Today's Pokémon Direct did not disappoint as Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were announced as sequels to the original Pokémon Sun and Moon for the Nintendo 3DS.
It was a short clip but there was plenty to take away from the Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon teaser.
The first parts to take away was what Pokémon director Junichi Masuda said about the games. They will be alternate versions of the original Sun and Moon games. Whether that makes Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon sequels to the original Gen 7 games or an alternate timeline is not yet clear.
What is clear is that Masuda said that Pokémon that didn’t appear in Sun and Moon will appear in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
We also got peeks at new exclusive Z-Moves for Mimikyu, Togademaru and Lycanroc as well as alternate forms of Solgaleo and Lunala.
It seems that Solgaleo and Lunala will have alternate forms that have to do with Necrozma and it looks similar to how the Gen 5 Legendaries merged with Kyurem.
Another #Pokemon tale is about to begin! Power up with #PokemonUltraSunMoon, coming November 17: https://t.co/se1lZJzeby pic.twitter.com/oMB0FL9eba
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) June 6, 2017
This story is still being updated.
Interesting enough, the press sites for The Pokémon Company have a TBA Nintendo Switch release date for Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, however that has since been taken down, which likely means that the Sun and Moon sequels will be strictly on the 3DS.
Before it was removed, here's a screenshot of what it looked like.
Multiple Pokemon company press sites have Ultra Sun & Moon coming to Switch, release date TBD pic.twitter.com/Tcgwsw7mOj
— helixD (@its_helixD) June 6, 2017
It is odd considering the official press release for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon has no mention of what platform they will be on. Perhaps a Switch version is in the works. We will have to wait and see but in the meantime, here's the section of the press release that omits the platform Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will be on.
"During Pokémon Direct, viewers also saw the first footage from the newest titles in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon. Two new Pokémon forms were shown resembling that of the Legendary Pokémon Solgaleo and Lunala. Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon have been powered up with new additions to the story and features from Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon are scheduled to release worldwide on November 17, 2017—more information about the games will be revealed later this year."
The Pokémon franchise is coming to the Nintendo Switch with Pokken Tournament DX but it's likely only a matter of time before a mainline game makes the jump. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will probably be the last Pokémon games that are strictly on the Nintendo 3DS so enjoy them now.
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will release globally for the Nintendo 3DS on Nov. 17.
With the Pokémon Direct out of the way, expect even more Pokémon-related news during Nintendo’s E3 presentation on Tuesday, June 13. We will be at the convention so stay tuned for more updates as we learn them.
So what did you think of the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon announcement? Sound off in the comments section below.
- Difficulty is challenging
- Post game is great
- New features and additions are welcome
- Story is muddled
- Not enough changes
