New Pokémon Games Announced For Nintendo Switch, Features 'Pokémon GO' Integration

Nintendo has officially announced the Pokémon games “Let’s Go Pikachu!” and “Let’s Go Eevee!” for the Switch console. The games will be available for the Switch on Nov. 16 and they will take players back to the Kanto region to collect the original 151 Pokémon.

Editions of “Pokémon: Let’s Go” are directly inspired by “Pokémon Yellow,” which was originally released back in 1998 for the Game Boy. “Let’s Go Pikachu!” and “Let’s Go Eevee!” will take players back to the Kanto region with their starter Pokémon (Pikachu or Eevee) to capture other creatures using the unique controls of the Nintendo Switch.

Players of “Let’s Go Pikachu!” and Let’s Go Eevee!” will be able to play the game using only one Joy-Con controller. Players will be able to swing their Joy-Con controller to throw their Poké Balls to catch a Pokémon. Using a second Joy-Con will allow a second player to join in on the fun as well.

“We took inspiration from and used the ‘Pokémon Yellow’ Version as the base for these games,” Game Freak director Junichi Masuda said, as per Kotaku. “Those games came after [Pokémon Red and Blue] and what they did was take those original games, and add a bunch of elements from the animated series, like Team Rocket and other characters, to better resonate with young kids. We knew we wanted to try out new gameplay ideas with this game, and wanted to find a version to add onto where it would make the most sense.”

“Pokémon: Let’s Go” also introduces the Poké Ball Plus, a new device that lets users play the game in a new way. Poké Ball Plus looks like a Poké Ball, but it’s actually a motion controller that functions much like a Joy-Con. It’s able to light up in different colors, vibrate and play sounds. When a player catches a Pokémon, players will be able to hear and feel the creature inside the Poké Ball Plus.

“With the launch of ‘Pokémon GO’ in 2016 and the global sensation that ensued, millions of new players were introduced to the world of Pokémon,” Masuda said on Nintendo’s website. “For many people, ‘Pokémon GO’ was their first experience with the Pokémon brand, so we have crafted these two new titles to be an accessible entry point to our core RPG series while giving our longtime fans a new way to play Pokémon.”

“Pokémon: Let’s Go” also integrates with “Pokémon GO.” Players will be able to connect “Pokémon GO” to their “Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu!” or “Let’s Go Eevee!” game. If a player captures a Pokémon that’s originally from the Kanto region on “Pokémon GO,” the player will be able to transfer that captured monster to the Nintendo Switch game.

Both “Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu!” and “Pokémon: Let’s Go Eevee!” will be available for the Nitendo Switch on Nov. 16. Pricing for the Poké Ball Plus controller hasn’t been revealed yet. Meanwhile, Nintendo also confirmed that the new core Pokémon RPG that the company teased last year for the Switch will be released sometime in 2019.