Skip to main content

Pokémon is coming to Switch this November, will play nice with Pokémon Go

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! Trailer

We’ve heard rumors over the last few weeks about new Pokémon games for the Switch with the titles Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, but we need not speculate any longer. The Pokémon Company has confirmed both games, arriving later this year. They take clear inspiration from the popular mobile game, Pokémon Go, and they appear built from the ground up to connect directly with that experience. The trailer calls this “Your first adventure in a new style,” and that slogan isn’t kiding.

Recommended Videos

Revealed during a special Pokémon press conference in Tokyo late Tuesday night, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! is developed by Game Freak, and aims to bring the same fun exploration you experience in the mobile Pokémon Go to the Nintendo Switch. In the first trailer, we see a trainer running around a fully 3D environment with Pikachu at his side, just like we did back when Pokémon Yellow released nearly two decades ago. Yet the graphical style and monster selection appears closely linked — perhaps even identical to — the mobile version.

Speaking of Pokémon Go, the two games will feature connectivity. You’ll be able to send your mobile monsters from the Kanto region to your Switch to hang out, and you can send presents back to Pokémon Go from your Switch. The trailer didn’t specify what this present would be, other than “a special Pokémon.” It isn’t just about catching the Pokémon, though — you’ll also be able to use them in battle much like you would in a “core” Pokémon game.

Only one Joy-Con controller is needed to play, and when you’re ready to capture a new monster, all you have to do swing the controller forward as if it were a Poké Ball. A friend can enter the game to explore alongside you with a second Joy-Con controller, and you can even throw two Poké Balls simultaneously, which will then combine to create a more effective one. Co-op battles also appear to be in the game, though one appears for only a few seconds in the trailer.

If the Joy-con seems too mundane, you can instead use the new Poké Ball Plus accessory. After “throwing” it and capturing your target, you’ll hear the Pokémon through a speaker on the device. You can then take the Pokémon with you and show it off to friends. Seriously! The Poké Ball Plus will be able to connect to Pokémon Go on phones, as well.

Though this new game resembles a game we might see on the 3DS, Game Freak is already working on another role-playing Pokémon game for release on the Switch late next year. That one, presumably, will be more akin to a “core” Pokémon title — though at this point it might not be safe to assume anything.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! release for Nintendo Switch on November 16, alongside the Poké Ball Plus.

Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
You Asked: Your biggest Switch 2 questions, answered
You Asked Ep. 94: Best TV For Switch 2

On today’s episode of You Asked: What’s the best TV for your shiny new Switch 2 and how does the screen compare to the OLED model we loved? We break down the top TV picks, answer your biggest Switch 2 questions, and share early hands-on impressions from launch week.

Best TV for the Switch 2?

Read more
Lego Party’s demo was so nice, I played it twice
Lego characters race on unicycles in Lego Party.

It was the first day of Summer Game Fest's Play Days event, and I'd just wrapped up a round of Lego Party, a new multiplayer game announced just the day before. I wandered off to another demo appointment and then walked back through the room where others were playing it. As I was passing the kiosk again, a heard someone say my name. Two friends were sitting down for their own Lego Party appointment, so I walked over and said hi. They asked if I wanted to hop in with them. I was about to decline, but I stopped to think for a moment. You know what? Sure! Why not?

That's not generally something I'd do during a crowded day of previews, but it speaks to how pleasant Lego Party is. While it largely just dresses Mario Party up in bricks, it's an endearing little multiplayer game that's both chaotic and casual enough to entertain friends looking to laugh over a few good minigames.

Read more
Pokémon’s Switch 2 upgrade is a massive evolution
A Spanish inspired landscape and castle from Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet.

When Nintendo revealed that select Switch games would be getting improved Switch 2 Editions, I couldn't help but notice one glaring omission: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Of all the major Nintendo franchises released on the Switch, that was the one I was begging to see get a massive performance boost on the Switch 2. None of the Pokémon games on Switch ran fantastically, but the ninth generation was seriously hindered by technical woes. I wanted to love the game, but an abysmal framerate, bland textures, and even crashes were enough to push me away from the game until it was in a more complete state.

We never got a comprehensive Switch patch, and instead of a full Switch 2 Edition, Nintendo only promised Scarlet and Violet would receive "enhanced visuals and smoother gameplay." Needless to say, my hopes weren't exactly high before trying it out for myself. After starting a new adventure on the Switch 2, it feels like Pokémon has finally reached its true potential and has reinvigorated my waning excitement for Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Read more