Pokemon Sun & Moon, Historical Precedence, and What It All Means for the Nintendo NX
There are many theories and rumors surrounding the upcoming platform, NX. Nobody knows for sure what it will be but for now let’s stick to the traditional handheld/home console theory. Nintendo Love Affair posted an article that said Pokemon Sun and Moon on the 3DS almost confirms that the NX will “in fact” be a home console. However, that statement could possibly be wrong. Remember when Black and White came out (on the DS) in 2010. The 3DS, which it was anticipated to come out on, came out in 2011. Sun and Moon will come out Holiday 2016. If my theory is correct, and the NX is a handheld, it will come out sometime in the second half of 2017, at least 6 months after Sun and Moon.
On February 27, 1996 Nintendo released a pair of games that would quickly position themselves to become a worldwide phenomenon. Those two games were Pokemon Red and Pokemon Green. This year Nintendo, Gamefreak, and The Pokemon Company are celebrating the 20th anniversary of this phenomenal series in several ways. First is on Twitter with #Pokemon20. Another way is that they are re-releasing the original games on the 3DS Virtual Console. Most notably the Pokemon Company has announced the next installments of the series: Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon.
A new Pokemon installment is always exciting news but this announcement is also interesting because there is now two generations on one handheld system. If you have been playing Pokemon for at least the past few years you know this is a relatively new precedent. In 2006, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were released on the Nintendo DS. Four years later Pokemon Black and White were also released on the DS. Those two pairs of games were set in different regions and completely separate generations. History may be repeating itself once again with Pokemon XY and Pokemon Sun/Moon.
Why is having two generations on one system so significant? In 1996, the first generation of Pokemon was released with Red, Green (Japan only), Blue, and Yellow on the Gameboy. In 1999, the second generation that contained Gold, Silver, and Crystal were released on the Gameboy Color. In 2002, it was the third with Ruby, Sapphire, Firered, Leafgreen, and Emerald. In 2006, ten years after the release of the original games, The Pokemon Company released the fourth generation with Diamond, Pearl, Heartgold, and Soulsilver on the DS. Four years later, in 2010, the fifth generation was released with Black and White initially. What system were they on? Well they were also on the DS.
Because they were released on the DS family of systems, Gamefreak decided to add extra content if you played the games on the DSi. The DSi, unlike its predecessor, actually had a camera. Gamefreak utilized that camera for a couple extra little minigames. Those were Balloon Catch and Balloon Smash. They were nothing too special, but they did add a little more for those with the latest Nintendo DS model. Maybe Gamefreak will do the same with the 3DS and New 3DS?
Does the release of Pokemon Sun and Moon on the 3DS hint at the NX being a home console or a handheld? Let us know in the comments!
Jason Donnelly, also known as Deez, is a teenage Pokemon enthusiast who aspires to work in the big leagues of web design and journalism. You can find him on Twitter @Deez12321
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