Pokemon Let’s Go isn’t too far from its highly-anticipated release for hardcore fans of the series. With pre-orders of the two versions as well as pre-orders for the Poke Ball Plus already available in multiple countries, it’s clear that there’s plenty of demand for Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, and we bet this console exclusive is going to fly off the shelves when it arrives. Since the original announcement, we’ve ended up learning a lot about this new title and collected it all for you. We have the release date, what multiplayer content is available, the trailer, gameplay, and more. Read on for our roundup of Pokemon Let’s Go news.
Pokemon Let’s Go Release Date
Thanks to all the information being shared by Nintendo about Pokemon Let’s Go, we now know that the release date for both versions on the Switch is going to be November 16, 2018 worldwide. This is apparently going to be a modern remake of Pokemon Yellow with bits of the anime as well as other franchise favorites thrown in. It’s going to be a Switch exclusive, which is standard for all of the other main Pokemon games. So if you want to get your hot hands on this game, then you’re going to have to make sure that you shell out for a Switch well in advance. This is likely going to be a hit for the Christmas gift crowd.
Pokemon Let’s Go Trailer
The trailer for Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee can be viewed below:
There’s more than one trailer kicking around for Pokemon Let’s Go, but we’ve decided to showcase the one which inspires the most childlike wonder – the announcement trailer. From the opening which shows your faithful Pikachu at your door, to the shots of Pallet Town favorites as well as what it’d be like to play with your friends in the cutest couch co-op session ever, the trailer is evocative of the sort of fun that a lot of fans will be nostalgic about creating with the Pokemon franchise.
Pokemon Let’s Go Multiplayer
As evidenced by the trailer for Pokemon Let’s Go, multiplayer is clearly going to be a feature of the new titles, regardless of which version you pick. As to how multiplayer work, it looks like you’ll be able to team up with friends to better your chances of catching an elusive, rare Pokemon. You’d also hope that this would extend to taking on those pesky trainer duos that you encounter out in the wild as well.
It’s been confirmed so far that there will be a two-player co-op mode, which lets you help out a friend that might be struggling. You can do a lot of things in co-op mode that you would be able to do in the regular single-player campaign. Not only can you Double Team wild Pokemon, but you will also be able to Double Team gyms in this mode. There’s really no limit to what the power of friendship can accomplish. If you’re especially diligent about assisting a friend, capturing Pokemon will be a piece of cake.
Pokemon Let’s Go Battles
In terms of actually going toe to toe with wild Pokemon, the footage from the trailer suggests that there won’t actually be any fighting involved. That will probably be limited to the Gyms, since that particular aspect of Pokemon looks like it’s still active in some form. In terms of what you do when you see something in the wild that you’re coveting, the answer is simple: you throw a Pokeball at it.
This change has had trainers who consider themselves fans of the traditional concept of adorable cage-fighting a little stumped. However, in Pokemon Let’s Go, the path of least resistance may well likely be the one with the least violence.
The catching mechanism will be familiar to seasoned Pokemon Go veterans – it’s a motion-controlled affair where you throw balls at your chosen targets after pacifying them with some strategic berries. Berries will probably have different effects much like they do in Pokemon Go, and Pokemon will still attempt to evade you by darting around the screen. It will still be motion-controlled when you’re in handheld mode; you’ll be moving the entire device around to get the right angle for your throw.
Pokemon Let’s Go Story
As mentioned above, Pokemon Let’s Go is going to be essentially a reboot of the old Pokemon Yellow. This means that we’re going to get a lot of NPCs in the game that we’re already familiar with, and we have a pretty good idea of who’s going to be part of that cohort. We can already see that Professor Oak is going to make an appearance, and we know that no Pokemon game is complete without a rival so there’s going to be a guaranteed adversary there. Whether they’ll be as antagonistic as Blue, however, is anybody’s guess.
On top of Professor Oak, we can also expect to see the appearance of characters that were very popular in the animated series. The likes of Misty, Brock, and the Team Rocket trio will make an appearance in Pokemon Switch, though this may be with some small changes made to their old formulas.
Pokemon Let’s Go and Pokemon Go
We already know that Pokemon Let’s Go borrows some mechanics heavily from its mobile sibling. On top of that, however, it’s also the two titles are going to share more than mechanical similarities – they’re going to be integrated with one another. If you’ve been on the fence about Pokemon Go, then picking up Pokemon Let’s Go might make you change your mind.
Trainers who aim to complete their Pokedexes are in for a treat. You’ll have the added functionality of being able to transfer Pokemon from Pokemon Go to Pokemon Let’s Go easily. If you pick up the Poke Ball Plus, then you’ll be able to go one step further and actually bring your Pokemon into the real world with you; they’ll be contained in the Poke Ball, waiting for you to call upon their aid in either Pokemon Go or Pokemon Let’s Go. Currently, you will be able to transfer Pokemon that were part of the original Kanto set, as well as their Alolan counterparts.
