Two days ago Nintendo announced Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee. Many are complaining that these games are not “true” Pokemon games and they are simply filler until Nintendo releases the next generation in the series. This is categorically false. Pokemon: Let’s Go takes the series back to its roots and this marks a new beginning on the Nintendo Switch.
The Pokemon Game We Need Right Now
Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee are the precise Pokemon games we need to launch the series on the Nintendo Switch. In a way, it’s a return to the beginning of the series. The game takes place in the Kanto region, which is where the Pokemon series began in Red and Blue. The game could be considered a remake of Pokemon Yellow for the Game Boy Color, considering Pikachu is your companion throughout your journey (in Let’s Go, Pikachu!). It not only brings something nostalgic, but it brings something brand new as well. Kanto will not be the same Kanto we know and love. It will be more treacherous. In this full 3D world, Pokemon will finally shine as it’s always meant to.
The game also connects to Pokemon GO, allowing players to transfer Kanto region Pokemon to Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s go, Eevee!. They even created a Pokeball-style controller that you can use to catch Pokemon, play the game, and even take your Pokemon with you. We barely know anything about the game yet there are so many incredible features already unveiled. It will be a Pokemon game to remember.
The Pokemon Game We Deserve
Ever since the Nintendo Switch came out fans have been begging for a Pokemon title on the portable hybrid console. Finally, it has come to fruition. No, it’s not Generation Eight. Does that really matter though? We have a 3D Pokemon game that takes place in the Kanto region. In a sense, it is a rebirth of the series. We don’t need Generation Eight. The connectivity with Pokemon GO is an incredible way to make the mobile game relevant again. People will go back and play it just so they can transfer their Pokemon. It’s genius. The Poké Ball Plus controller is beyond incredible. Nintendo explains the controller quite adequately in their press release.
“This controller was specially designed by Nintendo to enhance the gameplay experience for aspiring Pokémon Trainers by replicating the look and feel of an actual Poké Ball™. Poké Ball Plus allows players to control their journey in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, combining motion controls, a pressable Control Stick and Top Button to create a truly immersive Pokémon adventure. In addition to motion controls, Poké Ball Plus also lights up with a variety of colors, vibrates and plays sounds. Players can even send one Pokémon at a time from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! to Poké Ball Plus and bring it along for a stroll in the real world.“
The Poké Ball Plus is a controller with motion controls that you can use not only to catch Pokemon but play the game completely? It creates a completely immersive experience. Rather than using the Joy-Con to capture a Pokemon, why not use the Poké Ball Plus? Plus, you can transfer a Pokemon with you and bring it with you when you go out. How cool is that!?
This is the potential of Pokemon, and the best is yet to come.
The Rebirth of Pokemon
Pokemon is being reborn. Returning to the Kanto region signifies this. Eventually, Pokemon from other regions will find their way to the Kanto region through DLC or updates, but this is a fresh start for the franchise on a brand new hit console. This will sell systems. Pokemon is a system seller, and there is a reason why it is coming out on November 16, right in time for the holidays. The Nintendo Switch will be even harder to find. Pokemon fans will eat this game and the system up.
With Pokemon GO integration and the Poké Ball Plus controller, this iteration of Pokemon is more immersive than ever. It will be the best game in the franchise, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of the various features in the game. Nintendo and Game Freak look like they have an all-time great on their hands, and November cannot come soon enough.
Pokemon is back in full force. It’s a transformative moment for the series. This is what Pokemon should have always been and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! will demonstrate the true potential of the Pokemon franchise.