Judge A Pokémon Express: Going Gigantamax!
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Codraroll
A video released on October 17 showcased five new Gigantamax formes for the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield, bringing the total number of known Gigantamax formes to eight. These temporary power-ups turn Pokémon gigantic like Dynamaxing, but Gigantamax formes also have their appearance changed in addition to their size. The changes range from very subtle to drastic. We have asked the Judge-a-Pokémon Express panelists to tell us what they like and dislike about the different Gigantamax formes seen so far.
| Pikachu | Eevee | Charizard | Meowth |
| Butterfree | Alcremie | Corviknight | Drednaw |
| Click on the images to reveal everyone's thoughts! | |||
Max. Optimizer
I am not surprised the slightest bit that the mascot of the Pokémon franchise par excellence gets to enjoy the shiny new gimmick of the Galar region. Game Freak is really trying to brush up its recognizable Kantonian poster children to reel in as many fans of the old school as possible. I dare even say that the most recent trailer, with a notable spotlight on Pikachu and Eevee, came across more like a subliminal advertisement for the LGPE games, as opposed to publicity for the upcoming SwSh games. This opinion is further strengthened by the fact that having play records of LGP and/or LGE is necessary to unlock these new exclusive Gigantamax formes, depending on the Let's Go version you own. While I am not a fan of how this was handled, I do, however, have to admit that it is interesting to see that Pikachu's Gigantamax forme is a reference to its original design that, as many of our older readers will remember, was notably chubbier. While Gigantamaxed, Pikachu no longer stores the electricity in its cheek sacs but in its tail, allowing it to discharge said accumulated electricity via its new move in G-Max Volt Crash. Aside from causing damage, this move's secondary effect allows Pikachu to paralyze all of the opposing Pokémon on the other side of the field. As the literally shocking example of Mudsdale in the trailer clearly showed, not even Ground-type Pokémon are immune to the paralysis caused by this move.
Rabia
It's just the original Pikachu with a longer tail. Next.
Kalalokki
While each new generation brings us another Pikaclone, Game Freak just can't stop giving the original something as well every new generation. Now with the last two generations additions (Cosplay Pikachu, then Cap and Z-Move Pikachu) being retconned when the next generation rolls up, this certainly doesn't bode well for Dynamaxing as a whole if Pikachu is now involved. Now on to the forme itself: from a glance, it just looks like a return to the chonk Pikachu a la Gen 1, a body ideal that it has moved away from greatly by becoming skinnier and skinnier as time passed. What really sets it apart, besides its physical size, is the monstrosity that used to be its tail. The lightning is just coursing through it so violently that it has been elongated and bent into several more zigzags, coupled with an almost blinding light projecting out from it. Luckily this forme can still use Light Ball, so we'll continue to have low ladder strategies centered around our feature-bloated mascot.
Estronic
Who knew that fat Pikachu was eventually going to make a giant return like this? As much as Kanto pandering is getting everyone annoyed, Gigantamax Pikachu is just hilarious to me. To be fair, Pikachu has always been getting special treatment for being the mascot: a signature move in Volt Tackle, a bunch of costume formes in ORAS, and, not one, but TWO signature Z-Moves in SM. The favoritism is obvious, though its Gigantamax forme is definitely the outlier here. Why would Game Freak give Pikachu a forme that makes it fatter akin to its old design alongside making it gigantic? The only plausible justification for this is that they're doing this as a meme, but it simply seems odd giving Pikachu a forme that is basically the Mega Evolution replacement. It just seems like a waste, too, since it would eventually return to its regular forme after a few turns in battle and won't be able to go back to it again, and Pikachu can really only tickle its foes afterwards. Whatever the case is, we could definitely live without Gigantamax Pikachu, but I'm sure it'll still get some good chuckles for being so thicc.
Ryota Mitarai
I am gonna start off with Pikachu because, honestly, I saw that coming kilometers ahead. I can't say how many gimmicks Pikachu has received from Game Freak, including Volt Tackle, Light Ball, exclusive Z-Moves, Cosplay formes, and Cap forms, hoping to make it a stronghold among the casual Pokémon players. Unfortunately, all of those never proved to be successful. This time, however, we might actually get an actual Pikachu buff, seeing how Dynamax and Gigantamax look incredibly broken. But we can't be too sure about it, considering we might have thought one of the aforementioned buffs would do the same.
Also, it's lowkey funny if you imagine this Pikachu as overweight, living in its mom's basement, and holding a game controller in one hand and a pizza slice in the other.
Repu
If I'm going to write about Pikachu, I need to mention that the first article I have translated was about it (I'll leave the link here of the original article if anyone wants to check it out). Whenever you join a project, there is always the first step you take, and, when you try to think back to it, you can either feel very proud of all the steps you took so far or feel regret for a specific reason. In my case, I'm left shocked about how much I have changed and grown when I first joined the translation project, and the same can be told about Pikachu. It has grown. A lot. And gotten chubbier during the process. Thematically speaking, I really like the message Pikachu leaves on us, especially from the anime, that even the tiniest ones can fight back against bigger and stronger foes if they are brave enough to take that first step. Now, with its new Gigantamaxed forme, it surely can fight against big and tough foes from equal to equal. If you thought Tapu Koko's and Pikachu's Z-Moves clashing was epic, then just imagine Guardian of Alola and Gigantamax Pikachu duking it out against each other. Wonderful.
Kaiju Bunny
I was somewhat disappointed at first with Pikachu's Gigantamax forme, but when it finally struck me that the design was based off of Pikachu's original artwork, it did feel a little more appropriate and I grew a bit fonder of it. However, I still have my worries that Pikachu will suffer a fate similar to Charizard in the sense it'll soon have too many unnecessary formes to keep track of. Competitive-wise, I have a soft spot for not fully evolved Pokémon doing exceptionally well in different tiers, so I'm excited to try using Gigantamax Pikachu as well, but I'm not that thrilled with its new move, since we already have a few custom Pikachu moves already; however, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised and end up enjoying its use in battle!
Ivy
Just as had been done with the Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee Spirits in Smash Bros., there appears to be another save file-based unlock here (you need one from Let's Go Eevee to get this Gigantamax-eligible event Pokémon). I suppose the precedent had already existed long before with such instances as unlocking Rosalina in Mario Kart Wii by having a Super Mario Galaxy save file. I had hoped this sort of unlock was being relegated to a thing of the past, but that appears to no longer be the case. Well, enough on the metadata; what of the Eevee itself? This pup takes the cake for smugness this generation, with a paw perpetually propped-up towards its chin in the iconic "Ahuhuhuhu~" pose. The signature G-Max Cuddle move is slightly interesting due to being the first to inflict infatuation as a secondary effect; this won't be nearly as broken or ubiquitous as Chatter in part due to Eevee's gender weighting towards the largely more common male, but it is a neat precedent nevertheless.
Repu
I like how Game Freak has been giving new upgrades to Eevee in these latest games and pairing it up with the mascot of the franchise. It got its own Z-Move, new moves in LGPE, and now a new Gigantamax forme. Eevee is a Pokémon that holds a lot of possibilities, and its potential to evolve into almost any type shows that flawlessly. But the thing I hold against Gigantamax Eevee is, what's the point of giving these upgrades to it if in the long run it won't be able to use them? In-game, Gigantamax Eevee will be useful at the start of the journey, but after that, it'll probably become useless. Extreme Evoboost, for example, is a really cool Z-Move, but, as time goes by, you probably won't keep using it because either your Eevee will already have evolved or its poor stats won't compensate for the new mechanic. Then again, I like how it has been included in the new games, but to me, it looks more a strategy to attract fans than a useful tool in the games.
Pikachu315111
With the Let's Go games (LGPE) having attracted many new players, it makes sense for there to be a bonus in Sword & Shield if that Switch also has play records from LGPE. With many players probably having gotten attached to the Partner Pikachu and Eevee, it also makes sense the bonus would be a special Pikachu and Eevee, ones able to Gigantamax. At first, I was annoyed seeing Pikachu and Eevee getting a Gigantamax forme, but after learning it's a bonus for LGPE players I'm more accepting of it.
A neat design detail is how it's based on their Red & Blue sprites. It's more obvious with Pikachu, but with Eevee it's a stretch. Gigantamaxed Eevee's mane is much fluffier, but otherwise it's just Eevee, and I really wished they did more with the design. Since this Eevee can't evolve, maybe incorporate something to represent the other Eeveelutions, like its mane glowing in their colors.
The Eevee itself has a lot of questions about it (will it have Eevee-S's stats? Will it get the special tutor moves from LGPE? If not, will it learn equivalent moves like Flare Blitz instead of Sizzly Slide?), but this is about Gigantamax Eevee. What else we do know is its G-Max Move, G-Max Cuddle, which infatuates all opposite-gendered targets. Unless very strong, this feels outclassed by the Normal-type Max Move, which has a more useful secondary effect that isn't gender based. Pikachu definitely got the better G-Max Move, darn mascot privileges.
Codraroll
One challenge of introducing Gigantamaxing as a mechanic next to Dynamaxing is that the two similar mechanics need to be distinctly different from each other. Both types of "maxing" make the Pokémon gigantic, so a Gigantamax forme needs to stand out from a regular Dynamax upscale of the Pokémon's model. And sadly for Eevee, I don't think it succeeds very well. Dynamax Eevee is a giant Eevee. Gigantamax Eevee is... pretty much the same, but it can use a special move. Some of Eevee's features such as the mane and tail have their proportions exaggerated upon it Gigantamaxing, but essentially it's just a very big Eevee.
I'd also like to take a moment to point out that fluffiness is a property that doesn't scale with size. Fur is soft, which is essentially the absence of rigidity. A strand of fur can stand under its own weight, but a long strand of hair can't. This means a giant fluffy mane would hang down like a curtain under its own weight. There's a reason why vast amounts of hairspray are required to make a tall hairdo, and those aren't very soft to the touch. In order for Gigantamax Eevee to have a mane like that, the strands of hair would have to be as rigid as metal wire. Petting it would be like sticking your hand in a bramble thicket. Also, it prevents Eevee from seeing what is straight in front of it. And what's up with the lighting in the artwork? In order for Eevee's face to be lit up from below like that, there would have to be floodlights pointed at it from somewhere in the mane. All in all, I don't really like Gigantamax Eevee much.
Kaiju Bunny
So, I might be slightly biased in liking Gigantamax Eevee, since I like Eevee in general, but I do wish they could've done more with its design other than making it more fluffy and big. I do appreciate Eevee getting more love, however, most notably from Let's Go, so I'm glad they at least did something with it. Its new move has me feeling on the fence as well, though. On one hand, the idea of causing infatuation and keeping up with the "cutesy" theme seems fitting for it, but on the other, I don't know how well infatuation works in the competitive scene other than being a mild annoyance. In the end, I'll probably enjoy my oversized fluff ball of love and most likely enjoy having it at my side ready to unleash the world's strongest cuddle.
Max. Optimizer
Charizard has become a figurehead of the franchise over the last two decades, and it does not really come as a surprise that Game Freak gave it a Gigantamax forme. Charizard being honored with two Mega formes back in the XY era was already a first prime harbinger of how this Pokémon will most certainly continue to enjoy further special treatment in many future main series games. While I do not think that the new design surpasses the ones of its Mega Evolutions, I do, however, have to admit that it still has the best designs out of all the Gigantamax formes we have seen so far. While a lot of Pokémon just grow bigger while Gigantamaxing, Charizard is among the ones that also receive a notable design upgrade: its wings are, for example, covered in fire now, which is fittingly enough also how I like to imagine Fire-types when their Blaze ability lets them flare up in a pinch, allowing them to mobilize their final resources before they become burnt out. In addition to this, while I am fairly certain that it was not an intentional reference, the brown and beige skin spots also remind me of that cloned Charizard from the very first Pokémon movie "Mewtwo Strikes Back." In this sense, I want to conclude by saying that, while I still am not too fond of the Gigantamax mechanic, I do want to acknowledge the features and the related detail that went into this art concept.
Rabia
While some have dismissed Charizard's Gigantamax forme as simple pandering to Generation 1, I quite love the design. Charizard sort of becomes the embodiment of fire, with its wings literally turning into fire and its head becoming... well, I don't know how to describe it. It reminds me a lot of the Winged Dragon of Ra's phoenix forme from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series. It's like Charizard becomes hell itself, which is pretty dope. Honestly, this was Mega Charizard Y done the right way.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
As many will attest, Charizard has and has had great design from the very beginning of the game series back in Pokémon Red many years ago. Mega Charizard X and Y only made it better in my opinion, as the black body and blue flames of Mega Charizard X fit together so well. Gigantamax Charizard has a fierce look that almost feels royal, like an assertion of dominance. The flame style wings simply accent the color scheme, and the vibe of Gigantamax Charizard just tells me that it could go full scorched earth without batting an eyelash. He didn't start the fire but will keep it burning while the battle's churning...
Blitzamirin
To set the scene: Charizard is a pretty strong favorite of mine. Shillzard, as it has become to be known as this point in the Pokémon franchise, is a cow (dragon?) milked to death. To no one's surprise after seeing Leon possess one, Charizard has a Gigantamax forme, and you know what? I'm sick of seeing it get favorable treatment. Game Freak, Venusaur and Blastoise exist. Hell, any non-current gen starter exists and can qualify, so what gives? Oh, the Gigantamax design, right. The rehashed Moltres wings with Revive patterns on its lower body honestly looks underwhelming and are a pretty hefty downgrade from its gorgeous Megas from XY, but kid me would probably be screaming with joy at Gigantamax Charizard being the Charizard I always envisioned it to be. If there's one thing we can thank Game Freak for, it's the vast number of Charizard memes that have been created due to this reveal.
Pikachu315111
Let me start out by saying this Charizard does look badass. It's essentially Burning Godzilla but with flaming wings! I have nothing against this design (though I think the stock art looks better than the in-game model); I'm just disappointed they are shelving the designs used for Mega Evolutions instead of re-using them for Gigantamaxing. But that's not why you're reading this; you want a deeper analysis on Gigantamaxed Charizard (GC).
Using Gigantamax's power, GC's flames have grown so powerful they formed an inferno in its stomach that now spews flames from its mouth, horns, and wings; that's a spicy meatball! I wouldn't be surprised if other Fire-type Gigantamax Pokémon followed a similar concept: a fire monster being consumed by its own flames. In a way it's almost disappointing that GC went with the obvious direction; it's just a bigger Charizard with the only notable design change being the fire wings.
I have a feeling that GC will be more similar to Mega Charizard Y than to Mega Charizard X: focusing on Special Attack. Its G-Max Move is G-Max Wildfire, whose effect sounds the same as the Fire Pledge and Grass Pledge combination. A neat idea, but it does mean that GC can't set up Sunny Day, which would have further increased its Fire-type move's power. Even if GC's Special Attack is significantly higher, Dynamax Charizard may still have the advantage; if not in power, then in utility. Can't wait for Champion Leon to use it against us!
Diophantine
I am sure I speak for most of the fanbase when I say that we are tired of Charizard. Why does the Champion's signature Pokémon have to be Charizard? Is this Game Freak admitting that they don't have a design suitable from this generation? In terms of looks, it's not bad. That doesn't mean great, however. It just looks like Mega Charizard X without the coloring that made it cool. Wings made of fire seems pretty impractical when considering flight and Charizard's heavy body. Would much rather have seen a Typhlosion or some other starter that didn't get a Mega (or two!).
Kaiju Bunny
Wow, another Charizard forme..! All jokes aside, I still like Gigantamax Charizard's fiery design, but I suppose that's to be expected when the base design is also pretty awesome. Its move seems pretty underwhelming, though, as it seems to just be some sort of version of Fire Spin, which I actually didn't expect; I thought it'd be some sort of extreme Inferno Overdrive-esque attack, but maybe Gigantamax Charizard's stats will beef up its viability in some way? I hear a lot of people complain about Game Freak catering heavily to Gen 1, but I always come to the conclusion that it's better than getting nothing! Even though Charizard seems to have an endless pool of formes, I still enjoy seeing each one and look forward to utilizing Gigantamax Charizard in battle! (Partner Mega Primal Ultra Charizard XYZ Complete Forme when?)
Max. Optimizer
On that day, mankind received a grim reminder of a long-dead meme from way back in the day. Much like with the case of many of the other Kantonian Gigantamax formes that were revealed in the trailer, I cannot help but think that the only reason why Meowth received a new forme is because it has been the well-known, omnipresent Team Rocket mascot in the episodes of the Pokémon anime for over two decades now. Is this the destroyer, or is this the creator? If your answer is the former, then yes: Meowth, that's right! Gigantamax Meowth is for example notorious for using skyscrapers as literal scratching posts to hone its claws. Its new move in G-Max Gold Rush is basically just a more powerful version of its old signature move in Pay Day, meaning that it deals damage and lets you pick up the scattered coins as additional prize money at the end of the battle. The only difference is that G-Max Gold Rush also confuses opposing Pokémon. This new forme could in a manner also be considered Schrödinger's Meowth, in the sense where it is simultaneously new and old: some characteristics are new, albeit not "new enough" to count as "innovative." Its increased size is the only thing that quite literally makes it stand out from its standard forme. Whether or not this forme was worth it remains to be seen. I doubt it, but we will have to wait and see which direction the cat jumps.
Rabia
Long cat? Meme cat? I don't know what to call it. He long. He expand.
Kalalokki
Meowth was certainly not one I'd expect to see get a Gigantamax forme, and someone at Game Freak clearly has a specific philosophy when it comes to these designs as well—the taller it is, the better. Besides the obvious Longcat throwback, I really like this Gigantamax forme, especially in its alternate art when it's hunched over and swiping at targets at its feet. While previous "longboys" in Alolan Exeggutor, Galarian Weezing, and Sirfetch'd all follow this design philosophy to some extent, Meowth clearly sports the most mobility and versatility in its long state. I can imagine walking through some large, empty dark hallway, only to be greeted by Gigantamax Meowth's glowing, soulless eyes lighting up in front of you. Standing firmly still at the other end, it just propels its upper body towards you, like a snake in the air, ready to claw you to pieces. Truly terrifying.
Ryota Mitarai
Oh no! It's the Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man! Now, for real, I am not sure how they managed to actually make it like a tube man, and this is the only reason I even "acknowledge" this Gigantamax forme. I do like how they made Meowth's eyes glowing, though, mixing well with the coin on its forehead to achieve an "Egyptian cat" theme. I am wondering how Gigantamax Persian is going to look, or if this Meowth is going to be incapable of evolving, like the Eevee and Pikachu starters in LGPE. Beyond that, I really have no interest in Meowth's Gigantamax forme and do not believe it really needs one.
Pikachu315111
WHY?! For Pikachu and Eevee it makes sense, as they're a bonus for the Let's Go games. But for the release day event Pokémon they could have picked any Pokémon! But instead we got a Meowth, that can't evolve, that Gigantamaxes into a meme. Further confounded by it being more Gen 1 pandering, it's a decade-old meme, other Pokémon have done the joke, and there are questions on how effective it would be in battle.
Gigantamax Meowth (GM) has some funny in-game lore. It likes to sharpen its claws & shiny things, so when it sees a building with shiny windows, it sharpens its claws on it, causing massive structural damage. Even in the Pokémon world, GM is a mistake. The obvious notable detail is that GM's body is very long, bringing to mind the 2000s longcat meme (BTW, if you're wondering, the stylized Kanji on its coin means "big"). I did find a legend about a yokai called Shidaidaka; it would grow taller when looked up at and its true identity was the cat-based yokai nekomata. But I feel the longcat meme is the more likely basis, trying to re-create the Alolan Exeggutor meme (like they also did with Gigantamax Alcremie, Galarian Weezing's smokestack, and Sirfetch'd's lance). Game Freak, please, just stop trying to force a meme; it only makes you look desperate to be "hip."
GM's G-Max Move also feels lacking. G-Max Gold Rush confuses opponents and scatters coins to collect after battle; the Normal-type Max Move's effect still feels more useful.
Max. Optimizer
It would appear that Dark Souls fans can rejoice once more: not only did we get Great Grey Wolf Sif in the form of Zacian, but now we also get the Moonlight Butterfly. I for one did not see Gigantamax Butterfree coming at all, and I was fairly confused when it got revealed, or should I say "befuddled"? Whenever Gigantamax Butterfree uses its new G-Max Befuddled move, it does not only dish out damage, but the scales that get scattered across the battlefield can additionally cause status conditions such as paralysis, poison, and sleep. My speculation is that Game Freak decided to resurrect this now-metamorphosed butterfly from its chrysalis once again, since its longstanding counterpart Beedrill had already received a Mega forme in the ORAS games and was allowed to keep its Beedrillite through the whole of Generation 7 as well. I also like to think that this choice might have something to do with the fact that Caterpie was the first-ever Pokémon that Ash Ketchum caught at the very beginning of his journey and that he released it later on in the iconic "Bye-Bye Butterfree" episode so that it could live together with its soulmate. Game Freak had in fact already made a reference to this episode with the female Ace Trainer at the Lake of Rage in GSC and HGSS who tells you about a pink Butterfree she once saw. I guess we will have to see how the butterfly effect behind this decision will play out.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
I often found it odd that people were broken up over Ash releasing Butterfree. I understand that Butterfree wanted to have a wife, and I get that it must have been hard to say goodbye, but it wasn't until I saw the way Gigantamax Butterfree looks that I understood. For those who haven't seen Godzilla: King of the Monsters, turn away now! There's a scene in the movie where Godzilla is outmatched in every way possible by Ghidorah and is left to die. Mothra comes to Godzilla's aid after being dropped from miles up in the sky. As Godzilla is left helpless, Mothra sacrifices herself to protect Godzilla. I feel like maybe Ash sacrificed a piece of himself in order to be able to let Butterfree go. Not to mention the fact that Gigantamax Butterfree's color scheme reminds me of when Mothra emerged from her cocoon and had a radiant color scheme on her wings, somewhat similar to what we see Gigantamax Butterfree displaying here.
Kaiju Bunny
The first thing that came to mind when I saw Gigantamax Butterfree was the fact that it looked so strikingly familiar to Mothra from the Godzilla series, which I am more than happy with. Despite Butterfree's cute design, it never really stood out to me, and I really can't tell if this new Gigantamax forme was planned before or after the release of this year's King of the Monsters movie (not that I'm complaining). Regardless if it was or wasn't, Butterfree now gets to shine even more alongside its friend Beedrill, which gets a warm welcome from me! Competitively, I don't know if Gigantamax Butterfree's move would do well or stink. On one hand, spreading status makes it seem like a no-brainer it'd be good, but you also can't control which status gets spread, which could prove to be detrimental. All in all, Gigantamax Butterfree is something that has me really excited for Sword and Shield, and I can't wait to train my very own kaiju!
Blitzamirin
Mothra is in Pokémon, but it isn't in the super Volcarona forme people were expecting. Butterfree itself rejoices after years of neglect—after all, when your only real accomplishments are being remembered for an anime episode and in sentences such as "Beedrill got a Mega, Butterfree didn't," it's hard not to feel happy for once. With that said, Butterfree itself just gets bigger. Its wing pattern is different, its antennae slightly change, and... that's it? That's Butterfree's grand introduction into the spotlight? Do its non-HP stats at least increase? It must be suffering to be a vanilla regional bug, and this one-off gimmick will make players go "Bye Bye Butterfree."
Ryota Mitarai
Seeing how underrated Pokémon get Galarian formes, and now ones like Butterfree receiving Gigantamax formes, it's much easier to say that Game Freak might actually be intending to buff those "weak" Pokémon. If what I am saying is correct, then we perhaps are in for a very new competitive scene! This reminds me a lot of the Butterfly effect (when just a small change results later in some large differences), though instead of having a small butterfly, we have a monstrous one that can put foes to sleep, poison them, or paralyze them. Considering I have a fear of insects and bugs, I'd be terrified if I saw this. I don't have much to say beyond this, other than that the wings' color schemes give me the feeling of spring, something that would contrast the British setting of Galar.
Diophantine
Beedrill got its Mega, so of course Butterfree had to get something down the line. When I was a child, Butterfree was one of my favorite Pokémon due to its emotion-filled episodes in the anime and its usefulness in the early stages of the Kanto-based games, so I am very happy that it's getting some sort of attention. For competitiveness, the ability to spread poison, sleep, or paralysis to all enemies seems pretty cool, though not being able to control which one may be annoying. The new look is breathtaking. The coloring of the wings sets it apart from all other Bug-types and makes it look like a Ghibli film deity. This is by far my favorite Gigantamax so far in terms of design. Angelic.
Ivy
Hide yo lamps.
Codraroll
I mentioned in the Eevee section that Gigantamaxing and Dynamaxing are fundamentally similar mechanics, so to make them distinctive it is important for a Gigantamax forme to be different from its Dynamax forme—a scaled-up version of the Pokémon's base forme. While Eevee is an example of this being done badly, Alcremie gets it right. Gigantamax Alcremie is not simply a big Alcremie, it takes the concept to the next stage through drastic yet logical change. The humble little dash of cream doesn't just grow a hundredfold, it takes the form of a multi-tier cake. Alcremie has a few bits of topping on its base forme, while Gigantamax Alcremie is completely covered in all the different toppings Alcremie can have. It's a great way to incorporate all the variety of a multi-form Pokémon into one design.
Rabia
Man, I think Alcremie is super adorable, but they had to RUIN it with this abomination of a Gigantamax forme. Like, it's just an oversized wedding cake. I guess I can't say I expected a whole lot more given what they were working with, but they went from a really cute Pokémon to something very unfortunate. My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined. Thanks.
Repu
I'm not the biggest fan of Alcremie, but there is something I would like to say about the Gigantamax mechanic in general, and Alcremie surely will be a great example. The Gigantamax mechanic is not as refreshing as the Mega Evolutions introduced in Gen 6, but it still can be very remarkable if Game Freak goes crazy with it (at least design-wise). Bringing up a bit of pop culture, if any of you have watched Gurren Lagann directed by animator and illustrator Hiroyuki Imaishi, you probably are familiar with the concept of "if you think a giant robot can't get any bigger, then you're wrong." This logic could be applied to other Gigantamax formes. For example, why would Gigantamax Corviknight have to keep only two giant wings if it could have four or eight? Why couldn't Drednaw have an Iron Man-like laser beam on its chest? They would look much cooler. But this isn't something that needs to be too complex, and Alcremie shows that perfectly. A tiny drop of cream becoming a titanic cake. You could even write a recipe for it: crazy, but not that much; creative, but not too complex. I believe future Gigantamax formes could follow this direction, and Alcremie makes that look like a piece of cake.
Blitzamirin
At first glance, parallels with Swirlix were drawn, and regular Alcremie could be seen as boring; then the Gigantamax feature debuts and showcases Alcremie as this giant wedding cake. While Gigantamaxing has not had the best reception, I personally feel Alcremie has the biggest "wow" factor in its design, and coupled with the fact that we know Alcremie has at least 28 forms, it's really cool to see the motif that came into designing its Gigantamax: the combination of different cream varieties and toppings to form a multi-layered concoction ready to wreak havoc on the battlefield, not to mention a special nuke that does damage and heals your teammates. How cool is that? Unfortunately, I side with my co-panelist Repu in that this is about the only Gigantamax that truly goes giant with the concept, so I guess this is truly the Power of Alcremie.
Kalalokki
Corviknight, as I explained in my JAPE entry with its original reveal, is by far my favorite Pokémon of Gen 8 so far, so I was really glad to see it get a Gigantamax forme as well. While it has lost a bit of its menacing darkness, the tradeoff is very much worth it. Though I am incredibly biased towards black and red together, the new red glow complements Corviknight perfectly, making it look high-tech and like an ancient evil at the same time. Shedding off parts of its armor into miniature blade birds is incredibly cool as well, further cementing it as a boss bird with an army at its beck and call. While the previous two Gigantamax formes I talked about also have their own G-Max moves, their effects don't compare to Corviknight's: G-Max Wind Rage is essentially a powerful attack combined with the effects of Defog. Whatever tier Corviknight ends up in, this G-Max move will certainly be a great boon to its viability.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
Corviknight is arguably going to be in the top 10 most sought-after Pokémon when the games release in a few weeks. I can't deny or argue against the thinking of the masses who will flock to Corviknight. From a design point, Corviknight is something we've been looking for because it's a fresh and new-to-see bird style that doesn't seem common like Pidgey or Taillow. The purple metallic look just makes Corviknight look daunting to face in Gigantamax forme. There's no wrong way to look at Corviknight, unless it's being done through a lens of a negative thinking scope.
Blitzamirin
Corviknight is another Gen 8 Pokémon on this list that has been blessed with Gigantamaxing. Unlike any of its peers, not-Skarmory here has enjoyed a good dose of popularity as one of the first of the Galar crew with its elegant design, beautiful colors and cool lore. However, the taxi bird's Gigantamaxing is just another case of "it just gets bigger" and thus feels a bit more disappointing. Its only real feature is the bird drones around it, which seems like an underdeveloped mechanism, since they're just restricted to the model itself. What if Gigantamax Corviknight could use them for defensive purposes? How about a multi-hit move that incorporates them? To me, these little ifs and buts really put into perspective how Pokémon's giant mechanic falls so short.
Ryota Mitarai
I can imagine the Gigantamax forme of Corviknight to be present when the end of the world is happening. Imagine a deadly storm that is causing the whole event, a sky that is red, and this thing flying in the skies and filling everyone left with terror. Corviknight is one of my favorite Galarian Pokémon we've got so far, and I am glad it's received a Gigantamax forme. I think that Corviknight is well liked overall, so giving it a Gigantamax forme is a good approach. A creature that can inspire lots of terror and fear needs power equal to these.
Ivy
Corviknight alone was already a delight to see, and from the looks of it it'll be a standalone non-evolver; it definitely deserves a Gigantamax forme for itself. Really big fan of how the wing bits splinter off and apparently now can be controlled independently. The little proto-birbs look almost like small origami creations. Additionally, the menacing red glow along its newly bare feathers evokes the image of an alien mothership à la Independence Day. The Pokémon website specifies that not only will the new signature move "G-Max Wind Rage" act as a Defog, but it'll remove Terrain on the field as well. Poor Lycanroc, we hardly knew ye! Additionally, they claim that Corviknight gains additional armor on its belly to further shield it from grounded attacks. As though being part Flying isn't enough already—well, I suppose the same had been done with Rotom-S. Fortunately, Dynamax Pokémon can hold items, so we can slap an Air Balloon on it for good measure.
Kalalokki
Drednaw was never a design I thought highly of when it was revealed, reminding me of just about any turtle Pokémon that came before it. Now with the addition of a Gigantamax forme, I am a bit conflicted. On one hand, I really like its contracted head into its shell, posing as some menacing tank head that is just biding its time to strike. On the other hand, why on earth is it standing on its hind legs? Even if you consider that it uses its tail for support, it still looks very shaky to balance all that weight with a distribution like that. Not to mention the ridiculousness that is the forelegs just jutting out in front of it, practically useless. If they had just kept it on the ground with this armored tank aesthetic and retracted head ready to snap, with legs to truly support it, I would've appreciated it infinitely more. At least it has a killer G-Max move that sets up Stealth Rock while dealing damage: G-Max Stonesurge.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
As I wrote a few months back, Drednaw looks vicious in its normal forme. But I can't say that Gigantamax Drednaw gives me the same belief. Follow along with me just for a second here. In its base state, Drednaw looks like a vicious attacker. I said before that it looks to have the appeal of a Stegosaurus, and I still stand by that if we're talking about the normal forme of Drednaw. Now, Gigantamax Drednaw still looks intimidating, but more in the way you would think of a massive stall-worthy opponent. I understand that Gigantamax Pokémon still have more powerful move options at their disposal, but I just feel like Drednaw went from a vicious attacker to a giant barrier. Every Pokémon has their purpose, appeal, and great qualities, but I feel like Drednaw loses all of those things, for me at least, in its Gigantamax forme.
Repu
There isn't much to say about Gigantamax Drednaw itself, because I don't think its design is very creative. I mean, if we were looking for a bipedal turtle Pokémon, we already got Blastoise. So why not just bring it back just like they did with Charizard? It's just a zombie-like walking turtle if you ask me. But speaking of Charizard, if you put it and Drednaw side by side, it looks clear to me that these Gigantamax formes could be related to popular Japanese monsters called kaijū, or "giant monster" in English. In Gigantamax Drednaw's case, you could relate it to Gamera, a giant turtle monster, and maybe Gigantamax Charizard to Godzilla, a very well-known pop culture monster. It's nice to think Game Freak is trying to incorporate these references in the Pokémon franchise, and it gives some points to Drednaw if you convince yourself that you're raising a little version of Gamera on your team. But then again, if we were to speak about Drednaw itself, it doesn't look very shell shocking to me.
Codraroll
Gigantamax designs appear to be focused on making the creatures a whole lot bigger than their base formes. Interestingly, all the revealed Gigantamax designs seem to focus on making the Pokémon tall and towering, possibly for technical reasons. A very long Gigantamax design would butt into the grandstands of the stadiums in a very literal way. Drednaw appears to be a victim of the consequences of this design philosophy: it is a quadrupedal Pokémon in its base forme, but the Gigantamax design raises it up in a standing position it clearly was never meant to assume. It appears to be constantly on the verge of falling over. There's no way it would be able to walk without an awkward waddle. Its forelegs are useless as arms; they are too short to reach either its mouth, the ground, or the foe, and they can't grip anything. Gigantamax Drednaw also has its head retracted into its shell in such a way that it can't use its powerful jaws, and I can't even imagine a situation where it would be able to do anything at all with its massive horn. I agree with Kalalokki's observation that Drednaw is built like a tank, and its Gigantamax forme looks about as useful as a tank raised to rest on its rear. It can't see anything, it can't do anything, it can't move, and it's posed to fall over at the slightest provocation. It's just a very awkward design.
Pikachu315111
Now this is a big, chungus boi. I kind of feel sorry for Gigantamaxed Drednaw (GD), it's known as the "Bite Pokémon" but that big body has to make biting difficult. Also, though it has become bipedal, its front legs didn't change, so it can't use its new "hands" to grab, and punches are more like open-palm strikes. Of course, it's mentioned that GD's fighting strategy has changed from biting to slamming down onto its enemies, something that's probably more effective if the foe isn't also Dynamaxed. Though even then, it's the size and thickness of a mountain, so no matter what, its body slamming will make Snorlax's Pulverizing Pancake Z-Move look like a rough back massage. Though, curiously, all the Gigantamax Pokémon's weight are unknown, and we now know that the size increase is an energy projection, so does it look more devastating than it actually is?
GD's G-Max Move is G-Max Stonesurge, which sets up Stealth Rock. This makes GD more of an early-game swinger than a late-game pitcher unless you're suspecting your opponent will clear away Stealth Rock you laid out earlier and want to set it back up. This takes the place of the Water-type Max Move that would summon rain, so probably not the best Gigantamax Pokémon for a rain team; but for a sand team on the other hand...
Codraroll
Those are the first eight Gigantamax formes, and there will probably be a few others. The designs seem to take several different approaches to the concept of Gigantamaxing, from relatively simplistic up-scaling to complete visual overhauls. After reading all the entries, I definitely feel that all the chosen approaches have their merits. I hope you feel the same! That was all we have for now, but Judge-a-Pokémon Express will be back to talk about more new designs for Sword and Shield in the future!
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