Everything We Know About…

Pokémon: Let’s Go

So far…

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! was announced as little as 3 months ago at a Pokémon press conference in Tokyo, Japan, but really shown off at Nintendo’s E3 show.

This “Everything We Know About” post will be split up into multiple sections.

#1 A very short bullet-point list with no description,

#2 A more detailed version,

#3 Followed by my thoughts and hopes for this game,

#4 Which is subsequently followed by the news of the secret, core-Pokémon series game that’s coming out in 2019.

Leaving-You-With-Questions Section

In Pokémon: Let’s Go we return to Kanto.

Alola forms are also available.

With the Switch’s power boost, Pokémon: Let’s Go is the prettiest Pokémon game.

Your Companion Pokémon is always on your shoulder or your head.

Pokémon is true-to-size making Pokémon like Onix and Charizard are rideable.

Pokemon: Let’s Go can be connected with Pokémon GO.

The GoPark lets you transfer Pokémon from GO to Let’s Go.

CP, Razz/Pinap Carries, and Candy are present in Let’s Go.

Candy has evolved and become an integrated game mechanic.

Wild Encounters have been changed: meaning no more Wild Encounter Battles, but the point will be to catch the Pokémon like in Pokémon GO.

Pokémon: Let’s Go takes inspiration from Pokémon Yellow and Pokémon GO to unite fans.

Pokémon Let’s GO has local co-op play.

Team Rocket, Brock, and Misty returns.

Gym Battles have been accused of “holding the player’s hand”.

Leaving-You-With-Less-Questions Section

These two games are the last entries in the seventh generation (VII) of Pokémon games, following the release of Pokémon: Ultra Sun and Pokémon: Ultra Moon.

Old-school players can rejoice as we’re returning to our roots in Kanto, however, this time you’re going to need a Nintendo Switch to play along.

This change, albeit a costly one for other console owners, let’s you wander around Kanto in stunning, but still familiar graphics.

In the Treehouse interview/let’s play of Pokémon: Let’s Go we see, clear as day, the shine of the Switch as the individual stalks of grass moves in the wind, leaves are flying around, and the sun is shining through the trees in Viridian Forest.

Besides the overall beauty is the added Pokémon walking around, jumping from place to place, flying, or just falling over. I’ve never laughed so joyously until I saw a Kakuna tip over.

In comparison with other Pokémon games, Pokémon: Let’s Go takes inspiration from Pokémon Yellow, where your starter was chosen beforehand (Yellow equals Pikachu). I’m guessing I don’t have to say, which Pokémon you’ll start within the not-so-questionably named Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!.

So, either Pikachu or Eevee is going to be your Companion Pokémon, respectively riding your shoulder or sitting on your head.

Your companion Pokémon, other than looking cute, also functions as an item tracker. When you’re approaching an item with Pikachu resting on your shoulder, it’s tail will begin to flop from one side to the other: the quicker the motion to close you are.

However, like Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Gold, and Pokémon Silver (along with their re-releases), you can also have a Pokémon following you.

And that feature leads me on to the next topic: HMs or otherwise known as Hidden Machines. These were moves that could be taught to your Pokémon in order for you to progress through the game. They were changed in Gen VII and the change as followed through to Pokémon: Let’s Go as the Pokémon following you can be rideable, meaning that if you have a large enough Pokémon, like Charizard, you can fly on it.

Do I have hard proof that this is Let’s Go attempt to rid their game of HMs? No. Do I believe it is just that? Yes.

As another ode to the old-school Pokémon games, there are multiple occasions where the classic pixel sprites can be seen in the game. One of them is in the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy heals your Pokémon, the Pokémon sprites will appear on the screen behind her.

(From Nintendo’s own YouTube Channel. I nor maggamer are affiliated with Nintendo, and we do not own the rights to the video where this was screenshotted from).

Also honouring its legacy is its musical score, which is solely based on the old Blue/Red/Yellow Pokémon games. And it’s not only based. According to an E3 interview, the score should be a “remastered” version of the old chiptune melody.

For all you hardcore and diehard Pokédex fillers, you’re going to have an easier time with this one, as we’re sticking to the original 151 Pokémons with the addition of their Alola forms.

The change to the Switch also allows for different features, namely the Joy-Con remote, where you’ll actually only need one to play. Like Nintendo’s other Pokémon title, Pokémon GO you’ll have to catch Pokémon by making a throwing motion with the Joy-Con in hand.

People who are worried that their throw might be limited by the Joy-Con or the general throwing-game-mechanic should rest assured. The motion might take a throw or two to get used to, but other than it, the Joy-Can and the game should be calibrated, enabling you to throw sideways, spin-it, and any other way you see fit.

The catching-mechanic of Pokémon: Let’s Go has also changed following in Pokémon GO’s footsteps where a circle defines the diameter of how “Nice”, “Great”, or “Excellent” your throw is.

A cool accessory that you can buy with the game is the PokéBall+ that can act both as a Joy-Con, but also a Tamagotchi. Joking aside, the PokéBall+ can store a Pokémon, which you can take around with you. At launch, if you buy one, you’ll also receive a special Mew with it.

To old-schooler’s dismay, this new mechanic replaces “Wild Encounter Battles”, as you now won’t need to damage the Pokémon’s health in order for you to catch it. EXP is, like some of the previous late-Gen games gotten by catching Pokémon.

You can, as another feature, lend the other Joy-Con to a friend as the game supports a local two-player system. With this change, you can team up to catch Pokémon or take down other NPC trainers.

Another change, which some fans of the first Gen I and II, along with Gen IV (SoulSilver and HeartGold) might disapprove of, as any of the other changes I’ve mentioned, is that the Safari Zone has been replaced with the added GoPark.

The GoPark is a neat feature to anyone who has invested time with Pokémon GO, as you can send your Gen I (classic Kanto and their respective Alola forms) from your phone to your Let’s Go through the GoPark. All you have to do is catch them and their yours! However, I should mention that the Pokémon’s stats may change and that the Pokémon you transferred will be forever gone from GO.

From what I can tell from the video I’m referencing, all the Pokémon in the GoPark are level 1 with very low CP.

And, oh! CPs, Razz Berries, Pinap Berries, and Candy are also present in Let’s Go as a new core mechanic!

To dive a bit deeper into the Candy-part. It’s not as simple as in Pokémon GO where you can Pokémon-specific Candy. In Let’s Go, you can receive everything from Health Candy to Smart Candy to Courage Candy, and more! These all boost their respectively named stat.

Although you’re going to see some familiar faces like Brock and Misty — and maybe even three, undisclosed iconic characters from Team Rocket — and although Professor Oak is among those familiar faces, his grandson, whom he never can remember his name, isn’t going to be there as far as I know. Instead, your rival is going to be a kinda friendly kid apparently named Chase, who gives you free stuff. And according to an E3 interview, he gets scared easily too.

Gym Battles, although they haven’t changed, per se, the first one against Brock, which coincidentally is also the only one we’ve seen gameplay of, is accused of “holding the player’s hand” too much, as in order for you to challenge the Pewter City Gym Leader, you would need either a Grass-type Pokémon or a Water-type Pokémon.

For all who don’t know, Brock uses Rock-type Pokémon and both Grass- and Water-type is strong against Rock.

My Thoughts Section

Personally, I’m only holding off pre-ordering this because I’m waiting for an exclusive Switch edition, which I hope will come.

From what I’ve seen, Pokémon: Let’s Go tries to appeal to the most amount of players, whether you’re a die-hard Gen I fan or a recent Pokémon GO enthusiast, there will be something for you here. And I think, it’s been most upsetting for the older fans as the concepts of their childhood is now changing — and we all know, most of us hate to change.

I’m a fan of both worlds being a longtime fan of both the anime and the games, while also loving Pokémon GO and the pure nostalgia it has brought me. If I could share my perspective with more than just words, trust me, I would. Not to necessarily change your mind, but to make you see/feel why I enjoy this.

To sum up why I love the idea and execution of Pokémon: Let’s Go: its way of uniting older and newer is on so many levels fantastic. With the older, handheld games, it was not impossible, but not catered towards playing together (it was more focused on trading and such). This time — for the first time ever — older generations and newer generations can sit together and play through a new, dare I even say, improved Kanto. I think the best example is a parent and their kid playing together, sharing the same joy the parent experienced when they first held a Game Boy and heard the classic chiptune music.

New Super-Secret Pokémon RPG

Well. the fact that a new Pokémon game is releasing in 2019 might not be any secret, however all details concerning it.

But, to be fair, Nintendo is good at keeping secrets. The only things we know about it is…

#1 It’s an RPG,

#2 A core Pokémon game,

#3 Coming to the Switch,

#4 Coming in the second half of 2019.