Pokemon Go fans: pay attention!

During the E3 Nintendo and GameFreak gave some attention during it’s TreeHouse events to the upcoming Pokémon Let’s Go games that will be in stores for the Switch on November 16.

We know these two games, Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee are not the mainstream RPG the fans were waiting for, but games based on Pokémon Yellow. I am especially interested to see what the connection is to Pokémon Go. You see, back in the day when many people walked on the streets swiping at the screens of their smartphones to capture imaginary Pokémon, there was talk of expansion of Pokémon Go. Trading would be added, and battle with friends.

It’s been almost two years now, and those features haven’t been added. That’s not to say that Pokémon Go isn’t bigger and better by now, but those new ways to enjoy the game with your friends never made it. Enter Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, and their connection to the mobile game.

Let’s see what more details we got:

1. Although the games are based upon Pokémon Yellow, the Let’s Go games are entirely new games in the main series. They are heavily inspired by Yellow, though, and Pikachu or Eevee (depending on your version) stays by your side the whole game rather than going in a Poke Ball while you explore. These games are set in Kanto, but we don’t know what the story will be like.
2. In what way are they like Pokemon Go? Well, unlike in normal RPG in the series, when you encounter wild Pokémon you catch them by throwing a ball in the same manner as in Go. The gyroscope that’s built in in your joycon will make it feel like you have actually thrown a ball. And when you invest in the Poké Ball Plus (that comes with a rare Mew) you will feel even more like a real trainer.
   This means that you don’t have to wear the Pokémon down with moves: you can give him berries to make the capture easier, and when the green or yellow ring contracts, capturing is the way to go. Plus, your team still gets the experience points this way.
3. Can you trade your Pokémon with the mobile game?
   In a way. The Pokémon you caught in Go can be transferred to the Let’s Go games. This is done by Bluetooth, and your critters are sent to a specific area where you can then catch it. This reminded me of the zone where your transferred Pokémon used to be sent when you transferred them from a GBA game to your DS game. We don’t know if the stats will stay the same, but we do know that a shiny Pokémon will stay shiny.
   Though not exactly the same as trading between Go games, you can trade in Let’s Go games with your friends.
4. Candy: you can use a variety of candies in the Let’s Go games to strengthen your critter. Later, you will be able to send your spare Pokémon to Professor Oak to receive these candies.
5. The games are set in Kanto, and you can find the original 150 Pokémon plus their Alolan forms. Familiar areas are back, like the Viridian Forest, the first environment you encounter outside of Pallet Town. Your starter is Eevee or Pikachu, and these cannot evolve. Eevee and Pikachu caught in the wild can of course. You cannot transfer your party-hat Pikachu or other special ones from Go. Some Pokémon can be ridden. There’s no breeding and no eggs in the Let’s Go games.
6. Of course, it’s not all about gathering Pokémon. The new games let you level up and train by trainer battles, and these work pretty much the same as always. There are wifi and online features, but not as elaborate as in the main RPG games.
7. I think it’s nice that they added a new layer of beautiful visuals to the game. And you don’t have to wade through Ratata and Pidgeys anymore. You can see them on an overworld map and avoid them if you want.

Well, that’s about it for now. The new games are made as a sort of entry point for Pokémon Go fans who never played the main games before. And although I know many of the die-hard fans might think these games aren’t what they wanted, I do feel that this might just be the casual fun I want from a Pokémon game.