Pokemon Sword And Shield Pre-Order Bonuses, Double Pack, Release Date (US, UK)
Since its reveal earlier this year, Pokemon Sword and Shield have been met with a huge amount of anticipation and excitement from fans, and now we finally have more information about Nintendo's new upcoming Pokemon RPGs. In a pre-E3 Pokemon Direct on June 5, Game Freak revealed Pokemon Sword and Shield will release November 15 for Nintendo Switch, marking the first main-series Pokemon games to arrive on the console. You can check out their box art below.
The recent Pokemon Direct gave trainers a closer look at the Galar region and its new Pokemon, as well as information about new battle mechanics, two new legendaries, and a revamped Pokedex. As in previous games, you'll have three starter Pokemon to choose from: Grookey, a grass monkey; Scorbunny, a fiery rabbit; and Sobble, a shy water lizard. The Galar region is scattered with towns where humans and Pokemon live and work together, and they include huge Pokemon gyms where people gather to watch epic battles between trainers and gym leaders.
The Direct also revealed an interesting new battle mechanic: Dynamax, an ability that turns your Pokemon into a giant form of themselves for three turns. Available to use once per battle, Dynamax boosts your Pokemon's power and is triggered by a separate button, similar to Z-Moves. Outside of gym battles, you can also pair up with three other trainers (locally or online) to fight wild Dynamax battles against one giant Pokemon, which you can afterward catch. These encounters are called Max Raid Battles.
Now that we've gotten a closer look at Pokemon Sword and Shield and have a better idea of what to expect from the games, you might be ready to throw your money at Nintendo and pre-order your copy now. In addition to ordering a single copy, Game Freak announced you'll be able to pre-order a Double Pack that contains both games. See more info about pre-ordering Pokemon Sword and Shield below.
Pre-order bonuses for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield
As of right now, you can get $10 back on your order when you order from either Amazon or Best Buy. At Amazon, Prime members receive $10 credit to their account when pre-ordering Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield. The same deal applies at Best Buy; however, you must be a Best Buy member to be eligible for the $10 reward credit. Signing up for their membership program is free.
Using a Nintendo game voucher for Pokemon Sword and/or Shield
Remember Nintendo's game vouchers deal announced a while back? You can now use those on Pokemon Sword and Shield. As a reminder, here's how that works: You'll purchase two game vouchers from Nintendo for $100, which you can then redeem for a pair of games. If you choose two full-price ($60) games, that'll end up saving you $20 total. The eligible games list for the vouchers also includes Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Super Mario Maker 2, the Pokemon: Let's Go titles, and many more Switch games, so you can mix and match however you like.
Where to pre-order Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield
Pre-order Pokemon Sword
Pre-order Pokemon Shield
Pre-order the Pokemon Sword and Shield Double Pack
June's Pokemon Direct announced the games will also be available as a dual bundle, and Nintendo's official website has revealed its price: $120. That doesn't offer any sort of discount or incentive unless there are extra perks offered, but as of now, we don't have many other details. Interestingly, the Nintendo UK stream showed a golden steelbook case alongside the double pack, which would help justify the price, but it's unclear whether that case will be available elsewhere.
[Update]: The Double Pack is now available for pre-order at Best Buy. The $10 reward credit for Best Buy members deal applies, but if the dual bundle includes just the games, you might be better off using Nintendo's game vouchers or ordering each game from Best Buy separately so you get $20 back ($10 each) instead. It's also available at Amazon and GameStop now. However, Amazon's dual pack doesn't seem to be eligible for the $10 reward credit, which would make the individual copies or vouchers your best options unless exclusive bonuses are announced.
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