This week saw the launch of the Pokémon cloud storage service, Pokémon HOME and, with it, the continuation of the controversy that seems to surround anything regarding the franchise these days. Fans who played the 3DS games were taken aback by the services price tag. Though HOME does offer a free tier, its Premium Plan costs $15.99 a year, over three times its predecessor Pokémon Bank's annual fee of $4.99.
In the wake of an upcoming Expansion Pass, an increased price tag for Pokémon Sword and Shield thanks to the jump to the Nintendo Switch and the necessity of Nintendo Switch Online to access online play features, it's understandable why some might see HOME as just another chance for Nintendo and Game Freak to make a quick buck out of their hardcore fans. But is the Premium Plan really overpriced? And, if so, is it necessary to buy into it?
WHAT POKÉMON HOME IS
Much like My Pokémon Ranch and Pokémon Box Ruby and Sapphire for the Wii and GameCube respectively, HOME is essentially a storage application. The base games have always placed limits on how many Pokémon players can store in their in-game boxes, ones that are not always enough for those who breed for Shiny or competitively viable Pokémon, are very particular about how they organize their boxes or simply want to catch a lot of Pokémon.
Unlike previous releases that stored Pokémon on a physical disk or a memory card, Pokémon Bank and HOME are cloud-based storage applications. The newer services also provide a method of transferring Pokémon caught in past games to most recent ones. Past Pokémon main series games had taken advantage of the Nintendo DS's slot for Game Boy Advance games or required two systems in order to move up old 'Mons. Neither of these were perfect or permanent solutions, as the DSi and later consoles lacked the original DS's backwards compatibility and not everyone has access to more than one console.
Pokémon Bank solved this with Pokémon Transfer, a separate app that worked with Bank and allowed players to move Pokémon from the Generation V games to the 3DS. From there, those Pokémon could go to Gen VI and later Gen VII games. HOME is compatible with Bank, so any Pokémon there can be moved to the Switch and, from there, to Sword and Shield -- that is if they're part of the Galar Dex.
Additionally, Pokémon HOME has a variety of trading options for players. The randomized Wonder Trades found in main series game since Pokémon X and Y get an upgrade in the form of the Wonder Box. Instead of trading each one individually, players can now take place Pokémon in the Wonder Box and have them traded automatically whether they're using the app or not. Also new are Room Trades, where users can join up to 20 others in a randomized Pokémon trade. For those who prefer a more traditional experience, HOME also features Friend Trades and the return of the Global Trade Station.
Pokémon HOME also features the return of the National Pokédex itself. Of course, this doesn't mean that all 890 'Mons are compatible with Sword and Shield now, but it does mean players will be able to see all of the Pokémon they've caught so far and which ones they still need. HOME also features Challenges (perfect for those trying to catch 'em all) and Pokédex entries from every game since X and Y, the last Generation where every Pokémon up to that point had entries in the game.
Finally, Pokémon HOME has smaller features like Mystery Gifts (also in Sword and Shield, but likely included in case Game Freak decides to give away a Pokémon not found in those games), a News section for any announcements regarding giveaways or competitions and Pokémon HOME Points. It also promises more to come, like Battle Data and Pokémon GO support.
WHAT PREMIUM GETS YOU
Most, but not all, of Pokémon HOME's major features can be accessed at the free Basic tier. Users have access to all of the new and returning trading options at both levels, though Premium comes with some perks here. Instead of being limited to three Pokémon at a time in the Wonder Box, Premium users get 10 slots. Premium also increases the number of Pokémon a person can place in the GTS from one to three and allows players to set up a new Trade Room, though Basic users can participate in random ones.
Users on either tier are able to move Pokémon between HOME, Sword and Shield and Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee with the compatibility between them locked regardless of Premium status. However, Basic users can only store 30 Pokémon at any given time (the equivalent of one Box), while Premium users get a whopping 6,000 spots for Pokémon. Premium users also have access to the Judge feature. This lets trainers see a Pokémon's IVs, something important to the competitive scene. However, since there are no battles in HOME, this isn't a huge omission.
The biggest feature Pokémon HOME Basic lacks, and the only important one that's fully missing, is the ability to transfer Pokémon from Bank. This doesn't mean that HOME users without Premium cannot access Pokémon that aren't currently in the Switch games, as a person at the Basic tier could still, for example, trade a Sobble for a Mudkip using the GTS. But considering the fact that Wii and GameCube older storage systems were mostly avoidable and the role Bank played in transferring Pokémon is what truly made it essential, the feature's absence on the Basic tier may be a deciding factor for some players.
IS IT WORTH IT?
If you're someone who has Boxes full of Pokémon on your 3DS that you're anxious to bring on future adventures, then you're going to have to go with Premium. The Pokémon Company has made Pokémon Bank free until March 12, so early adopters won't also have to pay for the old service just to start the new one. Still, it's understandable why some instinctually balk annual at HOME's annual price next to Bank's. It's likely necessary to handle the increased server costs and volume from supporting a Switch version and a smartphone app as well as a plethora of new features, but a threefold increase is bound to ruffle some feathers, especially given the state of the fandom.
For those who don't want to pay $15.99 to transfer Pokémon, there may be a solution, albeit an imperfect one. Unlike Bank, which required one annual free, HOME provides a few different options. A one-month Premium plan is $2.99, so someone could pay for a month, move their Pokémon over and cancel the subscription. The flaw in this is that, once they go back to the Basic tier, they would be back down to just 30 Pokémon. Since not all Pokémon can move to Sword and Shield, the number of old Pokémon you can transfer in and hold onto in HOME at the Basic tier is nowhere near all of them, even when you account for the 200 or so that will be added with the DLC. Still, in certain circumstances, this could work.
Pokémon HOME still offers quite a bit at the Basic tier for those who don't want to go Premium. Completing even just the Galar Pokédex is hard, especially for anyone without a reliable friend with the opposite game to trade version exclusives with, so the GTS (even at the Basic tier) is incredibly useful.
On one hand, the bonuses Premium adds to HOME's free features aren't really vital. The extra box space is nice, but not everyone is going to need more than the game already includes, and few people will need 6,000. Having more Wonder Box spaces is nice, but randomized trades rarely yield surprising results. In this regard, Premium is likely to simply increase the number of Nickits and Caterpies a player can give and receive at any given time. This makes the price tag optional, if not unnecessary, especially for new players or those who skipped a few games. On the other hand, the ability to transfer Pokémon is so important to some people that it alone may justify going for Premium.