Since the introduction of the sixth generation of Pokemon X and Y on the Nintendo 3DS, the system has had two more major releases for the system: the remake of generation three with Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, and the seventh generation with Sun and Moon. With the upcoming release of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Nintendo has stated in an interview with IGN that the continuation of the seventh generation will be the last main Pokemon game to be released on the 3DS.
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will be going out with a bang, and will feature additional story that expands on the previous Pokemon title, new regular and legendary Pokemon, added z-moves, exciting new ways of Pokemon transportation, and so much more. Series director, Shigeru Ohmori, states that the game will get the most hardware performance out of the 3DS, and it “will be the “culmination” of [our] work on 3DS.” Even back in 2013 with Pokemon X and Y’s release, Ohmori and Game Freak were trying their best to get the most out of the then-two-year-old hardware.
When we were making Pokemon X and Y, we really were trying to push the 3DS system to its absolute limits – which is what we thought we’d done. But when Sun and Moon came around, we completely redesigned the system, and actually ended up pushing the 3DS even further to what we thought was the most we could draw out of it […] With Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, we’ve tried to eke that out more and really, really push the system to its absolute limits, and we’re now feeling that perhaps this is the maximum of what we can get out. So we’re really treating Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon as the culmination of our work with the 3DS system.
Game director, Kazumasa Iwao, also disclosed that this impressive feat was pulled off with 80 staff member, which was half the staff of the previous game. Additional fan information on the game can be viewed in the latest independent interview with Ohmori and Iwao.
With the pinnacle reached with Pokemon on the 3DS, The Pokemon Company is now looking towards the Switch to continue the line of Pokemon games. One unnamed Pokemon title was announced to be in development for the Switch at this year’s E3. The game will not be available until sometime in 2018 at the earliest, but gamers can start to have an idea of what to expect from the generation of Pokemon games.
With the upgrade from the handheld to the handheld/console hybrid, Ishihara expects that gamers will enjoy Pokemon with vastly improved graphics and sound from the Switch. In addition, The Pokemon Company also wishes to utilize the Switch’s greater multiplayer prowess to create a larger scale of multiplayer feature. Even a possible Pokemon peripheral is being considered by the company CEO.
With Nintendo’s shift from 3DS to Switch development, fans hope that the next Pokemon generations are as marvelous as they sound.