STACK J#165 Jul 2018

GAMES FEATURE

visit stack.com.au

Poké Ball Plus

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Nintendo C hances are you didn’t even have to watch Nintendo’s E3 Treehouse presentation Making the Ultimate Switch. Words Alesha Kolbe

know, though, that battling other trainers works the same, and there’s even a cute little animation for whichever Pokémon you have selected as your partner entering the battle. Naww. But wait – there’s more. To accompany the release of the new games Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee , Nintendo are releasing a new Joy-Con of sorts. It’s a Pokéball! If you saw the trailer you’d know that it’s mostly used as an actual tool for catching Pokémon – i.e. you ‘throw’ it towards the direction of the screen for catching Pokémon in the wild – but we also found out it’s a pretty functional controller in itself. The center of the Pokéball is actually a joystick that rotates and can also be used as the A button when clicked in. This means you can navigate menus and make selections all just using the Pokéball Plus, as it’s so called. We also found out that there’s a button on the top of the ball that functions as a B button, so you can actually play through most (if not all) of the game using only the Pokéball controller. When you’re not near your Switch, you can transfer a Pokémon to take with you in the Pokéball Plus (like the Pokéwalkers they made with Heartgold/Soulsilver ) that will make noises and collect items for you on your travels. If you couldn’t tell, we are genuinely ecstatic for the release of the two new Pokémon Switch games, and arguably even more excited to see what the next proper Pokémon RPG will hold.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee . We played Let’s Go, Pikachu at E3, and can safely say we absolutely adored it. The new games fit somewhere between the traditional Pokémon RPGs you’d find on a GameBoy or DS and the Niantic app Pokémon GO that took the world by storm. You have a partner Pokémon (like in Yellow ) and can flit around the Kanto region as you please, battling trainers and catching Pokémon to your heart’s content. Though similar to the Pokémon RPGs, you’ll find that the main difference is in the capturing of Pokémon themselves. Whereas in the main games you’d have to use your Pokémon in battle to whittle away the enemy’s HP before attempting to catch it, capturing in

Release dates of note:

to find out that Super Smash Bros. is making a comeback. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was announced for the Nintendo Switch, and features (almost) everyone that’s ever been in a Smash Bros. game. Releasing in December, you can expect tons more fun with your friends – just remember to pay your respects to Waluigi. Regardless of your gaming knowledge, you’ll likely also be aware that Nintendo are releasing another Pokémon game. It just so happens that it’s also brilliant. Two new Pokémon games are on their way to the Nintendo Switch – Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and

Pok é mon: Let's Go, Eevee/ Pikachu -

November 16, 2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - December 7, 2018

the Switch games is much more akin to how Pokémon GO works. You simply feed the Pokémon a berry, and then attempt to catch it by aiming and throwing a Pokeball. Caught Pokémon will also distribute EXP among those in your party using the EXP

Share. Encountering Pokémon in the wild, too, looks like it plays out a little differently. At least in tall grass, you can actually see the Pokémon that you’re going to run into, instead of randomly triggering encounters. We’re not sure how this works in other areas like deserts and on the water, but it’ll be interesting to find out. You’ll be happy to

Pokémon: Let’s Go

14

JULY 2018

jbhifi.com.au