E3 is a magical experience. With so many games to experience, one can be overwhelmed. Getting the chance to play Pokemon Let’s Go was one of the highlights of the expo for me. It’s an amazing twist on a beloved franchise we’ve known for so long. The demo was of Viridian Forest, completely redesigned, and there are Pokemon you are able to catch that weren’t present in the original. I managed to catch a Charmander and a Pikachu, which was quite the surprise. Pokemon Let’s Go is somewhat simplified as you cannot battle random Pokemon, but that’s not necessarily a drawback. Graphically, the game looks incredible. It is easily the most immersive Pokemon game in existence due to the Pokeball Plus controller.
What’s even cooler is that it allows you to transfer Pokemon from Niantic’s Pokemon GO, which may even make that game relevant again. So many have turned away from the mobile game, but this will undoubtedly bring them back. When you catch Pokemon, you can listen closely to the Pokeball and the Pokemon makes their signature cry, which is so cool! After catching Pikachu though, I was blown away. He says “Pika Pika!” just like in the cartoon, not his usual growl.
I spent about 10 minutes with the game and fell in love. The game may not be the one core fans were looking for, but it will bring both old and new fans together. Yes, it may be simplified, but the game has its own unique charm. Any Pokemon, in addition to Eevee and Pikachu, can follow you, which is so cool.
While there are so many positives with regards to Pokemon Let’s Go, we have to mention a serious negative: an issue with the Poke Plus controller. It may have been that my controller was defective, but, there were times when the analog stick didn’t respond. This wasn’t just once. It was at least five times. This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. It’s a possibility my unit was defective, but even then these products go through rigorous tests and there’s no reason at all this should have slipped by, especially at E3 2018.
Regardless of that issue though, Pokemon Let’s Go is a fine game. It will sell systems. It’s the Pokemon we deserve, but not necessarily the one we need right now. That’s OK. Fans are eagerly waiting for the arrival of the next generation of games coming in 2019, but I’m fine with what we’re getting. In fact, it’s better for a casual player like myself. There are no random encounters either, thank God.
The game comes out this upcoming November and we are thrilled to get our hands on it. It has infinite potential and although the demo was only eight minutes long, It was so much fun. Most of all I enjoyed playing as Pikachu (after I caught him), Bulbasaur, and even a Charmander I caught in the forest (!!!). If anything I see switching up the Pokemon in Viridian forest to be a byproduct of the fact that both of your starting Pokemon would be weak against Brock. One of the coolest aspects of the game is the ability to catch original starter Pokemon, which hasn’t really been done before.
Either way, we’re ecstatic about the game’s potential and cannot wait to experience the Kanto region again with a set of fresh eyes.
There is possibly a major issue with the analog stick with the Pokeball Plus controller. During E3 these things should be foolproof. If there are further issues after release, there would be much controversy. Hopefully, this isn’t the case, but, it could potentially be a disaster. Hopefully Nintendo can rectify this, because I doubt my controller was the only one that had issues.
The being said, with Smash and Pokemon coming out within a month of each other, Nintendo is poised to win this upcoming holiday season, again.