Let’s be real, growing up we all dreamed of being Pokémon masters. We all consumed the anime and then we’d pour hour after hour into draining our Gameboy batteries under torchlight. They were mere pixels on a screen but the bonds we’d seemingly form after catching them all spoke to how big a phenomenon “Pocket Monsters” was for those who grew up with it.
Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu took the series back to basics in its Switch debut, melding its classic formula with elements of Pokémon Go, the mobile mammoth that saw people flooding the streets, crashing their cars and getting more exercise than ever last year. Though it’s likely the next Pokémon will be a role-playing game truer to its roots, Let’s Go was a wonderful stop-gap sure to please fans from all walks of life.
In his review, Shannon said: “Pokémon Let’s Go ushers in a brand new era for the Pokémon brand and I couldn’t think of a better way for the core franchise to makes its debut on the Nintendo Switch. The game’s mechanics perfectly rides the wave of success of the Pokémon Go phenomenon. Some core fans will be disappointed and that’s completely fine, but the direction of Pokémon Let’s Go is clear and it succeeds in its mission to provide a simple, yet addictive Pokémon game that can be enjoyable for all gamers. It’s Pokémon at its addictive best and the only option is to set out and catch ’em all.”
Shannon gave Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu 9 out of 10, while it sits with a Metacritic average of 80 between the two iterations of the game.
Matt chose Pokémon in his top ten and said: “In a year full of nostalgic flashbacks and remakes of yesteryear, one game stood out above the others for breathing new life into an absolute classic. Effectively rebuilding Pokémon Yellow from the ground up, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee returned us to the world of Kanto; with all-new visuals and a blend of classic gameplay and Pokémon GO! mechanics as well. While not only looking amazing and playing just as fun, the game is a great starting point for new players and seasoned veterans alike. But one thing the game does best is that it takes us back to the days of Pokémon before your hand had to be held throughout the entire game to experience the story – and allows you to find your own way through the game without overcomplicating things. Even taking off the rose-tinted glasses for a moment, Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee is a well-rounded experience and definitely worth your time.”
Shannon chose Pokémon in his top ten and said: “Pokémon Let’s Go was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. I haven’t sunk a significant amount of time into a Pokémon game in years but something about this iteration grabbed me from the get-go. The gameplay was simple, but that’s when Pokémon is at its best.”
Congratulations to Game Freak and Nintendo for another classic iteration of Pokémon with Let’s Go on Switch. It is our sixth best game of 2018.
Current Top 10:
6. Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu
7. Dead Cells
8. A Way Out
9. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
10. Florence
