Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! announced for the Switch

Moments ago, The Pokemon Company had a slew of announcements regarding the future of their franchise. Among the slew of updates they shared for all their products, they announced a brand new Pokemon entry for the Nintendo Switch - Pokémon: Let's Go! Pikachu and Pokémon: Let's Go! Eevee.

This will mark the first time the RPG series has appeared on the Nintendo Switch platform and will focus only on the original 151 Pokemon including some from the Alola region.

Inspired by Pokemon Yellow, the games are designed and aimed towards younger players who are taking their first steps into the Pokémon video game world. Much like how Pokemon Go inspired an entirely new generation to get interested in the series, The Pokemon Go hopes to do the same for their mainline series. Whether you choose Pikachu or Eevee, you'll be able to interact with them in the game (read: pet them), deepen your bond, and customize them with a variety of different outfits. Alongside that, you'll have access to one other Pokemon who can follow you around such as Onyx or Charizard.

There's also a co-op. In this mode, each player will hold one Joy-Con each and control an individual Pokemon in battle. You both will be able to explore the field at the same time and have an easier time catching Pokemon with the modified interface. At times, you'll engage with other Pokemon trainers and put your squad up against theirs. Unfortunately, this will be local multiplayer only - no online features are planned for the game according to The Pokemon Company's CEO.

Pokemon: Let's Go features a brand new capture mechanic revolving around a new physical accessory - the Poke Ball Plus, a standalone item that replaces the Joy-Con during the game. Not only does it let players capture their own Pokemon by using the motion controls inside the ball itself, but when you capture one, it lights up and uses the HD rumble feature in the normal controller to presumably let you feel the Pokemon moving around within the ball. You'll even hear the Pokemon cry out once they're captured.

When you're out and about with your Poke Ball Plus, you can shake it hear a sound and feel it vibrate. That same response will serve you if you're an avid Pokemon Go player as the device will light up and vibrate if any Pokemon are nearby. Simply pressing a button on the ball will let you throw a virtual Pokeball, and it will show different ELD patterns to let you know if you've caught the Pokemon.

There are a couple extra perks as well. If you connect your Poke Ball Plus to your smartphone and Pokemon Go app, it will count your steps so you can hatch eggs and candy in the app - sort of like the Pokewalker. By connecting your Nintendo Switch to your Pokemon Go account, you can transfer any Kanto-region Pokemon you have captured in Pokemon Go to Pokemon: Let's Go.

Lastly, there was a special Pokemon briefly mentioned during the Pokemon. This will be a completely new Pokemon never shown before and will make their debut in Pokemon, Let's Go.

Sure, this isn't quite the "Pokemon Stars" rumor that used to float about with plans to release the next version of Sun & Moon (kind of like Pokemon Yellow), but that isn't actually the last piece of news. In fact, The Pokemon Company revealed they will be releasing an all-new core series Pokemon RPG title in the second half of 2019! There's your Gen 8 news, ladies and gentlemen.

Both Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go! Eevee are both available for pre-order on Amazon and are scheduled to be released worldwide on November 16, 2018. As they say, a year will never go by without a Pokemon title to look forward to, and this year will be no different!

Check out the announcement trailer for Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go! Eevee down below. For more information, be sure to visit the official website.