'90s Parents: You're Gonna Want to Get Your Kids the New Pokémon Game — and Play It Yourself After Bedtime

Pokémon Let's Go only requires a few buttons and a joystick — there aren't any crazy button combos, nor does the player need to smash on the buttons in quick succession as with battle sequences in other games. The joystick helps the player to run around and the A button allows you to do pretty much everything else. There's also use for the B button (to go back a menu or cancel something) and the Y button (to see more information about your Pokémon when you're in battle), but really, it's a slow-paced game that doesn't require little hands to need cat-like reflexes.

Pokémon Let's Go is a combination of the old '90s game and Pokémon Go; it's like the former in that you go from town to town searching for Pokémon to collect and trainers to battle to up your own street cred and become a more powerful trainer yourself, and it's like the latter in that you actually use your controller to "throw" Pokéballs at wild Pokémon to catch them. (And an added bonus: you can play as a female trainer in this game — girl power!)

The game does get more difficult as time goes on and more and more accomplishments are stacked up under the player's belt, but your child will grow with the game and become better and better as it gets harder, meaning there hopefully won't be any frustrated outbursts as they play (this said, I nearly threw my controller out a window during one battle — I'm only human).

Unlike other video games, Pokémon Let's Go (and most Nintendo games in general) has little violence depicted. There's no blood or gore and no scary weapons, just a bit of cartoonish action. For example, during battles, depending on what the Pokémon's attack move is, you might see one get slapped, kicked, or punched, but it's all very animated and nonaggressive.

If your child wants to play with a sibling or a friend (or you), they can! Unlike Pokémon Go or the original games, you can tap in another player to go on the adventure with you (multiplayer isn't available on-the-go, however, unless you prop up the Switch screen and remove the Joy-Con controllers). Coplay also makes the game easier, as with two players you can tag team and battle together. Additionally, single players can engage in online trades and battles with friends (or others) playing the game, as long as the Switch is connected to the internet.

Like with most games, Pokémon Let's Go is definitely addicting (I'm literally thinking about how badly I want to play it as I, a grown woman, sit here working). However, there's always a good place to stop and the game can be saved at any point. If you're looking to hold fast to your kids' screen time rules, give them a five-minute heads up and, even if they're in the middle of a battle, they'll be able to save their game (I mean, let them finish the battle though, if we're being fair) and quit very easily. Then, when they play again, they can pick up exactly where they left off.

In general, the Switch is just incredible. For those unfamiliar, the system can be used on a television as with typical consoles, but it can also be taken out of the house (or into a room of the house without a TV) as a portable gaming system with its own battery. Because of this, Pokémon Let's Go can be played on plane rides, road trips, on line at the grocery store, and more.

Additionally, the Switch's controllers have more than just buttons to help them function. In Pokémon Let's Go, whenever a player is trying to catch a wild creature, the remote is motion-sensitive, so players can actually "throw" the Pokéball themselves, rather than hit a button that says, "Throw Pokéball." It might give your kids a sore arm at first (this might be something I speak on from experience), but it's one of the coolest parts of the game.

Unlike with games like Fortnite, which can be difficult to understand, Pokémon is super fun to watch when you're not playing. I watched my boyfriend play for over an hour when we first got it, and though I was itching to start my own adventure, watching him play was so much fun, and didn't take away from my own game when it was my turn. Adults and kids alike will be able to understand the game easily, making it a true family game that everyone will fall in love with.

The Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu! With Pokéball Plus Controller ($100) comes as a bundle with the game and controller.

The Pokémon Let's Go Eevee! With Pokéball Plus Controller ($100) comes as a bundle with the game and controller.

The Pokéball Plus Controller ($50) can be purchased separately from the game (though it is a better deal to grab one of the bundles and save $10), but is great if you have more than one child who wants to play and they'd both like to use the Pokéball.

If your family doesn't own a Switch yet (it's seriously the most fun gaming system I've ever played with, for the record!), this Nintendo Switch Let's Go Pikachu! Bundle ($400) comes with the Switch system, the Let's Go Pikachu! version of the game, and the Pokéball Plus controller. It's so cute!