When Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were released, like many players, I wondered if Game Freak would come around to releasing a remake of Pokémon Yellow. The game was among my top favorites of the earlier generation, and it was a shame that FireRed and LeafGreen didn’t borrow any aspects of it. So, you can imagine my excitement when they finally announced the release of Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee🤗. The only issue was deciding which of the two to get.
Ideally, I wanted to get both versions and compare them, but at the time I had financial restrictions🥲. So, I opted to go with Let’s Go Pikachu because it had the closest resemblance to Pokémon Yellow. But I’ve always wondered whether I missed out on anything by not picking Let’s Go Eevee🤔.
Luckily, I was recently able to play the Eevee version, thanks to meeting a fellow player who was willing to switch versions with me. Now having played both, I came up with this article to share my detailed insights on how they compare. So, if you are still struggling to decide between the two games and which one is worth it, keep reading to understand my final verdict☺️.
Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu vs. Let’s Go Eevee – How They Compare
Before we go into the details, here is a quick summary of how the two games compare as displayed in the table below:
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Features |
Let’s Go Pikachu! |
Let’s Go Eevee! |
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Starters |
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Moves |
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Exclusive Pokémon |
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What are the differences between Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu vs. Let’s Go Eevee?
Both Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee are unique games designed to resemble and be compatible with Pokémon Go. Also, as you may know, the two are remakes of Pokémon Yellow. Therefore, you can expect a lot of similarities when it comes to the core aspects of the game that are designed to mimic the anime.
Still as is the Pokémon tradition, dual versions do have some differences that set them apart. In the case of Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, there were significant differences I thought were worth considering. But before we discuss the differences, it’s worth pointing out, that due to Let’s Go compatibility with Pokémon Go, you can easily transfer the missing Pokémon to any of the versions. Considering that a lot of these differences are null and void.
But let’s assume that you do not play Pokémon Go nor have access to it. In that case, the following differences are worth noting:
Starters
Similar to Pokémon Yellow, you only get one starter in either of the Let’s Go games. As the titles of the games suggest, you’ll get Pikachu if you choose Let’s Go Pikachu! and Eevee if you go with Let’s Go Eevee! But don’t worry, regardless of which game you choose, you’ll still be able to capture the other starter in that game☺️. For example, I first played Let’s Go Pikachu and I was able to capture an Eevee in Route 17. The same applied when I played Let’s Go Eevee later.
So, what’s the catch? Well, like in Pokémon Yellow, your starters won’t be able to evolve to keep with the theme of the anime. Therefore, the big dilemma here is which Pokémon would you rather have evolved 🤔. If you go with Let’s Go Pikachu! you’ll be able to evolve the Eevee you capture in the game to either a Vaporeon, Jolteon, or Flareon. However, if you go with Let’s Go Eevee! you will be able to evolve the Pikachu you catch into a Raichu.
In my opinion, you have more options when evolving an Eevee than evolving a Pikachu. I’ve always felt that as an electric Pokémon, Pikachu already has a good type advantage regardless of whether it evolves or not. On the other hand, Eevee is a normal type which usually doesn’t have a big type advantage☹️. But it does have the potential of evolving into several types, depending on the team you want to build.
Therefore, I would go with Let’s Go Pikachu since the starter has a better type advantage even without the boosted IVs. Not to mention, Pikachu as the starter is more similar to the anime series and you get to evolve your Eevee into any of the three types, water, electricity, and fire.
Moves
Pokémon Let’s Go introduced some new moves like Double Iron Bash that can be learned by Melmetal in both versions. Additionally, I found that in both games, some secret techniques have replaced HMs. For example, Fly was replaced by Sky Dash and Cut was replaced by Chop Down.
But where the two versions differentiate in terms of moves is when you compare the starters. Because Pikachu and Eevee do not evolve in their respective versions, they can learn several cool moves that increase their advantage in battle. Pikachu for instance learns 4 new moves, 2 of which are electric type⚡ moves and one flying type, and another water-type move🌊.
Eevee, on the other hand, learns significantly more moves all from different types. Part of the moves include a water-type, electric-type, fairy-type🧚, psychic-type and so much more. As a result, based on the move pool, Eevee seems to be a more all-rounded starter.
So, in terms of the move pool they learn, I would say Eevee wins in this category. But keep in mind both starters have boosted IVs and Pikachu still has a type advantage over Eevee.
Exclusive Pokémon
While this is the main difference between most Pokémon dual versions is the kind of Pokémon you can capture, this is no longer a major issue because trading has become easier, plus there’s always Pokémon Go. But once again, let’s assume that you don’t have access to Pokémon Go, nor are you in a position to trade, it is always better to choose the version that has most of your favorite exclusive Pokémon.
To begin with, both versions have an equal number of exclusive Alolan variants of Kanto Pokémon that were first introduced in Sun and Moon. For example, Let’s Go Pikachu! has Alolan Sandshrew and its evolution, while Let’s Go Eevee! has Alolan Vulpix and its evolution. The latter version, however, comes out ahead because it has an additional mega form of Pinsir that isn’t available in Let’s Go Pikachu.
Therefore, based on the sheer number of exclusive Pokémon available, Let’s Go Eevee wins but by a small margin. Of course, this only matters if you are interested in a Mega Pinsir, otherwise, the two versions would tie.
Final Verdict: So, Which is better? – Let’s Go Pikachu or Let’s Go Eevee
Ideally, it doesn’t matter which Let’s Go version you pick thanks to the compatibility of the games to Pokémon Go. What would matter would be which one was your favorite, Pikachu or Eevee. Given that Eevee learns more moves and of a wider type variety it makes it the better choice as a starter. Therefore, objectively speaking it would make sense to go with Let’s Go Eevee.
Plus, even though you can’t evolve it in the game, you can always transfer an evolved Eevee from Pokémon Go. But if you’re a fan of Pikachu (like me🤫) you can still pick Let’s, Go Pikachu. It’s more similar to the anime, plus as a starter, Pikachu also learns cool moves and gets boosted IV. Besides aside from the boosted Eevee starter, everything else that’s exclusive to that version can always be transferred from Pokémon Go.
FAQ Section
Which is more popular Let’s Go Pikachu or Let’s Go Eevee?
Ideally, it depends on who you ask as some fans prefer Pikachu, while others prefer Evee. However, according to Bulbapedia, both games received a positive reception from the media. But Let’s Go Eevee got an 80% rating by Metacritic which was slightly better than the 79% rating they gave Let’s Go Pikachu.
Is Let’s Go Pikachu more successful than Let’s Go Eevee?
Based on sales, Let’s Go Pikachu seems to have been more successful than Let’s Go Eevee. According to Bulbapedia, while the specific sales of each version worldwide aren’t known, in Japan, Let’s Go Pikachu sold significantly more copies than Let’s Go Eevee. As of January 2021, in Japan, the Pikachu version had sold over 1.1 million copies whereas, the Eevee version had only sold 790,390 copies.
How many hours does it take to finish Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee?
If you’re only focused on achieving the main objectives, then both games will take about 25 hours each to complete. But if you want to achieve 100% completion by exploring every aspect of the game, then both games will take 54 hours each to complete.
Which game is longer between Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee?
Neither, since the core mechanics and plot of the games are the same, it will take the same amount of time to finish either game.
Is Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee the same story?
Technically yes. The main story in both games remains the same. For example, the region the games are based in is the Kanto region. However, certain story elements differ like the starter you get at the beginning and the slight difference in the Pokémon you encounter and can capture in either game.
To say I am a die-hard fan is the least way to describe my love for Pokémon. I have grown up playing and studying everything there is to know about the game and anything related to it, giving me more than 18 years of as a player. I also have more than 10 years of experience in the gaming industry, creating content on different technology and gaming products. Now, with my experience, I want to share my passion and knowledge of Pokémon with all the other enthusiasts out there to help them learn and grow as they continue to explore this world filled with endless adventure and possibilities. You can read more about me on the about us page.