'Pokémon Sun and Moon' are the next new games in the Pokémon franchise. (Photo : YouTube/HoodlumScrafty)
Nintendo has confirmed that the new Pokémon Sun and Moon for 3DS handheld will debut anytime this 2016, serving as replacements for the rumored Pokémon Z, but stopped short of giving out specific details - release date of the game titles and their fresh features. However, the rollout time is likely timed for the 2016 holiday season, new reports said.
It is only fitting that the twin Pokémon game debut later this year will serve as the finale to the 20th anniversary of the franchise that Nintendo said has generated more than 200 million in total sales since its introduction, Gotta Be Mobile reported. So the likely scenario will be a commercial availability synched with the onset of the 2016 Christmas festivities.
But when exactly is that? The same GBM report pointed to a likely Pokémon Sun and Moon formal introduction via the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June but the actual release will have to wait for a few more months.
According to Neurogadget, 3DS owners can start buying the upcoming Nintendo game titles as early as November 2016 or a month before the Christmas season leaps into full swing. Such timeframe, the report said, has precedents.
The Pokémon Black and White release, for instance, in 2011 was marked by an eight-month gap between the first announcement and the actual release. And the practically the same was seen with the Pokémon X and Y as Neurogadget recalled that fans were made to wait nine months before the game titles started hitting the store shelves in 2012.
So in the case of both the Sun and Moon, the global rollout could start November this year but the same report also floated the possibility of an earlier debut for Japanese gamers, which was the approach taken by Nintendo with the Pokémon X and Y four years ago.
As for the new things packed with the Sun and Moon, GBM predicted that the games are designed with backward compatibility features, which can only be enjoyed using the Virtual Console tool from Nintendo.
But more solid Pokémon Sun and Moon details are expected to be revealed with the upcoming April 15 issue of the CoroCoro Japanese manga, likely making clear on the questions regarding starters, the fresh gameplay approach and even the release date update.
