Upcoming Pokémon Game on Nintendo Switch Hopes to Capture Huge Mobile Fan Base of ‘Pokémon Go’

Pokémon Go released on mobile platforms on July 6, 2016. Soon, Nintendo, the publisher of Pokémon games on its consoles (the IP is owned and managed by The Pokémon Company), will see whether these mobile gamers will convert into customers of its Switch platform. The company on Nov. 16 will release two versions of Pokémon Let's Go, a new entry in its long running line of role playing games featuring critters such as Pikachu and Charmander. It will be the first Pokémon game to be released on Switch and will also integrate with the mobile game. "More specifically, we are aiming to maximize the number of people that have access to Nintendo IP and, thus, to further expand the gaming population." The company has already released several mobile games based on its properties, including Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Two games featuring Mario -- Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe -- are the two highest selling Nintendo games on the Switch. “With the launch of Pokémon Go in 2016 and the global sensation that ensued, millions of new players were introduced to the world of Pokémon,” said Junichi Masuda, director at Game Freak inc, in a press release. “For many people, Pokémon Go was their first experience with the Pokémon brand, so we have crafted these two new titles to be an accessible entry point to our core RPG series while giving our longtime fans a new way to play Pokémon.” The games, set for release on Nov. 16 for $59.99 each or bundled with a controller resembling a Poké Ball for $99.99, will integrate Pokémon Go by allowing players to transfer captured Pokémon from the mobile game onto the Nintendo Switch. In the game, players will guide a trainer, capturing pokémon after turn-based battles, then challenging in-game characters.