‘Pokemon Sun’ And ‘Moon’ Leaked Ahead Of Nintendo Direct Announcement
Nintendo scheduled a Nintendo Direct for Friday, February 26, to announce something related to Pokémon. A leak appears to have tagged the announcement as a pair of presumably new Nintendo 3DS games named Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.
The Pokémon Nintendo Direct was announced yesterday by the company, and is scheduled to take place Friday, February 26, at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT. Additional details about the event are missing, but it was presumed to involve the Pokémon 20th anniversary, along with possible new details about Pokkén Tournament.
Catch the new Pokémon Direct on Feb. 26 at 7 a.m. PT! https://t.co/sVsqDLWp43 pic.twitter.com/N4PoQgwU5Z
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 24, 2016
There will be much more, according to a find by Nerd Leaks. A pair of trademark requests registered in Europe’s Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) revealed Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Both trademark listings also include logos for the both games, along with Nintendo listed as the owner. The filing date is today, February 25, showing how the company attempted to slip these trademark registrations in at the last minute before tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct.
No further details about Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon have leaked at this time. It’s unknown if this will be solely a Nintendo 3DS pair of releases, or if it’s for the upcoming Nintendo NX, with its rumored home console and handheld setup.
It’s also unknown if Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will continue with the sixth generation of characters from the series, or will jump forward to the seventh generation.
Naturally, this all should be noted with a big “unconfirmed” at this point. Nintendo has not made any official announcement, and the trademarks could just as easily be placeholders for a future announcement. There’s always the chance that neither Pokémon Sun nor Pokémon Moon will be announced at all.
Still, the timing is circumspect. It’s been two and a half years since Pokémon X and Pokémon Y were released for the Nintendo 3DS, and a year and a half since Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. It’s time for a new mainline game in the long-running franchise, and the 20th anniversary is as good as any time to announce a new entry.
On the same day, Pokémon Red Version, Pokémon Blue Version, and Pokémon Yellow Version will all be released as digital downloads on the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS. Note that these are faithful releases to the original Pokémon titles released to the Gameboy, so do not expect a graphical upgrade or remaster. However, they will use the Nintendo 3DS wireless capabilities to replace the link cable used with the originals.
Additionally, an all-new New Nintendo 3DS bundle will be released with Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version pre-installed. The bundle will also include two unique cover plates, featuring artwork from both game covers, plus a Pokémon 20th anniversary logo and an exclusive Nintendo 3DS Pokémon HOME Menu theme.
A new Mythical Pokémon distribution event also kicked off last month. It started with Mythical Mew, which just ended. Celebi will become available at the beginning of March. This will be followed by Jirachi, Darkrai, Manaphy, Shaymin, Arceus, Victini, Keldeo, Genesect, and Meloetta over each of the following months, with new characters becoming available between the first of the month and the 24.
Do you think Nintendo has a Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon announcement up their sleeves for Friday? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image via OHIM]
