sequence]]. As cherry on top: The cutscenes and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic music]] that play during this entire sequence are absolutely glorious.]

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** While the Regional Variant concept was well received in its debut in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', many weren't happy that the Alolan Forms were limited to Pokémon originating in ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue''. This game rectifies that by giving Galarian Forms to Pokemon from other generations, and some, like Galarian Linoone, even get entirely new evolutions.
** For the past two generations, there's been at least one type with either only two new Pokémon, only one new evolutionary family, or both[[note]]In Generation VI, Diggersby and Zygarde were the only two new Ground types, while Scatterbug and Skrelp's families were the only new ones of Bug and Poison type. In Generation VII, meanwhile, Incineroar and Guzzlord were the only two new Dark types while Crabominable was the only new Ice type[[/note]]. ''Pokémon Sword and Shield'' make sure there are at least three new Pokemon of a given type across at least two different families. The Ice and Dark types in particular got a massive increase in completely new Pokémon compared to the previous generation, with 6 new Ice types and 7 new Dark types.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' received flak for adding excessive forced tutorials, as well as sluggish pacing due to unskippable cutscenes. In ''Sword'' and ''Shield'', a lot of tutorials are now optional, and players can skip cutscenes. This makes playing the game a lot smoother.
** The Fairy type, while already quite popular, got some flak for largely adhering to the GirlShowGhetto, especially when juxtaposed with its strength against other popular and stereotypically "badass" types such as Dark and Dragon.[[note]]In particular, Sylveon and Primarina - two Pokémon with gender-neutral pre-evolutions and male-majority gender ratios - are known for their exaggerated feminine TertiarySexualCharacteristics, although this didn't stop them from being [[LGBTFanbase a delight to gender-nonconforming fans]].[[/note]] Generation VIII introduces Fairy-types with a wider variety of more diverse designs, such as the badass and cool (but still feminine) sword-wielding Zacian, the monstrous, male-only Grimmsnarl, and the hilarious Galarian Weezing modeled after mustachioed capitalist caricatures and their factories. Rival Bede, the game's traditional {{jerkass}} rival, also becomes a Fairy-type specialist, in contrast to Valerie and Mina before him who are more feminine and laid-back in keeping with the type's stereotype.
** It took 20 years for it to happen but at long last, there is a traditional Gym Leader who focuses on Dark-type Pokémon, finally giving Dark-type fans some love.
** Previous games were criticized for making Ice-types only available much later when they weren't very useful. Thanks to the Wild Area, you can catch one easily even before the first gym.
** The movie ''Anime/PokemonGenesectAndTheLegendAwakened'' featured a new specimen of a difficult to create, unbreedable manmade Pokemon [[note]]Mewtwo[[/note]], with absolutely no explanation how the scientists were able to make it or any reference to the original. In ''Sword and Shield'', meanwhile, while the [[spoiler:Type: Null]] the player can receive is also a new specimen, the ''Sword'' Pokédex entry elaborates on how it was possible and makes it clear it was based on stolen research for the original.
** The characters in the 3DS games were somewhat expressive, but the playable characters, especially in ''Sun and Moon'', were notably blank faced even in times where they should have been emoting. Here, every major character, including the playable characters, is pretty expressive. The player characters properly emote and express themselves at opportune times (such as a big expression of joy when making good curry or winning a major battle, or a serious and determined expression when facing off against Dynamaxed Pokemon), while the Gym Leaders all have unique and fun expressions and animations all throughout their battles. Even random [=NPCs=] sometimes smile when the player approaches them, which is a nice touch.
** After its removal from the series starting with ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]]'' (which themselves also suffered from controversy) and its respective items being moved to the general Items pocket, the pocket for Poké Balls in the Bag menu finally returns after a decade long absence.
** The entries on the Nintendo [=3DS=] were notorious for lacking compatibility with each other, which not only prevented Pokémon with certain moves or certain species of Pokémon from being used or transferred, but also often forced players to get the newest installment to stay up to date. In ''Sword and Shield'', however, players can use any Pokémon available in the Galar region, including those added via the Expansion Pass, even if they do not buy the pass themselves.
** The Pokémon franchise is constantly mocked for [[AdultsAreUseless the adults being completely useless]] and letting a 10 year old deal with the world threatening crisis. Leon is constantly on top of the situation at every turn and takes care of most problems that arise himself. The only reason the protagonist has to get involved in the situation is [[spoiler:because he tried to stop Eternatus and just barely failed]] and the heroes actively jump into the situation to help.
** The games’ marketing after [=E3=] 2019 but before release was criticized for slowing new Pokémon reveals and other game information to a crawl while also being overly cryptic in some cases, in contrast to the marketing of the previous two generations. Though it was done in response to ''Sun & Moon'' revealing almost every Pokémon, many fans felt the opposite extreme was no better, making it look as though there weren’t many new Pokémon. Come the Expansion Pass’ reveal in the January 2020 Pokémon Direct, several new Pokémon, Gigantamax forms and Galarian variants were shown, teased, or mentioned in one way or another. Information in general was also given more clearly and concisely, in contrast to the infamous Glimwood Tangle stream.
** Due to global multiplayer being locked behind Nintendo Switch Online and the absence of the Global Trading Service, players feared that if the GTS was re-implemented, it would require a subscription to use it. ''Pokémon HOME'', however, allows players with the smartphone version coupled with the free Basic Box to use the GTS for free in a similar vein to the 3DS GTS.
** Many people disliked how the Gigantamax forms of Pikachu and Eevee were locked behind save data of ''VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee'', forcing players to either buy or borrow the games to get the forms if they didn't have them. A Raid News event in May of 2020 allows Gigantamax Pikachu to be captured, with the Eevee G-Max coming shortly afterward. For those who missed out on Gigantamax Meowth, it came right afterward.
** One of the most disliked things about Dynamaxing was that Gigantamax forms were limited to Pokémon caught in dens and were unable to breed them as well. The Isle of Armour DLC addresses this by introducing Max Soup that lets any Pokémon who has a Gigantamax form switch between it and its Dynamax form.
** Trainers who missed their Pokemon following them on the overworld (as last seen in [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver the Johto remakes]] and [[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndEevee the Let's Go! games]]) will be delighted to know that you can do that once more after obtaining Kubfu on the Isle of Armor.
** After some players were disappointed with the slew of friendly rivals in the later half of the series such as Hau and Trace, the main story includes a second rival alongside Hop named Bede, who is a {{Jerkass}} similar to Blue in the original games. Isle of Armor includes Klara and Avery, two trainers [[BitchInSheepsClothing with a hidden jerk side]].
** Following nearly two years of ire ever since ''Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee'' ditched friend codes in lieu of a '''very''' narrow code-based communication system that frequently matches up people who weren't intending to connect to each other, the update in June 2020 alongside the release of Isle of Armor increased the codes from four digits to eight, taking the possible amount of combinations from ten thousand to one hundred million - a number much higher than the amount of sold copies will ever reach and drastically reducing the chance of clashing codes.
** The Wild Area was well-received, but criticized for its limited size making it very small for a WideOpenSandbox. When the Expansion Pass was announced, special emphasis was placed on the fact that the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra would use the same mechanics as the Wild Area. Upon release, the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra were discovered to be truly ''enormous'', with little handholding or railroading to be found.
** The update on the day of the Isle of Armor's release now allows you to see the opponent's team and select your Pokémon simultaneously in Team Preview in multiplayer matches. This eliminates the hassle of having to always switch back and forth between Pokémon selection and the opponent's lineup, as well as the need to write down or memorize what your opponent's team looks like.
** Some fans disliked the lack of characterization and interactions between major NPC's and the player character. Isle of Armor often has Gym Leaders hanging out around various locations and will talk to the player when approached, as well as Hop being present for a hilarious FetchQuest. ''Crown Tundra'' adds to this with the [[LargeHam bombastic]] Peony, the [[TheComicallySerious talkative and polite]] Calyrex, and the Galarian Star Tournament which allows you to mix-and-match several NPC's for hilarious interactions with each other.
** PowerCreep has long been an issue in the franchise, and in Generation 8 it seems a lot of effort went into limiting it. Aside from nerfing various abilities and removing Hidden Power (without which many powerful Pokémon become easier to counter), it's notable that many powerful moves (in particular some of the Isle of Armor move tutor moves) cannot be learned by already strong Pokémon that could heavily abuse them. Aside from Pokémon that were intended to be overpowered (namely restricted use Legendaries), several new Pokémon with tremendous stats also got saddled with very limited movepools so that they could be strong but not too strong.
** Several returning Legendary and Mythical Pokémon now at last have regular access to moves that were formerly event only. In particular Victini's famous V-Create, a move that has long been considered vital for it and yet was not available to most Victini as only certain older event ones came with it. It's now available via move reminder on any Victini.
** The concept of certain Pokémon only being able to be obtained by trading (trade evolutions in particular) is a BrokenBase topic across the series. ''Sword and Shield'' make significant steps in mitigating this features, by not adding any new Pokémon that evolved by trading[[note]]Applin is, however, a borderline case, as the items required to evolve it are version-exclusive[[/note]], and by making all Pokémon that evolve by trading available to catch in the wild or through Max Raids. The Crown Tundra lends an extra hand by allowing you to rematch any legendary you encounter, including those exclusives to the opposite version, so as long as you encounter them once, they are now available in your version. The only Pokémon that can't be obtained without trading are whichever Urshifu form, new Regi (Regieleki or Regidrago), or horse (Glastrier and Spectrier) you didn't pick.
** Entry hazards, Stealth Rock in particular, are disliked by a number of fans due to essentially being mandatory to account for when battling other players, and rendering some Pokémon (mainly those weak to rock) far more difficult to play. These games not only buffed Rapid Spin (one means of getting rid of them) considerably, but introduced Heavy Duty Boots, a held item that renders a Pokémon immune to entry hazards. This not only makes Rapid Spin a viable move on top of getting rid of entry hazards, but lets Pokémon who would otherwise be crippled by them be viable.
** The initial announcement of only 435 Pokémon being compatible with the game (nicknamed "Dexit" in many circles) didn’t sit well with many a Pokémon fan. Thanks to the Crown Tundra and Isle of Armor DLC many more Pokémon were made compatible as a result. Adding to this, the extra compatibility was made completely free via a patch without the need to buy the DLC.
** If you want to fill your Pokédex but can't trade for whatever reason, the DLC is a godsend- multiple Pokémon that only evolve by trading can be found wandering around. Admittedly, some only appear under certain weather conditions, but it's something.

** When the premise was first announced to be based off the UK, a popular candidate for being the Champion was an {{Expy}} of [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen Queen Elizabeth II]] complete with a pair or even a full team of level 100 canine Pokemon while {{expy}}s of UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily acted as the Elite Four. Even when this was dismissed with the reveal of Leon as the champion, the fans of this theory still hoped that characters based off the UK royals could become {{Bonus Boss}}es.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2jWZ7_czX4 Gym Leader theme]], a techno piece that really captures the feel of Pokémon battling as a major sporting event, complete with the crowd cheering mixed into the track. It hypes the player up, and is also a dynamic track, with it changing in intensity as the match goes on.
** The Gym Leader theme gets an exciting and intense [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGF0L2GC0k0 remix]] during the Champion Cup, complete with a rocking guitar to the mix, all helping to add to the feel of a grand showdown in a big tournament.
** The battle with the BigBad has its own [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzxfmKSGXY4 theme]], an epic orchestral piece with OminousLatinChanting that makes it clear how high the stakes are as you battle for the fate of the Galar region. [[spoiler:For any players [[BilingualBonus familiar with Latin]], the chanting "Rosa seda credo" can be translated as "the thorned rose's beliefs" or "the rose's thorned creed" - both translations highlighting Rose's AntiVillain nature, as he truly believes what he is doing is right but is doing it in a highly flawed manner.]]

** Alcremie is a Pokémon made entirely of sweet white cream. When it's happy, its cream becomes sweeter and richer, and in Gigantamax form, getting hit makes it harder...

* DesignatedVillain: Near the end of the game, when [[spoiler: Oleana]] is antagonizing the heroes, [[spoiler: the Macro Cosmos staff]] is forced along for the ride and called the "bad guys" despite them just doing their jobs. The main cast has shades of DesignatedHero in this case and probably would have counted if [[spoiler: Oleana]] tried to give them a proper explanation, instead of jumping straight to antagonizing the trainer that is supposed to ''battle the Champion'' the next day.

** [[spoiler: While Chairman Rose mostly wears a sharp grey suit, his [[PaperThinDisguise incognito outfit]] is universally agreed to be ridiculous, with some fans even mistaking his shorts for GoofyPrintUnderwear.]]
** [[spoiler: Shielbert]] at least has a hairstyle that looks...mostly normal, but [[spoiler: Sordward's]] haircut is just ''ridiculous.'' One must imagine the amount of hair gel it takes to make that much hair stick ''straight up.''

** Allister is [[ShrinkingViolet painfully shy]] behind his CreepyChild persona. [[spoiler: With the mask off, he rivals ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Wally]]'' in terms of adorableness.]]

** Hop had a very tepid reaction when first revealed, with many rolling their eyes at another FriendlyRival (an archtype fans had gotten quite sick of), and the fears that he'd take away screentime from the much more interesting and positively received Bede and Marnie. After the game came out, however, many were pleasantly surprised to see he had quite a bit of CharacterDevelopment and depth regarding his inferiority complex and [[spoiler: ultimate decision to find his own path and become a Pokemon Professor]]. While still not the most popular of the rivals, he's now quite well-liked in his own right.

*** The mascot legendaries are quite the ordeal; they follow the trend since Gen V where they ''[[ButThouMust must]]'' be captured, as the game will simply reset to before the battle if they're knocked out, but most of these past situations have at least provided a generously high catch rate of 45. These two? ''10''. And while catching Zamazenta is difficult enough, Zacian is an absolute nightmare to battle. Zacian's Attack is immediately boosted by its Ability and further buffed by Swords Dance, allowing it to tear holes through your party as you're struggling to capture it. And don't think you're safe from Zacian if you're playing ''Shield'', since [[spoiler: in Hop's hands]] it has devastating type coverage in Wild Charge and Close Combat alongside its STAB moves, which it can easily threaten your team with with its blistering Speed. It doesn't make it easier that [[spoiler: Hop post-game can be chosen to battle you in the the Champion Cup]].

* FashionVictimVillain: [[spoiler: While Chairman Rose mostly wears a sharp grey suit, his [[PaperThinDisguise incognito outfit]] is universally agreed to be ridiculous, with some fans even mistaking his shorts for GoofyPrintUnderwear.]]

** Sonia gets relegated to a NonActionGuy role, serving as assistant to Professor Magnolia. This proves to be rather disappointing as she was a former gym challenger herself when she was a kid, competing at the same time that Leon, Raihan, and Nessa originally did. Especially after the well received twist with Professor Kukui in the [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Gen VII games]], many were hoping that Sonia would be a BonusBoss as well, but that proved to not be the case. And then came the Galarian Star Tournament of the Crown Tundra DLC, which allows majority of the major characters take part in a Doubles Tournament, and fans once more got their hopes up that Sonia would be a surprise participant only for that to get dashed again.

** On the human side of things, it's common to see Allister getting shipped with [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Acerola]], since they are both young children who specialize in Ghost-type Pokémon, as well as both of them having a Mimikyu (Allister in-game, Acerola in the anime).

** The so-called “Ball Guy” ([[GoofySuit a person with a Poké Ball for a head]]). [[PerpetualSmiler Their constantly smiling face]] combined with their [[https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65733142/ballguy.0.jpg masculine-looking body]] make it look like they came out of the UncannyValley, [[https://kotaku.com/the-poke-ball-guy-is-not-your-friend-friend-1840006304 with many]] [[https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-11-22-we-should-all-be-very-afraid-of-pokemon-sword-and-shields-ball-guy online articles]] pointing out their creepiness.

* UncannyValley:
** [[https://www.serebii.net/swordshield/43.jpg Milo's]] face does not look like it belongs on such a muscular body, as his entire face is rendered as though it's meant to belong on the body of a child character instead, so seeing him as this fully grown man with a very childish face is kind of off-putting to some. On top of that, the way one of his freckles is drawn (one directly on his nose) makes him look from certain angles like he doesn't have a nose.
** The [[https://archives.bulbagarden.net/wiki/File:Y-Comm_Profile_Police_Officer.png faces of the policeman]] look way too friendly, which isn't helped by the fact they don't change at all even when they lose a battle... which actually makes them look even creepier.
** Mr. Rime, as is typical of its evolutionary line. While Galarian Mr. Mime is mercifully far less creepy than Kantonian Mr. Mime with its MarionetteMotion, Mr. Rime looks cuter and more charming than both of them at first... until you realize that it has what looks like a ''second face'' on its belly that can even emote. Yikes.
** Despite its body shape, Kyogre can [[https://i.redd.it/s4hf2eiwf7x51.jpg turn its head]] in Pokémon Camp to face the player. It looks rather unsettling, especially since it's never been shown in other media prior to ''Sword and Shield''. And it can also smile while looking at the player...

* ContestedSequel: The games became the most successful in the entire series since ''Gold and Silver'', were privy to much praise by professional critics, and helped revitalize interest in the series overall. Series veterans also praised the massive quality of life improvements the game offers, such as Mints, the removal of a cap on stat boosting items, the ability to skip some cutscenes and tutorials, and the easier access to competitive battling. A sizable number of players, however, deem it one of the series' weakest entries, citing issues such as the problematic and often unintuitive online mode (as well as the fact that it is now paid), the very linear and simplistic campaign (and some questionable writing), and the game's graphical and technical flubs, and while these are all nothing new for the series, these are seen by them as inexcuseable, even somewhat worse, on a home console with some of Nintendo's most technically impressive games. There is also whether the game's (initially) smaller pool of usable monsters compared to the 3DS (and DS) entries makes it more balanced or less diverse than those titles.

** Similar to Franchise/{{Shrek}}, Leon's Charizard is occasionally presented as this within the Galarian joke religion to "explain" the Dex cuts, as a "benevolent" deity that scorches any Pokémon who try to enter its holy land of Galar that it deems unworthy.

** The entries on the Nintendo [=3DS=] were notorious for lacking compatibility with each other, which not only prevented Pokémon with certain moves or certain species of Pokémon from being used or transferred, but also often forced players to get the newest installment to stay up to date. In ''Sword and Shield'', however, players can use any Pokémon available in the Galar region, including those added via the expansion pass, even if they do not buy the pass themselves.

** PowerCreep has long been an issue in the franchise, and in Generation 8 it seems a lot of effort went into limiting it. Aside from nerfing various abilities and removing Hidden Power (without which many powerful Pokémon become easier to counter), it's notable that many powerful moves (in particular some of the Isle of Armor move tutor moves) cannot be learned by already strong Pokémon that could heavily abuse them. Aside from Pokémon that were intended to be overpowered (namely restricted use legendaries), several new Pokémon with tremendous stats also got saddled with very limited movepools so that they could be strong but not too strong.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Hop's battle theme brings to mind the battle theme from ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'', [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hjaLe-R1O58&t=336s as this video demonstrates.]]

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Hop's battle theme brings to mind the battle theme from ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga''.

* HarsherInHindsight: A major conflict in the game involves Chairman Rose trying to convince Leon to postpone the championship tournament in order to deal with the looming energy crisis. Soon after the game's release, the real-life sports world would be ravaged by a similar conflict where COVID-19 made large sports games unsafe to hold, and the 2020 Olympics had to be postponed because of it.

* VocalMinority: The games are infamous because of the Dex exclusions, as well as other minor flaws/changes such as permanent experience share and slightly lower difficulty, making them extremely controversial in some circles. However, the games received positive reviews from professional critics, are generally liked by fans that don't care about the exclusions, and are among the best-selling games in the franchise's history, ultimately making the hatedom this.

* VocalMinority: The games are infamous because of the Dex exclusions, as well as other minor flaws/changes such as permanent experience share and slightly lower difficulty, making them extremely controversial in some circles. However, the games received positive reviews from professional critics, are generally liked by fans that don't care about the exclusions, and are among the best-selling games in the franchise's history, ultimately making the hatedom this.

** PowerCreep has long been an issue in the franchise, and in generation 8 it seems a lot of effort went into limiting it. Aside from nerfing various abilities and removing Hidden Power (without which many powerful Pokémon become easier to counter), it's notable that many powerful moves (in particular some of the Isle of Armor move tutor moves) cannot be learned by already strong Pokémon that could heavily abuse them. Aside from Pokémon that were intended to be overpowered (namely restricted use legendaries), several new Pokémon with tremendous stats also got saddled with very limited movepools so that they could be strong but not too strong.
** Several returning legendary and mythical Pokémon now at last have regular access to moves that were formerly event only. In particular Victini's famous V-create, a move that has long been considered vital for it and yet was not available to most Victini as only certain older event ones came with it. It's now available via move reminder on any Victini.

** The initial announcement of only 435 Pokémon being compatible with the game (also know as Dexit in many circles) didn’t sit well with many a Pokémon fan. Thanks to the Crown Tundra and Isle of Armor DLC many more Pokémon were made compatible as a result. Adding to this, the extra compatibility was made completely free via a patch without the need to buy the DLC.
** If you want to fill your Pokedex but can't trade for whatever reason, the DLC is a godsend- multiple Pokemon that only evolve by trading can be found wandering around. Admittedly, some only appear under certain weather conditions, but it's something.

** When it comes to the adult characters, Leon/Sonia, Leon/Raihan, and Sonia/Nessa have gained traction due to the fact that they met [[FanficFuel during a prior League season]] [[FoeYay as competitors]]. Raihan/Piers has also been gaining traction thanks to their interactions in the Champion Cup and postgame.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOkb_b-kKG8 Battle Tower theme]], composed by Creator/TobyFox, is an energetic piece fitting for a climb up the ranks against the most powerful trainers in Galar.