Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! are the first Pokémon games to launch solely for the Nintendo Switch, and are a terrific experience for both veterans and newcomers to the series. However, it’s also exceptionally difficult to define exactly what category of game these titles fit under. The Pokémon Let’s Go games are technically remakes of Pokémon Yellow, which is itself an enhanced version of the original Pokémon Red and Blue. Although with the additions of mechanics from the Pokémon GO mobile game and numerous chances to events and characters from the original games, it might be more accurate to call these titles re-imaginings of Pokémon Yellow.

The weirdness of these titles don’t end there, though, and a player can expect to encounter strange decisions numerous times throughout a playthrough of these games. A lot of the weirdness in these games comes from the many changes made to make the series more appealing to newcomers, or those whose first experience with the franchise came in the form of Pokémon GO. However, there are also a lot of new additions and references that only longtime fans of the series will understand, and it doesn’t really feel like there’s any kind of consistent throughline on these alterations. There’s no question that the Pokémon Let’s Go games are some terrific Pokémon games and may be the best way to experience the Kanto region, but that doesn’t excuse numerous unusual decisions present in the titles. These 30 items just don’t make a lot of sense and distract from an otherwise wonderful Pokémon experience.

30 🌱 They Aren’t Aꦚctually Remakes

Calling the Pokémon Let’s Go games remakes was the easiest way to market them, but it does not accurately describe what these games are. Remakes are generally considered to be a new version of a game that’s made with a new game engine, updated ♔graphics while trying to hold onto the original art style, improved mechanics, and maybe some additions of Easter eggs or bonus content.

These titles are closer to re-imaginings of Pokémon Yellow as they implement totally new gameplay elements, story structure, a✃nd fundamentally alter how ♍players progress through the games.

29 Red And Blue Didn’t B🎐eat Team Rocket

The protagonist and rival from the original Pokémon games, Red and Blue, both appear in these new titles. They’re both extremely powerful trainers and seem to be at the end of their journey’s from the first games, however, their other accomplishmen🅷ts didn’t occur in these new titles.

Team Rocket is still running around when in the original games, they put an end to the organization, and neither of their names are listed on any of the gyms. It’s really odd that these games would change the backstory of such established characters in Pokémon lore.

28 Ditching The Safari Zone For The GO P൩ark

The Pokémon Let’s Go games replace the Fuchsia City Safari Zone with the GO Park. While it’s good that there is some connect🐈ivity between these games, it’s a shame that one of the coolest areas in the original games was replaced by something that could just be a menu.

Sure, it’s a lot of fun 🌠to see Pokémon running around the GO Park, but it’s not as much fun as the Safari Zone and this transfer process could be streamlined, much like how the PC was turned into a menu screen.

27 It’s Difficult To Level Up New✱ Party Members

While the new catching mechanics in the Pokémon Let’s Go games do♏ speed up the process of catching monsters, they also make it more difficult to level up new additions to your party. Previously, wild battles let select monsters gain more experience than other party members, where in the new games, experience is distributed evenly t♌o all Pokémon.

This not only slows level grinding, but it also forces a player to bu🎃rn through Pokéballs, since experience in the new games is only distributed when a wild monster is captured.

26 It’s Tough To Keep Finances In The Black ꦺ

Needing Pokéballs to grind for expꦰerience, and healing items to help weaker monsters recover from battles, makes it exceptionally easy to run out of money when leveling up monsters. You need to spend money on Pokéballs when catching monsters for experience, and money on medicine to heal under-leveled Pokémon when they take a hit before switching them out to give them more experien🐼ce.

Sure, a player can avoid this problem by sticking with the same few monsters for an entire playthrough, but a lot of the fun in Pokémon games comes from changing u🦋p your tea🌌m to create new strategies.

25 Every 🌼Monster Besides Your Partner Is Replaceable

The Pokémon Let’s Go games frame your starter monster as an irreplaceable partner that’s aiding you on this journey as though it were destiny. This cꦿlashes pretty heavily with the fact that every other monster you encounter in the game is replaceable, and usually, there’s a stronger version of a creature only a few catches away.

These games actively encourage players to catch a༒s many monsters as possible, which makes the first wild monster you obtain feel way less special, or any given creature you cat𝐆ch less unique.

24 Blaine's Gym Is A Contradictory Gauntlet 🀅

Blaine’s gym is different from all of the others in the game. This challenge asks a player questions about Pokémon to advance, with battles only fought if a wrong answer is given. This means that a player will either 💟face Blane with a totally fresh team, or one damaged by a gauntlet of battles wit🉐h no chance to heal between fights.

However, monsters don’t gain experience for answering a question correctly, meaning it’s in a players best long-term interest to answer questions incorrectly. This gym is an interesting idea on paper, but ends up str🃏ange and contradictory in practice.

23 𝓰 CP Scores Are A Blessing, A🦄nd A Curse

The Pokémon Let’s Go games make hunting for more powerful monsters easier than ever with CP scores. These scores correlate to the formally hidden IV values that make a monster more or less 🧸powerful than any of its counterparts.

However, this mechanic also makes building a team more frustrating for casual players. A lot of the enjoyment in JRPGs like Pokémon comes from building the best team and strategy a player can, an🍸d it’s a bit disheartening for a player to see that their monsters aren’t as efficient as they could be.

22 It’s Frustr🌌ating To Play Outside Of Handheld Mode

The Pokémon Let’s Go games are best played in handheld mode. The gyroscope in the Switch allows for the easiest aiming and✅ the best throws. Playing the games dockeꦓd requires a player to use the joycons to throw Pokéballs or uses an accessory device to capture monsters.

This throwing is♐ way less accurate than playing in handheld mode and results in a player easily burning through their cache of Pokéballs. This is a bit of a disappointment, since these games look so good on a big scree𝓡n, but diminish the experience by not playing as well.

21 🐻 Not Much Post Game Content 💯

After a player defeats the Elite Four, they can capture Mewtwo in Cerulean Cave, battle the Master Trainers, and that’s about it. There’s not much post-game content like in Pokémon Gold and Silver, or other more recent entries in the series.

It’s odd that these games wouldn't have more content considering the affordances of the Switch and that the original Pokémon games were defined by their borderline impossible scope. The Pokémon Let’s Go games are fantastic entries in the franchise, but it seems like they 𓂃push their con🌃sole less than any other game in the series.