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Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee and Let’s Go Pikachu are Nintendo and Game Freak’s debut Pokémon adventures on the Nintendo Switch. The games are remakes of the first generation Pokémon Games, as Pokémon Yellow celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year. With the combined success of both Pokémon Go and the Nintendo Switch itself, the announcement of a new mainline Pokémon RPG (Role Playing Game) was perfectly timed and highly anticipated, however, many long-standing fans were disappointed with the announcement of another remake, as this is now the 3rd full release of the original first generation of Pokémon (Pokémon red/blue, Pokémon fire red/leaf green, let’s go Pikachu/Eevee). This was only highlighted by the games many changes to the core formula fans have come to expect. Although, Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee are robust titles, standing on their own, not just as remakes but, in their own right as titles. Game Freak took a risk with some of the changes to core dynamics but nearly all of these paid off.
Most gamers are familiar with the Pokémon franchise at this point. The gameplay involves searching the region for every Pokémon to fill out your Pokédex, training your favourite Pokémon to battle gym leaders and eventually becoming the best Pokémon trainer in the land. The same formula is in Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, except Game Freak has chosen to mix in many of the mechanics of the hugely successful Pokémon Go mobile app into the existing formula. Instead of having random encounters with Pokémon, you can now see them wandering in the over the world. You can then choose whether to engage in battle with them or to simply ignore them. Perhaps more significantly you no longer battle wild Pokémon. Instead, you simply throw Pokéballs at them in much the same vane as in Pokémon Go. Catching a Pokémon then gains experience for the Pokémon you choose to battle with. This fundamental change in game design has been a bone of contention with long standing players of the franchise. Many see this as making the game too easy and was only implemented to convert as much of the new player base from Pokémon Go as possible, at the expense of depth in gameplay and challenge. Supporters of the change see this as a way of streamlining the experience. After all, not many people enjoyed the original game’s constant battles with zubats in Mount Moon or grinding low level Pokémon for hours so you could take on the next gym leader. Overall though this change is one for the better. The catching mechanics are fun and novel, bringing a new dimension to an over 25 year old formula. Instead of fighting the same Pokémon over and over again, more time is spent enjoying the games gorgeous graphics, sound design and exploring the expansive world. Seeing the Kanto region rendered so beautifully on Switch is a fantastic experience, even for players like myself who have played through the originals many times over. On top of this, there’s no lack of battling to be had in the game, with multiple trainers on every route, new “master” trainers and the addition of online battling.
Of course, Game Freak has not missed the opportunity to incorporate the Pokémon Go app into the game. Players can link their app with Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee and transfer their favourite Pokémon from Pokémon Go to Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu. Your Pokémon from the mobile app are brought into the game in areas called “Go Parks”, where you re-catch them to use in the main story on Switch. The feature, while being a nice addition, isn’t really a game changing dynamic. It is certainly nice to be able to move Pokémon from the app to the Switch, but once they’re in Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu they’re there for good. It’s a disappointing feature as it would have been nice to not have to commit your favourite Pokémon to one version, and instead have them at home with you or on your phone on a whim.
Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee are a breath of fresh air for the franchise. By adding in new mechanics and changing up core elements of the series, Game Freak have made a vastly more appealing game for casual fans and series veterans alike. While the game is lacking in difficulty throughout and is yet another remake of the first generation of Pokémon, there’s enough new concepts here to make it worth picking up. Long standing Pokémon fans will be able to blaze through and see Kanto rendered in glorious 3D with minimal grinding and new fans will be able to experience the most refined version of Kanto to date. Hopefully, many of these mechanics will be kept and improved upon for the 8th generation of Pokémon, speculated for release sometime next year.
