With Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon on the horizon, it's been a little while since we last heard from the original Sun and Moon. If there was ever a time to return to those games, that time is definitely now, as Nintendo has announced a new mystery gift promotion that will run for the next month. Trust me, the Pokemon being given away in this promotion is one that you won't want to miss.
Yesterday, we told you that Nintendo has stopped producing the New 3DS in Japan. At the time, it wasn't clear what the fate of the device would be in other regions around the world. Today, however, Nintendo has essentially confirmed that production has halted worldwide, meaning that your only options for a 3DS are the 3DS XL, the standard 2DS, and the incoming 3DS XL.
Well this is interesting: it appears that Nintendo has decided to stop New 3DS production in Japan. This is the second time this year that we've received such an announcement pertaining to Nintendo's hardware. Back in January, shortly before the launch of the Switch, Nintendo stopped production on the Wii U as well.
A lot of Pokemon fans are probably looking forward to the mainline Pokemon title Nintendo announced for the Switch during E3 2017, but before that arrives, we've got Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon to look forward to. Serving as enhanced editions for Pokemon Sun and Moon, players will once again venture through the Alola region, presumably playing through a different story. Like Sun and Moon before them, it turns out that Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon will be getting a special edition steelbook release.
You'd think that announcing Pokken Tournament DX and Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon would be more than enough for an eight minute Nintendo Direct broadcast, but you'd be wrong. At the end of today's livestream, Pokemon producer Junichi Masuda made a surprise announcement: Pokemon Gold and Silver will be coming to the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console later this year.
When Nintendo first announced today's Pokemon Direct, a lot of people were hoping for a mainline Pokemon game on the Switch. Prior to the Switch's launch, rumors claimed that Nintendo was working on an enhanced edition of Pokemon Sun and Moon for the console, which was codenamed Pokemon Stars. As it turns out, Pokemon Sun and Moon will indeed be getting an enhanced edition - two of them, in fact - but they won't be coming to the Switch.
Nintendo made an interesting announcement today, revealing that a Pokemon-focused Nintendo Direct broadcast will take place later this week. This is interesting for a few reasons, the first being that this Direct broadcast will be live streamed just a few short days before E3 kicks off. It's also curious that this Direct broadcast will be dedicated to Pokemon, when there doesn't seem to be all that much to talk about in regards to the mainline Pokemon series.
Nintendo has reason to celebrate today, as the success of the Switch has sent its stock price up over the peak it reached during the initial Pokemon GO craze. Nintendo's share price rose to ¥31,880, which represents year-over-year growth of 102%. That's impressive, but it comes nowhere close to how high Nintendo's stock was during the Wii era. As we all know, success like this can be fleeting, so here are five things Nintendo needs to do to maintain its current momentum.
If you still need to be sold on the Nintendo Switch, then you might like to know that Nintendo will be taking it on tour this summer. On June 9, Nintendo will kick off its Summer of Play tour, taking the Switch and the 3DS to a number of different cities around the US and giving players the chance to get some hands-on time with them. The roster of games that will be on display is packed with a bunch of hits for both consoles, including Zelda, Mario Kart, and Pokemon.
Though Nintendo has previously announced that it won't holding an on-site press conference at E3, it appears the company still has a lot planned for the show. Today Nintendo unveiled its E3 schedule, and it consists of two major live streams that will cover both the Switch and the 3DS. If you happen to be at E3 this year - tickets sales to the general public were made available for the first time in 2017, remember - you can also watch a number of tournaments Nintendo will be hosting at its booth.
It looks like the Fire Emblem series won't be calling the 3DS home for much longer. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is just a couple of weeks old, but Nintendo has already indicated that it may be the final entry for the series on the 3DS. It sounds like we can look forward to the next mainline installment launching on the Switch, then.
Thus far, Nintendo hasn't really gone all-out in offering DLC. That's all about to change with the release of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, as Nintendo has announced a rather pricey DLC season pass for the game. The season pass will give players five DLC packs in all, but get ready to shell out for it, because boy is it expensive.
