Pokémon Direct
As we revealed previously, Pokémon Sun and Moon have been announced in today’s Pokémon Direct. Much of the six and half minute video focused on the 20th anniversary of Pokémon, including a nice video showing people gathering and playing the games together. At the end of the video, the two new games were announced for the 3DS and will be hitting worldwide Holiday 2016. Nothing from the games is known at this point so expect a full reveal and trailer later in the year leading up to release.
The original 151 Pokémon can be transferred to the Pokémon Bank from the digital download versions that will go up on the 3DS eShop February 27. Keep in mind that Pokémon Bank is a service that charged $4.99 a year to store your monsters. Not a horribly high fee, but one nonetheless.
It was a nice and short Direct, and one that delivered in the nostalgia department. It’s a bit of a surprise to see them releasing a new pair of Pokémon games instead of Pokémon Z, since most gamers were expecting them to do that. I know I like this idea way more as I’d rather play an entirely new story than a retread. We’ll keep you up to date on information regarding Moon and Sun as they become available.
The Pokémon Company released this statement:
For 20 years, Pokémon has delighted millions of fans of all ages and has become one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world. During today’s Pokémon Direct presentation, Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company, announced Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, the newest additions to a legendary series that has sold more than 275 million video games since the debut of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green in 1996 for the Game Boy system in Japan. Developed by GAME FREAK inc.,Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be launching holiday 2016 exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems and, for the first time, will offer Traditional and Simplified Chinese as language options.
“The Pokémon core series games are the center of the Pokémon universe and provide some of the most memorable Pokémon moments for our fans,” said J.C. Smith, senior director of Consumer Marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “I can’t wait to see what fans think of the new adventures they’ll find in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.”
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will also have Pokémon Bank functionality. This online storage application will make it possible for fans to move Pokémon wirelessly from Pokémon Red Version, Pokémon Blue Version and Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition, which come to the Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS on February 27, to Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Pokémon from Pokémon Omega Ruby, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon X, and Pokémon Y can also be transferred to Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon through Pokémon Bank. More details about this exciting feature can be found here: www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-bank/#pokemon-sun-pokemon-moon
For more information, please visit: http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-sun-and-pokemon-moon/
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
