News

‘Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu’ and ‘Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee’ Announced for Switch with Links to ‘Pokemon Go’

Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, and Game Freak revealed the first Pokemon games for Switch: Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! These aren’t some kind of weird side games for the series. No, according to Bloomberg reporter Yuji Nakamura, attending a Pokemon event in Japan, the “Let’s Go series are ‘full RPGs'" as Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda clarifies. There also is another Game Freak Pokemon title in the works for 2019.

The games will feature the traditional Pokemon battling mechanics, but the Go series influenced the title, as tossing Pokeballs to catch Pokemon is now a part of the game. In fact, Nintendo will release a physical PokeBall Plus accessory that players can use to control the entire game, and will work portably with a player’s partner Pokemon. Otherwise, it’s possible to play with just a single Joy-Con, and two players can play together with individual Joy-Con controllers.

As the name “Go" in the title hints at, there is a link to Pokemon Go (Free) on mobile. Players can link their phone to the Switch via Bluetooth, and connect to the mobile game, which will allow you to send presents from the Switch to the mobile game, which will apparently include a special Pokemon. Also, a special Go Park for Pokemon from Pokemon Go will be in Let’s Go.

The immediate difference between the two versions of Let’s Go are that your trainer will have either Pikachu or Eevee as a partner constantly with them, and it will be possible to customize the partner Pokemon with hats and other cosmetic items.

Both Pokemon: Let’s Go games are scheduled to release on the Switch on November 16th, 2018. While there were once fears about Nintendo’s selection of titles for the second year of the Switch, with a Smash Bros. game on the way, and now a new Pokemon RPG, year two of the Switch is about to get serious.