Nintendo have just announced the sixth generation of Pokémon games for the 3DS on their latest Nintendo Direct broadcast. Following on from the last generation -which included Black and White and their sequels – these new titles are dubbed Pokémon X and Pokémon Y.
The games are rendered with full 3D environments and characters, rather than the pseudo-3D style of the recent Pokémon games, with a more third person camera rather than the almost top-down style we’ve seen before.. It looks like a true evolution of the series and different to anything we’ve seen from Pokémon before, but the core features should, hopefully, not be too different from the previous instalments.
[drop2]There are no details on where it’s set yet, nor how many new Pokémon there are – although we did catch a glimpse of the new starter Pokémon and some forest and town environments, which is the norm for Pokémon worlds, along with a brand new legendary Pokémon.Nintendo’s president, Satoru Iwata also heavily hinted that it should carry on the series staple of offering different Pokémon and features across the two different versions, so that you can trade between the games.
The games will release worldwide this October, which is the same time as Japan, rather than having a delay as per usual due to localisation.
It’s great to finally see some fully-fledged Pokémon games on Nintendo’s current handheld rather than just companion apps and poor spin-offs and it should provide a great boost for the system – Pokémon’s still massively popular across the world. Pokémon X and Y look like the greatest evolutions of the series ever – even more so than Diamond and Pearl were.
parryman
Dammit! I now have a valid reason for buying a 3DsXL
Will Parrywife see it that way though…
Alex C
I don’t like the new visual style, much preferred the top-down sprites of old. Managed to get around the recent pseudo-3D stuff in B&W, but this is a bit too far for me.
Still, YAY!
djhsecondnature
Feel the same, it’s not quite good enough to work. Would love it in the anime style (http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/693/vlcsnap2009112202h16m25.png) like the Naruto games do (http://static.thegamershub.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Naruto-UNSG-8.jpg).
Blair Inglis
The 3D battle scenes are going to be amazing, this is what I’ve wanted from Pokémon for years.
colmshan1990
Doesn’t look as pretty as it could (see how Resi looks on 3DS for example) but now I NEED a 3DS XL. Or whatever revision Nintendo reveal next.
aerobes
My wife got me one for christmas and it made me wonder why I waited so long. Final Fantasy Theatrhythm is amazing and there’s a list of games as long as my arm that I want.
Muskyy
Froakie looks like an absolute boss, with his moustache and cravat.
teflon
Felt this needed 3D for the last 5-6 years, really… Kind of disappoited by how this is turning out, though.
teflon
Oh! OH!
The sequels to this release can be XX and XY.
Boom!
Blair Inglis
I think it’ll be Z, and there’ll be a silly Z-shaped Pokémon.
teflon
Are they going to do that thing spreadsheets do, and roll over from X,Y,Z to AA, AB, AC?
Pokemon Z and AA?
colmshan1990
Black 2 and White 2 were the first numbered Pokemon sequels- clearly they couldn’t think of a good name and the name Black and White 2 was just A Rush of Blood to the Head.
The next release after that is to be X & Y? I think I’ll what for Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.
Kennykazey
Apparently it’s set in all the regions from first to fifth generation, and contains Pokemon from all of them too.
aerobes
Can’t wait! Looks awesome. :)
fs
Finally. Finally Nintendo have cut the BS and taken a gamble, they’ve been playing it safe since the days of Gameboy Color when it comes to Pokemon.