Pokémon Let's Go! - Pikachu and Eevee

[Worldie]

Until we see how they handle the Gen 8 games we can't say whether anything from Let's Go has influenced the core series. Though they consider it part of the main series I think we'll see them say it's a parallel to the core series. So in other words we have two (maybe three) subcategory of maine series games: Core (and if you want have the Remakes be it's own subcategory) and Let's Go (if successful and they continue it; though if Let's Go isn't successful and they don't do anymore it may as well be shoved under the GenVIII umbrella as a small little oddity/experiment). That all said, if they do decide to implement anything from Let's Go into the core series I don't think we'd see it until Gen IX as Gen VIII is probably well into production to make any major changes to its mechanics.

That all said, I am seeing SOME things I wouldn't mind appearing in the core series. Many have been wanting following Pokemon back, and its a cool idea for the bigger ones you get to ride on them. Also, while I think there should be normal wild encounters, I think it'll also be a neat idea for us to see wild Pokemon on the field (maybe after submitting them in our pokedex). And there's the idea of Pokemon wearing clothes which seems intriguing...

I'm amazed, you managed to sum up all my thoughts at same time :p

I still don't get the doomsday calling over PLGO, we already got the confirmation that gen 8 games will be the traditional core rpg experience, as someone said with uncalled rudeness, large majority of this thread has become useless complaint from people who haven't even bothered to read the interviews at all.

For what I think, PLGO will simply be the Coliseum/XD of gen 8: kinda like a main series game with significant deviations from the main mechanics, but which will ultimately remain a thing that stands on its own feet.

....plus my 2 cents is that they called it "main series" simply as commercial maneuver to get people buy it after the terrible first impression it had on buyers.

 

[ZettaiRyouiki]

....plus my 2 cents is that they called it "main series" simply as commercial maneuver to get people buy it after the terrible first impression it had on buyers.

Wouldn't the opposite make more sense, calling it a spinoff to sedate fans who think Pokémon games are going to be like that? Calling it main gives the impression this will become the standard.

 

[Worldie]

Wouldn't the opposite make more sense, calling it a spinoff to sedate fans who think Pokémon games are going to be like that? Calling it main gives the impression this will become the standard.

While normally I'd agree, it's shown several times (see my bigger post some weeks ago) that GameFreak really lives in their own world and doesn't understand reality is that Pokemon isn't only popular in Japan and the rest of the world has a say in the sales.

There's also a interesting sentence in the last interview to Matsuda, he said that "he always defended the traditional catching system but they *felt the necessity to use something simple* ".
It's a interesting wording that gives me the (hopefully unjustified) feel that they got ordered from someone else to make a dumbed down game, specifically for the purpose I mentioned a bit too many times of REALLY want to only attracts super young people that they deem uncapable of basic things like reminding that you should use Pokemon with type advantage or at least move type advantage.

 

[Siggu]

I assume it's just that the main series will be split into two (assuming Let's Go is a success). You have the traditional, complex series and the new, simplified series.

Kinda like how Football Manager has had two versions for several years already: the regular one and the simpler version (Touch).

 

[Worldie]

I assume it's just that the main series will be split into two (assuming Let's Go is a success). You have the traditional, complex series and the new, simplified series.

It's my assumption as well.

Which I also wouldn't mind at all..... assuming that at least keeps the "dumbed down" trend for PLGO so we won't have to deal with increasing dumbing down of the actual core series.
I (like others) welcomed the increased difficulty spike of USUM. Wish they did more of that.

 

[Pikachu315111]

I (like others) welcomed the increased difficulty spike of USUM. Wish they did more of that.

What increase difficulty spike? The only one I noticed was the Ultra Necrozma battle.

 

[Siggu]

I (like others) welcomed the increased difficulty spike of USUM. Wish they did more of that.

USUM were the first Pokemon games I felt were intentionally difficult. Most "difficult" enemies of previous games were often mistakes in thinking they were not going to be hard to deal with or were plain badly planned (say Whitney and Morty in GSC).

What increase difficulty spike? The only one I noticed was the Ultra Necrozma battle.

Other bosses are not difficult but are noticeably trickier to deal with than in previous games - they are only easy if you happen to pack the counter (compare it with SM where only Lurantis was that way; the others were easy, whether you bring a counter or not).

 

[Worldie]

What increase difficulty spike? The only one I noticed was the Ultra Necrozma battle.

If you're going 100% blind and without trading in bred mons, several of the totem and boss battles put you in situation where you either have appropriate levels and mons, or you get murdered, mostly due to the AI being significantly improved (looks on par with facility AI), and the fact the AI is using 6x31 mons with proper movesets (often featuring tutor/egg moves) and 252 EV in the relevant stats, while you're stuck with whatever you catch, with Totem fights also being much better planned than in SM where the assisting mons provide significant counterbalance to the Totem itself.
Lot of the totems also run Protect which CAN screw up if you blindly Z-move turn 1 only to get denied.

Also, Guzma's Masquerain has killed a lot of people.

 

[Tapu Koko Loko]

USUM were the first Pokemon games I felt were intentionally difficult. Most "difficult" enemies of previous games were often mistakes in thinking they were not going to be hard to deal with or were plain badly planned (say Whitney and Morty in GSC).

Other bosses are not difficult but are noticeably trickier to deal with than in previous games - they are only easy if you happen to pack the counter (compare it with SM where only Lurantis was that way; the others were easy, whether you bring a counter or not).

I found USUM to be painfully easy, except for the totem battles, which were honestly too hard for the game they were in, nothing really prepared you for them.

So hopefully, every NPC in Gen 8 will be a totem battle. Pokemon Souls and Pokeborne, anyone?

 

[DreamPrince]

I was thinking why these games have been so divided despite Masuda stating that it would appeal to all fans. The answer is simple: Not all fans started off at Gen 1. Unlike other remakes, these games lack several newly added features from the other games, namely all the newly introduced Pokémon, which allowed old and new players to enjoy the remakes. These games on the other hand, seem have to little to nothing with any of the new games. This is why lot of fans have an issue connecting to the games. Now the community wouldn’t have an issue if Gen 1 wasn’t always getting the most attention, from mega evolutions, Alola forms only for Gen 1, and the original Alola Dex having more Kanto than Alola mons, etc.

Why does GF do this? Money. Gen 1 seems to be the region that attracts the fans the most, especially considering lots of Pokémon fans are very old. If you look at other games with Fan service, such as Fire Emblem, you’ll see that Fire Emblem Heroes always give more alts to the popular heroes, such as Lucina over someone like Hinoka. GF does a similar thing with mega evolutions and Alola forms, are primarily aimed at fan favorite Pokémon rather than Pokémon than actually need them like Delcatty, Ledian, and Mismagius. By doing fan favorites, they want to encourage older players who given up on Pokémon to go back by see similar faces powered up.

How do we fix the problem? Solution 1: We replace the entire GF staff with new people who started with the later games. Solution 2: One of GF main games has to flop ( Or, because Pokémon is so rich, 2 maybe. ) If Game Freak sees that Let’s Go was a flop, they may have to really consider a new strategy. Sadly, because Pokémon is so lucrative, it’ll take more than one failure to change the ways. Regardless, I highly doubt a failure is coming anytime soon.

On a side note, I’m surprised that only Gen 1 is transferable. It’s not like players from go aren’t aware of Gen 2 and Gen 3. If I was a 8 year old playing go, I’d be upset that I couldn’t transfer my Blaziken I raised to GO. Now, that I think about it Let’s Go would have been a great opportunity for an Open world Pokémon game, considering the nature of Pokémon Go. Sadly, I doubt it’ll ever happen GF would be to concerned about kiddies getting lost if they didn’t have directions.

 

[Codraroll]

I was thinking why these games have been so divided despite Masuda stating that it would appeal to all fans. The answer is simple: Not all fans started off at Gen 1.

I think that is part of it, but also the change in well-known mechanics, and what seems like an unnecessary dumbing down of many aspects of the game. I think much of the backlash stems from Game Freak's apparent attempt to appeal to mutually exclusive demographics. Kanto is recreated tile-by-tile as if the games would bomb if they weren't exactly like the first generation games whose nostalgia they're trying to cash in on, but the mechanics seem to be made specifically for people who have never played a Pokémon game before. The end result is a game that is insultingly hand-holdy for the nostalgia crowd, set in a region whose design ignores any advances on the area design/graphics front over the past twenty-five years. The attempts to appeal to each of the groups end up alienating to the other group, or even to everyone else.

And for those in-between, it's even worse. If you entered the franchise later than the GameBoy era, you get the worst of both worlds: Few if any of the Pokémon you are nostalgic for, difficulty too low to enjoy properly, a region lacking most of the variety you're used to from newer games, and no nostalgic appeal. If you're neither completely new to Pokémon nor old enough to have grown up with RBY (or FRLG, I guess), Let's Go doesn't appear to offer much.

 

[Rapti]

One of GF main games has to flop ( Or, because Pokémon is so rich, 2 maybe. ) If Game Freak sees that Let’s Go was a flop, they may have to really consider a new strategy. Sadly, because Pokémon is so lucrative, it’ll take more than one failure to change the ways. Regardless, I highly doubt a failure is coming anytime soon.

Let's Go will not flop this time, however its sequels will; simply because of who's interested in the games to beging with
anyone who's even remotely interested in this titles always claims to have this reason: "it's the pokemon I'm familiar with on a console at last" which boils down the appeal this games have to 2 reasons

1) Nostalgia (only familiar with the first 151)
2) Interest only in what's "current" (preference for a console)

Which tells us the only reason they're interesterd in Pokemon is because it was popular in their childhood, Pokemon interests them not because Pokemon itself but because what Pokemon reminds them of, they got into the franchise as chidren simply because everyone else did, they "like" Pokemon in the same way they "like" Transformers or the TMNT
and they haven't kept with any of those franchises yet they "like" them
they have no attachment to the series as a whole, it's the same people who where into Pokemon Go for 2 months and then left when it was no longer "current" since it was no longer "what everyone else is doing"

This people differ both from fans of the main series and from current Go fans who found something to like in the franchise itself as opposed to mere nostalgia

and they won't be back for a sequel

it doesn't matter if the sequels are "Let's Go Marill & Let's Go Togepi", or if they're "Let's Go Pikachu & Let's Go Eevee 2: Only the Original 151 are Real Pokemon" because no matter what a sequel has to advance the setting in some way
the people most interested in this games like them because they reflect their childhood, any sort of sequel will have to change things in some way and thus no loger reflect their childhood

the sequels will not sell


Now sure, Gamefreak wants to get as many Go fans onto the main games as possible, but here's the thing, current Go fans are not looking at the past, they're excited for new pokemon (for them), they're looking for gen IV to be released, they not eagerly waiting to catch the first 151 for the umpteenth time

the biggest problem this games have is that their stated goal to "bridge the gap between fans of Pokemon Go and a more traditional Pokemon experience" isn't being fulfilled, this games don't target either traditional Pokemon fans or Go fans but a demographic that by its very nature is going to ignore the franchise once its appetite for nostalgia is filled

Gamefreak either has different goals to what it stated, or doesn't know how to aproach its own goals on a basic level

 

[Worldie]

I am glad to finally read some opinions that makes sense and is well put/explained instead of the usual "omg omg gen 1 pandering again" that got old 6 months ago.

Also, I do agree with all said: GF is really failing at their purpose, because once more they're not even listening at what their public demands :(

I do have to hope in some way that PLGO is a flop: as said above, it would give a massive scroll to GF about the fact that Pokemon fans arent only Japanese teens. I really do think PLGO is a massive wasted opportunity, a great idea executed terribly.

....one can hope.

 

[Cresselia~~]

So we now know that at least the old Megas will return in LGPE.

View: https://twitter.com/pokebeach_wpm/status/1024764837216235520


View: https://twitter.com/Pokeshopper/status/1024616884380069889


But the question is, will we get new megas?
I don't think we know yet.

 

[Theorymon]

So we now know that at least the old Megas will return in LGPE.

View: https://twitter.com/pokebeach_wpm/status/1024764837216235520


View: https://twitter.com/Pokeshopper/status/1024616884380069889


But the question is, will we get new megas?
I don't think we know yet.

Wait I'm confused. Unless I'm missing something, how does the trading card game and toys indicate that Megas are in Let's Go? If I recall Pokeshopper was talking about a Let's Go Johto line of merch too, and we know that Let's Go is gen 1 mons only.

If Megas are in the game though, oh boy that is gonna change a lot of the papermon I did for competitive Let's Go lol

 

[Cresselia~~]

Wait I'm confused. Unless I'm missing something, how does the trading card game and toys indicate that Megas are in Let's Go? If I recall Pokeshopper was talking about a Let's Go Johto line of merch too, and we know that Let's Go is gen 1 mons only.

If Megas are in the game though, oh boy that is gonna change a lot of the papermon I did for competitive Let's Go lol

Both the mega merchandise and the mega TCG set are scheduled to release in November.
This is like 90% pointing towards LGPE having megas.

 

[DreamPrince]

Both the mega merchandise and the mega TCG set are scheduled to release in November.
This is like 90% pointing towards LGPE having megas.

There’s no evidence to support that. they could just advertising for the sake of ‘ everyone loves Charizard. “

 

[Cresselia~~]

There’s no evidence to support that. they could just advertising for the sake of ‘ everyone loves Charizard. “

Merchandise AND TCG though, not either or.
Also, what's the point of advertising megas if there won't be any?

 

[Worldie]

Also, what's the point of advertising megas if there won't be any?

I do find very unlikely to see Megas in a game that's supposed to remove most mechanics to be more accessible to newcomers.

On top of honestly having Megas in a relatively pure gen 1 game would completely destroy the balance, expecially if the 3 Kanto starters are gifted in the story in similar fashion as the original Yellow, and the map with the pokemon location in PLGO heavily hinted at that.

 

[Siggu]

I too find the idea of Megas being in this game weird. This is supposed to be a game that tries to bring in both new blood and the ones that left long ago, and the latter will most likely not like the idea of Megas. The matter of this game having simplified mechanics (at around RBY level) also clashes with the idea of Mega Evolving a Pokemon.

IIRC there is also no hint at the game having a Hold Item mechanic so how would they pull off Mega Evolution?

 

[Dakress]

I do find very unlikely to see Megas in a game that's supposed to remove most mechanics to be more accessible to newcomers.

On top of honestly having Megas in a relatively pure gen 1 game would completely destroy the balance, expecially if the 3 Kanto starters are gifted in the story in similar fashion as the original Yellow, and the map with the pokemon location in PLGO heavily hinted at that.

Not to mention that, if pre-release footage is any indication, pokemons can't have hold items per-se, which makes the inclusion of megas very unlikely (they could change the way they work for this game though, but that would make things even more confusing in the long run for those who are gonna get into gen 8 after this game).

 

[Tapu Koko Loko]

Not to mention that, if pre-release footage is any indication, pokemons can't have hold items, per-se, which makes the inclusion of megas very unlikely (they could change the way they work for this game though, but that would make things even more confusing in the long run for those who are gonna get into gen 8 after this game).

Damn, if GF makes G8 less confusing to accomodate LG players they're gonna have to release an on-rails walking simulator

 

[Kurai_Seishen]

I'm still not sold on items and abilities being gone. Like, the screenshot we saw was one showing Pikachu learning a new move; a scene that we've historically never been able to view our held items or ability on. If this is the case and Pika's held item/ability is simply obscured because there's no reason to consider either when selecting which move to get rid of (and I kind of agree with that), then I can actually have some faith in Game Freak as a developer. But if they're actually gone, then I'll be disappointed that they've removed two major and not too complex mechanics that have been mainstays since Gen 2 and 3 respectively. I'm just trying to give Game Freak the benefit of the doubt, which is something that's getting harder for me since they're hardly proving themselves to be competent game developers nowadays.

That said, as unnecessary as it is, it's still weird to me as to why you wouldn't want to cram such a freaking large screen with all the info you could, no matter if it would be too much for the rugrats to comprehend. (/snark) Both pieces of info (held item and ability) could fit right easily in the box in the bottom right corner anyways, so at the same time while it's not a completely essential thing, more info is also nice since conveying the proper amount of information (and the info being correct...) is something that's been a problem with this franchise since Gen 1.

 

[Theorymon]

I think the more damning thing about items is that from the E3 demo, when selecting a Pokemon, the option for items never comes up. It could be unlocked later or you do it a different way since this game seems to be breaking a lot of Pokemon norms, but I think the skepticism over items is well warrented at least. We've seen nothing for or against abilities yet though. It would feel a bit strange to take them out though since another advanced mechanic, Natures, are also still in.

To play the devil's advocate for Megas btw: all of the Alolan Pokemon are in the game, so it's not like Gamefreak is being 100% faithful to the gen 1 mons already.

 

[Worldie]

To play the devil's advocate for Megas btw: all of the Alolan Pokemon are in the game, so it's not like Gamefreak is being 100% faithful to the gen 1 mons already.

While Alolan mons are in the game, wasnt it stated that you can only get them via GO transfer (or did I dream that?)