Nintendo's much-anticipated Pokémon roleplaying game (RPG) is heading to the Switch this fall. If you're wondering where this game fits in with the rest of the Pokémon series and whether it ties in with Pokémon GO, you've come to the right place. Here's everything you need to know about Pokémon: Let's Go for the Nintendo Switch.

What's new with Pokémon Let's Go on Nintendo Switch?

August 13, 2018: Official guide: How to play Pokémon Let's Go!

The Pokémon Company has published an official guide page, which details the catching and battling mechanics to a greater depth than before.

Catching Pokémon is done via the same system as Pokémon GO, but with motion controls. As you explore Kanto, wild Pokemon will appear on-screen in the world. You can try to catch them simply by touching them — there is no random encounter system as in previous Pokémon games. You can offer the Pokémon a berry to make it easier to catch or flick your wrist to capture it. Just like in Pokémon GO, you can get Nice, Great, or Excellent throws by throwing and landing the Pokéball within the colored ring, and the color of the ring will indicate to you how difficult the Pokémon will be to catch.

Battling trainers is still in the game, even though you won't battle wild Pokémon to capture them anymore. Battles function almost identical to how they always have: as turn-based encounters where each trainer selects a move and the moves are executed, with the faster Pokémon going first. Type advantages return as well, so knowing type match-ups will be important to win against opponents.

Playing together isn't just a fun way to explore the world of Kanto. When playing in 2-player mode, if both trainers throw a Pokéball at the same time, you'll have an increased chance to capture a Pokémon and, if successful, receive more experience. You'll also be able to each control a Pokémon in trainer battles, effectively ganging up on an opponent.

Link battles and trading make a return as well. You can trade Pokémon or battle with trainers who are nearby via local communication or use internet communication to do the same long-distance. The Nintendo Switch Online Service, which launches in September, will be required to use the internet communication features.

August 9, 2018: Pokémon Let's Go supports the transfer of Shiny Pokémon GO creatures

Pokémon fansite Serebii caught a subtle, but notable surprise on Nintendo's official Pokémon Let's Go site.

In a small video on the official site, you can see briefly that Shiny Pokémon that have been transferred from Pokémon GO to Pokémon Let's Go will remain Shiny when they appear in the overworld in the GO Park.

Looks like we get to capture and play with our Shinies from GO to Let's Go. Hope you've been working hard collecting those Shiny Pokémon. If not, hopefully, you've got a friend or two willing to share.

July 12, 2018: The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel publishes a 2-minute trailer revealing more details about Pokémon Let's Go!

As we wait for November 16 to bring Pikachu and Eevee into our living rooms, we're getting bits and pieces of information trickling slowly in. The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel just published a new trailer with more details about how the games will play, including a beautiful split-second shot of the Kanto Region map right at the beginning.

We can ride around on our favorite Pokémon (the ones we can ride), actually pet our fuzzy friends, and customize our character and our pocket buddy. We can even give Pikachu and Eevee a new hairstyle!

Nintendo of Europe has also revealed that each version of Pokémon Let's Go! lets players capture different Pokémon. If you don't want to buy both Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! and Pokémon Let's Go Eevee! you'd better tell your friends to buy whichever game you don't already want. That way, you can trade those exclusive Pokémon with each other!

June 12, 2018: Every Pokeball Plus comes with Mew for Pokémon Let's Go!

During its E3 presentation, Nintendo showed off how the Pokeball Plus controller for Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu and Lets Go Eevee will work. When you shake the controller, you can hear the Pokemon inside it. Only, when you first get the accessory there will already be a Pokemon inside.

Every Pokeball Plus comes with Mew pre-loaded for your game, which you can transfer and use to battle as you move through this new game.

Here's where you can pre-order a Pokeball Plus!

June 3, 2018: Pokémon director explains how Pokémon GO and Pokémon Let's Go will interact

One interesting bit of information that Nintendo revealed about it's upcoming Pokémon Let's Go RPG for Switch is that you'll be able to transfer characters you've collected in Pokémon GO (only from the Kanto Region) across devices. But, how? How is your iPhone going to be able to talk to your Switch? Well, Pokémon head Junichi Masuda explained the concept in more detail to Eurogamer.

So in terms of how the connection works, we wanted to make it as simple as possible, so on the Switch there's a connect button, you press the button on it, and then in Pokémon Go on your smartphone you press the connect button. So it's a very simple Bluetooth connection.

In terms of what you can do with the connection, right now you can send Pokémon from Pokémon Go to Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee - and they don't go straight into your collection or your party, they enter into an area that's kind of like a Safari park type thing where you can see the Pokémon moving around in there, and you can actually go there and interact with them and catch them. But there are also some incentives to move a lot of the same Pokémon from Go - the same species - and there are some sort of mini games you can play if you do that.

Not only will you be able to transfer Pokémon from your mobile device to your Switch, you'll be able to visit them in a "safari park" and play mini-games. I like the idea of there being an incentive to move doubles of Pokémon from GO to Let's Go. Maybe all of thos Ratatta will finally be worth something.

May 29, 2018: Nintendo announces official Pokémon: Let's Go for Nintendo Switch!

Nintendo has finally unveiled it's much-anticipated Pokémon RPG game for the Switch. It's called Pokémon Let's Go. It takes place in the Kanto Region. There are two versions, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee. Both will launch on Nintendo Switch on November 16.

Check out this launch trailer!

To make things even bigger and cooler, Niantic has also just revealed that Kanto Region Pokémon that you've caught in Pokémon GO can be transferred to your Switch Let's Go game. Here's the news from the Ponyta's mouth:

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! are coming to the Nintendo Switch in November 2018! Once released, Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region that you have caught in Pokémon GO can be brought into these two new Nintendo Switch games. In celebration of this announcement, Alolan Exeggutor will now appear all over the world in Pokémon GO! This is the first Alolan form of a Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region to arrive in Pokémon GO. Keep an eye out for this Pokémon's tall and stately presence all over the world, where it will appear more often for a limited time. Enjoy, Trainers, and stay tuned for more news about Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! soon. —The Pokémon GO team

Did you see that Poké Ball Plus controller? You can "carry" a Pokémon around inside it!

While the event wasn't streamed live, fans can now watch the whole presentation (complete with translation) on YouTube!

What exactly is Pokémon: Let's Go?

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee are new games coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch

They are the latest Pokémon RPG from Nintendo. That means you'll take on the role of a trainer in search of Pokémon and badges. You'll meet characters, some familiar like Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny (NOTE: I have no official confirmation about these two characters, but it would make sense for them to be in this game), and other new characters you'll get to know.

You'll wander through tall grass, thick forests, and rocky mountains as you travel from town to town in the Kanto Region. You'll catch Pokémon in the wild, battle trainers, and gain experience for yourself and your pocket monsters.

Catching a Pokémon in Let's Go is similar to the mechanics used in Pokémon GO. When you see one in the wild, you can try to catch it by throwing a Poké ball from your inventory using the Joy-Con controller (or a Poké Ball Plus) in a flicking sort of motion.

To be clear, this is not a Pokémon GO game. It just happens to use the same mechanics for catching Pokémon.

You'll also battle against other trainers and other activities that usually happen in Pokémon RPGs. I don't have all of the details yet, but don't worry. You won't have to step foot out of your house if you don't want to.

Fun fact: Pokémon: Let's Go is based on the original Pokémon Yellow that first launched on GameBoy in 1998.

There are two version of Let's Go; Pikachu and Eevee. They're the same, but different. If you've ever played a Pokémon RPG, you'll understand what that means.

So there are two version of the same game?

Just like Nintendo does with practically every new Pokémon RPG, there are indeed two versions of the same game. If you choose Pikachu, your first Pokémon will be that adorable yellow ball of lightning. If you choose Eevee, your first Pokémon will be that spunky little feline. Most notably adorable is that Pikachu will perch on your head as you travel in game, while Eevee will sit on your shoulder. Can it get any cuter?

Is this a two-player game?

Yes! You can team up, side-by-side with another player. Hand over your second Joy-Con to your friend and they can shake it to join you. You'll travel together, catch Pokémon together, and battle other trainers together.

You don't have to play with anyone else. If you prefer to go-it-alone, you won't suffer any added difficulties. The two-player option just makes it fun for family gaming.

I hear there was some kind of Poké Ball controller

You heard correctly. Nintendo is launching the Poké Ball Plus controller for Switch and mobile devices the same day as Pokémon: Let's Go on November 16, 2018.

It works as a controller for moving around in the game, navigating the screen, and catching Pokémon with that same flicking motion you use with a Joy-Con controller.

You can also use it with Pokémon GO as a step tracker and Pokémon catcher when you're on one of your walks.

Here's everything you need to know about Poké Ball Plus

Is it true that I can share my Pokémon GO Pokémon with Let's Go?

Isn't that amazing? All of the Kanto Region Pokémon you've caught in Pokémon GO can be brought into Pokémon: Let's Go. That Bulbasaur, Machop, and Clefairy can all be a part of your adventure on Switch without you having to catch them again.

You won't get to transfer your entire Pokédex from Pokémon GO. Nintendo pointed out that this feature specifically refers to "Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region," so Pokémon from Jhoto and Hoenn are not going to make the cut. At least not at first.

Pokémon head Junichi Masuda explained the concept in more detail to Eurogamer.

So in terms of how the connection works, we wanted to make it as simple as possible, so on the Switch there's a connect button, you press the button on it, and then in Pokémon Go on your smartphone you press the connect button. So it's a very simple Bluetooth connection.

In terms of what you can do with the connection, right now you can send Pokémon from Pokémon Go to Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee - and they don't go straight into your collection or your party, they enter into an area that's kind of like a Safari park type thing where you can see the Pokémon moving around in there, and you can actually go there and interact with them and catch them. But there are also some incentives to move a lot of the same Pokémon from Go - the same species - and there are some sort of mini games you can play if you do that.

Are there any new Pokémon being added in Let's Go?

As a matter of fact, there are. When Nintendo launched the game trailer for Let's Go, there was a special gift being given to a player at the end. Nintendo revealed in a tweet that that special gift is a brand new Pokémon.

How much does Pokémon: Let's Go cost?

The physical game cartridge costs $59.99 and you can preorder the Pikachu version or the Eevee version right now on Amazon.

When can I get it?

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee, along with the Poké Ball Plus, will launch on Nov. 16, 2018.

Any more questions?

Do you have any more questions about Pokémon: Let's go? Put them in the comments and I'll answer them the best I can.

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