As I “threw” the little Pokeball in my hand to catch the Pokemon on screen, I thought “Hah! Now you can actually catch them all.”
Or, at least, all the Pokemon wandering about the upcoming Let’s Go Pokemon: Pikachu and Let’s Go Pokemon: Eevee games coming for the Switch from Nintendo. These come with a Pokeball controlled that fits in the palm of your hand and acts like, well, Ash’s Pokeball does. Motion to toss the ball (without actually throwing it because that would be bad) and it captures your quarry. See the throwing motion with the joy-cons in the video? Now replace it with an actual Pokeball, which is done at the end of the trailer.
Yes, it is hella fun. And it made me smile.
I tried out the Let’s Go Pokemon games and several others at a session with Nintendo public relations and game representatives this week. Alas, I wasn’t allowed to take photos of the Pokeball but, yes, it is cool, and it is also designed to be easy for first time Pokemon players to use. Essentially, it’s an enticement to those playing Pokemon Go to enter the world of the console Pokemon games. Didn’t know where to start? Start here.
As for Star Fox, the classic game that is remembered fondly by so many, the character of Fox McCloud and his Arwing Fighter are going to be featured in Star Link: Battle for Axis, an RPG that allows players to explore seven different worlds with ships that can be, well, whatever the player wants.
But the coolest part of Star Link may be the proprietary handheld device Ubisoft has created for Star Link. Yout can see how it’s used here:
And you can see how zany you can get with the shipbuilding:
Once the pilots and the ships are in the game, they’ll stay there. As with all Switch games, it works perfectly when used as a handheld console. The Star Link: Battle For Atlas starter pack, out on October 16, will include the handheld, the title Star Fox character and the Arwing, and will retail for $75. Of course, you will also be able to buy more of the toys to input into the game separately.
For those with a more whimsical bent, my favorite of the games demonstrated may be Overcooked 2, in which our players must cook to feed the zombies lest they overrun the world. Basically, it’s the Walking Bread. If that pun appeals to you, you’ll love the game.
The figures look much like those in the Animal Crossing games and, of course, it’s a sequel to the popular Overcooked game. The cooperative gameplay of cooking the food is fun, with the added difficulties of sometimes having to do it on platforms that get firebombed and destroyed. Yes, it gets kinda crazy to play. Much crazier than the trailer below indicates.
According to the developers, Ghost Town Games, testers have already dubbed a disabled Chef in a wheelchair, the fastest of the cooks, though that may be perception more than reality. Or not.
There are five extra chefs for those who pre-purchase this game.
Note: I sucked at cooperating with the other players. This would be a great game for families but as the developers warned me, it could get loud as people yell out suggestions (or complaints) to each other.
Overcooked 2 will be out on August 7, with a price of $39.99.
And, of course, there is Super Smash Brothers which is basically the biggest crossover video game ever. I’m still not sure how to sort out the frenetic gameplay but it sure is fun. Going back to my roots, I played as Pac-Man. There’s a way to get him rolling to eat things and gain points but…given I accidentally triggered it each time I tried, I’m not sure which controller button creates that. As already reported, this version will have Inkley from Splatoon and Ridley from Metroid. Additionally, it’s backward compatible with the Wii U games, so you can bring all your amoebas from that game into this one.
Note: it’s okay to totally suck at this game, because, as the name implies, gameplay just an excuse to jump around, smash things, gain points, and have a good time, especially in multi-player form.
The other game I previewed was the new FIFA 19 for the Switch. For those ready for a new challenge after the World Cup edition, this is for you.
