Pokémon’s little yellow mascot takes the spotlight once again this week, making his live-action film debut in Warner Bros’ highly anticipated Detective Pikachu. While the movie is a big shift from what we’d usually expect to come out of the Pokémon universe, it does draw heavily from what made the series a worldwide phenomenon to start with – especially when it comes to the love it gives the titular hero. In celebration of its release (and due to just a smidge of hype), we’ve decided to revisit Pikachu’s most recent outing on the Nintendo Switch – in yet another quest to catch ’em all.
Being the second remake of a game from the late 90’s, the announcement that Pokémon: Let’s Go would be the first RPG in the series to hit the Switch was met with mixed reactions. Pokémon Yellow, the original from which this is based, hit its 20 year anniversary during the same year – so this new release had a nice bit of symmetry. However fans had been holding out for an entirely new adventure – one that would take advantage of the power and flexibility of the new Nintendo hardware – and so were torn to learn that they’d be getting a remake using mechanics from the popular free-to-play mobile game, Pokémon Go.
Despite this, Let’s Go still captured the majority of fans upon release late in 2018, predominantly because Nintendo and Game Freak had achieved exactly what they’d set out to do. This entry was never about further inflating the roster of catchable creatures or developing new regions and deeper competitive play – it was created as a celebration. A tribute to the series’ roots – its original characters, gameplay and world. In stripping back many of the franchise’s growing layers and complexities, Let’s Go was able to tap into what made series such a hit all those years ago – and in doing so, it was a success.
Before even starting the game, you have a choice to make. In usual Pokémon RPG fashion, the franchise’s first big Switch entry is split into two releases: Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee. Both versions are almost identical, save for a few Pokémon exclusive to each version – and, of course, your partner for the journey. Your partner Pokémon will play a much larger role than in any past entry, often playing a role in most of the adventure’s story beats. It also has access to exclusive moves and, despite not being able to evolve, is strong enough to be an unassuming little powerhouse in battle. You’ll come across numerous outfits and accessories for them too, as they’ll be travelling out in the overworld with you at all times (they also come in handy as the game’s fast travel system and field-move users). What I’m getting at is that Pikachu and Eevee are central to just about everything that goes on, so make sure to pick your favourite before you dive in. Once you do get started, you’re quickly introduced to your chosen sidekick before being sprung into your new adventure across Kanto.
I use the word ‘new’ loosely here, with Kanto being the oldest and most recognisable region in all of Pokémon. However the Nintendo Switch has allowed for quite a significant step up with regards to how the game looks and plays. The towns, routes and characters of Kanto have never looked better, and – despite this huge facelift – almost every area of the game has been faithfully reconstructed as they were in the original. The path through Viridian Forest is still exactly the same as it was 20 years ago, and you can still pay an outrageous sum of money for a Magikarp in the Pokémon centre outside Mt Moon.
Yet for all its similarities, there are a number of changes that have been made in bringing the adventure to the current gen. For example, the Safari Zone has been completely removed and replaced by ‘Go Park’ – a dedicated area for connecting with the player’s Pokémon Go mobile collection. It’s a great way of bridging the two games and rewarding dedicated fans, but cutting the Safari Zone completely still feels like a misstep given its size in the original. This is only one of the changes arising as a result of Pokemon’s recent mobile success, with the classic Pokémon formula receiving some significant adjustments as well.
Let’s start with the battles, or rather, the lack of them. You will no longer battle wild Pokémon you wander through tall grass, dark caves or while crossing water. Instead, battles are strictly reserved for gym leaders and other trainers – of which there are admittedly quite a few across Kanto. The battles themselves are the same as always, albeit a lot more detailed and dynamic. Experience gained through these battles is shared amongst the entire team, meaning you’re not made weaker by the reduced battle practice you’ll be getting. You’ll also strengthen your team by catching wild Pokémon that you come across on the road, which brings us to the other major change introduced here.
Random wild Pokémon encounters are out, with the player now able to see each critter roaming about in the field. Gone are the days of tripping over the same Pidgey or Geodude every few steps, as you can now pick your next catch – or avoid them altogether if you like. Once you run into your target, the encounter itself will immediately be recognisable for fans of Pokémon Go – in that all you’re required to do is make a well-timed Pokéball throw to land a catch. This is fairly simple and fun when in handheld mode, yet docking the Switch and breaking out the motion controls is almost always a bad time. Your throws are often misread, and once you’re up against Pokémon who like to move around a bit, you’ve got no chance.
For the most part, these changes are actually a benefit to the adventure. Battles are more exciting and enjoyable because you’re not fighting off waves of Zubat and Tentacool every few minutes. Being able to pick and choose your next encounter is a huge plus, and the focus on catching rather than battling means you end up creating quite a collection without really thinking about it. These freedoms also allow you to enjoy your adventure without getting too bogged down in the workings of it all. The plot itself remains largely unchanged, having you make your way to the top of the Pokémon League – stopping briefly to dismantle a criminal organisation in the background when needed. There’s been a huge attention to detail in delivering the story here, with Oak, Brock, Misty, Jessie and James all looking exactly as you remember them from morning TV in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. There are also a number of easter eggs and references peppered throughout for long-time fans, right down to a marooned truck parked suspiciously off the docks of Vermillion City.
Whilst being positioned as a nostalgic love letter to fans who have been following the series for decades, Let’s Go also cements itself as the perfect entry point for a new generation of fans to step in. Shifting the formula to match the style of the insanely popular Pokémon Go creates an easy transition for many new players, and the reduced overall difficulty results in a smoother learning curve for less experienced players. You can even bring another player along for some couch co-op, taking part in joint battles and coordinated catches to make life even simpler.
The addition of these extras doesn’t mean that all of the game’s challenge is gone, however. Upon clearing the main story, you’re given the chance to earn ‘master’ titles from new trainers that have appeared all across Kanto. Most will require you to challenge their favourite Pokémon with an identical one you have raised – the battle deciding which of the two trainers should be named ‘master’ of that particular Pokémon. While it certainly creates a large amount of content after the credits roll, you’ll really have to ask yourself if it’s worth training almost 150 different Pokémon up to their absolute max – just to be named something like ‘Goldeen Master’. Otherwise you can track down some challenging trainers from the original games – or, better yet, take the Master Ball for a walk through the dark depths of Cerulean Cave.
Whether you’re returning to Kanto with years of experience, or you’re a newcomer starting your first adventure, Let’s Go does an excellent job of pleasing both sides of the spectrum. While erring on the side of the less experienced crowd more often than not, Nintendo and Game Freak have included enough challenge and nostalgia to appeal to the existing dedicated fanbase as well. Whilst not officially “core” games, meaning that not all of these changes will be carried into future instalments, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee have provided a glimpse of what the future holds for the series – while at the same time recognising all that made Pokémon so special to begin with.
Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu & Let’s Go Eevee are available now on Nintendo Switch.