Pokémon Ultra Sun And Moon seem like they’re the retail version of the highly rumored Pokémon Stars, but, unlike originally assumed, they’re not coming to Nintendo Switch. Here are five reasons why a 3DS release of these games just doesn’t make sense.
1) Pokémon Would Sell The Switch: Since the franchise’s humble beginnings, Pokémon has been popular enough to sell lots of hardware. In 2016, Sun And Moon were the highest selling games of the year. Especially following the immense popularity of Pokémon Go, this accomplishment was no real surprise. People are more aware of Pokémon now than they’ve been in quite some time.
With that fact in mind, it would’ve been smart to put a proper Pokémon RPG like Ultra Sun And Moon on Switch to bolster the hybrid console’s outlook for the holidays. The Switch is successful today, but Nintendo, and by extension The Pokémon Company, can’t afford to let that momentum slide. Profitability for both companies depends on a thriving Switch. A proper Pokémon game this close to launch would go a long way toward ensuring future viability.
2) It’s Not A Massive Financial Risk: It makes sense for The Pokémon Company to want to keep dipping into the 60-million strong 3DS user base, but after the Switch’s reveal, it was quickly apparent that this console was going to be more successful than the Wii U. Buzz around the Switch peaked this October, and it’s never really died. It’s now the fastest-selling console in Nintendo’s history.
Given the present reality, and the fact that Switch interest would likely be high in general around the holidays, it simply doesn’t seem like there would’ve been much financial risk for The Pokémon Company to hop on the Switch train early. Especially looking at the software sales of titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, they’re actually probably missing out on profits.
3) Pokémon Sun & Moon Scales Beyond 3DS: Despite the 3DS struggling to run Sun And Moon’s most intense moments, datamined evidence suggests both games were planned to scale even further beyond the hardware’s capabilities. Low-poly character animations prove that walking Pokémon were originally considered and implemented fairly extensively too.
It seems odd Game Freak would spend that much time working on this feature unless it wasn’t originally intended for a Switch release. As polished as Sun And Moon are, there’s simply no way the concept would’ve worked on an aging portable. It just makes us wonder if maybe Ultra Sun And Moon were supposed to be on Switch to begin with.
4) It Doesn’t Sound Like A Massive Project: We don’t know too much about Pokémon Ultra Sun And Moon beyond its “alternate story,” new monsters and new features, but considering the quick turnaround time from the original games, these ones don’t really seem like a massive improvement over their predecessors. After all, there’s no number two at the end, which seems to imply they didn’t earn the right to be a sequel.
Making that rough assumption, it doesn’t seem like it would’ve been too massive of an undertaking to bring Ultra Sun And Moon to Switch. In fact, Nintendo could’ve sent last year’s 3DS games out to a port house for Switch and fans would’ve been just as happy. If it meant a delay, it might’ve been the right one to make. With so few changes, having no Switch release just seems like a missed opportunity.
5) It Tells Us Nintendo Is Listening: The Pokémon Company doesn’t necessarily have to bend to Nintendo’s will over every small detail, but there’s no denying that bringing Ultra Sun And Moon to Switch would’ve helped Nintendo’s perception tremendously. This company has a bad habit of ignoring the most vocal demands of its fans. (See the insane Splatoon 2 headset for just one recent example.)
By bringing a demanded proper Pokémon RPG to consoles, you’re changing that perception in an instant. A move like that sets the Switch off on the right foot, and that commitment would likely pay dividends down the road. Pokkén Tournament DX looks cool, but releasing it as the first Switch Pokémon game looks like a total half-cognizant “Nintendo move” even if the decision wasn’t entirely Nintendo’s to make.
Pokémon Ultra Sun And Moon come to 3DS Nov. 17.
Do you think Ultra Pokémon Sun And Moon should’ve been released on Switch? Is there still hope for Pokémon Stars as we know it? Tell us in the comments section!
