New Pokémon Switch Titles Announced
The Pokémon Company held its Pokémon 2018 Video Game Press Conference in Tokyo, during which it announced multiple titles in the Pokémon franchise. Three new titles were revealed in the presentation, all of which are coming to the Nintendo Switch.
The first of the new titles revealed was Pokémon Quest. A “free-to-start” action RPG developed by Game Freak for Nintendo Switch, which is available to download now from the Nintendo eShop (with a smartphone release coming at the end of June), Pokémon Quest sees players using cube-shaped versions Pokémon to explore Tumblecube Island to find a special treasure. The game features all 150 Pokémon from Pokémon Red & Blue, and uses both touchscreen and Joy-Con controls. Players befriend Pokémon, assembling a party of three and adventure out into stages, collecting Power Stones that enhance the abilities of Pokémon they are equipped on.
Players have a base camp where the Pokémon they have befriended play together. The base camp can be upgraded and features a cooking pot at its centre, where players can create food by putting ingredients in the pot. After choosing a team of three Pokémon, players head out to a new stage, the number of the stage showing its difficulty. The Pokémon team will move around the stage on its own and automatically engage other Pokémon and pick up items. Players simply need to tap the icons to tell Pokémon to use their moves.
The next reveal involved a pair of games, Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Pokémon Let’s Go, Eevee!, which are considered part of the mainline series. The games blend a remake of Pokémon Yellow with elements from smartphone title Pokémon Go. Pokémon Let’s Go is designed to be controlled with a single Joy-Con, and features local drop-in multiplayer using the second Joy-Con.
The partner Pokémon is determined by which version players purchase. Players can pet and interact in other ways with their Pikachu or Eevee partner. In addition to their partner, who rides on their head, players can also be followed by any other Pokémon in their party, and can even ride on some of the larger ones. Wild Pokémon are now visible on screen before being encountered and there are no wild Pokémon battles in Pokémon Let’s Go. Instead the game goes straight to a capture mode that utilises the simple Poké Ball throwing system from Pokémon Go with the Joy-Con motion controls. Trainer battles are still fully present, however. The multiplayer aspect sees the second player joining as a support character. The second character can assist in catching Pokémon and in battles by letting them throw two Poké Balls at once or compete in two-on-two battles.
Pokémon Let’s Go will connect with Pokémon Go, allowing players to transfer Pokémon from the original Kanto-region species, including Alolan forms, from Go into Let’s Go. The Pokémon Company also revealed a new device called Poké Ball Plus. The Poké Ball Plus is a Poké Ball-shaped device that functions as a controller for Pokémon Let’s Go as well as a Pokémon Go Plus device, featuring an LED light, speakers, and HD rumble. The Poké Ball Plus also lets players put Pokémon “inside” and take them around with them, with more details about this feature to be released at a later date. Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Pokémon Let’s Go, Eevee! will be released for Nintendo Switch along with the Poké Ball Plus on November 16, 2018.
Finally, a mention was made of the upcoming eighth generation mainline Pokémon game, which is yet to be titled. The game is currently being developed simultaneously with Pokémon Let’s Go, with a released planned on the Nintendo Switch in the second half of 2019.
Pokémon Quest Screenshots
Pokémon Let’s Go Screenshots
Pokémon Quest Trailer
Pokémon Let’s Go Trailer
Full Press Conference
I was initially skeptical of Pokemon Let’s Go, as they are Kanto remakes (again) and are even more casual than previous games. They do seem really cute, especially with being able to ride on your larger Pokemon and having them follow you like in HeartGold/SoulSilver. This may not be A day-one purchases, unless that “new Pokemon” for Pokemon Go is from Gen 8 and there’s a limited amount of time that it can be obtained.
Speaking of Gen 8, please take all the time you need on that, Game Freak. 🙂
I’m personally excited for Let’s Go. I’m perfectly fine with the more casual mechanics. I’m leaning towards Eevee, since I walk with an Umbreon on my phone.
so … exactly how many peripherals have to be purchased to fully enjoy this game? game, switch, controllers, cel phone, pokeball … so much plastic trash… Nintendo ~_~; also I am sick of gimmicky Minecraft graphics and poorly animated characters with too much bloom effect.