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‘Pokemon Sun And Moon’ Release Date, Starters, Leaks And Trailer: Everything We Know So Far About The 3DS Game

By Josh Moorcroft
Published on: 21:22 PST, Sep 11, 2016

Nintendo’s latest Pokemon titles are set to launch on 3DS off the back of Pokemon Go’s success earlier this year. However, Nintendo has been less than forthcoming with the details around the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon for 3DS. So, what do we know about the third iteration of the Pokemon franchise for Nintendo’s handheld? In this article, we’ll take a look at key information ahead of the game’s release, including when you’ll be able to play it, which Pokemon you can play with and more.

When will the new games be released?

The existence of two new Pokemon titles for 3DS was leaked earlier this year, with Nintendo later confirming the titles as Pokemon Sun and Moon. The games will be released worldwide on November 18 this year in order to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon series. However, they won’t be available in Europe until a few days later on November 23. Nintendo hasn’t yet cited why the titles will be available later in the region, however, delays in Europe usually fall down to translation.

As a completely new Pokemon game, Sun and Moon will take place on the fictional islands of the Alola region, which have been described as “Pokemon’s take on Hawaii.” Professor Kukui has been confirmed as the leading scientist in the region that players will be working alongside, in a formula similar to previous Pokemon games.

What are the new Starter and Legendary Pokemon?

Of course, at the heart of any Pokemon title is the creatures that inhabit it or Pokemon as they’re more commonly known. According to Eurogamer, Nintendo has been slowly revealing segments of Sun and Moon’s Pokedex, including the new Starter and Legendary Pokemon. Pokemon Sun and Moon delivers on the traditional fire/grass/water line-up with a series of new ‘mon, which includes Flying Grass-type Rowlet, Fire-type Litten and Water-type Popplio.

Those starters aren’t the only Pokemon of focus in this release, however. Pokemon Sun and Moon will also introduce a couple of new legendary Pokemon to spearhead the games. Solgaleo is a Psychic/Steel-type and Pokemon Sun’s legendary, whilst Lunala is a Psychic/Ghost-type and Pokemon Moon’s alternative. Both Pokemon will be exclusive to their specific version and available late in the game, however, Nintendo is also expected to release a series of other legendary Pokemon through periodic downloads and retail exclusive codes.

What exclusive features do the games introduce?

Nintendo always attempts to keep the Pokemon series fresh by introducing exclusive new features with each iteration. Pokemon Sun and Moon are no exceptions to that trend. According to PC Advisor, one of game’s biggest new features is Battle Royale mode. The mode sees four players compete in a free-for-all fight, with the victor being whoever has the most surviving Pokemon at the end. The mode promises to provide an interesting take on the traditional Pokemon battle formula that we’ve seen in previous games.

Player customization will similarly be key in Pokemon Sun and Moon. The ability to customize the player’s character and gear were noticeably absent from 2014’s Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire releases. However, Nintendo has promised that their latest additions to the series will offer greater customization than ever before.

Meanwhile, both Pokemon Sun and Moon will work seamlessly with Nintendo’s Pokemon Bank app, allowing transfer of Pokemon from previous games, including Red, Blue and Yellow released on the 3DS Virtual Console earlier this year. Likewise, Pokemon Sun and Moon has a nod to N64 outing Pokemon Snap, allowing players to snap shots of their favorite Pokemon to be judged online by other players in a mode similar to Nintendo’s N64.

In all, there’s plenty to be excited about in Pokemon Sun and Moon when they launch on Nintendo 3DS in November.

[Image via Nintendo]

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