Pokémon: The Crown Tundra review – part Two of Two

A Legendary Event?
A Legendary Event?

In part one of our Crown Tundra coverage, we went into great detail regarding the cover Legendary and Dynamax adventures. Find our 5 top tips for Dynamax Adventure here. The team at Game Freak have loaded the Crown Tundra with even more region exclusive Pokémon. 

Crown Tundra Bird Watching


The highlight of which is Galarian forms of the three Legendary Kantonian birds, Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos. The big difference is surprisingly not their appearances, let’s get into it. attracted to the glow of the giant Dyna Tree, the legendary trio regularly visit to eat its berries. They also love a good scrap, which is where players come in.

Having disturbed the legendary scuffle, Articuno fleas to the snowy mountains of the Crown Tundra, with Moltres flying to the Isle of Armor and Zapdos hopping over to the Galarian wild area. A little tip before leaving the Dynatree, shake it. That’s right, continuously attempting to shake the tree unlocks a secret Dynmax Battle with a great reward. We hope you like berries!

Articuno In the Crown Tundra


Articuno has traded its blue eagle with a quiff look in for a purple phantom appearance. Sporting a masquerade-style complexion, Articuno trades in its ice/flying typing for a more suitable psychic/flying status.
Players will want to fast travel to the Crown Tundra snow-covered areas to find Articuno trying to find a spot to rest. Once Articuno settles, it’s a good idea to save. Players will then see Articuno lift its wing and perform an illusion of three spinning legendaries. Pick the right one to initiate a battle.


Next up, we went for Zapdos. As soon as players enter the wild area, Players will notice Zapdos zipping around. Galarian Zapdos is a Fighting/Flying-type, which explains it’s massive legs. Players will need to make sure their bikes are fully upgraded for the easiest chance of catching Zapdos.

Zapdos In The Wilds

The easiest tactic is to simply cycle after Zapdos until it starts to slow down. Players will eventually run into the legendary for a chance at catching it. Whilst it’s always best practice to save before a legendary catch attempt, it can be a little tricky for Zapdos. We’d just like to announce that we caught Zapdos with a quick ball as well. Sorry, not sorry.


Moltres now takes up residency in the Isle of Armor, Pokémon Sword and Swords first part to its expansion pass. Players will arrive on the Isle to find Moltres circling the sea then moving inland.
The easiest way to start an encounter would be to wait under its glide path of the now Dark/Flying-type in order to initiate a battle.

Moltres Hanging By the Dojo

We found our best position was the path down the side of or at the front of the Dojo. Again, as Moltres approaches don’t forget to save. Moltres prooved the most stubborn to catch out of the three legendary birds, but plenty of ultra ball throws soon remedied its resistance.


Our time in the Crown Tundra has been one filled with genuine adventure. Yes, some of its tasks can feel a tad unnecessary and drawn out, but the feeling of catching a legendary never gets old. There’s plenty of content to keep players entertained for a solid 12 hours plus without considering Pokédex completion and breeding for competitive play. Let’s not forget the hunt for the Regi Legendaries and an all-new tournament in Galar once the Crown Tundra expansion is complete.


Pokémon Sword and Shield are hands down the most comprehensive and content-filled Pokémon experiences we’ve seen since Pokémon Heartgold and Soulsilver. Although it’s lacking a national dex, it makes up for it with its charm and extra content.

Christian Wait
With years of experience in tech and gaming journalism, Christian looks after content strategy and tech. Some call him "The Postman" because he delivers.
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