Review: Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! And Poké Ball Plus (Nintendo Switch)

Start your journey as a rookie Pokémon Trainer, and catch, battle and form friendships with many Pokémon along the way! Journey through the Kanto region on an exciting adventure in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!

Pros:

• Beautiful colorful graphics.
• 4.1GB Download size.
• Ongoing tutorial.
• Controls- Joycon, Handheld and Poke Ball Plus.
• Save when you want.
• Classic Pokemon gameplay. Explore the world, Battle other trainers and catch wild Pokemon then face off against Gym leaders for badges.
• Connects with Pokemon Go (Sync but also share Pokemon)
• More streamlined intro to the game over previous titles. Lot less going from person to person and walking. Instead, you get into it quickly.
• Capture mode is using the Pokemon Go method. The ring moves continuously and you judge when to do the throwing motion to stop it. The ring goes different colors to help you judge how tough the capture could be.
• You see wild Pokemon running around and in the grass.
• Capture combo- Continue catching the same Pokemon over and over to build up the combo which increases the chances of landing the elusive shiny version.
• Cartoon looking cutscenes. (Not in game)
• Pokemon center- Heal your Pokemon for free.
• Can battle and trade with players online.
• Pet your Pokemon, Turns into a Tamagotchi style mini-game, Feed and clean your Pokemon and get rewards maybe.
• Same rock paper scissors style combat.
• Easy to swap between control methods.
• Menu/bag is all broken down into parts like healing items, Power-ups etc.
• Uses classic Pokemon pixel icons in menus.
• Easy for Pokemon Go players to get into.
• Gym- Boss battles and opens up more of the world. Generally, the leader will be a certain type and helps teach you about combat.
• Nursery- Leave Pokemon there to slowly level up.
• You can ride/fly certain Pokemon to travel around faster.
• Poke Ball Plus is easy to set up.
• Poke Ball Plus is the controller. The middle is a joystick for moving and can be clicked and used as a button. Another button is on the top for the menu. Shaking the ball goes into options and other menu interactions. Also makes throwing the ball authentic and next level badass.
• Poke Ball Plus Makes the noise of the Pokemon when caught.
• Poke Ball Plus vibrates as the ball rocks when doing captures.
• Poke Ball Plus works with Pokemon Go and when connected will automatically spin Pokestops for you!
• Poke Ball Plus- Can put a Pokemon in the ball and then walk around in order to increase its stats/exp.
• Pokemon earn EXP and level up. They can get new attacks and powers and you get the choice to forget or overwrite a previous attack/power. Some Pokemon can evolve into the next evolution once a certain level is achieved.
• Co-op support- Local two player, The second player is the opposite gender to you, Shares your bag/pokemon and outfit.
• All fights in co-op become a 2v1 scenario making it easier.
• Parents playing with a child, The second player can only run around in free roam and cannot press any buttons or use any menus.
• Pokedex- Keeps track of all the Pokemon you collect.
• Find hidden/obvious Pokeballs for bonus loot.
• Loads of replayability.
• A lot of game.
• Very easy to get into.
• Minimal loading screens.
• Bouncy happy soundtrack.
• Options allow you to turn off animations, Enable movie skipping and vibrate.

Cons:

• No in-game voice work just text.
• A lot of unavoidable fights and they get increasingly common as you advance.
• Capture ring is ever so different to Pokemon Go in that the ring continues to move as you throw the ball whereas in Go the ring stops as you begin the action.
• Have been informed the game is very close to a remake of Pokemon Yellow. I personally found a lot of Deja Vu moments.
• A slow starter in terms of building up a variety of Pokemon and traveling around.
• Pokemon battles can spawn on you giving you no chance.
• Needles animation scenes that are unaffected by the option choices.
• co-op is very underwhelming. The second player gets control of whatever Pokemon is second in your party.
• No touchscreen support.
• Traversing the land on a Pokemon especially on land is annoying as the Pokemon spawns and despawns so often as you do certain maneuvers.
• Co-op feels like easy mode making a mockery of all the fights.
• Hard to remove the second player sometimes.