Well this is some exciting news for Pokemon fans! Your long awaited Pokemon on Switch debut it almost here...sort of.
Two new Pokemon games for Nintendo Switch were officially unveiled for release in 2018 and 2019 with another announcement of a "core" Pokemon title hitting the Switch in 2019.
So, lets unwrap what we've got so far, shall we?
First off, Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Pokemon Lets Go Eevee were announced with a November 16th, 2018 release date. These titles take place in Kanto and are directly inspired by 1998's Pokemon Yellow. The two titles are basically a re-imagining of the title and all first generation Pokemon from Pokemon Go will be transferable via bluetooth to the Nintendo Switch titles.
The two titles are able to be controlled with just one Joy-Con with motion control assistance, but a new accessory that will launch this year will also aide in the capturing of Pokemon, the Poke Ball Plus. The new titles will also feature drop in and drop out couch co-op.
“This game brings the intuitiveness of catching Pokemon that we saw in Go that millions of fans experienced, and we bring that into a core RPG Pokemon experience, obviously with updated graphics...For our first entry on the Nintendo Switch, I really wanted to do something more kind of simplified, something that really anyone could enjoy, I think the reason for this is to get more Switches into the hands of younger kids and more casual players, not just players who are really interested in hardcore games or are really gamers first and foremost.”
This is an interesting approach to the Pokemon series, but given the popularity of Pokemon Go on mobile, it isn't necessarily a surprising one.
The other new title announced for 2018 was a "free to start" title called Pokemon Quest. Pokemon Quest takes place on Tumblecube Island and allows players to "face off against wild Pokémon and embark on many exciting expeditions." Players will be able to explore the world while battling wile Pokemon, befriending new Pokemon, and gathering treasure with up to a team of three. Special items called Power Stones will strengthen your team and you the player will get to decide what characteristics your Pokemon will have. It is also worth noting that the Pokemon in Pokemon Quest all have a cube like appearance rather than their normal appearances in other titles.
You can catch the trailer for Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee below. Let us know what you think in the comments!