Summary
Pokemon GOtook the world by storm when it was released in the summer of 2016, leading to a new wave of players experiencing the franchise for the first time. Nintendo and Game Freak capitalized on the global phenomenon that wasPokemon GOwith the release ofPokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveefor the Nintendo Switch in 2018 as a way to bring fans of the mobile game over to the main series. Now, five years later,Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveestill serve as great introductions to the franchise, while also helping the series as a whole evolve.
Although they were still part of Gen 7,Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveewere notable as being the first mainline games to be released on the Nintendo Switch. Longtime fans were initially skeptical at the notion of these games being the series' mainline debut on Nintendo’s new console, given that several key mechanics were changed to help the games appeal to newcomers. However, the legacy these games have left in the time since their release has demonstrated that they were released at the right time for the franchise, and continue to be the ideal way to play through theKanto Region.
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The Pokemon Let’s Go Games Bridge the Gap Between Pokemon GO and the Main Series
While catching critters has always been a core part of thePokemonseries,Pokemon GOintroduced a brand-new way to accomplish this task. Rather than battling a monster to weaken it before selecting the option to throw a Poke Ball, thegameplay ofPokemon GOfeatures a real-time catching system where players need to flick a Poke Ball at the critter and accurately hit it to have the chance to capture it. This gameplay mechanic was a pretty drastic departure from what veteran fans were accustomed to, but new fans who were introduced to the franchise throughPokemon GOwould likely never have known any differently.
As a result,Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveereworked the typical gameplay loop of randomly encountering mons in the tall grass, battling them to lower their HP, and then throwing a Poke Ball to try and catch them. Instead, players were completely unable to battle wild critters, and random encounters were removed entirely in favor of overworld spawns. Rather than battling wild monsters,Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and EeveeadoptedPokemon GO’s catching mechanics, even including the ability to swing theSwitch’s Joy-Con to throw a Poke Ball.
These games introduced other features to help acclimate new players to the franchise as well, including things like powerful moves known only by the player’s partner Pikachu or Eevee, the option for two-player co-op, and a special Poke Ball Plus peripheral that could be used in place of a Joy-Con. The games were also essentially a re-telling of the original Gen 1 games set in the Kanto Region, giving new players a similar experience to those who started with the Game Boy titles. While most of these features helpedmakePokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveeeasierthan usual, they still offered enough content to be worth series veterans' time.
The Poke Ball Plus peripheral that was released alongsidePokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveealso came with a special Mew that could be transferred to the game. However, some fans criticized the decision to lock this Mythical behind the purchase of an accessory, since it was the only way to obtain Mew in these games.
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New Mechanics Kept the Games Engaging for Veterans Too
WhenPokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveewere first revealed as the first main series titles coming to the Nintendo Switch, many veteran players were underwhelmed by the fact that the games drew heavy inspiration fromPokemon GOand were another set of remakes of the Gen 1 games. However, upon their release,Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveeended up being praised by all types of players for some of the novel ideas they brought to the series. New mechanics like the ability totransfer monsters fromPokemon GOgave fans of both the mainline and spin-off games a reason to check these entries out, and the addition of Master Trainers created a new post-game challenge.
Perhaps the most popular new mechanic among longtimePokemonfans was the change from random encounters to overworld spawns. Not only did this eliminate the annoyance of running into an unwanted wild battle, but it also made a popular activity likeshiny hunting inPokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveemuch easier since players could see a critter’s shiny variant appear in the overworld without having to initiate a battle. The overworld spawns ofPokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveewould go on to influence design elements of future generations, like the Wild Area ofPokemon Sword and Shield, and the fully-open world ofPokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Other Regions Deserve the Let’s Go Treatment
In the five years since their release,Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveehave remained outliers in the larger franchise as no games have followed their unique formula. Many players expected thatPokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveewould be the start of a new series of remakes that re-imagine previous generations in the same, simplified way they reimagine Gen 1. However, no such games have been announced to date, and the novelty ofPokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eeveehas settled enough at this point that it seems like afuturePokemon Let’s Gotitle is unlikely.
However, there is a good case to be made for other regions getting thePokemon Let’s Gotreatment, with the stand-out one beingGen 2’s Johto Region. It would make sense that Gen 2 would get this treatment after Gen 1 with a potentialPokemon Let’s Go Pichu and Togepi, but Johto’s history with features like egg hatching and the Pokewalker peripheral that came withPokemon HeartGold and SoulSilvermakes it an even more natural fit for aLet’s Go-style game. Even without a true follow-up,Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee’s legacy lives on in the generations that followed.
