
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have finally revealed more of their plans for the future of Pokémon at the Pokémon 2018 Video Game Press Conference, and it looks very bright indeed. While we were all speculating about the announced Pokémon on Switch, Nintendo hoodwinked us and announced a whopping three titles for the hot new platform.
Pokémon Quest is already available on Switch, and will also come to mobile later in the year. We're also getting Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! later this year, while the elusive new core entry in the franchise is still under development, but will now launch in 2019.

In this guide, we're going to detail everything we know about Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee!, including how they'll play, how they tie into Pokémon GO, and when we'll get to play them on Switch.
What is Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee!?
Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! are two new Pokémon titles coming to Switch this year. They're set in the Kanto region, and feature only the first generation (151) of Pokémon. So, in a way, you could consider them a remake of Pokémon Red and Blue (or Yellow), though a remake that has a similar relationship that The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past does to A Link Between Worlds, or Metroid: Samus Returns does to Metroid II: Return of Samus. By that, we mean it strongly leans on the originals, but adds a bunch of new features and may even go its own way where story is concerned.
As you can tell from the trailer above, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! look and play remarkably similar to the most recent Nintendo 3DS instalments. The world is fully 3D, you view it from an isometric perspective, and you run around grass catching Pokémon. The visuals are a big step up though, using the extra power of the Nintendo Switch.
Is this the new core Pokémon RPG Nintendo teased at E3 last year?
Nope – that RPG is still in development and will launch in 2019. These are two brand new entries in the franchise aimed to help ease in new players to the franchise – particularly those who may have only played Pokémon GO.
Is it a remake of Pokémon Yellow?
It's more like a reimagining based on Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition. It's set in the Kanto region, and features just the first generation of Pokémon. It plays completely differently though, and has a different plot.
How does Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee play?
You play with a single Joy-Con, holding it like a Wii remote. You use the analogs and buttons to move your character around, select attacks for your Pokémon in combat, and interact with the world. Catching Pokémon acts similar to how it does in Pokémon GO though. You use motion controls to chuck a Pokéball at a Pokémon to (hopefully) catch it, and a targeting reticle tracks how good your aim is.
That does mean you don't battle Pokémon to catch them in this instalment though. You will gain XP each time you catch a Pokémon though, and you can battle

Aside from that, this is a Pokémon adventure as you know and love them. You'll catch Pokémon, battle other trainers, explore a world, and visit cities. Better yet though, you can play it with a friend in couch co-op using just a single pair of Joy-Cons, and it ties into Pokémon GO.
What's the difference between the two versions?
The version you select will determine your starting Pokémon out of either Pikachu or Eevee. As is traditional with Pokémon games, you'll also encounter different Pokémon in each game. That means you'll have to trade with others if you want to catch 'em all.
Can I still play in handheld mode?
Yep. You'll still use the gyroscope to aim the Pokéball, but you'll press a button to actually throw it. That way you don't have to shake your Switch about and accidentally drop it.
Alternatively, you can set your Switch up on its stand and play it exactly like you would on a TV.
You can play Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! with a friend in couch co-op?
That's right, and it only takes a pair of Joy-Con to get it set up. Another player has to simply wiggle the second Joy-Con while it's connected to the console to join in the fun. You can then both throw Pokéballs together to catch Pokémon – presumably increasing your chance to catch them – and battle as a team against other trainers in the world.

What's not clear right now is how (or even if) you can transfer your own character and Pokémon into another player's game. Hopefully Nintendo will provide more information on that soon.
What about online multiplayer?
You can connect with other players locally or over Wi-Fi and compete in non-ranked battles. Presumably, you can trade your Pokémon as well.
How does Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! tie into Pokémon GO?
Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! play as standalone adventures, but also tie into Pokémon GO. You can transfer Pokémon you've captured in Pokémon GO to the Let's Go games, but not vice versa, and you can send gifts to other players. These features work over Bluetooth.
As Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! only feature the first generation of Pokémon, you can only transfer any first generation Pokémon you've captured in Pokémon GO.
You can transfer shiny Pokémon, but not event Pokémon. You know, the ones that wear the cute hats.

What's with this Pokéball Plus peripheral?
The Pokéball Plus peripheral basically serves in place of a single Joy-Con. There's a joystick you can use to control your character, and a button on top you can press to perform actions. It even has the motion controls of the Joy-Con, allowing you to pretend to throw it like a real Pokéball.
Our favourite feature has to be the LEDs just behind the joystick that mimic the on-screen Pokéball, lighting up whenever you catch a Pokémon. It also vibrates and includes a speaker that can play cute sounds.
Curiously, you can even bring it with you when you leave the house to take your Pokémon for a walk. Shake it at any point while out and about and your Pokémon will talk to you. We're not sure if there will be any gaming benefits to this, but it's a nice – if a little weird – feature nonetheless.
It also serves as a Pokémon GO Plus too, so if the watch isn't to your fancy you now have another option.
It looks like Pikachu and Eevee serve as in-game pets?
Well, you can pet your Pikachu or Eevee (depending on the edition you purchase) by waggling the Joy-Con, and dress them up in a variety of cute outfits. So yes, they do appear to serve as in-game pets.

We do know that Pikachu or Eevee will follow you around for the entire adventure as well, though you can pop them in your box (which is now a bag) if you get sick of them. You can't evolve them either, but you can evolve other Pikachus or Eevees you collect while playing.
And you can ride Pokémon?
That's true, though not all Pokémon. We'll try and report back when Nintendo releases a list of rideable Pokémon, and what you have to do to ride them.
When will Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! release?
Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! will launch globally on Nintendo Switch this November 16th, 2018.
What do you think of Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee!? Have they fulfilled your hopes and dreams? Are you disgusted by the casual nature? Chuck us a comment to let us know!
Comments 114
Looks like it could be fun for a broader, more casual audience, but I’m waiting for the core games next year.
EDIT: I revised my wording so it wouldn’t be perceived as condescending.
Blimey!
Looks good. With this and a core game coming next year, Nintendo and Gamefreak are really doing it the right way.
Spot on!
Can you ride the Pokémon in real life?
Being able to transfer pokemon to and from pokebank would be pretty boss.
This game looks very exciting and interesting, though I'm still looking forward to the "core pokemon" more.
I’m most curious about the interrelation between Level and CP. Like if I trade a 3500 CP Dragonite from Go to Lets Go, does that equal a certain level?
Feels as though I shouldn't need to ask this but can you use a Pro Controller?
Cannot wait for this. Love Pokémon Go, love the mainline Pokémon games. If this is the stopgap on the road to the massive new next gen Pokémon game coming next year, that's fine by me.
@thesilverbrick exactly. This announcement elicited excitement from my 7 & 6 year old kids. I’ll buy for them but wait in the core 2019 option for myself. I do think we’ll have some fun playing co-op together. Cool little wrinkle. They are both especially excited about the Pokeball peripheral and the motion controls (kids these days 😒).
@ZiggyZane I think you'll always need the gyroscope to aim your throw, but I know you can press a button to actually throw instead of flicking. Hope that helps!
@AcridSkull You can, yes! Should have the same functionality as a single Joy-Con, though you won't need all of the same buttons.
Really not looking forward to all the smug comments saying that this doesn't interest them due to being made with the "filthy casuals" in mind and informing us of their decision to skip it in favour of the "core" one in 2019. It's gotten old already and reeks of entitlement
I'm certain this will be the gateway title to get new players to the core game next year, however knowing Nintendo there will be an underlying benefit to getting it for seasoned players.
This will definitely hold me over until the core game in 2019. A revamped Kanto has been long needed.
so i can't evolve my eevee into a Umbreon?
hopefully they allow you to use your Switch avatar in the Pokemon Go game. I like this style better.
@gortsi How does it “reek of entitlement”? Anyone who has followed series over the years can clearly see this is not intended for Pokémon‘s core audience. Even The Pokémon Company knows this to be the case, and played damage control by announcing that a proper RPG is in the works. Showing enthusiasm for a traditional core RPG coming out next year while opining that the Let’s Go games aren’t intended for me is in no way any form of entitlement.
I haven't played Pokemon since...I believe heartgold on the ds. Despite me not liking the Pokemon go styled catching mechanic I'm pretty interested in this. I don't understand why a lot of people are saying it's only for kids or casual players. I've seen that swamping the internet.
Nostalgia factor also weighs in big for me since it's the original 151 Pokemon. I grew up with that as a kid. All the newer Pokemon games don't interest me at all cause there's like what almost 1k different Pokemon now? I'm a big do and collect everything in my rpgs and that's just too much for me.
So yeah I'm probably one of the very few people who are going to buy this as an adult and play it by myself without buying the next main Pokemon game.
@thesilverbrick Well your first comment said it would be fun for a "simpler audience" I don't consider myself simple and I'm looking forward to it haha. I play some of the hardest and grittiest games out there but also equally enjoy less hardcore games.
Implying that it could only be fun for a casual or simple minded audience is a little bit insulting.
Loving all the salty comments about these games. People are acting as if the Pokemon Company betrayed them! What I don't get is that some want Gen 8 this year. Gen 7 literally came out two years ago and the Ultra games last year. Have some patience.
@Joker13z well in @thesilverbrick defense, Game Freak did say it was intended to be a simpler way to play and “intended to get more Switches into the hands of younger kids and more casual players, not just players really interested in hardcore games”. So their intention of getting it to a “simpler audience” & making it with them in mind was directly stated by Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda.
@Appleflap Yes....biblically
I've fallen off the pokemon train so this actually looks like a nice way to get me back. I'm a "Genwunner" (seriously who coined this and who is that annoyed with folks that played when the series started to even make this a term?) so heading to kanto again will be a nice familiar pace for me. Since you can battle and explore this looks pretty cool
@Joker13z Perhaps that was poor wording on my part, but I in no way meant “simple-minded” people. I meant that this game will appeal to a broader, more casual audience of people who are interested in a more casual, simplified version of the Pokémon games, which these games obviously are.
@Joker13z I'm there with you. Just having the 151 is a big draw for me.
@thesilverbrick Ah mmk. Thanks for the explanation then.
@HobbitGamer I'm a huge sucker for childhood nostalgia man haha. Gets me every time.
@Joker13z I hear ya and can agree. Think people just need to treat this as the spin-off it is. It will be fun and another interesting was to enjoy Pokémon as we wait for the “core” 2019 game. I wasn’t mad about Pokken or Detrctivr Pikachu, so I won’t be mad about this.
@gortsi Well, to be fair, this IS the internet.
I'm interested in this, for mostly the same reasons as @Joker13z. Original 151, something lighthearted and fun. More like the old games. I can't wrap my head around the 800+ in my Ultra Moon. I gave up.
@Supadav03 At this point in my life, a Pokemon Snap redux would be a nice fit some days.
@thesilverbrick my wife has followed the series and bought every Pokémon game since Red and Blue (both versions in most cases too) and she's beyond excited for this. The damage control was exactly because they knew some people would moan (because they refuse to even understand how successful Pokémon Go has been) so they preemptively reminded people that there's another game coming next year. This is not a spin-off, it's created by Game Freak and uses the moniker of Poke Monsters in Japan (where spinoffs are called Pokémon).
@Supadav03 Yep. No doubt both can exist. Hell, they're doing something right cause I haven't bought a Pokemon game in almost a decade now and I'm most likely getting this haha. Game Freak is gonna just be raking in the cash with this game and the next main Pokemon game on switch it's crazy.
@gortsi You’re missing my point. I’m simply pointing out that clearly this is intended for a different audience than the core RPGs are. They wouldn’t be making a proper generation eight next year if this was intended to be for everyone. I understand the logic behind a game like this. It makes tremendous business sense to try to lure players of such a popular smartphone app into buying a more traditional RPG on a console, but anybody who has played the main series games with any consistency over the years can clearly see that this is a step backwards in terms of depth and complexity. And sure, they won’t use the term “spinoff” and are billing it as a “main series” game, but this is clearly not the logical progression from the Pokémon games we have seen up to now. It’s a completely new and different thing, intended as a companion for Pokémon GO rather than the next step after Ultra Sun and Moon. To deny that it’s a little silly, don’t you think?
@HobbitGamer for sure. Was thinking about that last night. Let’s Go! is a spin-off, would people have reacted the same way if this was another Pokémon Snap spin-off instead? They both are just different ways to experience Pokémon outside the mainline series. I pre-ordered both versions for my kids and look forward to getting a little co-op action.
Very much looking forward to this. Wonder if we will have the gymleaders design from Gen 1 or Gen 2. Or what Team Rocket is up to.
If I can change clothes and haircolor I would like to try pretend to be Yellow from Pokémon Adventures.
@gortsi Yup & the very first comment at the top is this exact quote! People are so predictable!!
@thesilverbrick I'm not denying that and obviously there would inevitably be an 8th generation sooner or later. Maybe this will suck, maybe not. All we have is a trailer, half of which was a CGI Pikachu running around so I'm reserving judgement about the actual game until I see proper footage and/or media previews. Who knows,it might be deeper than you think
@gortsi 2018, the year where an opposite opinion from yours is synonym of entitlement. What a time to be alive.
@Big_Ounce But Gen 7 stunk and got stale in less than a year. Competitive Pokémon players are worried about this and even some got bored of it.
@Ryu_Niiyama Shut up! You are not allowed to enjoy this!
@Devlind I hate how that's become such a buzzword because someone has a differing opinion.
I'm gonna get this because it's Pokemon and I'd rather play that on my Switch then on my phone. I just hope using Pokemon GO isn't mandatory. It's supposed to be a 'reimagining' of Pokemon Yellow so there should be a plot, gym battles and side quest. The lack of random pokemon encounters is a let down though.
@JWesCampbell As sweet as that would be, I highly doubt it because this appears to be just Gen. 1 Pokémon.
However, if they add in/dripfeed new Pokémon like they did with Go, I can see Bank being compatible. Or at least being compatible to transfer your 'mons from this game to the next core one.
@Devlind it's not the different opinion that I call entitlement, it's the mentality that thinks "game x doesn't look like it was made with my preferences in mind therefore it's gonna suck/whoever will be enjoying it is a simpleton who can't hold a candle to us hardcore gamers."
Man, in my excitement, I wrote up a guide too. (I already posted a link elsewhere on this site, I believe you can find it in my comments.)
I have to say though, @FoxyGlen, this one included information I totally missed! This was one of your better guides by far. Good job! 😃
(Honestly, though, when writing up mine, I tried to take some inspiration from your previous ones. Thanks a bunch for your helpful guides!)
@thesilverbrick You should stop while you're ahead... oh wait... too late....
Dude. Stop complaining. Im not a fan of 'spinoffs' either but how can you consider this a spinoff? Pokemon Go is a spinoff. This is not. This game is made by Gamefreak, not Niantic. Dude was right. You DO reek of entitlement.
@gortsi You just described an opinion, which is subjetive and holds no truth to anyone's perception others than his/hers. I would not bother with that if I were you, but that's just my opinion.
@Lemonyoshi This is a spin-off. Even Masuda-san said that. Everything that isn't part of the main line of games is a spin-off. That's what spin-off means.
I’m hoping the co-op feature might be a sign that they will include that feature in the future core game also! That would be ace.
I’m still not quite clear why this doesn’t count as a “core” Pokémon game? Aside from the motion controls it sounds like it plays pretty similarly. I’m just wondering if there’s stuff about it they’ve not announced that would make it more clearly a cut back experience.
@Devlind you literally just described why this is not a spin off. In that case, crystal, fire red, leaf green, emerald, platinum, etc any remakes are spin offs? This is a remake of blue, red and yellow... whether it has spin off like characteristics is not for you to determine. What you're saying literally contradicts..... what you're saying. Lol.
@BulkSlash it does count, Game Freak never developed any of the spin-offs and it says it's based on the classic series right in the beginning of the website: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-lets-go-pikachu-and-pokemon-lets-go-eevee/
But some folks know better than the Pokemon Company so here we are
This comment section is why superman drinks.
I wish it would not have a mandatory motion control aim. Also it would be nice to battle the wild pokemon you intend to catch, like usual.
@Lemonyoshi So Masuda, one of the people working with the game, contradicted himself too? Figures.
This isn't a remake, this is a reimagination based on Pokémon Yellow (based on the comments from the Q&A). It has different mechanics that set it appart from the main line of core RPG games that you mentioned, so it is, in other words, a spin-off. Spin-off is generally used with a bad connotation so I see why people that liked this game don't want to think of this as a spin-off. I'm excited about it too, but I can't live in denial and say it isn't.
@molliolli182 It will be awkward on portable mode, so I see why they said this is mainly a tv experience.
It's Core game like other Remakes/Sequels was, just not new Generation, that's all. Next year is for new Generation. So that nope feels misleading.
@Lemonyoshi Aren’t you being a little nasty? I’m having a civil conversation with others. I have no interest in conversing with someone so bombastic and impolite.
@gortsi We shall see. And for the record, I don’t think it’ll suck. It’ll just be a simpler version of the main series games. I’m totally fine with that as long as it doesn’t replace the main series games as we know them. Which it clearly isn’t going to. No harm done.
@thesilverbrick don't you love it that here we are debating this while in November Nintendo will be laughing all the way to the bank anyway?
@gortsi Haha, exactly. The one thing that’s absolutely certain is that Nintendo and TPC are going to make truckloads of money, which just means more capital for projects in the future. Everyone wins.
@thesilverbrick I also thought of something else, if you don't count Pokken (which kinda counts but it's only got what, 20 Pokemon and was mainly a Bandai Namco game), this is the first opportunity for Game Freak to develop a proper HD Pokemon game and use this as an opportunity to get feedback for the 2019 title (not necessarily gameplay feedback but other stuff like graphics, models, etc). That's another win I think.
@SViper If this was a Core RPG game like the others they wouldn't have made so much emphasis on the fact that the real deal is coming next year, but that's just my opinion.
@gortsi I hope they get the feedback from Gen VII and don't make another cutscene festival.
Ok, so...I am oddly interested in this. I've been a Nintendo fan for my entire life, but never got into Pokemon, aside from the original show when I was a kid, and, strangely enough, Pokemon Snap. I have never played a main series entry, but I AM very familiar--And in a way, attached to--Gen 1. So I find this seems appealing to me.
My one question is, it sounds like pretty much everything is the same as a main series game, aside from the fact the you don't battle wild Pokemon. How big of a difference will that make, compared to the main series? Because from my outsider perspective, it seems like that would significantly speed up the gameplay (In some ways, a plus for me--excessive RPG battles have begun to grind on me in my old age, lol.) Also, if you can't battle wild Pokemon, do your Pokemon still level up And so on? Otherwise it sounds like it would be crazy shallow.
@gortsi That’s a good point. I imagine generation eight is going to look more like an HD evolution of Sun and Moon, with larger, more realistically proportioned human character models. I also wouldn’t mind seeing more texture details on the Pokémon themselves, similar to Pokken, like you mentioned. The Let’s Go games are clearly trying to go for the same aesthetic as GO, and I think it succeeds as a companion to GO. Funny thing is, I will probably end up buying one of them, because if I know Nintendo and TPC, they are going to add some sort of connectivity incentive for playing Let’s Go when generation eight finally releases.
@thesilverbrick nasty? I didn't mean for it to come across as offensive. My apologies. I am a well composed person. But I do think it's offensive to say something like only the simplistuc will enjoy this game. I play much more hardcore games than any game pokemon has ever had an installment for. But why hate on a new idea. Nintendo is the best at creating new ways to play. You still doubting them... makes me doubt your experience as a Nintendo gamer. That said, again not trying to be rude, just stating my opinion, just as you did.
@Lemonyoshi No worries. And for the record, I never called the target audience for Let’s Go “simplistic.” And if you go back and read all my posts in this thread, I’m not exactly trashing on these games. In fact, I see a lot of potential in them and I imagine they will be fun for their intended demographic. But as someone who has sunk hundreds of hours into all generations of Pokémon on GameBoy, GBA, DS and 3DS, I’m not exactly excited for these new titles, seeing as many of the features I have come to know and love in the main series are gone. They have stripped away most of the depth so they can make something that is simple that will appeal to the large, mostly casual audience of people who plays GO. It’s a genius marketing move, but the end product is a step back from say, Ultra Sun and Moon in terms of mechanics and complexity. The devoted, competitive core audience that has played Pokémon up to now isn’t the target demographic for this game. That’s why they’re making a more core RPG next year. If Let’s Go was meant to be the main series from here on out or to replace it, they wouldn’t be making a more complex game next year.
This to me is classic Nintendo! Good show! A coop Pokemon game I can play with my brother? Sounds awesome!
@Devlind they said another main core series at 2019 second half like XY/SunMoon was, meaning it's 8th Generation Main Core series. Let's Go games is 7th Generation Main Core series and it's said everywhere, so.
@SViper They also said this was a spin-off because they wanted to make a game that connected with Pokémon Go.
@thesilverbrick That's fair. I agree entirely. I'm hoping for a great core rpg next year, which hopefully won't be ruined by trash gen 8 pokemon. Maybe they're just out of ideas, but in my opinion, in the last few gens, the part that has been lacking is the pokemon themselves. I enjoyed the game mechanics and the new 'polish' if you will. But the pokemon themselves are.. disappointing.. to say the least. I'm hoping for quality pokemon. Otherwise, I think Id rather just have a gen 4 remake next year on switch.
@Devlind https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_games#Core_series
I hope your mind will comprehend it now.
@Orin41 I would like your comment twice if I could. Thank you for that.
@MH4 Wow, thank you so much for the kind words! They honestly mean a lot. Happy to be here and to help where I can.
@SViper Oh jeez, I guess Bulbapedia knows more now than Masuda himself. My mind is crumbling to pieces and my reality has changed completely.
I'm personally looking forward to this game. I can't help but feel though that the appeal has been too far skewed in a sort of Seinfeld "muffin top" situation.
Nintendo: "You know what everyone really likes doing? Catching Pokemon! Why don't we just have them throw Pokeballs and forget the rest? We won't even have them fight back; they'll just sit there and blankly stare at you! No consequences yay!"
It made sense for Go but it worries me that they think that's all that's necessary in the catching process. It may become boring quickly if it has no depth.
Battling seems like it'll still be a safe bet though, so as long as the leveling system is still deep enough, fun and rewarding I'm sure it'll still be a great game. I just hope they fill it with content that feels like $60 in the end.
@Devlind I watched conference my self, so you the one changing he's words. "If you don't like it that not means that it not exist", so it's your choice accecpt or deny it's existence.
Actually the more I look at this the more hyped I'm getting. Taking off the nostalgia glasses I remember that I found the non trainer and gym battles tedious. I hated searching for wild pokemon, hoping to get the one in a certain area that was missing from my dex. Which is why I loved stadium 1 and 2 so much as a kid. The fact that they got rid of this aspect and you can see the pokemon you encounter is a major plus. Yeah I'm way more excited for this than the next generational entry. If these two games play well here is hoping that Gamefreak runs a two line series.
@Devlind https://twitter.com/JoeMerrick/status/1001705584083853312?s=20
I have no idea where you’re getting that the conference said these aren’t a spin-off. Even Joe Merrick heard them call these mainline entries. And he refuses to acknowledge rumors and goes on hard facts. Not that you’re gonna listen to all of us who heard them say mainline. But like it or not, these ARE mainline games and not spin offs and TPC even says so.
I can't wait to dress my Eevee in camo! I wish it would allow Eevee to sneak up on the other Pokemon and give the player a better chance at catching them.
@thesilverbrick,
The Pokémon company has to assure people a more core experience is on the way because of the silly knee jerk reactions this new direction will cause.
The internet forums are always going to be a minority,but will of course be far more vocal in their opinions,it's a shame really as nobody ever thought the Pokémon company would only bring out one type of gaming experience.
This new game will be far more accessible than a mainline Pokémon game and will push Switch sales this year.
Could not care less about Pokemon games myself, but if they move systems and help make for a more attractive install base to lure in 3rd party support, I'm all for 'em. Pokemon, especially the mainline title next year, is good for all Switch owners, whether you want to play them yourself or not.
LBW was a sequel to Lttp and Samus Returns was a remake of Metroid II.
@SViper I don't remember saying I don't like it or even denying its existence. And again, why would they mark a clear line saying "Next year we're gonna launch a core, RPG Pokémon game along the likes of XY/Sun&Moon" if this wasn't a spin-off? The Metroid Prime series is part of the Metroid saga, but still it is considered spin-off. It is the same with this.
@ShadJV It seems there's a problem of communication at TPC. My point is, why would they go as far to say that the core RPG experience in the likes of XY/Sun&Moon will arrive in 2019 if this was just that? It is a spin-off no matter where you look (not that is bad, I don't know why you get triggered about this). They may share the world and be based in an actual mainline game, but it's a spin-off at the end of the day with the purpose to be more accessible (which wasn't a problem to begin with. Pokémon is one of the biggest franchises in history. They would not have reached that position if they weren't accessible enough). It could be a great game (or at least better than S/M-USUM). A spin-off, yes, but we've great spin-offs before, like Metroid Prime.
Let’s go Pikachu is avail for pre order on Amazon US. Only Eevee was avail earlier today.
Pokemon Go, but without all the people getting hurt outside!
@Devlind I’m not “triggered”, I’m simply correcting you who is adamant arguing against everyone here. “Trainers can look forward to even more with an all-new core series Pokémon RPG title in development for the second half of 2019!“ Nowhere does that say the first core Pokémon RPG title will arrive in 2019, it says that an ALL NEW one is coming - this is a remake, it is hardly all new. Not once in the conference did they call this a spin off, in fact they said the opposite. You’re reading into things and making assumptions. And I mean, I couldn’t care less if you think this looks good or not, I’m on the fence over it myself, but I was also on the fence with USUM.
The only big change here either way is the wild Pokémon mechanics. The battling remains intact, Kanto remains intact, it’s rather strange to compare this to Metroid Prime (which was a completely different genre than Metroid Prime), it’s closer to comparing it to Metroid Zero Mission, a remake of one of the original titles with some changes that made it slightly different from the other titles (stealth section with the zero suit functions of not being able to kill things, just stun them). Which is not really enough to make it a spinoff, it’s still labeled as a remake (and in fact is canon), and the same is in this case. And considering Nintendo themselves public called them mainline entries here, I really don’t understand why we’re even having this discussion, they don’t call it a spinoff and there’s not enough changes to call it a spinoff (once again, they only big changes are how you capture Pokémon, it’s not like it’s adopting Go’s battle system).
So what I'm getting is... you DO NOT battle random Pokemon in the tall grass/etc. to capture them, you just kind of point and throw like in Go.
BUT
You still battle other trainers and have gym matches as per normal (normal for the handheld games).
Yes?
@gortsi I wasn't really looking forward to the typical, ironically self-righteous, snarky comments in which others are chastised by propping up and shooting down a stereotypical dissenting opinion, while using (tired) buzzwords such as "entitled" without having any interest in where different people are coming from, but... Here we are.
@PlywoodStick you're kind of late to the party and probably didn't follow the discussion we had where people talked about where they were coming from. I also clearly explained what I meant by entitlement but I guess people don't read much on the internet these days. Do take a look at the articles with the original announcements to see what I was referring to, context is king.
@gortsi I did look through the above comments, seemed like thesilverbrick and lemonyoshi worked out their differences nicely, while you're still indifferent.
"game x doesn't look like it was made with my preferences in mind therefore it's gonna suck/whoever will be enjoying it is a simpleton who can't hold a candle to us hardcore gamers."
I'm assuming (bad idea, I know) that was in response to posts like this one (with 32 likes) by thesilverbrick on the announcement thread, correct me if I'm wrong:
"Looks like absolute trash. Keep Pokémon GO out of my RPGs."
And then the immediate comment below that one exclaiming "HOW IS THIS REAL" due to mistakenly thinking they were the rumored main series entries. Then so on and so forth.
So in a way, I can see how you came up with those responses, but there is a key difference here: they're clearly criticizing just the products, and not other people, while you assumed that they were criticizing other people and their choices by what they said. (Which they didn't.) Meanwhile, instead of your first response being something along the lines of explaining how they may be wrong, and how the product could be good (which thesilverbrick actually explained themselves above after thinking about it, despite their first response on the announcement thread being that Pokemon Go-ification is trashy), your first response hones in on targeting people instead of ideas.
I can't help but have the feeling that eventually, inevitably, you and certain others who have a habit of doing so will predictably reply in a future comment thread with similar types of posts as the first ones you made here. It would be lovely to be proven wrong on that. I've seen all too many such posts on Nintendo Life over the years, and I actually find those types of comments to be significantly more grating than the stereotypical position you're throwing darts at.
So yeah, please attack ideas, not people.
@ShadJV I clearly triggered you there. Triggered comes from trigger, which, as a verb, is a cause, wheter an event or situation, to happen or exist. My comment about this games being spin-offs triggererd you to answer it. It isn't always used with a bad connotation buddy (As I side note, I'm not arguing against anyone, just expressing my opinions. Take it as you may want or care).
I'm using spin-off as a way to express that some game mechanics have being changed from what we have been used to. Just like Pokemon Colosseum and Gale of Darkness, both have stuff that comes from the original games, but they are still considered spin-offs because they deviate from the core experience, much like this seems to do (not saying they are completely the same for that matter).
I mentioned Metroid Prime as an example of a fine spin-off from the Metroid saga. Zero Mission isn't an spin-off since it follows the same original mechanics while adding up more, like that stealth section that you mentioned.
And well, Nintendo says the Switch is a home console that you can play anywhere while others say that's a portable that you can play connect to a TV. At this point it is irrelevant what they say, but what they do is what matters.
And now, about capturing Pokémon, that's a big change. For 20 years it has always been the same and is one of the big 3 gameplay mechanics that made Pokémon great (catching, battling & trading). It's such a big deal that some are really worried about what else are they going to change. For example, since there's no way to battle and earn experience with wild Pokémon besides catching them, that means the trainers are extremely easy so there's no need to grind. Besides, that means there's no way to check certain internal values of wild Pokémon until you catch them, and then this means there's no reliable way to EV train your Pokémon anymore (unless you want play those annoying minigames). If you start to link stuff that is going to definitely change after this, you'll start to get the bigger picture that this is, in fact, very different from other mainline games, which I would simply qualify as an spin-off.
@Devlind I know what the slang “triggered” means. Yet you keep continuing to reply too (and your replies have gotten quite lengthy) so by your definition you’re “triggered” as well. This is probably my last response because the replies are getting too long to be worth reading and writing, and arguing with when this conversation clearly isn’t going anywhere. You argued Nintendo called it a spinoff and when I gave evidence of otherwise, you instead argued that they don’t get to decide that. That was my initial response and now it’s getting down to semantics, as there is not a fine line for the definition of “spin off” and at which point it is one. Catching mechanics have been changed over the years (such as different algorithms and critical captures) and we have no idea if they’re gonna keep this change in capturing or use more elements of it in the future. Many features such as abilities, changing how special and physical works, breeding, and mega evolution changes the game arguably more than this - they affected the meta even more, and some hated mega evolution but didn’t try to argue X and Y weren’t mainline entries. Furthermore, who knows how EV training will change, TPC has been trying to make it all accessible to newbies more and more, for all we know they’re completely changing that and it will stick. There’s simply too little info on whether someone, as a fan, can decide this is a spinoff especially considering we know nothing about the gen 8 games, which could easily use plenty of these new changes. We’ve had a short conference and one trailer. You’re basing a lot of conjecture on that. Until we know a lot more (about this and maybe even gen 8), there’s no reason to call it a spinoff when TPC said otherwise. It’s not like they called the GameCube game’s mainline entries ever.
Painting a giant "maybe" on this one.
@Devlind @ShadJV From what I've gathered, it appears that the confusion over whether Let's Go is mainline or not stems from the (not necessarily 1 to 1 translation) localization at around 28:40 during the press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_qtyOa5Dg&feature=youtu.be
However, according to those who actually understood and could directly translate what Masuda said, in the context of how Pocket Monsters is understood in Japan, he actually meant that the co-op feature was "a first for the Pocket Monsters series."
Co-op has existed in spin-offs such as the Mystery Dungeon series. The English translators localized what Masuda said as "mainline" because in Japan, they consider the type of gameplay Let's Go has to fit into the mainline style, making it canon from the Japanese perspective, even if it's not technically a true mainline generation entry. So what Masuda really meant was more along the lines of "Pocket Monsters adventuring series." From an English perspective, this could be misinterpreted pretty easily, so it was translated in a way to attempt to avoid ambiguity. Ultimately, it's still a spin-off from a Western perspective. So take your pick which perspective to stand by.
Joe Merrick took the English localization of the conference at face value without understanding the original Japanese language intent. He's the webmaster of Serebii, so a lot of people take his word for it, but since he apparently can't understand Japanese, people really shouldn't take his word for it in this case.
I never was a big Pokemon game fan. I just could not get past the first 10 or 15 minutes of any of them. The only recent thing that has tempted me was "Detective Pikachu" - I played the demo and enjoyed it. I sure understand why others are so addicted to the series, though.
@thesilverbrick
My mistake. Seems you were correct about wild battles. That takes away a large part of where my time goes in these games. Sorry sir or ma'am.
@Philo Hey, glad to see you're giving the series a try! To be honest, while none of us know for sure (because we obviously haven't played the games yet), I can imagine the impact (I've played the games from Gen 1 to Gen 5). I think you guessed it right — it will speed up gameplay since you don't have to deal with wild Pokemon encounters involving Pokemon you've already caught. Catching Pokemon may be a bit less work and therefore may be less rewarding, but it's not as bad as people say it would be — once you catch a Pokemon you probably won't catch another one of its species again, so you'll actually not be catching too often since this only has the original 151.
As for leveling up, I'd imagine that's handled largely through battles, although I think I read somewhere that catching Pokemon would result in experience points for your Pokemon. So if that's the case, catching Pokemon could level up your Pokemon too.
Like it or not these games will print money,and will push Nintendo Switch sales through the roof.
@shadow-wolf
Thanks so much for the detailed response! So, it sounds about like I was thinking, then. I'm actually pretty happy about that--I get why others may want the depth of wild battles, but I've spent the last 20 years or so slogging through every RPG on the face of the earth, and while that's fun for a while (especially when you have more time,) I've pretty much had my fill of grinding and gaining experience. I love the designs of the first gen Pokemon, and I'm glad I can finally catch all of them without having to do so much work. The trainer and gym battles will work fine for me. I find I am strangely excited for this now, lol. Can't wait to get (back) into Pokemon!
Y'know...I'm also wondering if, perhaps after catching a Pokemon the first time so easily, anytime you try to capture another if the same type, it might actually try harder to avoid getting hit by the Pokeball? If capturing does give experience, then it would make sense that it would get harder the more times you try. I find it hard to believe they ALL just stand there. It's not a deal-breaker if so, but it would seem like a missed opportunity.
@Devlind I give up on you and your hatred streak. Wanted add something else to finally able reach your brains, but decided to wait till games release where neither you or NintendoLife will be able ignore true. So for now I gave up on you.
PS there is chance that you doing these on propose, but whatever.
PS 2: XY/SunMoon was mentioned to say that they keeping they new schedule for new Generation/Region every 3 years (5th Gen 2010 - 6th Gen 2013 - 7th Gen 2016). So for this time the reason why they working on 2 main line titles is to keep up with that schedule and to not disappointed nintendo request for make main title for 2018.
@Joker13z I agree with you 100%
@PlywoodStick you correctly assumed that these were some of the posts I was responding to, alongside many others who were talking about a game made for casuals and other related condescending remarks. My response did explicitly not tag anyone who expressed such views because I didn't want to personalize it. However, I find this knee jerk reaction based on a 3 minute trailer of which half was CGI to be completely unhelpful to any discussion. We haven't seen proper gameplay or read any previews yet so like I said I am reserving judgement until then. You can think that I was attacking people. The way I see it the only thing I was attacking was this kind of reaction nothing else
@thesilverbrick just out of curiosity, what type of “hardcore” features would you like to see in “Pokémon RPG” next year? I ask because I have always thought the game was a bit simple although I haven’t played a serious Pokémon game since Yellow so I’m not familiar with most of the new features in the later versions.
@gortsi Thank you for clarifying that, I feel better about where you're coming from now. Language is a funny thing, one's meaning can be completely different from someone else's, even when something similar is said. I think I may have misinterpreted what you meant, and I apologize for that.
@PlywoodStick no worries I've exchanged views with some of the users before and I personally didn't feel as if we were arguing,just seeing it from a different perspective. Good thing is that even the people exasperating about it did not troll but have genuine concerns, which I hope will be alleviated when we receive further information. Apologies if I appeared overly aggressive
@SViper Give up on me? Man, you're taking this way more seriously than you should, but what you say is true. We'll have to wait more until we get more info.
About those PS, I believe they mentioned it in a way more like when Iwata announced they were working on the NX during the announcement of the deal with DeNA to make mobile games. In other words, to ease people like me that were worried about the direction they took.
@ShadJV Never said I wasn't triggered to answer, just pointed out that some were triggered to do so when I said they were spin-offs. There's no arguing there.
I agree that this is getting long, so I'll have this words short. Yes, the catching mechanic has changed but the core idea has been kept intact. What they did now isn't adding or evolving the feature, they just stripped part of it for the sake of an user base that just follows trends, which could affect other mechanics to accomodate that. I'm not that worried since this only affects this games (and that's why I feel this is a spin-off).
About what they said, someone pointed out that the misinformation came from a translator so I guess I got that wrong, but I still get the spin-off-esque feel when I look at this (and more when it looks like an upscaled 3DS game). Time will tell if this will carry over most of the mechanics from previous entries.
As a final note, everything that you said about breeding, EV training, Z-moves, megas, etc. is completely optional, which is why I feel the games didn't needed to be further simplified. It's the magic of this games, you can play them casually or go as deep as you want or care.
Im pretty excited and honestly when I heard the names leaked I figured they would be spin-off games. "Let's Go Pikachu" doesn't sound anything like a core title. Its more of a core-lite I guess? It will do for me in the meantime. I'm just glad we are getting regional variants in this game, I need my Alola Marowak in my squad. Hopefully we will be able to somehow transfer our Pokemon in this game into the core title in 2019.
@gortsi Not to start a discussion or anything, but Pokémon Go has been only successful because it's free-to-play. Put a $60 pay wall in front and let's see how many players it gets.
@Devlind sure, no doubt. But in the meantime it made more than 1.5 billion dollars in revenue and enabled the Pokémon company to post record profits since it came out
@gortsi Pretty much thanks to microtransactions. They pay way more than $60, but it feels like less since it's a dollar at a time. I don't know why, but most mobile users fall for that.
@Philo That's great to hear! I am personally excited for the visible Pokemon in the overworked aspect myself. I prefer Pokemon from all seven generations however, so I'm disappointed that only the first 150 are in this game (I really wanted to evolve Eevee into Umbreon), but I do recognize from a business standpoint that it will attract many lapsed players with nostalgia towards the original 151.
Once again, you guessed correct. From the time I spent playing Pokemon Go, Pokemon indeed become harder to catch. They move around and have lower catch rates so you have to do tricks like throw a curve ball with a Pokeball to increase your catch rate. It could get quite tedious so I'm interested to see how Game Freak will approach this.
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