REVIEW

Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee Review

by Rob Pritchard, December 28th, 2018

If you are a fan of video games and have never played a Pokémon title before, it is possible that you have spent the last twenty-two years in solitary confinement. Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee are the latest games in the long running franchise, and the first titles to be developed exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Defying all expectations, Game Freak have opted to use a Celebi powered time machine to take us back to the earliest days of the Pokémon series, to keep us in suspense for the next mainline titles arriving sometime in 2019.

At their core, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee are current generation remakes of Pokémon Yellow, which was released for the Game Boy back in 1998 in Japan, and in the year 2000 in Europe. The main aim of the game is to travel across the game world capturing animal like creatures named Pokémon, after being given one by the local researcher named Professor Oak. The primary goal of the game is to train your creatures to fight for you against other Pokémon owners, that are referred to as trainers. Along your journey to become the most powerful Pokémon trainer in the Kanto region, you must defeat boss characters known as Gym Leaders, take down the criminal organisation known as Team Rocket and face off against your rival whenever he shows his overly friendly face.

Fans of the anime will be pleased to learn that Jessie, James and Meowth, the bumbling Team Rocket antagonists that seem to blast off more times than a NASA space shuttle have returned, and we get to see more of them than ever before. Throughout the narrative, each character is vibrant and expressive, showcasing their unique personalities in various ways, such as the smirk inducing expressions after defeating certain types of trainer.

Unlike Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green, which implemented the abilities and natures mechanics from the third generation, these new remakes have gone back to the bare basics. What this means is that only the Dark, Steel and Fairy types, as well as the gender and shiny mechanics and the Mega Evolution system have made a repeat appearance. The breeding system has also been excluded, so you will need to wait until a possible sequel before you can expect an Egg from the Day Care couple.

As you might have guessed, your starting Pokémon is determined by the version that you choose to buy. Both Pikachu and Eevee are evenly balanced, meaning that there is little to no difficulty change between either version. Your first Pokémon is referred as your Partner Pokémon, as they have unique behaviours and abilities that other Pokémon do not. As well as riding on your head or shoulder, they can be dressed in new clothes, taught special elemental moves to give them advantages in battle and perform physics defying special techniques which replace the Hidden Machines found in the original game. The most bemusing of which is Sky Dash, which conjures a bicycle with balloons that carries the player across the world to wherever they have chosen to land.

One of the other consequences of excluding the majority of post first generation content means that you are only able to capture the original 150 species from the first generation. The only exceptions being Mew, as well as two new species which are numbered 152 and 153 in the Kanto Pokedex. While some fans may be upset at the lack of Pokémon species from the other seven generations, the smaller amount makes the task of trying to catch them all a more manageable task, as well as reproducing the experience of the original games.

While the older games in the series required you to weaken wild Pokémon to capture them, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee have opted to use the simplified catching mechanic found in Pokémon Go, where you can only use Berries to distract or incapacitate your opponent. The motion controlled catching mechanics are entertaining, whether you decide to use one of the Joy Cons, or the optional Poke Ball Plus accessory. Any players that prefer the original capturing style will be pleased to learn that battles against Legendary Pokémon such as Moltres and Mewtwo will need to be weakened in a battle before they can be caught.

If Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee are your first experience of the Pokémon franchise, you can be assured that you will see everything the series has to offer, alongside some modern alterations which are for the most part beneficial to your adventure. One of the more controversial omissions from the original Pokemon Yellow is the removal of the Safari Zone. It has been replaced by the GO Park, where you able to send your captured Pokémon from Niantic’s Pokémon GO mobile game. This connection between console and mobile gaming works well, and provides players with an incentive to utilise the portable AR dependant title by allowing you to capture the exclusive Mythical Pokémon known as Meltan and Melmetal.

One of the key concepts of a modern Pokémon game are the multiplayer elements, which can be accessed via local wireless or through the Nintendo Network. Both options worked without issue and appear to be much quicker than the online multiplayer offered in previous titles. The long pauses which were present in the battles have been eliminated, and the trading sequences are practically instantaneous. There were some minor issues with the Pokémon GO connectivity on rare occasions, but most of the time the Pokémon transferred over without any difficulties.

The graphical style of the Pokémon series constantly evolves with each entry, and Pokémon Lets Go Pikachu and Eevee has once again raised the bar. The cel shaded graphics showcase the extra detail in the game world and character models, all without a trace of slowdown in the frame rate or exceptionally long loading times. The soundtrack has a wide selection of classical styled remixes of the original game’s music, alongside new tracks which are suited perfectly to the Pokémon series, such as the tune that are accompanies you whilst wandering around the GO Park.

Overall, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee are a set of entertaining spin offs from the mainline Pokémon franchise that fulfil the needs of new and returning players alike. While the streamlined wild encounter system may divide some players, the newly enhanced graphics along with the connectivity with Pokémon GO provides a substantial taste of the creature capturing experience that Nintendo Switch players have been waiting for.