Let’s be honest. When Game Freak first announced Let’s Go Eevee Pokemon and its Pikachu counterpart, the hardcore community had a collective meltdown. People saw the motion controls and the lack of wild battles and thought the series was being "dumbed down" for the Pokémon GO crowd. It felt risky. But looking back years later, it’s clear that this reimagining of Kanto did something the mainline games often struggle with: it made the world feel alive.
It’s charming.
The game isn't just a remake of Pokémon Yellow. It is a bridge. It connects the mobile-tapping simplicity of GO with the strategic depth of the traditional RPGs. You aren't just a trainer; you're a partner to a specific, ridiculously overpowered Eevee that sits on your head and wags its tail when you find a hidden item. It’s a vibe.
The Controversy of the Catching Mechanic
Most players were used to the "weaken and capture" loop. You know the drill: use False Swipe, hope for a paralysis proc, and throw a Dusk Ball. Let’s Go Eevee Pokemon scrapped that entirely for wild encounters. Instead, you just throw the ball using the Joy-Con or the Poké Ball Plus accessory.
It's polarizing. Some hate it because it removes the "battle" from the wild. Others love it because it speeds up the game. Honestly, after decades of accidentally KOing a shiny because of a high-roll crit, there’s a certain peace of mind in just having to aim properly. You’re playing a different game here. It's more about timing and berry usage than it is about managing PP for your moves.
Masuda and the team at Game Freak clearly wanted to emphasize the physical act of catching. When you use the Poké Ball Plus, it vibrates and makes noises. It’s tactile. Is it a gimmick? Yeah, kinda. But it’s a gimmick that worked well enough to sell millions of copies to people who hadn't touched a Nintendo console since the Game Boy Color era.
Why Your Partner Eevee is Basically a God
If you’re coming from the competitive scene, the Eevee in this game will make your jaw drop. This isn't your standard Eevee that needs a Fire Stone to be useful. This specific Eevee has boosted base stats. It has access to "Partner Moves" that are frankly broken.
📖 Related: Siegfried Persona 3 Reload: Why This Strength Persona Still Trivializes the Game
Think about Bouncy Bubble, Buzzy Buzz, or Sizzly Slide. These moves have high base power and guaranteed secondary effects like healing or status conditions. Your Eevee becomes a Swiss Army knife of destruction. It’s the only way the game compensates for you having a "Basic" Pokémon in your lead slot for the entire journey. You’re not just carrying a pet; you’re carrying a tactical nuke with fur.
The Visual Leap and the Death of Random Encounters
One of the biggest wins for Let’s Go Eevee Pokemon was the removal of random encounters. This was a first for the series. Seeing a Bulbasaur actually walking around in the tall grass changed everything. You could finally hunt for what you wanted without being harassed by a thousand Zubats in Mt. Moon.
The colors pop. Kanto has never looked more vibrant.
While Sword and Shield or Scarlet and Violet went for a more "realistic" (and often muddier) art style, the Let’s Go games stuck to a clean, toy-like aesthetic. It ages better. The lighting in Viridian Forest actually feels atmospheric. The way your Pokémon follow behind you—and the fact that you can ride a Charizard or a Snorlax—added a layer of immersion that later games ironically scaled back.
The Gritty Details of Shiny Hunting
Shiny hunting in this game is a different beast. It introduced the concept of Catch Combos.
- You catch the same species repeatedly.
- The odds of a shiny appearing increase.
- Rare spawns like Dragonite or Charizard start showing up in the sky.
It’s addictive. It’s much more active than the Masuda Method of hatching eggs. You’re flying around, eyes peeled for that specific sparkle. Because the Pokémon appear in the overworld, you can see a shiny before you even engage it. This created a new kind of tension. There is nothing quite as stressful as seeing a shiny Ponyta on the edge of your screen and rushing to reach it before it despawns.
👉 See also: The Hunt: Mega Edition - Why This Roblox Event Changed Everything
What the "Pro" Community Misses
A lot of the criticism aimed at Let’s Go Eevee Pokemon centers on the lack of Abilities and Held Items. If you’re used to Garchomp with a Life Orb and Rough Skin, this game feels naked. There’s no breeding. No IV/EV training in the traditional sense. Instead, you use Candies to boost stats to astronomical levels.
It’s simplified, sure. But that simplification makes the game accessible to a five-year-old while still offering "Master Trainers" for the veterans. These are NPCs who specialize in one specific Pokémon. To beat the Magikarp Master Trainer, you have to bring your own Magikarp. It forces you to use the entire Pokédex in a way most games don't.
Integration with Pokemon HOME
Don't forget that this game is a one-way street for a lot of your collection. You can bring stuff from GO into the GO Park in Fuchsia City. This was the easiest way to get Meltan and Melmetal for a long time. It made the mobile game feel like it had a "home base" on the Switch.
However, be careful. Once a Pokémon travels from GO to Let’s Go Eevee Pokemon, it can't go back to your phone. It can go forward to Pokémon HOME, but its stats will be re-rolled to fit the traditional system. It's a bit of a technical headache if you aren't prepared for it.
The Longevity of Kanto
We’ve been to Kanto a lot. Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, HeartGold, SoulSilver... it’s a lot. People complain about Kanto fatigue. But there is a reason Game Freak keeps going back to the well. The layout of Kanto is tight. It’s iconic.
In this version, the Gym Leader rematches and the battle with Red and Blue (yes, the original protagonists) provide a nice nostalgia hit. Seeing Blue take over the Viridian Gym or fighting Red at the top of Mt. Silver is a rite of passage. In Let’s Go Eevee Pokemon, these battles are actually somewhat challenging because you can't rely on the same "over-leveling" tactics as easily without the traditional wild battle grind.
✨ Don't miss: Why the GTA San Andreas Motorcycle is Still the Best Way to Get Around Los Santos
Real Talk on the Motion Controls
You can't talk about this game without mentioning the controls. If you’re playing in handheld mode, you use gyro aiming. It’s fine. If you’re playing on the TV, you must use a single Joy-Con. You cannot use a Pro Controller.
This is the biggest "Why, Nintendo?" moment in the game’s design. For a lot of people with accessibility needs or just a preference for a standard controller, this was a dealbreaker. It’s a forced "immersion" that didn't land for everyone. It makes long play sessions a bit of a literal pain in the wrist.
Actionable Steps for Your Kanto Journey
If you’re picking up the game today, don't just rush to the Elite Four. You’ll miss the soul of the game.
First, spend time with your Eevee. Go into the play menu and pet it. It sounds silly, but this is how you unlock the special moves and those random "Eevee gave you a gift" moments. Those gifts often include rare items like Heart Scales.
Second, don't ignore the NPCs. In this game, NPCs give you the three Kanto starters (Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) based on how many Pokémon you’ve caught. You don't need to trade to get a powerhouse team early on.
Third, use the "Two-Player" hack. Even if you're playing alone, you can shake a second Joy-Con to bring in a support trainer. This makes catching much easier—you get a "Sync Throw" bonus which increases your catch rate and the XP you gain. It basically turns the game into "Easy Mode" on steroids, which is great for grinding.
Finally, hit the Move Tutor in the Pokémon Centers as soon as possible. The Move Tutor for your partner Eevee is usually located in the Pokémon Center of Cerulean City, Celadon City, and Fuchsia City. This is where you get those broken elemental moves. Without them, Eevee is just a cute mascot. With them, it’s an unstoppable force of nature.
Let’s Go Eevee Pokemon isn't trying to be Elden Ring. It isn't even trying to be Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It’s a cozy, vibrant, and slightly weird experiment that proved the Kanto formula still has legs, provided you're willing to pet your Pokémon along the way.