The old cash cow we all know and love is still running strong, it seems! The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo have just announced three new Pokémon games for the Switch: “Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!,” “Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!,” and “Pokémon Quest.” While available now on the Switch, “Quest” is promised to also come to mobile devices some time this June!
“Pokémon: Let’s Go!”:
Inspired by the 1998 title “Pokémon Yellow” and taking some gameplay cues from “Pokémon GO,” “Pokémon: Let’s Go!” takes players back to Kanto for a new adventure. Setting out with your partner Pikachu in “Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu!” or Eevee in “Pokémon: Let’s Go Eevee!,” these titles are using the Switch’s capabilities to change up gameplay a bit. For example, you will use the Joy-Cons to throw Poké Balls. The game even boasts a two-player cooperative mode, so that you can battle and explore alongside your friends, rather than simply duking it out. About time, right? Only took them twenty years…
These games are designed as introductions for new players, nostalgia kicks for hardcore fans, and an expedition into nuanced gameplay.
“For many people, Pokémon GO was their first experience with the Pokémon brand, so we have crafted these two new titles to be an accessible entry point to our core RPG series while giving our longtime fans a new way to play Pokémon.” — Junichi Masuda, Director at GAME FREAK inc.
Players can even link their “Pokémon GO” accounts with “Let’s Go!” to transfer Kanto Pokémon caught in “GO” onto the Switch! Now I might actually want to pick up that mediocre mobile game again!
Alongside “Pokémon: Let’s Go!,” Nintendo is also separately releasing a device called The Poké Ball Plus. Players can use the motion controls in this instead of the Joy-Con to throw balls. The Poké Ball Plus comes with vibrations, lights, and sounds, so that players can feel the Pokémon that they are capturing as it struggles within the ball. For those of you who remember the Poké Walker from “Heart Gold” and “Soul Silver,” the Poké Ball Plus will serve a similar function. Players will be able to take one of their favorite buddies as they walk around the real world. Aside from spending time with your favorite pocket monster, there will be various rewards for doing so once the Pokémon is returned to the Switch game.
“Pokémon Quest”:
“Minecraft” must have just been too popular, because now even Pokémon are coming in cubes! “Pokémon Quest” takes place on Tumblecube Island where, you guessed it, everything is cube-shaped. This free-to-start game has players adventuring across the island in search for treasure, undiscovered locales, and, of course, wild Pokémon.
Players can cook treats and use various items to tempt new Pokémon into joining them, use Power Stones to customize their Pokémon’s stats, and decorate their base camp with collectibles that have in-game benefits. The developer, GAME FREAK, has also noted that battling works via tap controls. Let’s hope that they ramped up their game from “Pokémon GO” because, let’s be honest, those controls were as boring as it gets.
Release Dates:
“Pokémon Quest” is available now for downloading from the Nintendo eShop. Later this June, however, they will also release the title to mobile devices!
“Pokémon: Let’s Go!” is promised to launch on November 16th of this year, along with the Poké Ball Plus at participating retailers.
Further Reading:
For more information about “Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu!” and “Pokémon: Let’s Go Eevee!,” follow this link to their website!
For more about “Pokémon Quest,” you can visit their website here!
