Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu!

 Switch
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1782 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 952 out of 1782
  2. Mixed: 283 out of 1782
  3. Negative: 547 out of 1782
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  1. Nastor
    Nov 22, 2018
    7
    Pokemon Lets go es un grandioso juego para iniciarse, eso desde luego. No es el desastre que muchos vaticinaban. Apenas he jugado a juegos Pokemon clásicos, por eso no puedo comparar, pero he jugado ya muchas horas a este Lets Go (cosa que muchísimos de aquí no) y he de decir que, Lets Go es un Pokemon divertido, adictivo y suficientemente completo.
    Mucha gente critica lo de las capturas    Pokemon Lets go es un grandioso juego para iniciarse, eso desde luego. No es el desastre que muchos vaticinaban. Apenas he jugado a juegos Pokemon clásicos, por eso no puedo comparar, pero he jugado ya muchas horas a este Lets Go (cosa que muchísimos de aquí no) y he de decir que, Lets Go es un Pokemon divertido, adictivo y suficientemente completo.
    Mucha gente critica lo de las capturas de Pokemon por ejemplo, o la dificultad. Lo de las capturas realmente no es algo malo. Hay muchísimos combates contra entrenadores Pokemon, os vais a hartar, y realmente es algo que le da variedad y frescor. Si acaso criticar que es idéntico a los visto en Pokemon Go y puede que haya gente que esté ya un poco quemada de ese sistema, pero la verdad es que funciona genial.

    La dificultad: al principio el juego es horriblemente fácil, más o menos hasta cuando llegas al segundo líder. A partir de ahí el juego aumenta de dificultad y los combates se hacen realmente interesantes. Es necesario pensar antes de actuar y demás cosas típicas de los RPG. La dificultad en un RPG para mi es vital y he de decir que este Pokemon cumple perfectamente, algo que me preocupaba ya que no paraba de oír que sería demasiado fácil, y no lo es ni de lejos.

    Gráficamente el juego es super colorido y tiene un aire que encantará a cualquiera. La banda sonora es una auténtica pasada cómo está hecha, da gusto oírla.

    ¿Qué pondría como pegas?.
    1) Algunas zonas son algo repetitivas... Por ejemplo zonas con demasiados combates y así.
    2) Problemas de rendimiento muy extraños al menos en modo portátil. Puedo entender que se ralentice el juego cuando aparecen muchos Pokemon salvajes (aunque con los gráficos tan simplones que tiene, no debería entenderlo tampoco...), pero, hay momentos, como al abrir ciertos menús, que la tasa de frames cae alarmantemente, al punto de molestar incluso. Es algo que no entiendo y que deberían arreglar.
    3) ¿Falta de novedades?. Tengo entendido que no hay mucha novedad con respecto al Pokemon amarillo original. De hecho se han eliminado cosas como los huevos y alguna que otra que le habrían venido a este Let's Go que ni pintado.

    Le pondría incluso un 8 a este juego, pero sinceramente creo que quizá podría haber dado algo más de sí: más innovación, nuevos sistemas en vez de coger el sistema de captura de Pokemon Go por ejemplo...
    Esta era una oportunidad de oro para innovar de verdad y en vez de ello se han centrado demasiado en hacer un remake que, por otro lado, ha quedado de lujo y encantará tanto a nuevos como a experimentados.

    Considero que es un juego MUY recomendable, pero si te gustan los JRPGs, hay otros en Switch como Octopath Traveler que le da mil vueltas a este (y otros que se quedan muy atrás, como el World of Final Fantasy, que intenta seguir la estela de Pokemon fracasando en casi todo y con una dificultad penosa).    … Expand
  2. mijan
    Jan 8, 2020
    7
    NIce nostalgia trip but for me nothing can match up to first 2 gens of Pokemon, Especially new generations are quite lacking.
  3. gdmatt
    Nov 18, 2018
    7
    An enjoyable albeit short experience, that suffers from a lack of post-game content which has become a staple of the series for last 15 years.
  4. SoftwareLibre
    Nov 27, 2018
    7
    Oh well, it's Pokemon, I bought for my daughter so I could avoid constantly playing Mario Party or Splatoon. I know it is supposed to be based on an older Pokemon game, but I have only played 3 or so titles in the series. This is the first one I finished and I was actually surprised that it was finished so quickly, around 25 hours or so. The graphics is the best in the series and a niceOh well, it's Pokemon, I bought for my daughter so I could avoid constantly playing Mario Party or Splatoon. I know it is supposed to be based on an older Pokemon game, but I have only played 3 or so titles in the series. This is the first one I finished and I was actually surprised that it was finished so quickly, around 25 hours or so. The graphics is the best in the series and a nice thing is that another player can join at anytime for support, so a lot of fights become much easier. You can also combine for dual-catch techniques to increase your chances to catch more difficult Pokemon.
    You can transfer some of your Pokemon Go creatures to the Switch (but not back) which helps you complete the Pokedex. Story is very Pokemon typical, nice, but nothing special, quite child friendly. I don't care for the Pokemon franchise (my favorite game on the Switch is Octopath Traveler), but for playing co-op with my daughter "Let's Go" is quite fun.    … Expand
  5. monnef
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    Alright game. Motion control catching was nice at a start, but I would prefer classic approach more. I liked aesthetics, progression. I would like the coop feature to have more depth (e.g. full splitscreen coop, not second player being just a visitor/ghost).
    For a casual and/or nostalgic player (like me) I think it's a fine game. Maybe not groundbreaking, but nice and polished.
    I    Alright game. Motion control catching was nice at a start, but I would prefer classic approach more. I liked aesthetics, progression. I would like the coop feature to have more depth (e.g. full splitscreen coop, not second player being just a visitor/ghost).
    For a casual and/or nostalgic player (like me) I think it's a fine game. Maybe not groundbreaking, but nice and polished.
    I wouldn't recommend it for hardcore fans.    … Expand
  6. ZeekLTK
    Jun 22, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a decent entry. It's clearly geared more towards kids / people new to the series, but it still has some thing for more experienced players as well.

    What I liked:

    I REALLY liked the new encounter system. Honestly, one of the biggest things I hate about the older games is constantly running into Zubats and other annoying wild encounters just trying to walk through an area. I really liked being able to explore the routes and caves without having to run from encounters every couple steps. Some times a 'mon will spawn right in front of you, but it's rare and you can typically get through an entire section without any encounters if you want to.

    One of the other reasons I really like this is because, since I don't like to get a lot of encounters, it helped keep my team at the appropriate level. I was almost always about the same level as each gym leader's team when I fought them, which is way more fun and challenging than being overleveled.

    I also really like the way they have shinies in this game. Being able to chain combos to increase shiny odds, and also see the shinies on the overworld (instead of have to constantly encounter and run away) makes it way more enjoyable to shiny hunt. I haven't done it a ton, but I have gotten a shiny Raticate, Chansey, and Dewgong so far. I've played like 5-6 other pokemon games and have only ever gotten a shiny Yanmega (from Ultra Wormholes) in all of those combined!

    There isn't much postgame (see my "negative" comments), but one thing I do like is that you can go back and fight the gym leaders again. And that they have much stronger teams for the rematches, so that it's actually a fun fight.

    Oh yeah, one of the best improvements to the series in a LONG time was getting rid of HMs. I hate having to waste moveslots on my team for required moves like Cut, Strength, Surf, etc. and it was so great to not have to do that in this game. Being able to use those skills in the overworld without having to mess around with your team to make sure you have the right 'mon was so much better.

    And I also loved being able to switch your team any time, without having to go back to a PC. Sure, this could potentially be used to make the game easier, but I actually used it to make the game harder: boxing pokemon that were starting to get overleveled without having to waste my time going all the way back to a pokecenter to do so.

    I also liked how you could transfer mons from Pokemon Go into the game. Wish it included more than just gen 1, but it was still nice to be able to complete the Pokedex myself instead of have to rely on finding trading partners. I do wish this feature was available earlier in the game, but it is accessible after like the 3rd or 4th gym, so I guess that's not too bad.

    What I didn't like:

    The biggest thing I hated about this game was that each gym had an arbitrary requirement to enter. Like the very first gym requires that you have a grass or water type, or you can't enter. But what if I didn't want one of them on my team? The worst offender of this is Koga's gym, which requires that you have caught 50 pokemon. I was playing with Nuzlocke rules and had only caught NINE pokemon by the time I got to his gym, so I didn't appreciate having to go "grind" and catch a bunch of pokemon that I didn't want just to be able to progress. Nintendo always tries to force people to play "their way" and this is one of the worst cases of that. There is literally no reason for having this restriction other than they want you to have caught a bunch, but again, what if I don't want to?

    I didn't like the catching mechanic. I get they were trying to make it like Pokemon Go, but it was more annoying than anything. And, as I said above, I rarely caught anything. I can't imagine playing this and actually catching tons of mons with this mechanic. It was so frustrating to try to catch anything besides the very easy early route mons, especially legendaries. It wasn't even challenging, just annoying.

    I was kind of disappointed by the very scaled back movesets. One of the most interesting things about these games is being able to customize your team with all kinds of moves. And even though they did have all 18 types in the game, it just seemed like the movesets were very small and limited.

    Virtually no postgame. I did like that you can go back and battle tougher gym leaders and Elite Four teams, but... that's pretty much it. There is no Battle Area, no post game story, literally nothing to do except re-fight the gym leaders and go catch MewTwo. Okay, there are also the "Masters" of each type, but each at level 75, it's just basically grinding.

    Overall:

    Good introductory game for new players (my 5 year old loves it), decent for returning players, but lacking a lot of substance.    … Expand
  7. SuperMatt777
    Dec 6, 2018
    7
    I went into this game knowing what it was; it's a bridging game to get the people who played Pokemon Go, but not an actual game. But as a fan who's been with Pokemon since Gen 3, how does it stack for someone like me? Well... I'll be honest, it doesn't. Let's get into the nitty gritty here.

    Pokemon Let's Go is, what I'm sure to be, a remake of Pokemon Yellow, with the additional version    I went into this game knowing what it was; it's a bridging game to get the people who played Pokemon Go, but not an actual game. But as a fan who's been with Pokemon since Gen 3, how does it stack for someone like me? Well... I'll be honest, it doesn't. Let's get into the nitty gritty here.

    Pokemon Let's Go is, what I'm sure to be, a remake of Pokemon Yellow, with the additional version for Eevee fans. Right off the bat, it's the best Kanto has ever looked, with the nice visuals being present from the start till the end. I do feel it's a good looking game. And I'll be real, I didn't feel like I was getting bored through the story itself. Sure it's nothing new, but the few little changes placed here and there, be it big story changes or just little details that reference bits of the originals or even future games, are nice through and through. For example, Vermilion City has a gentleman in his house with a Farfetch'd stating he wants to go catch a Spearow, a clear reference to the little girl who would trade her Farfetch'd for a Spearow in the original games. I like the attention to detail, even if they don't impact much. While the idea of Pokemon GO catching mechanics worked okay in the game, I definitely do not want to see it become the new normal and I certainly don't want to see it come back for a future title.

    I know that paragraph is pretty short for the pros of the game, but I can't help but say these games are FAR from the best the series has to offer. While the director of the games calls them core games, I can't see them as anything but spin-off titles. It doesn't matter who this game was targeted to, the amount of staple ideas removed does not cut it for a core game in my eyes. The game is missing around half of the established moves from past games, the inability to have hold items, removal of abilities, removal of more than 600 Pokemon and more, there's too much missing and there really is no excuse for it. You can make a game that is beginner friendly that doesn't remove half of Pokmeon's established progress. Hold items, maybe I can understand that. But the removal of abilities is something that won't sit right with me regardless. Even the idea of only 151 Pokemon can be worked around, instead of the developers sticking to their favorite Kanto only Pokedex. It's as simple as introducing a large number of gen 2-7 Pokemon AFTER you beat the game.

    I know that Pokemon Let's Go are meant to be bridging points for people who only played Pokemon GO, but I don't think that should've been how Pokemon made it's true debut on the Switch. There's a difference between the fanbase that's been with Pokemon for a long time and people who only played Pokemon GO cause they have a phone. And to regard the fact that this is the fifth trip back to Kanto doesn't do it for someone who isn't Kanto nostalgic. I would truly recommend these games to the very audience they're targeting; the Pokemon GO only players. If you've never played a Pokemon game, I can even recommend Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon beforehand, even if those games have their own flaws. But for those who have been with Pokemon for a long time, best save your excitement and your money for the 2019 titles. These aren't terrible games, but they're not for those looking for a true Pokemon experience.    … Expand
  8. srtgoren
    Nov 16, 2018
    7
    Why so much hate ? The game isn't bad, yes it doesn't worth 60$ but it's still a cool game to play with your family (but honestly I'm tired of Kanto). Graphics are ok, you guys are just blind.
  9. Dracoshi
    Jun 21, 2020
    7
    These games weren't a step in the right direction for Pokemon, as it fell onto remaking a region that has been remade countless times, and cut a lot of features and Pokemon. However, this game wasn't trying to be a game for long-term hardcore fans - it was made as a stepping stone for newer Pokemon Go players to start playing the mainline games.

    The game was a very relaxing game to    These games weren't a step in the right direction for Pokemon, as it fell onto remaking a region that has been remade countless times, and cut a lot of features and Pokemon. However, this game wasn't trying to be a game for long-term hardcore fans - it was made as a stepping stone for newer Pokemon Go players to start playing the mainline games.

    The game was a very relaxing game to play, albeit a little bit too easy for my liking. Regardless of the issues previously stated, it was still an enjoyable game that I do not regret buying. If Let's Go games don't detriment production of main series games, then I would be happy to see this series continue. Additionally, it introduced wild Pokemon in the overworld, and brought back following Pokemon for the first time since HGSS, which are two of my favourite features in the whole series.    … Expand
  10. Moemoe1
    Nov 16, 2018
    7
    Not the best but also not the worst Pokemon game made. Playing it on the big screen is also a plus
  11. Jtrapdoor1
    Nov 16, 2018
    7
    Unbiased Review: Not a perfect game. It is a repeat of things we have seen before and heavily relies on Pokemon Go mechanics... but we all knew that going in. The game was advertised as being influenced by Pokemon go, was marketed for a less competitive audience and even has "GO" in the freakin' title. Now, with that being said, I enjoy it. It is a Pokemon game on the switch that isn't aUnbiased Review: Not a perfect game. It is a repeat of things we have seen before and heavily relies on Pokemon Go mechanics... but we all knew that going in. The game was advertised as being influenced by Pokemon go, was marketed for a less competitive audience and even has "GO" in the freakin' title. Now, with that being said, I enjoy it. It is a Pokemon game on the switch that isn't a Mortal Kombat clone or a mobile game(not entirely). I like some of the new mechanics, I love that Pokemon can follow you and sometimes have more use than just that. I like that catching Pokemon is more important now. I love that the PC is now portable. The game is a little disappointing in that wild encounter battles are now removed and it does make battling gym leaders more difficult but only because grinding now revolves around catching everything. I think the game has a lot of potential if it mixed what it tried to do with stuff that people enjoy about pokemon. Like:

    1. You can remove random encounters but allow people to still battle the pokemon
    2. Improve the trading system by allowing some form of communication
    3. Include more trainers(nitpicking but a genuine complaint of mine)
    4. Just let them breed
    5. Abilities maybe weren't in the first generation but they make the game more fun

    The game I feel is not worth a zero. It tries something different while trying to appeal to a younger audience and making it easier to new players. Trying something new which is a good thing considering how often people complain how all Pokemon games are the same.

    It does have some things for us older players(20 years now for me) and just needs a bit more of a polishing. I enjoyed myself even though it might be a rocky start to Pokemon on the switch but it is at least a fun way to get going    … Expand
  12. Haefen
    Nov 18, 2018
    7
    I'll start off by saying I've had fun playing Let's Go, Pikachu. I have been playing the series since Pokemon Red first came out. I still remember going to class one morning and hearing the other kids talk about this thing called 'pokemon'. Well I was hooked since then. Let's Go is far from a perfect game, and it has lots of times where it's more frustrating over fun but all in all I haveI'll start off by saying I've had fun playing Let's Go, Pikachu. I have been playing the series since Pokemon Red first came out. I still remember going to class one morning and hearing the other kids talk about this thing called 'pokemon'. Well I was hooked since then. Let's Go is far from a perfect game, and it has lots of times where it's more frustrating over fun but all in all I have had fun with it. I think they added far too much from Pokemon Go, and not enough from the main series, but I understand that this is a temporary casual game to hold us over for the next main line title. I can even get over having to use your joy con to toss the pokeball. But I think this games main crux is the inability to battle wild pokemon to weaken them for capture. I knew that it was going to take some getting used to, but it's just wrong. I really hope that they keep a few things from this game for the next main line title, but I hope that this is a one off casual title that we won't be seeing more of in the near future.… Expand
  13. aagon
    Nov 16, 2018
    7
    Ultimately, Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu is a beautiful game, but it is flawed for life-long fans. That said, I am enjoying the game, and I appreciate the detail that was put into this game - the visuals are wonderful, and feel like the next iteration of the series. This game isn't really a deep game, it's more of an experience set in the Kanto region. It played on my nostalgia, but it didUltimately, Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu is a beautiful game, but it is flawed for life-long fans. That said, I am enjoying the game, and I appreciate the detail that was put into this game - the visuals are wonderful, and feel like the next iteration of the series. This game isn't really a deep game, it's more of an experience set in the Kanto region. It played on my nostalgia, but it did leave me wanting more. I wanted more of the traditional Pokemon RPG experience. Several users are putting this out as a 0, and that's just an emotional reaction - this game was never intended to be a core Pokemon RPG.

    It was intended to be a nostalgic trip, it was intended to test out some new ideas and some new concepts. It's truly beautiful, and it accomplished what it set out to do. 60.00 is a bit steep in my opinion for this game. And the pokeball controller is a complete waste of money.

    Think for yourself on this game - if you want a core Pokemon RPG, skip this, and play Ultra Sun/Moon. If you want an enjoyable diversion, gab this game. You'll enjoy it, if you're looking for that. Temper your expectations appropriately - my only regret with this game is that I purchased the Pokeball controller. I am enjoying LGP for what it is. You might too.    … Expand
  14. Jaytamber77
    Nov 17, 2018
    7
    So, I am def a Pokemon vet, played all the games since Red and Blue, heavy into the competitive scene. All I gotta say is, yeah this game leaves lots to be desired, especially since the last titles Sun and Moon. The game visually looks okay, honestly it doesn't live up to my expectations, I feel the game kind of looks like an indie game, especially since so much content has been removed,So, I am def a Pokemon vet, played all the games since Red and Blue, heavy into the competitive scene. All I gotta say is, yeah this game leaves lots to be desired, especially since the last titles Sun and Moon. The game visually looks okay, honestly it doesn't live up to my expectations, I feel the game kind of looks like an indie game, especially since so much content has been removed, it feels incomplete. Yet, this game provides so much beautiful nostalgia, the visuals are sweet and colorful, I love looking at them, just like how I love looking at your mother, you might not appreciate her but I do. Difficulty wise, the story for Pokemon games are usually a breeze, I still have to experience the E4 rematches and Battle Master trainers, I think I will find that enjoyable, but seriously, this game is hella easy. That is not a bad thing for me though, I am an adult and have to dedicate my time to other things, so I honestly don't mind it. Regarding capture mechanics, I am being honest, I honestly don't mind it at all. Joycon controls def take time to get used to. At first I thought the motion detection sucked because the pokeballs would go everywhere, only then did I realize I had no clue how to throw, the game should do a better job explaining that. It requires a very specific motion. I feel the capture mechanics make your pokemon level up quick. It was NOT fun in Pokemon red to have to dedicate hours grinding for a specific pokemon, only to realize that that particular pokemon is much weaker than your team. The recent games fix that. I feel this game is more of an entree, before the main dish next year. If you can't figure out what the means, basically this is something Gamefreak has given us to stall us until next year. Next years game should be amazing.

    If you're gonna play this game, stop being a salty lil **** and play it with an open mind, it is enjoyable in its own unique way. At the same time, being a hardcore Pokemon fan, I do find myself agreeing with the upset crowd. But still, stop being a lil **** and maybe give it a shot.    … Expand
  15. ChristianDellon
    Nov 18, 2018
    7
    Game Freak could have accomplished so much more with this game. Not in a hardcore way, because I understand the need to seduce new trainers and a more dynamic approach. The game is beautiful, fun and nostalgic. New features such as climb on the pokemon and see them on the grass are fantastic additions. The last one was very annoying in the past games, since everytime you go into a cave itGame Freak could have accomplished so much more with this game. Not in a hardcore way, because I understand the need to seduce new trainers and a more dynamic approach. The game is beautiful, fun and nostalgic. New features such as climb on the pokemon and see them on the grass are fantastic additions. The last one was very annoying in the past games, since everytime you go into a cave it takes us a lot of time to go out without a bunch of repels. However, Game Freak could have absorbed another cool feature form pokemon go other than the capture mode. For instance, every city on the game has a light pole. How great would it be if the time passes and we've had afternoon and night during the game, requiring us to look for shelter, make a campfire and so on? Also the rain, basically things influencing the weather and causing surprises during the game. It would be amazing and less repetitive. Looking forward to improvements on Pokemon 2019.… Expand
  16. gus3656
    Nov 18, 2018
    7
    Great entry game for beginner or young kids as excellent interaction between player and pokemon, but bit stressful to keep trying to catch pokemon (too much time spending compare to battle) and too much pressure on budget to buy pokeballs :(
  17. DemiFiend5
    Nov 21, 2018
    7
    I was surprised at how much I actualy enjoyed this game as going in I expected to be dissaponted. As someome who plays pokemon mainly for the single player content I had more fun here than I did in gen 7 and its many tutorials and 1 pokemon for 80% of trainers. I missed dungons like The Rocket Base and Seafoam Islands for 2 gens now so I was happy to have them back even if the encoutersI was surprised at how much I actualy enjoyed this game as going in I expected to be dissaponted. As someome who plays pokemon mainly for the single player content I had more fun here than I did in gen 7 and its many tutorials and 1 pokemon for 80% of trainers. I missed dungons like The Rocket Base and Seafoam Islands for 2 gens now so I was happy to have them back even if the encouters were easier than the gen 1 or 3 versions of Kanto. I expected to be frustrated with the lack of wild battles, ablities, and held items instead I found I only slightly missed wild battles more so for the better control over the catch rate vs the actual wild entcounters themselves as I think back to the old games and comsider the fact I ran from everyting I didn't want to catch. Ablities and Held Items I didn't miss at all as it was this game that made me realize how little I actualy use those outside of PvP battles and how anyoing they can be on some NPC trainer pokemon aka you can now ues a physial attack a electric pokemon without the fear of static paralyzing your pokemon! The Go mechanica dont bother me but like i said before Id rather weaken the pokemon before throwing the ball. What is I find the bigest problem is the same problem is the same problem I have with gens 6&7 trainers need more pokemon and at higher levels I didn't find this a problem if I avoided uesing the chain catchng tecnique to get rare and better IV&EV pokemon to apear but when I did I very quickly found myself overleveled to the point of KOing Brock's Onix with my Pikachu as he was level 16 and all because I wanted a Bulbasuar. Also if you play pokemon with competive multiplayer in mind this definatly isn't the game for you and should probably wait for gen 8 instead of geting this. I did get the pokeball plus with Mew but I'd definatly say while it added to the experince it isn't worth $50 if you can somehow get it for $20 or $30 it is more of a value. There are a few things here I hope cary over to gen8 and those are Pokemon Box in my Bag as that encouraged me to be more experimental and rotational with my team instead of sticking to just 6 pokemon since i no longer had to go to a pokemon center to switch out, chain catching encouraged me to hunt for better pokemon and shinies so keep that too, pokemon wandering in the wild instead of random encounters made finding what I wanted faster and caves much less of a nightmare(NO MORE ZUBAT EVERY 2 STEPS!) and saved me a fortune on Repels too! Those 3 things I want to see in gen8! Overal I wouldn't say this is my favorite pokemon game (my top 3 being Gale of Darkness, HGSS, and Gen 5 parts 1 and 2) but I would say its in my top 10 something gen 6 & 7 arent ( I am counting spinoffs like mystery dungon and stadium here) this game was poorly advertized to us in my opinon to us by Game Freak as they only showed the worst of this game to us instead of anything thay would have sold us on it I only got it because of a friend recomended I try it out and I had extra cash lieing around with nothing better to get (I had smash resevered months ago) to those of you who have your doubts about the game and maybe review bombing it curently I encourage you to at least rent the game and play it from beging to end before decideing its a 0-3/10 when at bare minimum if you don't like it I think you'll agree it's at least a 4 or 5. I gave it a 7 out of 10 as while I enjoyed my time there are some issues that need worked out if they were to do a remake like this again but I wouldn't mind seeing such as long as we get more traditional games a year or so after. I'd say I'd even be willing to pay $20 bucks for a Johto DLC expansion for this game! What I am certain of is I had fun and it isn't the dumbed down baby's first pokemon I was expecting it to be.… Expand
  18. Drunken_Jedi
    Nov 22, 2018
    7
    My Pokémon journey started way back in the day, on my Gameboy Pocket (a red one) with Pokémon Blue. I've played nearly every mainline game since that point with a few exceptions so needless to say I'm familiar, even a little worn out with the formula.

    The Let's Go games are an easy, very streamlined version of Pokémon Yellow. It's an attempt by Nintendo and the Pokémon Company to entice    My Pokémon journey started way back in the day, on my Gameboy Pocket (a red one) with Pokémon Blue. I've played nearly every mainline game since that point with a few exceptions so needless to say I'm familiar, even a little worn out with the formula.

    The Let's Go games are an easy, very streamlined version of Pokémon Yellow. It's an attempt by Nintendo and the Pokémon Company to entice users of the Pokémon Go mobile game into a home console setting, of which many may never have considered themselves "gamers" or ever owned a home console. This is evident with several similarities in terms of core game mechanics along with tie ins to the mobile game.

    The first, and most obvious one is the name, there's no doubt the decision to name it "let's go!" was done to draw the attention of Pokémon Go players. Secondly, and perhaps the most controversial decision was replacing the traditional wild battles with the capture mechanic from the mobile game. Normally, you'd wander in grass until you "found" a Pokémon with the type you face being dictated by RNG. From there you'd fight it with your own Pokémon until it was in a weakened state at which point you'd chuck a few Pokéballs in the hope that you could capture it. With the shift towards the mobile game this has been entirely cut and replaced with simply throwing a Pokéball at a Pokémon that may or may not be moving around the screen. There's also a shrinking ring which dictates whether you get a "great" or "excellent" throw, whether this has an impact on catch rates I'm unsure but it certainly gives you higher XP gains. Needless to say, there's very little depth to this sort of encounter. You can throw different berries at Pokémon to calm it (stop it jumping around) or to make them slightly easier to catch however that's about all there is to it.

    Outside of these encounters the game is mostly the same as it always has been, you fight trainers on the road and endeavour to collect eight gym badges so that you can challenge the Elite Four and become a Pokémon Champion. You also have your "friendly" rival, who this time is a childhood friend and not a jerk. I called my rival "(Not) Gary" and you meet him many times on the course of your play through as per previous titles.

    Graphically the game is rather basic in terms of it's art style however that's not to say it looks bad. Pokémon has never looked this good in my opinion and it's great to see a HD title finally hitting the Switch. The Pokémon themselves look fantastic and some of the moves have really exciting animations which really put things into perspective when you think of those classic 2D sprites on a greyscale LCD screen. Put simply, the game looks great and performance was solid across the board. I did notice a few very minor FPS drops when playing in hand held mode but it didn't detract from the overall experience at all.

    The music also sounds great, with those classic tunes getting a rehash for modern times. The voice work for Pikachu and Eevee is also lovely, with Pikachu sounding incredibly cute with his "Pika pika!" antics as we've come to love over the years. I was however disappointed that the other Pokémon still use the tired old sounds from the old Gameboy games. In this day and age with the development budgets involved for Pokémon I'm sure they could voice ALL those pocket monsters and not just the two titular examples. It's very jarring switching out Pikachu with the "pika!" to a frankly low quality and dated "grrrrdbrrrrrr" or whatever from whichever Pokémon you're bringing into the fray. You can do better here Nintendo!

    Controls are limited strictly to the joy cons and Pokéball Plus. I can understand the lack of Pro Controller support to a point, but it's still a little disappointing. Personally I got the bundle with the Pokéball Plus and while it can feel a little cramped after a long play session for a child it will fit perfectly. I do have one criticism however and that is the lack of documentation for the device. You have the B button in the top of the Pokéball and the A button is a push button as part of the micro stick, what they don't tell you is that you can use the "Y" button by shaking the device to the side to access some menu options. It would have been nice to see some more explanation in game than what we get however it's a minor detail. Motion controls for both Pokéball Plus and joy cons work well, with just the occasional "where did that go?" moment when throwing Pokéballs. In hand held mode motion controls are used to adjust your view with the A button to throw Pokéballs.

    In all, I'm enjoying the game. It sets out to do what the developers intended and that's to bridge the gap between the mobile and main line titles. It's not for everyone especially veterans of the series. However it's fun and I can respect it as a Pokémon game in it's own right.    … Expand
  19. Lukeyy150
    Nov 22, 2018
    7
    Have not finished the game, but here's my review. I personally don't think its a terrible Pokemon game at all, however it does have quite a bit of flaws in it. It would be great if Game Freak were to fix frame rate issues first off, but also please stop with the loading scenes into every little building, its getting old now. They clearly did not push this game to its limits which is fineHave not finished the game, but here's my review. I personally don't think its a terrible Pokemon game at all, however it does have quite a bit of flaws in it. It would be great if Game Freak were to fix frame rate issues first off, but also please stop with the loading scenes into every little building, its getting old now. They clearly did not push this game to its limits which is fine if the 2019 game does.

    However aside from those issues, the game is quite fun. I love the overall art style of this game. It really suits Pokemon quite well. The battling can be challenging if you let it, by not capturing many Pokemon, but if you do then its a piece of cake thus far. I think that this game is still Pokemon though where it's not over the top fantastic but its still an enjoyable game to play here and there.    … Expand
  20. Marionintendero
    Jan 6, 2019
    7
    Es Un Buen Juego Pero Critico Del Sistema De Captura De Pokémon GO Aun Así Es Un Buen Juego
  21. Foxazoxi
    Sep 6, 2019
    7
    Of course this is not good enough compared with other pokemon games, it lost so many good features from previous games. But it might be a good one for new people getting into this series.
  22. AlexSuprem06
    Jul 18, 2019
    7
    Let’s go pikachu is a nice recreation of Kanto but the problem is, I don’t wanna go back to kanto. I’d prefer if they did sinnoh or unova remakes but kanto? This is like the 5th time we return to generation 1. Also I don’t like it that they replaced traditional wild encounter battles with Pokémon go mechanics. I like it that they come out of the grass though. It makes it easier to shinyLet’s go pikachu is a nice recreation of Kanto but the problem is, I don’t wanna go back to kanto. I’d prefer if they did sinnoh or unova remakes but kanto? This is like the 5th time we return to generation 1. Also I don’t like it that they replaced traditional wild encounter battles with Pokémon go mechanics. I like it that they come out of the grass though. It makes it easier to shiny hunt. Plus I like the models in the games. It is good but I’d prefer another gen.… Expand
  23. Kapukoko0803
    Sep 7, 2019
    7
    This game has been waiting for the release date with expectations as the first Pokemon game of Nintendo Switch, expectations as a person who has not experienced the first generation, and expectations as a person who has not experienced the first generation. However, the purpose of attracting light users into the Pokemongo and Nintendo switches was to reduce the tension and fun by reducingThis game has been waiting for the release date with expectations as the first Pokemon game of Nintendo Switch, expectations as a person who has not experienced the first generation, and expectations as a person who has not experienced the first generation. However, the purpose of attracting light users into the Pokemongo and Nintendo switches was to reduce the tension and fun by reducing the depth of the battle very briefly. But Pokemon's walk-through system, which was well-received in Pokémon, Hartgold, and Soul Silver, revived and set itself apart from other home series. If you're a big fan of Pokemon, you've already bought it, but if you haven't, I don't want to recommend it. It's boring. Battle and story. It's boring.… Expand
  24. Pikappa93
    Nov 14, 2019
    7
    A year after release, I think this game is not as bas as we first thought. Graphics, while heavily inspired by Game Boy's original title, look polished and the gameplay is fine too. This game had a purpose and does its job very well. Nothing extraordinary, but it's undoubtedly fun.
  25. TheHonestMan
    Nov 21, 2021
    7
    A bit too simple for my liking, but has some nice aspects to it. The Pokemon world has arguably never looked better than in this game with nice lighting, a clean cohesive stlye, and pokemon looking their proper scale for once. The game has a lot of charm with it's buddy mechanics and throwbacks to the anime like Jessie and James. When it comes to gameplay though, the removal of wildA bit too simple for my liking, but has some nice aspects to it. The Pokemon world has arguably never looked better than in this game with nice lighting, a clean cohesive stlye, and pokemon looking their proper scale for once. The game has a lot of charm with it's buddy mechanics and throwbacks to the anime like Jessie and James. When it comes to gameplay though, the removal of wild battles in favor of GO-style catching is a bummer and there's really not much to do once you've beaten the main campaign outside of battling some trainers and rematching the gym leaders and elite 4.
    New to the game is candies which let you boost stats further than used to be possible. This can make the game way easier but is also interesting in that it can make otherwise unviable Pokemon be useful for once. I'm also a fan of the fact you can mount some Pokemon in the overworld like Arcanine and Charizard, which makes the game feel more alive.

    Overall, this is a nicely presented remake of Yellow version but it just doesn't offer enough content for the price point.    … Expand
  26. raenbows
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    This game is generally fun, but for longtime Pokémon fans, it is pretty disappointing. Abilities and hold items removed. The game seems overly simplified, and it doesn't seem like there is much to make up for that other than the mostly polished graphics. They could use work but overall it's very pleasing, the colors are bright and the Pokémon are captivating. But at it's core it's justThis game is generally fun, but for longtime Pokémon fans, it is pretty disappointing. Abilities and hold items removed. The game seems overly simplified, and it doesn't seem like there is much to make up for that other than the mostly polished graphics. They could use work but overall it's very pleasing, the colors are bright and the Pokémon are captivating. But at it's core it's just another Kanto (lite) remake, and I had little desire to complete my pokedex after finishing the game. Catching mechanic is interesting and engaging, but they should have added a toggle on/off. There were a few things that added to its charm and appeal, such as being able to dress up and play with my Pikachu and having a Pokémon follow you around. My Pikachu seemed quite strong, and if you got Mew with the Pokeball plus, the game became extremely easy. I put about 85 hours into this game and caught most of the dex, but have very little desire to pick it back up again. Cute and charming in external appeal, but severely lacking in challenging gameplay.… Expand
  27. Naraku
    Nov 19, 2019
    7
    Me encataron las gráficas de este juego pero es demaciado fácil !! en todo el juego solo perdí una vez! la liga pokémon la pase sin ser derrotado ni una sola vez! lo peor de todo es que no combates con los pokémon para capturarlos y es al estilo pokémon go, eso es un asco, para levear a tus pokémon tienes que capturar y capturar pokémon es frustrante!! el peor pokémon de la historia sinMe encataron las gráficas de este juego pero es demaciado fácil !! en todo el juego solo perdí una vez! la liga pokémon la pase sin ser derrotado ni una sola vez! lo peor de todo es que no combates con los pokémon para capturarlos y es al estilo pokémon go, eso es un asco, para levear a tus pokémon tienes que capturar y capturar pokémon es frustrante!! el peor pokémon de la historia sin duda alguna.… Expand
  28. GabFire
    Aug 10, 2020
    7
    Esse Pokemon começou a mostrar a exaustão que eu já criei de tanto jogar essa franquia, a Nintendo não para de "chupar" tudo que ela pode desse jogo, e isso está começando a ficar repetitivo demais.
  29. Melon_man
    Aug 2, 2021
    7
    It's a nice and simple remake of the original kanto games with its own charm. If only the sevii Islands were here, then this could be the definitive kanto game.
  30. alxs621
    Jul 1, 2020
    7
    A competent reconstruction of a 25 year-old game that, while vastly superior to GameFreak's other modern offerings, is still just a 25 year-old game with a new coat of paint.
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
1
#1 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 84 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 84
  3. Negative: 0 out of 84
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 5, 2019
    85
    A simple, nostalgic return to the Kanto region, offers little if you are a series veteran eager for complexity and challenge. But if that's not your main interest, Pokemon Let's Go has it all! It's a simple, cute and fun game that will keep you hooked for hours. An excellent starting point for newcomers, and a great nostalgia trip for those in a search for one.
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  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Feb 26, 2019
    85
    If you've got a kid in your life who's never played Pokémon before? Buy this game immediately. [Issue #37 – January/February 2019, p. 67]
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Feb 8, 2019
    78
    It’s hard to make sense of the game that’s basically a Switch port of iOS/Android remake of Pokemon Red/Green. Is it a step forward, step backward – or maybe just a shameless cash-in? Turns out, it’s a great remake – the world looks exactly as we imagined it back when we were staring at black and white pixels of original Red/Green. [Issue#235, p.44]
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