Make room in your Pokedex for the sixth generation.
Put on your trainer’s caps and get ready to catch ’em all over again – Nintendo has announced the next pair of games in the main Pokémon series. Pokémon X and Pokémon Y will be coming to the 3DS, and rather than waste that whole third dimension, the series is making the jump to fully-rendered 3D environments for both the overworld and in battles. An announcement trailer provides a first look at the new style, as well as showing off this generation’s batch of starter Pokémon.
The battle system looks to be the most notable departure from the norm. While 3D Pokémon battles date back to Pokémon Stadium, they’ve never been a part of the handheld gaming series. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that the new looks will impact the flow of gameplay (unlike the console games, which always seemed to spend a little too much time showing off their animations). Likewise, the new graphics do little to change the traditional non-combat gameplay: movement still appears to be grid-based, though some interesting level design mixes things up. The video gives us a glimpse of swinging from ropes, bouncing on giant spider webs, and some kind of arena filled with pyrotechnics. It can’t be argued that the new look doesn’t lend the series new depths (pun absolutely intended).
Pokémon X and Pokémon Y are slated to hit shelves this October in Japan… and, actually, everywhere else. X and Y will be released simultaneously worldwide – a series first. In the meantime, you can start thinking about which starter to choose. Just a heads up, though: if you don’t pick Froakie, you’re wrong.
