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Announced officially by the Pokemon Company in Japan. Launches November 16 of this year. It takes players back to Kanto, it's based on Pokemon Yellow. Switch exclusive.

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You can choose between Eevee or Pikachu, and they'll ride on your head, just like the rumors.

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You can swing the Joy-Con to catch Pokemon, similarly to how you do in Pokemon Go.
Has local multiplayer features.
You can take the Pokeball accessory with you like the Pokewalker.
You can ride on Pokemon like Onix.
Has Pokemon Go transfers.

 

[Hking0036]

This smells to me a way to sell consoles to people who got into pokemon go after playing the originals when they were a kid and falling off the video game truck. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed hearing you might not even be able to battle wild pokemon and only catch them, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully we get more info (or shown some gameplay) closer to E3, but I'll be holding out for next year's. It's a smart play and it would definitely explain why it's another kanto remake, but it makes the whole event feel a little underwhelming for super committed pokemon fans, I think.

 

[MrLucariox]

I really really hope that this game isn't a part of the main line. Dude we already had gen 1 remakes/reboots (cannot see the difference), why? A gen 4 remake would be better. And i forgot to say, is this the Switch version of Pokemon GO? For me, it looks like GOing from the sight of the community.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

I meant in a sense of casualization. Like they see people are buying and enjoying this and think wild Pokemon should be optional or things should be further casualized

Not to sound like a clueless guy who's never played a Pokemon game in-depth, but hasn't Pokemon ALWAYS been about appealing to casual players?

 

[Xzi]

I really really hope that this game isn't a part of the main line.

It's not. That was made clear repeatedly in the early replies stating we're getting a mainline Switch game in 2019.

 

[MrLucariox]

It's not. That was made clear repeatedly in the early replies stating we're getting a mainline Switch game in 2019.

Oh, I'm now relieved.

 

[AlphaSapphire]

Do you think the Pokeball plus will work with the Main games? Is their local battle at least where you can battle a friend?

 

[Steena]

Do you think the Pokeball plus will work with the Main games? Is their local battle at least where you can battle a friend?

I'm very confident the pokeball gadget will work, so they can continue selling it throughout the years. Would be very bizarre if they drop a completely optional tool for the same franchise on future games.

 

[Xzi]

Not to sound like a clueless guy who's never played a Pokemon game in-depth, but hasn't Pokemon ALWAYS been about appealing to casual players?

Both yes and no. Casual players as we know them now aren't really into party-based, turn-based RPGs, which is what Pokemon is. At the same time, if we're talking about simply beating the game(s) and all their NPC trainers, that is possible to just cruise through without a lot of forethought. Candy Crush and Pokemon GO are examples of casual games, so I was hoping the rumored integration of GO mechanics was less forced. Despite that, I'll be buying it for $48 from Amazon day one, because it's still a Yellow remake on Switch, and that I can't ignore.

 

[Eddypikachu]

Another update from serebii says that even in handheld mode you have to use the gyro controls to catch pokemon bc there's no touchscreen support like in pokemon go

 

[Deleted User]

For those wondering, cannot verify with a source, but a lot of people are saying this was called a spin-off and the next core title releases 2019.

Regardless, One important thing this game reveals is that this is a look into the graphics of the next couple generations of mainline pokemon on the switch
And, I have to admit, they are absolutely awful for the hardware specs.

Given that gamefreak will absolutely never-in-a-million-years make all these new assets for a side-game, this release is focused on the engine-work; meanwhile they will make their new story and new pokemon next year as they pan out development.
The point is, this is the graphics of the next mainline pokemon games. Given the assets, I think it's safe to assume it will not undergo fundamental core changes compared to the previous. There is a pseudo-grid map design, extremely simplified shape design which generally means it's a far/overhead view. Pokemon battles seem to retain the usual core too, given the assets.

So yeah, these will be the graphics of the mainline pokemon title in 2019, a turn based RPG game running on switch with mostly two models onscreen rendered and nothing else, give or take some minor enhancements. It looks awful. I have low expectations for GF when it comes to visual quality but this is very very poor. Gen 6 strained the 3DS hardware to a much bigger extent; the big jump in internal resolution of the switch and the awful textures/models/shaders on this game makes it look like a cheap indie game.

If so, this is game has a pretty fleshed-out battle system for a side entry. I guess this game will be like its own generation, a stopgap between SUMO and the next mainline Pokemon games that'll be releasing 2019. It's kinda weird, but then again, Game Freak has never been completely consistent across generations.

Also, yeah, the game doesn't look the best. While it doesn't look bad, it looks like it's just running I slightly updated, slightly upscaled version of Gen VII's engine, with Gen VI-quality models. Given how Game Freak now has models for each of the 700+ Pokemon already, they could've put a little more effort into making the lighting and overall animation look better, especially the animation; it's a bit too stilted.

I guess I can see it from that perspective as well, where weakening Pokemon exactly enough without killing them became tedious, but I also felt that was part of the risk/reward, especially for catching rare Pokemon. Ultimately though, with the GO catching mechanic and transfers from GO, you're gonna have all 151 very very quickly. Maybe that's the point, get people begging for gen2+ Mons that much faster. I do hope the 2019 games are original and set in Johto.

That raises another question; will this game include all Pokemon or just the original 151? I have a feeling that this game will only include Gen 1, maybe Gen 2 Pokemon. They have been banking a lot on nostalgia recently, and I don't think Game Freak is going to spend a whole lot of development time adding everything up to Gen VII for a small little side game.

 

[GamerzHell9137]

To everyone who's meh about this announcement: https://gematsu.com/2018/05/new-core-series-pokemon-rpg-for-switch-launches-in-second-half-of-2019

 

[SANIC]

Glad this is a spin off and not a mainline game.

 

[Xzi]

That raises another question; will this game include all Pokemon or just the original 151? I have a feeling that this game will only include Gen 1, maybe Gen 2 Pokemon. They have been banking a lot on nostalgia recently, and I don't think Game Freak is going to spend a whole lot of development time adding everything up to Gen VII for a small little side game.

AFAIK it was semi-confirmed to be the original 151 only. Also, it is a Yellow remake after all. 2019 games might be a new generation, or they might add the next couple gens.

 

[Eddypikachu]

If so, this is game has a pretty fleshed-out battle system for a side entry. I guess this game will be like its own generation, a stopgap between SUMO and the next mainline Pokemon games that'll be releasing 2019. It's kinda weird, but then again, Game Freak has never been completely consistent across generations.

Also, yeah, the game doesn't look the best. While it doesn't look bad, it looks like it's just running I slightly updated, slightly upscaled version of Gen VII's engine, with Gen VI-quality models. Given how Game Freak now has models for each of the 700+ Pokemon already, they could've put a little more effort into making the lighting and overall animation look better, especially the animation; it's a bit too stilted.


That raises another question; will this game include all Pokemon or just the original 151? I have a feeling that this game will only include Gen 1, maybe Gen 2 Pokemon. They have been banking a lot on nostalgia recently, and I don't think Game Freak is going to spend a whole lot of development time adding everything up to Gen VII for a small little side game.

Serebii says it will only include the original 151 pokemon as well as some alolan forms

 

[Steena]

Also, yeah, the game doesn't look the best. While it doesn't look bad, it looks like it's just running I slightly updated, slightly upscaled version of Gen VII's engine, with Gen VI-quality models. Given how Game Freak now has models for each of the 700+ Pokemon already, they could've put a little more effort into making the lighting and overall animation look better, especially the animation; it's a bit too stilted.

What's sad is that the switch now has the capability of fully achieving the official art's look with cel shading, similar to how Guilty Gear or DBFZ look. They stuck with the dumb low poly 3d models looking like plastic. I was expecting a big upgrade in aesthetic that finally the hardware could allow, I guess gamefreak has no reason to try as the games sales' data show it will sell no matter what.

 

[Deleted User]

What's sad is that the switch now has the capability of fully achieving the official art's look with cel shading, similar to how Guilty Gear or DBFZ look. They stuck with the dumb low poly 3d models looking like plastic. I was expecting a big upgrade in aesthetic that finally the hardware could allow, I guess gamefreak has no reason to try as the games sales' data show it will sell no matter what.

Pokemon games have always been rather weak in the graphics department. I mean, it took until 2013 for them to even move the series into full 3D, and even then, the 3D in those games and in all other 3DS Pokemon games afterwards have been poorly-optimized, with some seriously noticeable frame rate drops. Truth be told, I'm not sure if they could even handle a graphical style like Guilty Gear, DBFZ, or KOF XII.

 

[KingVamp]

While I think it will use the same engine as this, I doubt the artstyle will be exactly the same.

a turn based RPG

Everything else aside, while I seen people (not me) guessing/speculating that they could drop turn-based altogether, I think most people actually want this from a main Pokemon game. We have spinoffs already that doesn't do turn-base, so dropping it seems like needless alienation.

I like turn-base for the main titles. The thing I really want, is for them to make the overworld big enough, so that we can have battles on the overworld. It would just be cooler and quicker to not have to wait for the battle transitions to switch into another mode or, at the very least, make it so obvious that it is switching.

Another update from serebii says that even in handheld mode you have to use the gyro controls to catch pokemon bc there's no touchscreen support like in pokemon go

Seems like a weird thing to leave out. Hopefully they add that in later.

 

[LightyKD]

After further investigation I'm confused. The choice would be so much easier if we could have trainer vs trainer battles without a gym in Pokemon Go. In that event, i would just buy one version of the game and have the wife and me use Pokemon Go to supplement the capture and battle mechanics. Most likely, Nintendo will force everyone to buy the new game for traditional battling. If that's the case, it looks like two game cards for me

 

[SG854]

While I think it will use the same engine as this, I doubt the artstyle will be exactly the same.

Everything else aside, while I seen people (not me) guessing/speculating that they could drop turn-based altogether, I think most people actually want this from a main Pokemon game. We have spinoffs already that doesn't do turn-base, so dropping it seems like needless alienation.

I like turn-base for the main titles. The thing I really want, is for them to make the overworld big enough, so that we can have battles on the overworld. It would just be cooler and quicker to not have to wait for the battle transitions to switch into another mode.

That's what i've been saying for the longest. A Xenoblade/Chrono Trigger style transition. I think an over world where Pokemon are visible on screen would be cool. It'll make the games more lively.

There's so much they can do with these games, but they always play it really close to safe and they change only a little bit. I want more from these games. Pokemon universe is cool but they don't do much with it. Story wise they can improve on. I wouldn't mind voice acting either.

 

[pedro702]

so no actual wild pokemon fights?the graphics look almost as worse as sun/moon and go itself, seriously gamefreak is trying to kill pokemon really?