Is the Poké Ball Plus worth it?

Is the Poké Ball Plus worth it? A couple of months after Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee was released I finally decided to get the Poké Ball Plus. I didn't get it right away because I didn't like the fact that it came with the mythical Pokémon Mew inside and it was the only way of getting it. However, after seeing it discounted I decided to buy it and after a couple hours of owning it, I immediately regretted not getting it on day one!

For those that don't know, the Poké Ball Plus acts as a wireless controller and its main purpose is to play Pokémon Let's Go but, where are the buttons? When looking at it or even touching for the first time you won't know for a fact where all the buttons are since they are well hidden and incorporated into its design. 

The only button that you will notice first is not even a button, it's an analog stick and by pressing it you'll find the A button. Which isn't a very reliable place to have a very important button since sometimes when I was pressing the analog down I would tilt it slightly and choose a different attack in battle by mistake.

At the top of the Poké Ball, you will find a small soft circle that when pressed acts as the B button. Then, there's one more button that you might not find even after a couple of hours of playing with it, the Y or Select button. It's not a pressable button and to use it you must shake the Poké Ball!

Also, just like the Joycons, it has motion controls that activate once you encounter a Pokémon in the wild. I played through the entire game with a Joycon and sometimes when trying to throw a Poké Ball it wouldn't register the motion I did very well and the Poké Ball would go on a completely different direction. With the Poké Ball Plus, this issue seems to have been mitigated, resulting in a less frustrating experience.

Then, there's the stroll feature. With this, you can put a Pokémon inside the Poké Ball Plus and take it with you for a walk or just play with it by shaking it. While doing so, the Pokémon inside will make different sounds which indicate its level of enjoyment. Also, the ring around the analog will light up with the main color of the Pokémon inside!

When your Pokémon returns from a stroll it will gain exp and bring several items with it like rare candies! This might make an easy game like Pokémon Let's Go even easier but it's fun to use nonetheless.

While taking your Pokémon for a walk you might want to connect your Poké Ball Plus to your Pokémon Go app through Bluetooth. It will essentially work as a Poké Plus and spin Poké Stops for you and allow you to catch Pokémon with a click of the B Button, you don't even have to be looking at your phone!

When you encounter a Pokémon the Poké Ball Plus will start vibrating and flashing green. By pressing the B button you will begin catching the Pokémon and if it flashes in various colors afterward it means you caught it, if not it means you failed or it ran away. Usually, when I play Pokémon Go I like taking the Poké Ball Plus just to spin the Poké Stops for me and catch the small fry!

Also, check my AFK Farming method using the Poké Ball Plus!

CONCLUSION

So, after all, this, is the Poké Ball Plus worth it? It's a bit expensive but I think it's worth it, at least in the long run. If you just use it for Pokemon Let's Go you are missing out on half of it's potential though. Having Mew in it a bit scummy but at the same time, you're getting a freaking Mew! It feels comfortable to hold and play with it despite some miss inputs due to the A button being on the analog stick however, the motion controls seem to be improved over the Joycons.

There's just one thing that I'm not happy with and can't get over with, it's the fact that the strap can't be removed! It's infuriating wanting to have this cool looking Poké Ball in display and then have a strap ruining the aesthetic! 

The only way I might excuse this is if the Poké Ball Plus is compatible with Pokémon Sword and Shield! Fingers crossed!