Pokemon Sun and Moon starters revealed: What you need to know

Nintendo is a strange company. The best-selling titles on their consoles are almost always first-party titles. Which is why it's always a big deal when they announce a new installment in any of their franchises. We've known about Pokemon Sun and Moon for quite some time now, but today marks the release of the first trailer, and our first look at the three starter Pokemon that you'll be able to choose from.

As always, there are three starters, each with a type that more or less falls into the old rock/paper/scissors game. It might just be me, but with each installment of the franchise, the Pokemon look a little weirder. Or maybe I've just seen too many of them. Let's break down your three new possible companions.

First up is Rowlet. If I had to give this little creature a name, it would be something like "Bow-tie Owl". This funny little owl with a leaf bow-tie is a hybrid grass/flying Pokemon, which is pretty obvious, when you look at it. The one attack we're shown appears to have three orbs flying toward the enemy, which spread out before unifying in one spot.

Next up is Litten, or "Fire Whiskers". This cute kitty is black with red accents, just in case you weren't sure of its elemental type. Obviously, it's fire. It appears to spit some sort of fireball at your enemies, which is perhaps a bit rude. This cute little guy is definitely going to be my first pick.

Finally is Popplio. The only thing I can think when I see this particular pokemon is "Stupid Clown Seal". Should I ever encounter this particular pokemon in the wild, I'll probably end up naming it something similar. Anyway, this annoying creature is a water type, if you hadn't guessed. The attack that we're shown is a beam of water shot from its clown-like nose.

The trailer doesn't give us a whole lot of other information about the game. It does give us a glimpse at the legendary Pokemon that appear on the covers of the two games. Both titles are slated for a November 18th release date for the 3DS.