Using Nintendo’s new Poké Ball controller elevates the experience of Pokémon: Let’s Go!

Later this year, Game Freak will release Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s go, Eevee! for the Nintendo Switch, an experience the developer described as a soft reboot of Pokémon Yellow for Game Boy, with plenty of influence from Pokémon Go. I got to check out a short demo of Let’s Go, Pikachu! at E3 this week, using the adorable Poké Ball as my primary controller.

As someone who is unfamiliar with the world of Pokémon, I was concerned Let’s Go would feel uninviting. But thanks to a simple premise and an enthusiastic Nintendo executive, I was able to find my footing pretty quickly.

In the demo, my objective was to walk around a park with Pikachu on my shoulder and Charmander following close behind. Right away, the game is endlessly charming and quaint.

In this new take on the Pokémon formula, players can see exactly which Pokémon are in the area. Once you do spot a nearby Pokémon, you have the choice of capturing it or simply walking by. Giving players a choice changes the dynamics of the formula, allowing people to go at their own pace, rather than being interrupted by invisible threats.

However, once a competing trainer is nearby, you have no choice but to engage. In the demo, Pikachu was far more powerful than the other Pokémon he faced, so battles were won with ease.

When you do try to catch a Pokémon, there is no battle to fight. Instead, players simply entice Pokémon with berries and then make a throwing motion with the Switch’s motion controller. It’s a lot like Pokémon Go, but on a larger scale. It’s also a lot harder than it looks to execute a perfect throw (or I’m just bad).

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/2018/06/14/poke-ball-controller-hands-on/