Pokémon: Let’s Go…Again.

The Pokémon series has been a prevailing influence on my life since I was introduced to it by a friend when I was eleven years old. This was back in the early 2000s, when Pokémon was bigger than the Beatles and Jesus combined! The television show was massive, becoming a staple of Saturday morning entertainment. Even broadcast and heavily promoted on prime time kids show “SM:TV Live”, which was prefaced by an obscene sketch depicting trainers “Gary” and “Misty” (portrayed by the gaudy Geordies “Ant & Dec”) engaging in an impromptu poke battle, that often resulted in Gary using a super effective move that frequently had the ability to effect Misty’s chances of conception! There were the trading cards, that were exchanged and bartered between friends like cigarettes at a prison. A game in which no one understood how to play and no one was compelled to learn. But above all of that were the computer games. The pixelated sprites, subservient to their masters whims. Forced to engage in barbaric combat by gyrating in place or vibrating in the general direction of its opponent, that implies an attack given that their health bar has decreased. Presumably through embarrassment, I’m not sure. But however rudimentary these original Gameboy games were, I loved every second!

Of course as with anything successful and given the current, creatively bankrupt trend to remake everything that could potentially make a profit, these original Pokémon games were remade (again!) in the form of “Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee”. Though technically a remake of “Yellow”, “Let’s Go” is a facile adaptation, that’s strictly designed to entice the Pokémon Go community to the mainline titles. Forgetting entirely that those playing Go, were influenced by these games to begin with. It’s a great introduction for parents to acquaint their young children into the world of legalised bloodsport though. And because “Lets Go” is heavily influenced by “Go”, there are many mechanics inferred by this global phenomenon. Personally I prefer the method of capturing Pokémon here than in the traditional method. Waiting for the opportune time to capture them, as opposed to beating them into submission so that they can be forcibly ensnared in a spherical prison. Though I guess a game that propagates the wilful combating of subservient creatures for our own amusement and wealth is really just an argument of semantics! Instead you are reserving any kind of physical altercation for battles.

The battles themselves though feel almost superfluous, considering much of the experience you gain in levelling up your team is primarily influenced by capturing Pokémon. As a result of not having to weaken creatures, Pokeballs become a much more valuable commodity than actual currency. Though a Pokémon game primarily focussed on the original premise of “Gotta Catch Em All” is an inspired notion, when there are only the original 151 available in the Pokédex, with some still only obtainable through the arbitrary means of trading, then it’s an ambition that gets stale very quickly. Ultimately it’s a superficial accessory that doesn’t broaden the appeal of traditional Pokémon games. “Let’s Go” isn’t a cynical attempt to capitalise on the success of “Pokémon Go” and the nostalgia of its original source. It’s just misguided. Perhaps separating these ideas rather than amalgamate them would have generated better results?