Nintendo Shows Off New 'Pokémon' Titles For Switch, 3DS

Earlier this morning, Nintendo held a short presentation online specifically for the Pokémon franchise. With the recent release of the Nintendo Switch, most fans would expect the series to make an appearance on the new system, and they'd be right. But it's not the game they may have expected, and the video also showed off multiple Pokémon titles set to debut on the Nintendo 3DS and its Virtual Console later this year.

Some people expected a core Pokémon title to make its way to the Switch, but that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. Instead, Switch owners will have a remastered version of the Pokkén Tournament fighting game, which initially debuted on the Wii U last year, called Pokkén Tournament DX. Players will be able to choose from the 21-Pokémon roster (the Wii U version of the game will have 16 Pokémon) and fight other players for bragging rights.

With the emphasis on the Switch’s ability to accommodate two players with the Joy-Con controllers, the game will also support local play so that you can use the screen (or your TV if the Switch is on its dock) to play against a friend. When you do play online, you can compete in different modes such as a “Friends-only mode,” where you restrict gameplay to your online friends, or you can try out Ranked mode to see if you’re the best fighter in the world.

The game comes out on September 22, but if you’re at E3, you can try out an early version of the game. If you can’t make it to the show, you can tune in to Nintendo’s broadcast on June 14 at 10:30am PDT to watch YouTube and Twitch personalities try out the game in a small tournament setting. 

In addition to Pokkén Tournament DX, Nintendo 3DS owners will have more Pokémon content on the way later this year. After the release of Pokémon Sun and Moon last year, the team at Game Freak is set to release an “Ultra” version of both games on November 17. This new edition will have an “alternate story,” and it will feature Pokémon that didn’t appear in the initial version of Sun and Moon. If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can download two classic titles in franchise, Pokémon Gold and Silver, on the 3DS via the Virtual Console when they come out on September 22, which is the same day as Pokkén Tournament DX.