Like many fans, me and Pokemon go way back. Pokemon LeafGreen was one of the first video games I ever owned, and naturally, it became an incredibly formative experience for my little gamer self. I got Pokemon Ruby and Emerald when they came out, I got a Nintendo DS just so I could play Pokemon Pearl, I dropped tens of hours into the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, and of course, I owned countless Pokemon cards, plushes, and watched the anime. It's fair to say that I was totally obsessed with Pokemon throughout my childhood.
Though I dropped off a little after the release of Gen 4, my love for the Pokemon franchise never died. Like most people my age, I still get hit with an uncontrollable wave of nostalgia whenever The Pokemon Company caters to my adoration for Gen 1, and I still get a little excited when I see a Gen 3 plush out in the wild. Over the last decade or so, this distant love for the series has brought me back to it a few times, usually when a reimagining of one of my childhood favorites comes out. It was during one of these willing 'relapses' when I encountered Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu, a game I absolutely adore, and one that I'm desperate to see a sequel to.
In Defense of Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu/Evee
Different Does Not Always Mean Bad
Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Evee are some of the most divisive entries in franchise history. Released in 2018, Let's Go Pikachu/Evee were the first major Pokemon games to launch on the Nintendo Switch, and that meant fans had some high expectations for the next-gen titles.
Unfortunately, Pokemon: Let's Go wasn't the big generational leap that many fans hoped for. Instead of offering a deeper suite of battle and training mechanics, Pokemon: Let's Go took the opposite approach, instead providing a Gen 1 remake that put some experimental, streamlined spins on the usual Pokemon formula.
The most common criticisms levied at Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Evee were the games' capture mechanics and their lack of wild Pokemon battles. I'm far from the biggest fan of motion controls, but I actually loved Pokemon: Let's Go's catching system. I think it's way more immersive, engaging, and fun to mime throwing a Poke Ball than to just press "A" and hope for the best.
I also didn't find the lack of wild Pokemon battles to be too much of an issue. I thought it sped up the game's pacing dramatically and made each and every Trainer and Gym Leader battle feel much more significant and cinematic.
It's completely fair for fans to say that they prefer a more traditional approach to catching and battling, but Pokemon: Let's Go's systems aren't inherently bad just because they're different. In fact, the experimental nature of these mechanics helps to put a fresh spin on a familiar experience, which I strongly believe is a major boon for a remake of a game that most fans have played countless times before.
Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu/Evee may have leaned into the success of Pokemon GO, but I never saw that as a big issue. I never thought these mechanics were going to replace the traditional Pokemon mainline formula.
The Best Pokemon Has Ever Looked
A slightly less divisive opinion: I think Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Evee are the best-looking Pokemon games ever made. While they're obviously not as meticulously detailed as games like The Last of Us or Horizon Zero Dawn, the Pokemon: Let's Go games do an excellent job of modernizing the original Gen 1 art style. Despite delivering crisp new character and Pokemon models, new environmental textures, and modernized lighting, Pokemon: Let's Go retains the essence of Pokemon Yellow, essentially offering a version of the 1998 Game Boy game that looks and feels how we remember it in our rose-tinted minds.
Why I Want a New Pokemon: Let's Go Game
Pokemon: Let's Go's Experiments Deserve Another Chance
The Pokemon franchise offers a greater variety of experiences than ever before. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (and presumably the unannounced Gen 10 games) offer a traditional Pokemon mainline experience. Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a few months out, and is set to deliver another battle-focused adventure. Pokemon TCG Pocket offers a streamlined version of the card game on the go. Pokemon Unite is a MOBA. Pokemon Cafe Mix is a puzzle game. And there's even Pokemon Sleep to ensure fans go to bed and wake up thinking about the little creatures.
There are plenty of Pokemon experiences that cater to all types of fans, and a new Pokemon: Let's Go game could be another one on the roster, not replacing the mainline series but acting as another companion piece that offers a slightly different experience.
To be completely honest, nostalgia also plays a sizable role in my desire for a Pokemon: Let's Go sequel. My original Nintendo Switch was the Let's Go Pikachu edition, and it was the first game I played on the hybrid console. I used that Poke Ball Plus controller an embarrassing amount.
Gen 2 Is an Embarrassing Blind Spot in My Pokemon Knowledge
I'm very well-versed in Pokemon Gen 1, 3, and 4, but Gen 2 has always been a bit of a blind spot for me. The copy of Pokemon Silver my cousin gave me many moons ago had a faulty save system, so I never got too far. I have a general understanding of the Gen 2 roster thanks to many of them appearing in other Pokemon games and wider pop-culture, but I'd really love to have a more intimate knowledge of Gen 2, and a Pokemon: Let's Go Johto remake would be my ideal way to achieve that.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- October 16, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
