Introduction
Basic information
Developer Name: Game Freak
Full Name: Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!
Release Date: November 16, 2018
Released on: Nintendo Switch
Cross Play: Not applicable (single platform)
Initial thoughts
Expecting a nostalgia lap, we instead found a gentler kind of adventure. The first handful of wild encounters Simone approached felt almost empty, as though the battle theme forgot to play. Minutes later, she was leaning into the calm. Using berries, chaining captures, and enjoying the unhurried pace between towns. It’s not that combat vanished. Trainer battles still scratch the tactical itch, but the overall tempo shifts from constant friction to a breezier cadence, which we enjoyed in couch co-op.
Story and setting
Plot overview
A faithful retelling of Kanto: eight Gyms, Team Rocket’s theatrics, and Indigo Plateau’s summit. The narrative is intentionally light, focused on movement and discovery rather than melodrama. Your partner Eevee becomes the emotional axis, an expressive companion whose small reactions brighten even routine routes.
World building and immersion
Characters are broadly sketched but charming: a sunnier rival, Rockets who chew the scenery with glee, and Gym Leaders who feel like checkpoints in a friendly pilgrimage. The star is Eevee, whose outfits, reactions, and partner moves give the journey personality, less hero’s epic, more shared scrapbook.
Character development
Nostalgia does heavy lifting, but it’s not hollow. Lavender Town still taps the brakes for a moment of quiet; the road to Victory Road still feels like a rite of passage. The softness of the wild encounter system offsets the intensity, letting the emotional notes land without fatigue.
Emotional impact
Kanto’s landmarks—Pewter’s museum, Vermilion’s harbor, and Celadon’s bustle are rendered with a toy-box warmth that invites wandering. GO Park integration and local co-op make the region feel like a place you visit with others, not just a map you clear.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story, and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 8.5
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
Trainer battles remain turn-based, but wild encounters use a throw to catch loop. Line up, time the throw, apply berries, and maintain chains. At first it feels like combat-lite, almost like the game misplaced half its systems. Then something clicks: the quiet focus of a good throw becomes its own micro-skill, and routes flow without constant interruptions. Perfect co-op throws even increase the odds of capturing the Pokémon!
Difficulty and balance
This is an intentionally approachable game. Experience from catching, candies, and partner bonuses can trivialize certain encounters if you lean on them. Veterans can self-regulate, avoid candy stacking, rotate teams, chase chains for shinies to restore tension. Gym puzzles and elite battles still require attention, just not spreadsheets.
Pacing of the game
The absence of random wild battles turns routes into breezy promenades. You move, you spot what you want, and you engage. Towns arrive at a pleasant clip, requests don’t overstay, and post gym cooldowns encourage exploration rather than grinding.
Innovation and uniqueness
Let’s Go reframes Kanto as an act of collecting with intention rather than battling by default. It’s a clean statement: observation first, choice second, execution third. It won’t be everyone’s preferred flavor, but it is undeniably coherent and family friendly.
Controls and user interface
Handheld throws via gyro feel precise, more or less, after a short learning curve. Occasionally the ball flies in a completely different direction. Docked motion is fine once you find the angle and distance that suit your setup. Menus are clean, quick-swap items are sensible, and partner interactions are one button away. A quick note: you need to use the Joy Cons; the Pro Controller is not supported.
Microtransactions
None in-game. Notably, Mew is tied to the separate Poké Ball Plus accessory (a sore spot given its discontinuation), but the software itself avoids monetization. Alas, Mew can no longer be bought.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing, and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with an 8.7.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
A soft, saturated palette, rounded models, and animations that sell personality, especially your partner’s. It looks like your memory of Kanto, not a literal reconstruction. Houses, shops, and routes read instantly from a distance.
Technical performances
Smooth framerate in the overworld and battles, quick transitions, and minimal loading. Handheld clarity is excellent; docked mode’s clean edges keep the diorama feel intact.
Environment and design uniqueness
Areas are familiar yet refreshed: Vermilion’s docks feel busier, Celadon’s greenery pops, and the unseen Pokémon in tall grass have been replaced by visible silhouettes that aid purposeful exploration.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with an 8.5.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
Classic Kanto themes reorchestrated with warmth, enough fidelity to feel modern, and enough restraint to let the melodies breathe. Town themes are gentle earworms; route themes invite a comfortable stride.
Sound effects quality
Capture rings, berry tosses, and crowding Pokémon cries build a cozy sonic texture. The subtle audio cues for excellent throws make mastery feel tangible.
Voice Acting
None, which suits the storybook vibe and keeps the focus on music and ambient cues.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 9.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
A full badge quest at a comfortable pace, plus generous postgame: Master Trainers for each species, chain-based shiny hunting, and completion tasks that reward methodical play.
Extra Content
Local co-op for drop-in assistance, GO connectivity for importing favorites, and light cosmetic fun with partner outfits. It’s a buffet of small, satisfying activities rather than one massive mode.
Replay value
High for collectors and families. Shiny hunting loops are readable and relaxing; challenge minded players can impose rulesets (no candies, type themes) for fresh runs.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Pokemon Lets Go: Eevee with an 8.5.
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
Optional toggle for classic wild battles to appease purists without discarding the modern loop.
A button-only throwing option in docked play for better accessibility.
Expand postgame trainer gauntlets with mixed formats (double battles, weather rules) to deepen team-building.
Comparisons
Versus the original Yellow, this is the kinder, cleaner remix. Versus mainline entries with traditional wild battles, Let’s Go trades friction for flow. Compared with Legends: Arceus, it’s less systemic and more curated, closer to a memory album than a field study.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
My wife played this game, and we worked together, me on Pokémon GO, organizing trades to fill gaps, until we completed the entire Pokédex except Mew. That one hurts a lot. It’s tied to the Poké Ball Plus, and even if you wanted to support it, the accessory is discontinued. Still, that shared routine, mapping out trades, finding the version exclusives, and celebrating a tricky catch. It became one of our favorite low-stress co-op rituals. And yes, the weird wild system grew on us; by the end, the throw felt as natural as choosing Fight.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Pokémon Let’s Go: Eevee, I give it a personal rating of 9.
Last words
Pros
- Cozy reimagining of Kanto with visible overworld Pokémon
- Partner Eevee’s personality, outfits, and unique moves
- Catch-centric wild encounters that create a calm, satisfying loop
- Smooth pacing with minimal grind fatigue
- Excellent rearrangements of classic Kanto themes
- Local co-op that’s perfect for families and new players
- Shiny hunting via chains that’s engaging and readable
- Clean UI and quick load transitions in handheld and docked
- Trainer battles remain for tactical beats and Gym flavor
- GO connectivity for collectors and cross-ecosystem fun
- Strong handheld performance and crisp visuals
- Postgame Master Trainers for focused, species-specific challenges
Cons
- No traditional wild battling, purists may miss that layer
- Motion throws in docked mode can feel finicky in some setups
- Candy-driven power creep can over-soften late game
- Mew locked behind the discontinued Poké Ball Plus accessory
- Story remains light; character arcs are brief
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! initially feels like Kanto with the volume turned down. Wild combat is replaced by a quiet ritual of aim and release. But that hush becomes the mood of the adventure: relaxed, generous, and eminently replayable. Give it time, and the unusual encounters stop feeling less and start feeling different, a calmer way to fall in love with Kanto all over again.
FINAL RATING
8.5
Please let me know what you think of Pókemon Let’s Go: Eevee in the comments!
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One of the most memorable additions to the francise. I couldn’t go a day without hearing people with this one for so long.
Eevee!!!
TIL this was a remake! I think it could have been nice to mention it in the intro, I only understood it because a sentence or two implied it, and towards the end in the Comparisons sub-section you compare it to the “original” Yellow.
I went to Google to find out that Pokémon Yellow was a new version of Pokémon Red/Pokémon Blue, and then Pokémon Let’s Go! Pikachu and Pokémon Let’s Go! Eevee were remakes of Pokémon Yellow. 😮
Other than that detail, nice review! 😀
Yeah, Yellow was an enhanced versions of Red/Blue, the original ones. I had Pokémon Blue cartridge.
Btw, you could use Red/Blue/Yellow for Pokémon Stadium on N64 too! 😀
P.S. That Articuno screenshot reminded me of my Articuno “art”, where I drew it as some weird chicken lmao.
Great review, gen 1 will always have a huge nostalgia factor for me and a lot of people, i think this game is good both to cater to us aswell as making younger generations get introduced to what started it all.
Looking at the reviews, it seems like a proper, good remake—great!
I must admit, the storytelling is something that has always felt to light, to basic, to predictable for me. Even if the teams, the regions or even the kind of contest you take part in change, the stories still kinda all feel more or less the same. That is one reason why I prefer hacks, they don’t have to cater to young children and so have really awesome storyarks – some of them at least ^^
This sounds like a solid classic pokemon experience to me! Weird that they now make a difference between gym battles and wild battles / pokemon catching. Roko and Misty are there too. Just like in the old ones. Nice. Mew is in the game but somehow locked? this is not nice.
Dont have experiance with this title and world so those names tell me nothing. But i like your summary which is pretty detailed, thx for review 🙂 Screens from game are very cute, graphics and interface style very eye candy and nice, going to see more in video.
Honestly, one of the best Pokémon games. I love it!
my guess would be, if they would release it on PC they would get more money, even with selling less switches in that case ^^
Once again, outside of my platform, but for once, it is good to hear about a good remake.
even 3 of OGs pokemons dont have a separate game about them
Looks like a faithful remake that blends nostalgia with modern visuals, though the locked content like Mew feels a bit cheap
The Eevee family was my favorite in Pokémon, so a game with it taking the main spot is welcomed. However, the missing Mew is such a let-down, I already missed it when I was playing the first generation. Too bad we can’t have it in all newer version.
This game looks so cutee damn!
Looks like a really fun game, it’s just a shame it’s only available on the switch. Would really love to get back into the Pokemon games but don’t want to have buy a system specifically for them.
Loved how this captures the game’s gentler rhythm and makes the throw-to-catch loop feel almost meditative
“…𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺.”
Another banger of a quote! The game looks to be a solid remake 🙂
I never got a chance to play this one (or the originals they’re based on) but it sounds like they did an amazing job! The pacing of the game allowing more exploration than constant fights seems nice, and I love how you can see the silhouettes in the grass!
I like review. I think these series of games must be continued. Pokemons are popular in nowadays.
I’m not an expert on Pokémon games. I know a little about the ones on DS. This one looks interesting based on the review. Thank you.
Didn’t notice there was a coop Pokemon game, seems a good change