Pokemon Let’s GO Pikachu and Eevee

What can I say finally after many years we get the pokemon game on console that many have wanted, yes it’s not a new generation like many hoped for it’s a remake of pokemon yellow. Which I personally don’t see an issue as I’m sure nintendo needed a starting foundation to make sure there weren’t any major bugs or coding problems for their next pokemon game and honestly what better version to be remade then yellow. Pokemon Yellow had some of the best features from the first few games The fact that all 150 pokemon were on the same cartridge, you had pikachu following you around, and similar to the tv show you found bulbasaur squirtal and charmander and made them yours without the need to trade for them.

So then where is the issue? Why are people being so negative about the games? Well in simple terms a few of the changes made didn’t sit well with hardcore fans which I can understand. I’m not happy about the catching method but that’s not stopping me from enjoying the game, another is you can’t fight wild pokemon anymore which that in itself is a bit of an issue because then to train your pokemon you are forced to fight everyone and catch as many pokemon as possible over and over again but even then that’s not enough as you struggle to train the party that you like and may be forced to use random pokemon that you catch just to make it through or you can toughen it out and keep fighting and working on your current party.

I can see that being a big negative which after a certain area in the game it is but I mean come on it’s pokemon. I have been wanting this exact product for years and I for one am super hyped that nintendo has done this and they have even said that the next chapter in pokemon arrives in 2019 so people come on, take the game for what it is an amazing rework and enjoy it till the next gen releases.

Now these two games even tho they are remakes of yellow they feel more like a mixture of all 3 games red, blue and yellow. You see the only feature they implemented was the version exclusive pokemon which isn’t an issue if your an avid pokemon go player which I’ll explain later on. Now my love for this game is seeing everything that made the game fun going through Kanto after so many years makes me feel like the first time I started playing pokemon red on my gameboy pocket… yes I’m old I know lol, but anyways I’ve seen so many memories facing off against Brock and his rock types to getting the dome fossile to visiting the S.S Ann to get the cut h.m which sadly for this game H.M’s don’t exist more on that later. My point is this game has brought back so many memories that I for one even though I have found my gripes with it am truly thankful for nintendo giving us this long awaited gem.

Like any remake there are changes to the game and this is no exception. Firstly the biggest would be the lack of an actual safari zone which is now a small safari park with a few pokemon. The zone has been replaced with the pokemon go park which is where you send any kanto region pokemon you transfer over from pokemon go. I have tested this feature out. I sent my extra dratini over because I didn’t want to wait till end game to try and get a Dragonite. The one part about this that I found annoying is that you have to catch your own pokemon again. Why do I have to go through that much trouble for my own pokemon? I should be able to walk in there, claim my pokemon, and move on. I don’t know why nintendo did it that way but they did.

The next noticeable change like I mentioned earlier is that the H.M’s are gone and are now renamed as secret techniques that your starting partner learns. This is a plus as you don’t waste a move slot on the h.m but I do hope in the next generation game nintendo brings this back. I miss the struggle of which pokemon to make the h.m only mon, and it’s a bit comical and weird seeing my partner eevee learn to fly a balloon powered bike so that I can fly to places and I just learned surf so now I can see eevee riding a surfboard to get me places which honestly always makes me smile as I see eevee making it obvious that she will be learning the moves and not me like there intended to. Now as I haven’t played this game in years I forgot where to get flash and ended up traversing rock tunnel in the dark so kudos to me.

Now the newest feature to these games is the ability to connect your nintendo switch with your mobile device and connecting your pokemon go and let’s go games so that you can 1 way transfer pokemon into let’s go, yes you read that right 1 way transfer so make sure 1 million percent sure before you transfer any pokemon over that you either A. Have a much better version of the pokemon or B. Have more than one of the same pokemon before you transfer them as you will not be able to get them back period. I personally like this as you’re helping yourself complete your pokedex which any pokemon trainer knows that is not an easy thing to do.

There are a few ways you can play the game if you paid the extra cash for the version that brings the pokeball. You can play in docked mode and the pokeball becomes your controller, I wasn’t able to buy that version. I have the basic copy which I can still play in docked mode with the switch controller to move and catch pokemon but I want the old fashion feeling I play in handheld mode and catch pokemon by pressing A which I don’t mind. I can’t be up in my bedroom which is where my switch is connected since I have a son to watch. I like how nintendo didn’t force 1 specific form of playing the game on people and understand that many want to play the game where ever they can without any restrictions.

Now that nintendo has moved pokemon from the DS console family and added it to the switch family I do hope future installments of the game add more to the small side of things like the animations with certain attacks. It would be cool to actually see the fire attacks leave the attackers mouth I know you are thinking why does that matter? Well it doesn’t but it would be nice to see more realism added to the attacks as well as maybe a rework to the fighting system where instead of forcing the first pokemon in your party to be sent out maybe give trainers the chance to pick what mon is sent out so we can feel like we are actually battling instead of waiting till it’s your turn to switch pokemon and waste that precious first move. I also wanna see nintendo go all out with there next few pokemon games and maybe even one day be graced with a game that let’s us travel to every region to battle and catch pokemon but I know all this is a long shot but hey a guy can dream though.

I for one love this game, I love the memories that this game has brought back watching jessie James and meowth run away after every defeat going from city to city and making fools of team rocket or battling my rival or gym leaders. This game is like any other pokemon game out there so do yourself a favor if you are a pokemon fan and are on the fence about getting this game well don’t be. Take the plunge and buy it and enjoy it just like the old days when you played through yellow on the special edition gameboy that was released with it. I hope my words help you to buy the game and to have fun. Have a great day and take care.