Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee Director Explains Why Motion Controls Are Mandatory

Is it really that difficult let us use the A button?

Nothing to do with tempting players to buy the rather pricey accessory? OK, then.

Didn't they mention during the treehouse that you could press a button while it's handheld? Or did I completely misunderstand?

@Kimyonaakuma You can use the A button.

@NuovaAdam You can press a button yes.

"for those unable to perform the necessary motions"?

No offense, but who would that be? Disabled people? That would be the only people I can come up with, who could potentially not be able to perform a throwing motion, but other than that, if you're not able to do that if you're a completely healthy person without any disabilities or discomforts, then the problem is with the person, not with the game.

@NuovaAdam Yes, it is. You still need to use gyro to aim, but you can press a button to throw. But let the angry people rage, instead of inform themselves; it's what they like to do the most, after all...

Well make it optional then,why force it on to people,this is a big turn off for me.I,m not sure if we can still use to Pro controller,that'd be ok at least

But I thought the throwing motion thing was optional. Otherwise how would it work in handheld mode? Why is he saying "By making that the only way to do it"?

@Kimyonaakuma

haha yeah.

shades of the wii here. "STUFF WAGGLE INTO ALL THE THINGS!!!"

hurk

"Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee Director Explains Why Motion Controls Are Mandatory"

Well it was a better explanation than - "We took the map off of the Gamepad in Zelda BotW b/c when you drive a car and use a map at the same time it's distracting."

Don't like it, don't buy it, wait for the patch. See NSMBU.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/05/new_super_mario_bros_u_update_arriving_with_luigis_dlc

I really don't see what all the fuss is about. The motion controls look like fun and so far, the Joy Con have proven themselves great at motion controls (and I'm sure the Poke Ball Plus will do the same). For these games, it makes sense to do things differently. Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee are spinoffs/reimaginings of Pokémon Yellow. If you don't want motion controls, don't buy the game. Simple fix for ya. I can see them adding motion controls as an optional feature for Pokémon 2019 (whatever it'll be called) but as that game IS the next core Pokémon title, it'll likely only have motion controls as an option....not a requirement. For the Let's Go games, they're trying something new. Enjoy the ride, stop being entitled First World brats and either play the game or don't. There's far greater things in this world to get worked up over than motion controls in a Pokémon game.

OH NO, I have to move my hand once in a while!
And in handheld mode I need to slightly move my Switch to aim and press a button! 😢

@SuperKMx
If you can't do some kind of throwing motion with one of your hands, I'm willing to bet, you have a hard time pressing a button either.

@MrBlacky but surely Nintendo should be catering to an all inclusive audience of people who can only play video games by blinking?

@NuovaAdam @Kimyonaakuma It requires Gyro to aim in handheld even with the button press. @ThanosReXXX has it right that the only people this will affect are those with a physical disability. Unfortunately, that's at least one person I know. Pokemon is not a game that to this date has required much in the way of reflex or timing, especially in its core mechanics, so it's been a game the person I know can actually play. We're not yet sure whether or not this will make the game too difficult for them or not.

@MrBlacky It's not just a random throw. They've been showing those pokemon moving about on the screen, presumably this will take some sort of aiming. If it is a random throw, it's probably ok. But if it requires any sort of precision...that could be problematic.

I'm grateful to have full range of motion in my hands, but I'm not sure that people saying this shouldn't be too hard fully appreciate how difficult these sorts of things can be for those who do not, and how each individual case is very different.

I do understand that the accessibility is diminished by only allowing motion control in TV mode, but there also is no accessibility for color-blindness spectrums in many games including this. I'm NOT saying that "There's no X, so we shouldn't worry about having Y either", I'm just noting that accessibility as a whole is pretty overlooked in the gaming industry.

Ironically, I noticed when playing with Fortnite's color settings how much of a difference I saw using a non-default blindness setting.

Well this just put me off the game. Last time I had to deal with motion controls was trying to do a BotW dungeon puzzle while on the tube (you know the one where you roll a ball through a maze). 20 minutes of frustration I saved until I was off the tube and then did it in about a minute once sitting still. I'd much rather it were optional so I could use it when I want, and still be able to play on the tube (where I spend most of my handheld time).

So if they don't add controls to be accessible by everyone, can we expect several "Nintendo isn't consumer friendly" comments and clickbait articles

@NoxAeturnus Yeah there are folks with limited dexterity and range for whatever reason that have been able to enjoy previous entries. This step is a change away from that openess.

@NoxAeturnus it also affects people who play in vehicles since aiming while bouncing down a road in a bus or winding through tunnels on a tube through central london makes aiming with the gyro annoying at best and frustratingly difficult at worst. You do not want to know how many skyrim arrows i've missed simply because i couldn't keep a steady aim on the tube.

Well...
A Real Test for gamer.
I don't mind waggle my Joy Con to throw a Pokeball, even when i feel tired after working time, playing Pokemon Let's Go for a while. I don't even care if i waggle Joy Con in public (I will make attention so people will look at my Joy Con & what i am doing).

Btw, forcing a Motion control as a Mandatory command input will do same bad thing like on some Old NDS games.
I remember Harvest Moon Island of Happiness NDS was forced to use Stylus to move your character, but after Sunshine Island released, you can use D-pad to move around.

Anyway, here are Pro & Con :
Pro
1. New way to play like Wii mote
2. Playing Pokemon can be fun
3. Recapturing Pokemon sensation for young generations to feel 90's vibe of Pokemon.

Con
1. Forcing peoples to adaptate with New way to play so no more Old fashioned way to play. Good point but also like Double Edged Sword. One side is very Unique gameplay, but on other side it will frustrating peoples who still fond with Old fashioned way playing (Handheld mode, Disable peoples)
2. Risk of damaging the TV or lose / break your Joy Con or Pokeball if you lost your grip. Then, peoples will blame Nintendo for ruining their gameplay experience due to the damage and loss they suffered because of Motion control.

Question : Who has tried play Pokemon Let's Go during E3 2018 event ?

If you don't like it, don't buy. It's that easy.

@NoxAeturnus
Can't say it 100% for sure, but I still think, you can either move your hand or not.

@MrBlacky Agreed, can't say 100% sure yet.

@SuperKMx Except it isn't Nintendo who you should be blaming, but Game Freak.

@MrBlacky Some people just don't want to. Its no big deal. When I first heard about the game I was interested. Now I'm not. Nintendo makes a decision. I vote with my wallet. Peace

@ThanosReXXX I dislike the implication that being disabled is abnormal. I'm a normal person too.

@TheLobster
Oh, i'm sorry to hear if your body is not Perfect.

screw forced gimmicks and screw him for requiring it. Why does it help anyone's cause to force a specific kind of play style when the Switch is marketed on being able to be played in many different ways?

I simply hate motion gimmicks. But there are other players who literally cannot engage in this type of play style for some reason or another. And this is a giant middle finger from Nintendo straight to them.

What BS

Btw, If Pokemon Let's Go requires Motion control, what about Pokemon 2019 later ?

A Core RPG Pokemon is dedicated to Hardcore gamers, so Traditional gameplay is 100% Must. GameFreak better DO NOT Screw Pokemon fans.

Back to Pokemon Let's Go, if GameFreak still insist with Motion control, at least give Touch screen Option to throw Pokeball just like Pokemon Go mobile or Compatible with Pro Controller for Traditional gameplay.

@TheLobster I'm sorry you took it that way, but that was not what I meant, so that's more your interpretation than my comment. And I actually DID start it with "no offense" to make that clear.

I was just trying to find out/understand what the writer meant with people "not being able to perform the necessary motions".

But, to make it even more clear, I've edited my previous comment.

Still not interested in this game.

@th3r3ds0x
And that's absolutely your right. But I also believe, that good implemented motion controls can give you a very good kind of immersion and control and dismissing them only just because, feels a little bit stubborn.
For example, I would never play "Arms" without motion controls, but I would also never play Tetris with motion controls.😉

All you 30+ year old nerds need to calm down... this game isn’t for you, it’s for kids who would enjoy throwing a pokeball. Come back with your entitled selves when gen 8 arrives and you can have your precious traditional controller back.

@ThanosReXXX hang on, so you are quite happy for disabled gamers to miss out on a game when it would be simple to add button pressed??

@ThanosReXXX Appreciate it! For the record, just saying "no offense" doesn't make something not offensive.

@TheLobster Perhaps, but it was indeed supposed to convey my intent not to insult anyone, which was intended to pre-empt any harshness/offensiveness that the subsequent text might contain for some. Mission failed, I guess...

And as we all know, commenting online can very quickly become something of a minefield, and way too often, these days...

@ThanosReXXX I agree. It's very hard to get your intent across via only text. I saw somewhere that over 90% of your intention is lost and I believe it!

@geordie No, that's not what I said, at ALL. In fact, all I was trying to do, is understand what the writer meant. And motion controls are NOT obligatory, contrary to what the article makes you believe. in handheld mode, you can press a button to throw a pokeball. It is only aiming with gyro that you will have to use.

The throwing motion is only used when you play it on the TV, and I would think that it's not going to be about pin point precision, so just a bit of a swinging motion, or a wrist flick should be enough, just like on the Wii.

Introducing fine motor skills as a solution to a gross motor skills problem?

@ThanosReXXX
Nintendo was forgot to demonstrate during E3 2018 how to play Pokemon Go in Handheld Mode without waggle the Joy Con, but press A button to capture wild Pokemons.

@MrBlacky Pokemon, like Tetris, has been played without motion controls for decades. I’m not dismissing the idea of having motion controls, I’m dismissing the idea that they are the only way. I just simply think it should be a choice. I don’t like motion controls, I started gaming in 1981and to me motion is gimmick, imprecise, just not something I enjoy when playing a video game. Obviously I only speak for myself, but if Nintendo chooses to exclude folks like me, I just think it’s a poor business decision.

@SethNintendo even so I still wouldn’t choose to play that way, if I had my choice for any FPS it would be mouse & keyboard but I play a lot of consoles so that’s usually not an option.

I personally wasn't interested in this game very much but I watched some of the Treehouse presentation with it and I see what they are trying to do. It isn't the Pokemon game I want but I think it is exactly the Pokemon game my kids would want.

I was skeptical about not having to weaken the Pokemon in battle before catching it, but I can appreciate what they did. I think it would be better if some Pokemon were more agressive though and did actually force you to battle and weaken them to catch them. I think that would have actually strengthend their vision for the game a lot, reinforcing that every Pokemon is different and behaves differently.

Still, an option to turn of motion controls seems like it should have been a given.

It's a gyroscopic throwing motion, people, and the motion affects the throw. You actually do have to aim your throw...that's part of the game and the thing that makes it fun rather than a boring tap-fest like Go. This is not difficult. If you feel excessively challenged as an experienced gamer by simulating throwing something, just pretend it's a Lvl 95 Deadlord that defeated you with a cheap axeblade doublecrush even though you know you pressed the XXYBR combo before his animation started, and throw your controller at your TV. Congratulations! You've learned how to play Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu. I bet you feel like a real man now!

Personally Treehouse hyped me for this game. The interactive Go mechanics shake up the (thoroughly boring, grindy) wild 'mon battles, and trainer battles are just as they've always been, menus, A buttons, the whole gambit. Looks awesome. And I suspect the Gen8 game next year will do the same. It's home console Pokemon for the first time ever....and it wants to be interactive. Sounds fun unless you have arm mobility issues which, indeed, could make this a problem requirement. Much like Wii Sports.

@ThanosReXXX But why can't I play this Pokemon game the way I played the original Yellow, the way every Pokemon should play? I want Nintendo to surprise me and deliver new games in large groups every year, and I want them to all be exactly like the old games!

Why can't they just call it new, upgrade the graphics, and reskin all the old content? That will be the new games Nintendo personally owes me!

And we wonder how EA was born...

@th3r3ds0x I learned shooters with mouse and keyboard. Had a REALLY rough time moving to dual analog when I moved to console. Finally got it. Then I got Splatoon which reintroduced more-proper mouse controls to me.....I can't do squat with dual analog anymore. Wolfenstein on X1 or PS4 wasn't even a consideration for me. Motion is the only acceptable way to play a shooter if I can't have a mouse, now.

@SethNintendo Yeah, there will always be some measure of accuracy, but not to an extent that it has to be pin-point, like I said. With Wii tennis, Nintendo also made you believe you had to make the whole "swing your arm" motion, and in the end, we all found out that you could simply flick your wrist to do the exact same thing.

Agreed on first person shooters, though. Nothing came closer to mouse and keyboard than the Wii remote. Instant aim, so perfectly suitable for that type of game.

@NEStalgia Indeed.... Maybe I should take a day or two off. Still recovering from the fact that I actually decided to participate in the Treehouse chat...

Everyone is talking about this being a good substitution to grind training, but now you actually have to pay attention as you throw the balls. And you're still grinding in that sense.

The more I think about it, the easier it's making the decision to pass.

@NEStalgia that’s cool and to each their own. I’m not bashing ALL motion but some motion controls are just a gimmick. Point I’m making is that making them the ONLY way simply turns off folks like me that don’t want to pretend to throw a poke ball.

@Yorumi With motion controls, I can't help but think kids (the primary market for Pokemon, remember) will love the idea of throwing it. I also suspect the Japanese are far more open to new concept play than Westerners (also a core demographic for Pokemon.)

I don't like Wii waggle controls (at all) because it was arbitrary, forced, and really unrelated to the game action 90% of the time. I liked SF:0. It was soul crushingly hard but it was the best "sit down arcade flight sim cab" I was going to get for under $40,000, even if it was an inferior copy. It was soul crushingly hard at times to get used (but isn't SoulsBorne hard all the rage?) but it was a really cool nerd toy, if not a space opera masterpiece. And this really fits the game rather than out of place Wii controls (which really did suck.) I mean, it's a ROLE playing game. Your character throws Pokeballs. Now so do you. You play the role. To me it works because you're performing the actual in-game actions, and unlike Wii waggle, your actual motion affects the actual game activity.

IMO the Wii did more to harm the image of motion controls than anything else (well, Wii, and Lair, lol). We learned "motion" means arbitrarily shaking things in ways unrelated to the gameplay. Games like this here it makes sense for a gameplay concept, motion can shine. They should be an unusual exception, not the norm. (But should be standard for shooters and it's a travesty that DualShock 4 has gyros it never uses.)

It should have an option to turn off for impractical cases, but, the reaction here of everyone whining about motion controls that make sense that just want their A button is why Masuda is saying "just use the d*** motion controls"....people reject it without even considering new concepts. Gamers are a closed minded bunch. It's why we have no less than 15 games about apocalyptic wastelands this E3, and half of those with zombies.

Besides, I spent half my NES years throwing my controller in battles. At least now it's wireless, and has actual in-game value

Just let me press A... Please.

No excuses there is no need for mandatory motion controls in this game end of

I don't care what kind of ridiculous reasoning he has, the motion controls ruined it for me. I have Tourette's syndrome and motion controls are a deal breaker. Sorry, didn't think of that, did you? Oops!

Motion controls are practically mandatory in Splatoon 2 and there is no outcry there.

‘Fans’ might be in uproar but then this isn’t a game designed for the core fan base; this is a game for people like me who last played a mainline Pokémon game on their gameboy in 1998.

What I see is a direct remake of Yellow that foregoes all the unnecessary gumf they’ve added to the core series over the last 20 years (Build your own base, beauty contests, baking) in favour of catch/battle/gym/elite 4.

The catching mechanics are better, as whittling down the health of Pokemon with weak moves is time consuming, especially later in the game when you have your all-powerful team to hand.

And best of all I can play co-op with my Pokemaniac 4 year-old.

How the hell would you simulate the touch screen motion from Pokemon Go without motion controls? It would feel kinda pathetic using just buttons to throw a ball IMO. Jesus Christ, this is not a mainline game, there is no need for crying, people just want to complain.

@Yorumi That's true about tech demo syndrome. Maybe it wears off. But sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. OTOH Pokemon wild battles have been the same for 20+ years. If a tech demo wears off in 5 hours, what happens with repeating the same process for 20 years? At some point I want to be paid for my repetitive tasks.

For better or worse though, Nintendo doesn't think like "other game designers". I think ti's their vintage and pedigree. They started in arcade, and they think arcade. They still do arcade, after all. When they design a game and "force" you to play a certain way, you think of it as "they're forcing this on me and should be letting me choose options of how I want to play"....but that's not their design approach. They design games like it's going in an arcade cabinet. When they designed this cabinet, it features a ball controller you throw. And it's a fun cabinet design. The idea of "you have options" doesn't jive with "this is how you play on this cabinet. Don't like the concept? Don't point a coin in the box, there's plenty of others." It can lead to frustrations like this of "they didn't design the game I wanted", but it's also what leads them to try things that nobody else thinks of.

Not sure I'd "want to catch them all" in this game (nor have I done so in any other Pokemon game), but it still looks crazy fun, and wild battles are too drawn out normally so I'm looking forward to it being different. I tend to AVOID the wilds just to get to trainers normally. Maybe it will wear out. Or maybe they kept pacing in mind and it stays fresh. Who knows. My preorder with Pokeball Plus is ready.... The cabinet seems interesting, and "streamlining for maximum efficiency" seems to not have made the world a better place, so I'll trust Masuda on this

Why not just wait for the 2019 game then? No harm no foul.

They wanna try something different. Nothing wrong with that.

The game should have been made with two modes, the way it is now and the other being the traditional gameplay. What bothers me is the fact you dont battle with wild Pokémon, aside that the game looks very good.

@Yorumi Well, again, new controls for innovation seem to go hand in hand with arcade/Japanese design. I'm fortunate enough to have a huge Japanese-owned arcade around me. We usually get a mix of new/western cabs ad a lot of "last years hotness" loaned out from the Japan locations. Often the machines are all in Japanese, there's no localization What's the big deal? Most of what varies with the new cool cabs are unusual controls. One of the biggest differences is really basically a Wiimote as part of the cab....was all the rage in JP arcades last year. The point is, Nintendo's thinking isn't unaligned with the Japanese entertainment space. It's our thinking that is.

This is both a gameplay and control innovation though. Go was a RADICAL change to Pokemon gameplay. You may not prefer the change but it was innovation no doubt. And this takes Yellow itself, and radically overhauls the capturing, both with new motion and with a modified Go system. For a series that never changes anything that's huge change or innovation. But when they innovate, everyone complains it was the "wrong" innovation. And in this thread "press A to win" seems like the preferred innovation. Why not just play Go if we want to just tap something? Or a Naughty Dog game?

Of course Japanese games have become fairly static from game to game overall without much innovation. But when I look at Western games, I'm seeing no innovation either. There was a 10 year period of rapid innovation, and now it's the attack of the clones. At least Nintendo will sell me pokeballs to throw at Patrick Soderlunds boring mug next year.

Oh come on, this is hardly a 'new play experience', that kind of line got stale fast with the Wii 10 years ago, and ultimately led to the console being notorious for shoehorning waggle controls into EVERYTHING. There's nothing wrong with having them of course, but if you force people into using a control method that they don't want to use, it's surely only going to put them off in the long run.

@Richard_Atkinson You can use a Joy-Con. Forcing motion controls isn’t what’s "tempting" people to buy a Pokéball Plus. What’s tempting people to buy it is the fact it comes with Mew.

Cant you do that with pro controller controls (or in handheld) Just aim the gyro slightly and hit A? I get that some people might be inconvenienced due to disabilities, but the rest are just throwing a fit. Its just a side game. Besides, you have to realize the harsh reality that maybe not every game is catered specifically to you. I really think most of the complaints aren't leveled at the motion controls but more of the Go mechanics themselves and how people lost their precious "wild pokemon battles" which didn't really add anything to the experience other than draining your PP and time.

Besides, there were so many other games that had slight motion of gesture based controls that I never heard anyone complain about, even on other systems. Its kinda ridiculous.

@HobbitGamer "...there also is no accessibility for color-blindness spectrums in many games including this." — Actually there is a system-wide accessibility option for color blindness. Go to the settings on your Switch and turn it on. EVERY game will display either in invetered colors, or monochrome (depending on which option you chose).

@Yorumi It could be worse. It could be like the film industry.

Simple: Don't play it if you don't like motion controls. I promise you'll be fine and your life will go on as normal.

NINTENDO LIFE SAYS: "It's pretty safe to say that the recent confirmation that Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! will require motion controls didn't go down too well with fans."

I SAY: "I am a fan and it has gone down extremely well with me".

@Thisismycomment While that’s helpful to some folks, that doesn’t address 3 of the variants of color-blind. Deuter, Prot, and Trip. Of course I’m not demanding these be available, just making the statement that games have never been fully accessible. The same way lots of other things aren’t, and that’s ok. But I definitely think Nintendo should at least allow an option for no motion in tv mode. They do for tennis

I say let the developer make the game however they want and if people buy it then cool, and if not then that's how it goes. A lot of modern gamers seem to be rather entitled and think that developers should make games specifically to suit their wants and desires, but the world isn't Burger King. You can't always have it your way.

@RadioHedgeFund Maybe because Pokemon has always been accessible, especially to people with disabilities.

That's unfortunate, it seems like nothing more than a way to push accessory sales, but ironically this desicion cost them a sale of the game iteslf /shrug. I was excited for it, but knowing this, will not be purchasing it.

Lol, so many tissues wasted for all those tears in the comments.

@Jin15 It would be in the developers best interest to listen to their base audience's wants and needs and incorporate them into the game; not doing so would end in a loss of profit and opportunity.

Let me clarify this.

They didn't want a scenario where someone is able to throw Pokeballs more efficiently without the motion controls, or make fun of the people who are using the motion controls, so they made it the only way to do it.

This game is meant to appeal to non gaming casuals, and the last thing they need is hardcore Pokemon fans telling the non gaming casuals "they are playing the game wrong" or "look silly swinging their arms around using the motions controls"..

Thanks NintendoLife for taking the view that some of us simply can't use motion controls. With my disability I simply can't, yet my 3 year old nephew wants it for his birthday and will want me to play it with him, yet I can't because the developers don't care. Nintendo making it harder for disabled people to play games, yet Microsoft are going the extra mile so EVERYONE can enjoy gaming.

It's sad that it alienates disabled gamers, but if it's any consolation to them, waggle sucks for the rest of us too, hehe.

You know, I had hoped that Breath of the Wild's superiority over Skyward Sword would have finally exposed motion controls for what they are (or aren't as the case may be), but it seems we're not quite there yet...

Can we talk about how to get Mew for these games is locked behind a paywall via that Pokeball Plus thing?! What the deduce bro!?!! I'm not paying $40 dollars for Mew! That's crazy! That's madness! That's lunacy! "No.This is Sparta!!!" XD XD

All silly jokes aside, if that truly is the only way to get Mew then, that is shady!

@Shard1 Couldn't have said it better

"To provide a new experience"

Let me translate this for you.

"Because we want to. Also, buy our PokeBall Plus please!"

Cant wait for this game and the Pokeball.

No that's not a good reason! "People always wanted to throw a Pokéball! No? Well too bad!"

Wow, 103 comments and counting. Nintendo sure has caused a stir on this one.

Great he convinced me...

To check out Other less mandatory experiences in other games.

"There are a lot of people out there, I think, that really do want to throw a Poké Ball and role-play that." Yeah, I'm sure that's what's been holding Pokémon back all these years... You're not actually throwing a Poke Ball, you're just doing a throwing mime, which achieves the same as just pressing a button, except that it's slower, clunkier, more annoying and more inconvenient (and without the satisfying tactile feedback of a button press).

What's wrong with the motion controls? The only people unable to make a simple throwing motion (can be underhanded, too, don't forget) with simple timing and decent aim are those with two amputated, paralyzed, or otherwise nonfunctional arms/hands, who don't play many video games in the first place.

Besides, the difficulty level needs to be maintained. A digital control scheme would naturally be easier to match the timing and not needing to aim. This means too many players would abandon the motion control system, or players who do prefer the motion controls will complain about having to choose between the more fun method and the easier method or complain about how awkward it is to constantly switch controllers when they need the digital controls when facing a rare Pokémon that they really want to catch. Overall, it's much less of a headache to just make the motion controls the only control method. I applaud them for this decision.

What I don't understand is why people make such a big deal about it. Experience the video game the way they envision. We had motion controls in every single game on the Nintendo Wii- here it's just one game and you only do it one time whenever you catch a Pokémon.

And, you can use a button in handheld mode. You just tilt to aim.

This is so not an issue- The only reason it's been made one is by this false idea that every single video game has to be played in the exact same way as every other video game. And that's just a false notion right there.

But the fact so many people automatically close their mind off to anything outside the status quo... that is the real problem imo.

Can't imagine them releasing something like the power glove in today's culture. God forbid anything deviate from the "norm"

It is essentially a game that will train new players into the mechanics of Pokemon. Wait for the real game on 2019, or swallow your pride and buy this one.

I’m not sitting on the bus waving my hands about. Would love to play this game, but it’s just not happening.

@Haywired It's slower, but it is not clunkier or more annoying and is in fact more convenient and a lot more fun with the better tactile feedback of actually throwing the ball (and still presing the button in handheld mode).

The lack of motion controls has little to do with why most gamers prefer "Breath of the Wild" over "Skyward Sword." The motion controls in "Skyward Sword" are fantastic. Personally, I actually prefer "Skyward Sword" both because of those motion controls and because it's a much more structured game.

@Mortenb You don't have to. In handheld mode, you simply aim the gyro and push a button. If you still don't like the idea of swiveling the screen a little in public, then oh well, you're just way too sensitive about what people think about you.

I do hope it'll be just the kids, Let's Go's target audience, who buy this game and that they get to enjoy it. However, I also wonder what it will take for the adult side of the fans, esp. those who are put off by these announcements like I am, to NOT to do the same; complaints do little if you're still paying up day 1.

@BulbasaurusRex
So, in Handheld mode i still can throw Pokeball without waggling my Right Joy Con, just tilting my Switch then press A button ?

@JaxonH
You know, peoples who reject anything from status quo are somwhat like villagers in Belle's town (Beauty & the Beast). Little peoples, little city, little minded.

@Anti-Matter
Correct. In handheld mode you don't have to "throw with a joycon", you simply throw with a button. You only ever-so-slightly tilt to aim, just like in Splatoon handheld mode (which, tbh, is way more fun, faster, and all around superior anyways, and so negligible in terms of movement of the system, twitching your nose from an itch would probably net a greater overall travel)

@BulbasaurusRex That sounds ok. Already doing that in botw. The bus’ movement makes it extra challenging.

Regarding the "accessible to everyone" thing, not sure what the problem is in a game with motion controls not having an alternative. Evidently he thinks part of the core experience is the tossing of the Pokeball, similar to how it is in Go. I wouldn't call motion-heavy games like Just Dance or Wii Sports "inaccessible", they're just aimed at a different audience. And yeah, if you have a disability preventing you from throwing the ball that sucks, but there are plenty of other games out there that won't require motion.

... How does that work in handheld mode, with the Joy-Con attached?

Yeah, I actually think a whole load of people will find they enjoy the motion controls for this one aspect more than they think, but I don't see why there can't be a button-only mode included as an option too.

@Thierry You tilt the system around using the motion controls to aim, like you might do using the gyro to aim in Splatoon for example, and then press a button to actually throw the ball.

@impurekind I see. The article is a bit misleading then, as they specifically talk about "throwing a Pokéball" - should've stated its gyro that's mandatory, that's much less terrible.

@Thierry Yeah, the Pokemon guy mentioned it here: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/06/motion_controls_will_be_compulsory_to_catch_pokemon_in_lets_go_pikachu_and_eevee

Gamers don't even like getting up off the couch to switch games anymore.. How the hell can they expect these people to do a forward hand motion with their wrist? It's obviously asking too much of the gaming community.

Good. Giving people the option is what hurt ARMS, and it would have destroyed Wii Sports, and doomed the Wii console itself. And it's why Splatoon matches are always uneven and unfair.