Pre-order ‘Pokemon: Let’s Go’ for Nintendo Switch
In the spirit of yesterday’s Nintendo Switch starter kit guide, I thought it’d be fun to mention another game coming out later this year, which very likely would’ve made our list if it were already out. It’s called Pokemon: Let’s Go.
That’s right, Pokémon is finally coming out for the Switch! On top of that, it’s going to be both a trip down memory lane (for some of us, anyway) and a whole new experience altogether.
Watch the trailer:
They’ve essentially revamped the first-gen Pokémon Yellow game that a lot of us played on the original Game Boy, which means a return to Pallet Town, Professor Oak, and the original 151 Kanto Pokémon. However, there are differences:
Rather than random encounters in grassy areas or caves, you’ll see wild Pokémon roaming around that you can choose to engage with. Rather than battling them like you would’ve in Pokémon Yellow, they’ve taken inspiration from Pokémon GO in that you can try to give the wild Pokémon berries to pacify them before “throwing” your Joy-Con controller toward the screen to attempt a capture.
Don’t worry, there are still trainer and gym battles to get your turn-based combat fix.
The game will offer co-op gameplay where a second player can pick up a controller next to you, so you can explore the world together, capturing Pokémon and taking on gym leaders along the way.
As far as capturing Pokémon together, your success rate and gained EXP are both increased if you each “throw” a Poké Ball at the same time, which is pretty neat.
- Thirdly, an optional controller accessory called the Poké Ball Plus ($50) will make the game feel even more immersive by making you feel like you’re really throwing a Poké Ball. It rumbles, has a built-in joystick for controlling your character, can hold a Pokémon “inside” while you go about your life in the real world — with light and sound effects to boot — and each one comes with a Mew that can be transferred into the game!
There are two versions of the game to choose from, both of which are available for pre-order and will release on November 16th, 2018:
- Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! ($60) — Also available with Poké Ball Plus ($100)
- Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! ($60) — Also available with Poké Ball Plus ($100)