Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee for Switch - 16 November 2018

[Zaysho]

2 minutes ago, Celestia said:

Alternatively in the co-op both players use the same team and in, for example, double battles, one player commands three 'mons and the other player uses the rest...or something? I don't know.

In that one segment battling the Venonat, that seems like it could be the case. They didn't really emphasize local connectivity so much as they did co-op through sharing Joy-Cons, so I can see something like that happening.

[Salamander]

So it's a pure remake, rather than the rumoured sequel?  Pass.  I've run around Kanto four times now, so if they're not going to bring anything new to the table then I really don't care.  Stripping out Pokemon from Gen. II onwards seems like a rather dubious concession to nostalgia, given that it's going to severely limit the type representation; but then again, they're also making it so your starter Eevee can't evolve, so decisions which make sense aren't high on their agenda.

Not sure about the art style at all; there's something off about the trainers, lacking in charm.  The shading and proportions just aren't right...  I hope they don't stick to it for Gen. 8.  Full Pokemon-following representation is impressive, though, so fair play to them on that.  Not actually battling wild Pokemon?  ...I can take it or leave it, but I'm going to put down a wager that you still will have to battle the legendaries.

Edit: Confirmed no HMs, at least, but that probably just means they'll be replaced with plot events along the lines of receiving the PokéFlute to wake Snorlax.

[Celestia]

You see the player riding around on Charizard (who seems to be flying) and Onix, so it seems like Poke Ride is still a thing instead of HMs. Which matches with the leak, though they probably only had footage like this to go on so maybe it will turn out to be something else?

[QuantumEdge]

Sounds like a nifty little thing.  Like a super casual version of a regular game.  However I need to say it:  I am sick and tired of Gen I nostalgia pandering, so when these are released can they just look to the future once and for all?  Anyway, some of the features do look pretty fun, but really when it gets down to it's just Red & Blue with stripped back features and HD paint slavered all over it, or a more advanced Go if you're looking for a more positive spin.  It's not the end of the world, but I sure am glad they were quick to mention a proper instalment for next year.  Guess it makes sense, given how making Gen VII just two years long would seem a but silly.

[Blue Blood]

Pokémon continues to move in a direction that emphasises the more child-friendly, casual and cutesy aspects of the franchise. Pokémon always had those things, but it didn't always feels like it was just for children. I don't like the look of this one bit.

[Kuzu]

15 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

Pokémon continues to move in a direction that emphasises the more child-friendly, casual and cutesy aspects of the franchise. Pokémon always had those things, but it didn't always feels like it was just for children. I don't like the look of this one bit.

It's a spin off at least, but yea.

 

GO brought in a whole new generation of fans, so capitalizing on that makes sense, but the entitled fan in me is like "Screw this" lol.

[Blue Blood]

Just now, Kuzu the Boloedge said:

It's a spin off at least, but yea.

GO brought in a whole new generation of fans, so capitalizing on that makes sense, but the entitled fan in me is like "Screw this" lol.

It's a spin-off, but it's also a Gen I remake. And just for the record, I really don't like any of the Gen 6 and 7 games. Pokémon is just moving is a really unlikable direction. This is definitely part of that, even if it is technically a spin-off with a more standard entry coming next year. After X/Y and S/M disappointed me so much, I'm not exactly feeling optimistic.

[Kuzu]

5 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

It's a spin-off, but it's also a Gen I remake. And just for the record, I really don't like any of the Gen 6 and 7 games. Pokémon is just moving is a really unlikable direction. This is definitely part of that, even if it is technically a spin-off with a more standard entry coming next year. After X/Y and S/M disappointed me so much, I'm not exactly feeling optimistic.

Maybe you should consider moving on if you haven't been enjoying the series? A break?

 

Pokemon is in this weird limbo where fans either think things change too little or too much. As somebody who still enjoys playing the games (if a little less so nowadays) I tend to wonder what people want.

[Marcello]

I don't think Game Freak considers these spin-offs: 

Quote

Quote

『ポケットモンスター Let’s Go! ピカチュウ』『ポケットモンスター Let’s Go! イーブイ』は、Nintendo Switchソフトとして発売する『ポケットモンスター』シリーズ最新作。1998年にゲームボーイソフトとして発売した『ポケットモンスター ピカチュウ』をベースに、遊び方やシナリオを再構築した作品だ。Nintendo Switchと『Pokémon GO』の特徴をかけあわせることで、全く新しい体験ができる『ポケットモンスター』となっているぞ！

Quote

Debuting on the Nintendo Switch, "Pocket Monsters Let's Go! Pikachu" and "Pocket Monsters Let's Go! Eevee" are the new games in the "Pocket Monster" series. It uses Pocket Monsters Yellow, which was released in 1998 for the Game Boy, as base to build a work with a new scenario and new gameplay.

In Japan, only mainline games are called Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター); spin-offs use Pokémon.

http://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/pika_vee/switch/

 

https://www.resetera.com/threads/official-jp-site-for-lets-go-confirms-theyre-the-new-mainline-games-in-the-pocket-monsters-series.45683/

[Blue Blood]

14 minutes ago, Kuzu the Boloedge said:

Maybe you should consider moving on if you haven't been enjoying the series? A break?

Maybe I should just maintain the same passing interest that I currently have for the series that I once liked a lot more than I do now, and should be free to express my disappointment with the the way it's going? I passed on USUM, initially passed on ORAS for a couple of years until I was persuaded to give it a go by fellow fans and I'm probably going to pass on this too. 

Please don't tell me that I should move on or take a break. That's really kind of unnecessary. I'm not shitting up the discussion or anything here. I don't like what I'm seeing, and expressing that shouldn't be an issue. 

[DarkRula]

I can get down with a more exploration-based game, even if it is Kanto. I can hardly remember anything from generations 2 and 4, so I don't really feel I've seen Kanto as much as some have. Eevee is one of my favourites, and it'll be good to start off with one again - just like in Gale of Darkness. And this is probably the closest the games will get to the Gamecube games.

I'm still waiting on gameplay videos and such to see how it really plays, so I'm expecting at least one segment on day two of the Treehouse during E3.

[Salamander]

Although HMs are gone, they probably haven't been replaced with PokéRide in this game because apparently you automatically ride on any sufficiently large Pokemon.

Additionally, so far as the special new Pokemon goes, now that it's confirmed that your Eevee can't evolve then I'm dubious of the new Pokemon being a new Eeveelution.  It just seems spiteful to taunt you with a new Pokemon your partner by all rights should be able to become but can't for arbitrary reasons.  Not that I don't think GameFreak would do it, though.

Actually... what is the point in not letting Pikachu and Eevee evolve in these games?  In the original Yellow, it was inspired by the game's basis in the manga/anime, but there are no traces of this being another manga/anime adaptation so...?

3 hours ago, Kuzu the Boloedge said:

GO brought in a whole new generation of fans, so capitalizing on that makes sense, but the entitled fan in me is like "Screw this" lol.

I mean, presumably it's the Go fans who bought enough new 3DS consoles and copies of Sun/Moon to extend the lifespan of the entire platform by several years, so it seems a bit late to be capitalising on them with a stripped-back game.

[gato]

This game is not for me, and I'll happily ignore it. But the fact that it's a Kanto remake (the easiest region to remake) with the original 151 (152?) and with a lot of features people have asked for regarding interaction with your Pokémons and customization really leaves me this feeling like this could be a base for what is to come.

I'm not sure how influential this title will be for the next one, but it makes me wonder how much this game's success (I can't see this not selling) will affect the franchise's future.

But maybe I'm worrying too much since Pokémon has a history of introducing features and forgetting about them when the next gen rolls.

[BlueFlare]

Not for me. Give me a Sinnoh remake instead.

[Kuzu]

6 hours ago, Blue Blood said:

Maybe I should just maintain the same passing interest that I currently have for the series that I once liked a lot more than I do now, and should be free to express my disappointment with the the way it's going? I passed on USUM, initially passed on ORAS for a couple of years until I was persuaded to give it a go by fellow fans and I'm probably going to pass on this too. 

Please don't tell me that I should move on or take a break. That's really kind of unnecessary. I'm not shitting up the discussion or anything here. I don't like what I'm seeing, and expressing that shouldn't be an issue. 

I never told you how you should feel, you're free to express yourself how you want.

However, I was merely giving a suggestion because that's usually what most people do who grow tired of a series they follow over time.

So sorry if you took that the wrong way.

[ThePrinceOfSaiyans]

I mean, I'm growing tired of this series, but I don't think that's affecting my opinion of these games. These games just look really bare bones, and unappealing. I'm not sure why people would be interested in a sort of hybrid of  the core games and Go that removes most of what's appealing about the core games. At the end of the day this is just a 40-60$ DLC, which is disappointing. I was expecting a usual remake with Pokemon Go integration.

[Pawn]

Apparently there is some online functionality and any evidence to the contrary was a mistranslation. I've amended the OP.

EDIT: From IGN:

Quote

When asked if trading and battling is possible between Pokemon Let’s Go on Nintendo Switch, Masuda said, “Yes of course we have trading in the game. It’s one of the reasons we always have two versions.”

Version-exclusive Pokemon will exist in Let’s Go, like the many Pokemon games before it. Battling and trading are both available online and locally, but online ranked battles will not be available, and as for the Nintendo Switch Online service launching in August, Masuda said they "don’t have any plans to utilize the online service right now."

 

[Sonictrainer]

Graphics comparison by Gamexplain

[Tornado]

Did Eevee always sound like a Klonoa character?

 

 

 

It's really odd that it's a Gen I remake (and not even one of Yellow, that you'd expect it to work best with). It's obviously a nostalgia grab no matter how good it actually ends up being, but Gen I and II were always inseparable in that regard; so I suspect it's simply so they don't have to actually do as much work.

[NegaMix]

15 minutes ago, Tornado said:

Did Eevee always sound like a Klonoa character?

I think it's sounded like that since the XY anime, at the very latest. Maybe earlier.

...

Anyway, to me this just looks like a game designed to get Pokémon Go players interested in the main series, by bridging the two styles together. They probably just figured that Gen 1 was the simplest game/region to remake, as uninteresting and nostalgia-grabby it may be.

Can't say I'm too interested in this, but I might keep an eye on it.

[Johnny Boy]

Only 151 Pokémon to catch, and eevee can’t even evolve despite that being the main fucking reason for it’s existance? Yeah wake me up when the real Pokémon games for switch are announced.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

9 minutes ago, Johnny Boy said:

eevee can’t even evolve despite that being the main fucking reason for it’s existance?

Did we get confirmation on that?

[Pawn]

1 hour ago, Jovahexeon Sonic Heroes said:

Did we get confirmation on that?

I forgot to add that but yes, it is confirmed they cannot evolve:

Quote

For starters, you won't be able to evolve your partner Pokémon regardless of the version, though you will be able to find and evolve other Pikachus and Eevees in the wild. However, only the original 150 Pokémon will be included, so Eevee will not be able to transform into anything other than Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Flareon. Alolan versions of some of the original 150 Pokémon will appear, however.

 

[Pawn]

EDIT: Some gifs courtesy of Lady Bow of Resetera:

Spoiler

 

[Muscles Maximum]

Honestly, I really like this. Pokémon has always been my favorite franchise, and Pokémon blue was my very first game. I’ve stuck around for every single generation, and I’m totally okay with this.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve been playing games less and less, and I usually go back to replay the older Pokémon games, and lately I just haven’t been able to finish. Random encounters interrupting my flow, walking around in hopes I’ll run into what I want just feels like I’m wasting time, and keeping a Pokémon weak so I can use it to weaken wild ones I want to catch without fainting them or trying to keep something with a sleep inducing move is just more trouble than it’s worth. I’m okay with this. I like that wild Pokémon are visible in the overworld like Earthbounds enemies.

I have my preferences when it comes to Pokémon. And I love gen 1 so I’m 100% okay with only the original 151 available. I can make due with what they give me. There will be tons of other games I can get Umbreon, Hitmontop, Heracross, Glalie, Swampert, Honchkrow, Swanna, Hawlucha, Toucannon and other favorites of mine . It’s okay. If anything I find being limited once again refreshing. I’ve replayed red, blue, yellow, fire red and leaf green countless times, and I still haven’t even come close to using every Pokémon in those games in a single battle, let alone find a spot on my team. It’ll be alright. I’m not at all bothered.

Something like this is bound to happen to the main series regardless. They can’t just continue to make an infinite number of new Pokémon for years and years. And on top of that expect every Pokémon ever to exist in the same space on a cartridge. There’s gotta be a limit eventually. It’s just not sustainable. Rebooting the franchise in a way for there to be a completely new start will happen at some point. A complete shakeup of the established Pokémon formula so many fans are growing tired of is bound to happen. This game may be testing the waters to see fan reaction to a new beginning.

And to be truthful I’ve thought Pokémon as a game series has been absolutely soulless since XY. The games have just been so boring. It’s just all the same. There’s no life in the 3D models. No expression on your characters face. No style. No flair. Nothing is left to your imagination. Just dead looking 3D models with washed out colors staring at each other with an occasional idle animation if you don’t touch anything for a while. I don’t know. Even Sun and Moon which everyone thought was a breath of fresh air and a much needed change of pace still felt hollow to me. That’s my biggest worry with this. It’ll probably be more of that. I’m not worried about revisiting Kanto for the 37th time. I’m not worried about only being able to use 151 Pokémon. I’m worried about another boring and lifeless experience with my favorite series. Pokémon will always have a place in my heart, and this looks like it’ll be nice for me to go through once or twice. Maybe it can lead to bigger and better things in the future.

Also, since this game is meant to be more geared towards casual fans, maybe they can completely get rid of IVs, EVs, and natures or just completely rework them in a way that's not obnoxious. I haven't played Pokemon GO and I know they use CP in that, but i have no idea how it works. I've been EV training since Emerald and have done my fair share of competitive battling, messed around with showdown, and I still find myself coming up with new movesets for Pokemon I wanna use, but my god breeding for IVs, catching pokemon with a nature that completely destroys what its meant to do, it's just awful. They've made breeding for optimal IVs so much easier than it used to be, but it's still such a bother. Even on casual playthroughs, if I catch a modest Machop I simply cannot use it. I don't care that in a normal in game playthough it wouldn't really matter. I cannot allow myself to use a Pokemon I know is gimped. My brain won't allow it. I remember back when natures were introduced and I was young I wanted all my Pokemon to be brave natured just like me. But now, oof I shudder at the thought.