Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Let’s Go, Eevee! Shown at E3

Following its Nintendo Direct E3 presentation, Nintendo devoted a section of its Treehouse: Live show to the upcoming Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Let’s Go, Eevee! titles that were recently announced. The forty-five minute video features Bill Trinen chatting with the game’s director Junichi Masuda and showing lots of aspects from the game.

The games blend a remake of Pokémon Yellow with elements from smartphone title Pokémon Go. The game is designed to be controlled with a single Joy-Con, and features local drop-in multiplayer using the second Joy-Con. 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, with successful captures providing experience points that level up the player’s party.

Pokémon Let’s Go features local drop-in multiplayer using the second Joy-Con, with 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. Players are able to trade and participate in single and double battles with others online. Players can choose to connect with specific friends by using link codes, which will match players who are using the same code.

In addition, Nintendo announced that the Poké Ball Plus peripheral, sold separately for $49.99 or in a bundle with the game priced at $99.99, lets players carry their Pokémon into the real world and also acts as a controller for Pokémon Let’s Go as well as a Pokémon Go Plus peripheral. It includes a Mew that can be transferred to the game. Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon Let’s Go, Eevee! are due to launch on November 16, 2018, with a standard retail price of $59.99.