The release of the latest Pokemon role-playing games, "Pokémon Ultra Sun" and "Ultra Moon," is less than a month away. However, with its release, the Pokemon game series may be bidding farewell to the Nintendo 3DS handheld console.
Shigeru Ohmori, the director of Game Freak, spoke about how the previous Pokemon Games have pushed the 3DS to its limits. Due to these limitations, the upcoming "Pokémon Ultra Sun" and "Ultra Moon" are likely to be the last games in the series to be released for the console.
"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," said Ohmori. "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."
"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," continued Ohmori.
While this is sad news, it is not entirely surprising, considering how fast console technology is improving these days. The Pokemon game series will likely move onto Nintendo's current and most advanced console, the Nintendo Switch.
This will be interesting, as the Switch's hybrid nature allows for players to enjoy the convenience of a handheld console, as well as the gameplay experience of playing games through a big television screen.
The Pokemon role-playing games have always been released on Nintendo's portable consoles, and it would be intriguing to see how it would play in a larger format.
Earlier this year, a listing on GameStop's website included Pokemon in the game titles available for Nintendo Switch. It seems it is only a matter of time before Pokemon fans see their favorite games on the Nintendo Switch.
"Pokémon Ultra Sun" and "Ultra Moon" will be released on Nov. 17.
