Three New Pokémon Games Unveiled for Nintendo Switch

Tuesday, in a Pokémon-focused press conference, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company International announced three new Pokémon games for the Nintendo Switch. Fans have been clamoring for anything Pokémon related on the Switch and now they officially have some interesting titles to look forward to. Even better, though, is that one of the three said titles is playable right now.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! are new games that share a collective inspiration from the 1998 classic, Pokémon Yellow. Yes, players can now return to the classic and endlessly nostalgic Kanto region. The game, as shown in the trailer, seems to be an amalgamation of classic Pokémon RPG mechanics and the more user-friendly, augmented-reality play style of Pokémon GO. What may be the most surprising is that, for the first time ever, the game has a two-player mode—a first for the Pokémon series! The game can be played with one Switch Joy-Con and thus, playing cooperatively is as easy as sharing Joy-Cons. Motion controls can be used for throwing Poké Balls. Both games are directly tied to Pokémon GO in that Kanto-specific Pokémon caught in GO will be transferable to both Pokémon: Let’s Go games. Also, a new controller for both GO and Let’s Go will be released alongside both games—the Poké Ball Plus is a Poké Ball-shaped controller that is powered via motion controls, lights up and is usable in both Switch games, as well as in GO. It will also store and transfer data between both titles. Both games come out later this year—Nov. 18, specifically.

Another game, Pokémon Quest, was also announced at the press conference and it is available on the Switch right now. Pokémon Quest is a free-to-play RPG developed by Game Freak that introduces players to a new art style for the Pokémon series. Everything has a cube-like aesthetic that is somewhere between Minecraft and LEGO. Players will explore Tumblecube island in a new RPG adventure where the allure is hunting for treasure, battling wild Pokémon and cooking treats to entice new Pokémon to join your party. The game employs simple touch controls—it is coming to mobile devices in June—and players can have up to three Pokémon in their party. Players will also have a customizable base camp that is sure to envelop all of the Animal Crossing-minded players who will most likely play this, and the free-to-play hook is sure to play into this somehow.

Watch the trailers for both Pokémon: Let’s Go games and Pokémon Quest below. It is a brilliant time to be a Pokémon fan.