'Pokemon: Let's Go' Players Are Finding a Lot More Shiny Pokemon

Pokemon: Let's Go players are noticing that there seem to be a lot more Shiny Pokemon appearing in the new Nintendo Switch game.

Pokemon fans have had almost a full week to experience the new Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! games for the Nintendo Switch. While the game is a loose remake of Pokemon Yellow, it contains a ton of new features and updates to the Pokemon play style, including a radically different way of encountering wild Pokemon.

In the Pokemon: Let's Go games, players actually see wild Pokemon appear in tall grass as they travel through the Kanto region. Instead of wandering through wild grass, players can see which Pokemon are available to catch...or to avoid.

Another noticeable change is that Shiny Pokemon seem to be a lot more frequent in Pokemon: Let's Go. Shiny Pokemon are alternate-colored versions of Pokemon species and typically have an appearance rate of 1 for every 4,096 spawns. Players can boost the appearance rate for Shiny Pokemon with different methods, either by catching a string of the same Pokemon species in a row (known as a catch combo) or by obtaining the Shiny Charm by completing the Kanto PokeDex.

Even without the boosted rates, players are still encountering more Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon: Let's Go. However, it's not necessarily because Game Freak shifted the odds. Instead, it's because players are seeing a LOT more spawns than in past games, as the Pokemon now appear in the overworld map.

The logic is pretty easy to follow. Originally, players would need to grind in tall grass to find Shiny Pokemon, spending hours in Pokemon battles until they eventually found their Shiny prize. But in Pokemon: Let's Go, the Pokemon spawn independently and all of them have the same odds of being a Shiny Pokemon. The odds haven't changed, but players now have more chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon because of how Pokemon: Let's Go changed the encounter mechanics of the game.

If you want to find a Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon: Let's Go, you just need to keep a close eye out as Pokemon appear around you. Shiny Pokemon appear on the overworld map with their alternate coloration AND a special aura to help them stand out. Of course, Shiny Pokemon is still ultimately ruled by "RNG" (random number generator) and ultimately comes down to luck. Even with Catch Combos and a Shiny Lure, you might go hours without seeing a Shiny Pokemon...although you at least won't have to do as much work while Shiny Hunting.

Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! are available now.