Pokémon GO remains one of the biggest smartphone titles in the world – despite what its critics may tell you – and developer Niantic has done an excellent job of keeping the game up-to-date with new features, content and – of course – monsters to catch. However, the biggest boost to Pokémon GO's fortunes in 2018 comes not from fresh content, but connectivity with the Switch titles Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee, both of which are able to communicate with Pokémon GO so you can share monsters from the mobile game to the Switch edition.
This would be reason enough to generate additional excitement around the free-to-play Pokémon GO, but Nintendo has given us another excuse to pick up both titles – the shiny new Poké Ball Plus accessory. On paper, this seems like the ultimate gadget for any self-respecting Pokémon fan; shaped like the iconic Poké Ball which has been part of the series since day one, it not only serves as a controller for the Switch game but can also take the place of the (seemingly discontinued) Pokémon GO Plus accessory, which was released way back in 2016 and was worn on the wrist, allowing players to catch monsters and spin Poké-Stops without having to remove their phone from their pocket.
Does this wonder accessory tick all of the boxes, or is it a waste of plastic? Read on to find out.
Poké Ball Plus Review: Design
The Poké Ball Plus looks just like the real thing, and fits snugly in the palm of your hand. The surface is made from a rubber-like material which is hard-wearing, and there's a flap inside where you'll find the USB Type-C charging port. A wrist-strap is provided to prevent the ball from flying out of your hand when you get a little too enthusiastic, and the stubby analogue stick allows you to use the Poké Ball Plus as a controller in the Let's Go! Games on Switch. Finally, a single button is present on the top of the unit, but it's hidden under the aforementioned rubber surface and is only noticeable when you actually push it down.
The joystick is surrounded by a ring of LEDs which flash to denote the state of the Poké Ball Plus. This is mostly used when you're playing Pokémon GO (the Pokémon GO Plus accessory had a single LED for this purpose). The device also has a force-feedback motor and a tiny speaker, which we'll come to in a moment.
All in all, the Poké Ball Plus is certainly appealing from a design perspective and feels robust and well made.
Poké Ball Plus Review: Performance
Given that the Poké Ball Plus' main selling point is its ability to act as a controller in Let's Go! on the Switch, we'll start with that area of its functionality. Using the stubby analogue stick you can control your character in-game, with a firm press down on the stick acting as one of the two available button inputs. The degree of control the stick provides is impressive given how small it is; it's able to differentiate between a slight push and a more aggressive one, altering the speed of your on-screen avatar accordingly. However, pressing the stick down often accidentally results in a direction being selected too, which becomes a real pain when you're cycling through menus.
During gameplay, you're expected to perform a throwing motion with the Poké Ball Plus to catch monsters, an idea which sounds better on paper than it does in practice. The big problem here is that it's very difficult to throw in a particular direction when using this method, and more often than not you'll end up chucking the on-screen ball off to the side and miles away from where you actually intended. It's one of those ideas that sounds appealing in theory but is actually pretty woeful and ends up harming your enjoyment of the game. You'll soon opt to use the Joy-Con for motion control (which, because of its design, makes it obvious which direction they are pointing in) or simply playing in handheld mode which removes all of that Wii-style nonsense and allows you to use a more traditional (and accurate) interface.
There are some benefits from using the Poké Ball Plus, however – inside the ball is Mew, the mythical Pokémon which fans will remember from the very first games. Buying the Poké Ball Plus is the only way of unlocking this monster and adding it to your Pokédex, making it one of the most expensive pieces of DLC Nintendo has ever released. A word of warning, though – once Mew has been transferred from the Poké Ball Plus to your Switch, it is gone from the Poké Ball Plus forever. If you pick up one of these second-hand, then chances are it won't contain the Mew.
You can also put a monster inside the Poké Ball Plus and take it out for a walk with you; to tell if there's a beast inside, you simply shake the device. You'll feel it vibrate and make the monster's trademark sound if one is contained inside.
Poké Ball Plus Review: Connectivity with Pokémon GO
Like the Pokémon GO Plus, the Poké Ball Plus connects to Pokémon GO and allows you to catch monsters and get items from Poké-Stops without having to use your phone. Once paired, it will vibrate and light up a certain colour, depending on what activity you're involved in. Pushing the button on the top will trigger the in-game action.
While it's tempting to assume this is all it does, the Poké Ball Plus offers a big advantage over the Pokémon GO Plus – if you happen to have a monster inside the ball, you will automatically spin Poké-Stops as you pass them.
Outside of that, it's very much business as usual. While the battery on the Poké Ball Plus needs charging regularly, you won't need to change it once it's out of juice – which is the case with the Pokémon GO Plus, which uses a non-rechargeable power cell.
Poké Ball Plus Review: Verdict
The Poké Ball Plus is an odd product, because it feels totally unsuited for its main purpose, which is to act as a controller for Let's Go! on Switch. It's perhaps the worst way to interact with that particular game, so if you don't play Pokémon GO as well, we'd advise you avoid it.
However, if you're keen on getting Mew and you play Pokémon GO regularly, then it's easier to recommend. The ability to catch monsters using the device is a real boon, as is the neat bonus of being able to gain items from Poké-Stops without having to do a single thing. Still, there are better options out there if all you're interested in is Pokémon GO connectivity, so it might be wise to stop and think just how badly you want your very own replica Poké Ball.
by dmcferran via Featured Articles
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