Test Talks: Pokémon: Let’s Go!
I’m excited.
(At this point, if you haven’t listened to the latest episode of GameZilla Alpha, give it a listen. I was able to sit down and have a discussion with Deadite, Grimlock, and JazzE around this announcement).
I’ve had about a week to digest the initial reveal of Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu!/Eevee! and let all the other information from the conference roll out, and so I want to take a second to bullet point a few high-level thoughts as to why I’m excited for this new addition to the Pokémon franchise.
They’re being advertised as ‘simpler’:
Unlike Pokémon Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, we know going into the Let’s Go series that they’re going to be simpler games. We’ve already seen a more dulled-down catching mechanic and heard some early information about how leveling/experience will work, and overall the Pokémon formula we’ve known for 20 years has been modified to be a bit more accessible. While this isn’t exactly what I wanted, this helps me temper my expectations greatly (while longingly looking at the ‘core 2019’ release), and gears me towards avoiding the disappointment that I had with Sun and Moon in not knowing it was a hand-held story time adventure that nobody asked for.
Kanto Nostalgia:
“Who wants to go back to Kanto?”
“Haven’t we gone to Kanto enough?”
“When are they going to stop this nostalgia grab?”.
Shut up, all of you. As an original ‘genwunner,' the story that starts in Pallet Town and ends up Cerulean Cave is one that I hold in one of the fondest places in my heart. What better way to attract an entire new generation of Pokémon fans than in the same place we all started 20 years ago? Nostalgia pays the bills, and you’re foolish to think otherwise.
It’ll be fun:
As I said on the last episode of GameZilla Alpha, if there’s one thing Nintendo knows how to create, it’s a fun game. While I (likely) won’t be breeding for dozens of eggs looking for the right nature, IV, egg move combination, I will enjoy the novelty of ‘throwing’ a Pokéball to snag my newest team member, having my favorite Pokémon follow behind me, and seeing wild creatures in the over world for the first time. It’s undoubtedly going to be a different experience, but one I’m more willing to experience myself before casting the first stone.
Nintendo knows they’ve created something ultra-casual, which is why they’ve consistently reminded us that they have a traditional game coming out in the back half of 2019. I trust I’ll enjoy the Let’s Go addition to the Pokémon family and it’ll be a fantastic game to sell another couple million Nintendo Switches.
How are you feeling a week after the launch? Let me know in the comments below or visit us on the Discord for real-time conversation about this and many other topics.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, all this Pokémon talk has reignited my love for the franchise, so I’m going to head back to playing Pokémon Gold, Pokémon Go, and Pokémon Quest in rotation.