Today was a big day for Pokémon fans. I think I speak for everyone when I say I was surprised by the Direct happening this morning, and I certainly didn’t know what to expect. There’s been a lot of talk about a upgraded Pokémon Sun / Moon coming to the Switch, but those expectations got turned on their heads, as Pokémon Ultra Sun/Moon is actually coming to the Nintendo 3DS! But there was more than that to announce. First up, let’s see what is headed to the Nintendo Switch.
I admit I didn’t expect to hear that Pokkén Tournament was getting a remake for the Switch. Yes, Pokkén Tournament DX is coming, and it brings the joy of pokémon street brawling action to the portable screen. Best of all, you can split the Joy-Con from one system to play against friends locally.
And for those of you concerned by the admittedly small roster available initially in the Wii U version, Pokkén Tournament DX is adding 5 additional pokémon to the roster of 16, including Darkrai, Scizor, Empoleon, Croagunk (obviously the best one) and Decidueye!
Additionally, the gameplay variations include 3 vs 3 team battles, Rank Matches and playing with friends in groups.
I actually find myself quite excited for this one, as I didn’t try out Pokkén Tournament on my Wii U, though I was constantly tempted to pick it up. Pokkén Tournament DX is headed to the Switch on September 22nd 2017, though gamers at E3 will be able to demo it on June 14th.
That wasn’t all the Pokémon Direct had to say, as they brought in Junichi Masuda to talk about Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon, which releases November 17th, 2017. This game will feature an alternate story set in the same universe as the original Sun/Moon, as well as new pokémon and features. It also sported Solgaleo and Lunala with sweet new armor, it would appear.
To my surprise, this one is actually coming to the 3DS, so those (myself included) who have written that system off should wait a little bit. Any excuse to head back to Alola is a good one!
And last but not least, the Direct ended talking about how Pokémon Gold/Silver will be releasing on the 3DS Virtual Console in Autumn, on the same day as Pokkén Tournament DX. Best of all, it will be compatible with the Pokémon Bank.
That’s a lot of great games to look forward to! While it’s true none of them are 100% new, it’s still nice to get updated versions of fantastic games. Chime in below on which of these games you are most looking forward to playing early next year!
