It’s been about a year since Nintendo showed the first tantalizing glimpses of the Nintendo Switch. When the system’s first trailer arrived on October 20, 2016, it turned out the rumors were true: Nintendo’s next system would be a hybrid console that would seamlessly “switch” (snap!) between home and portable play. And it looked awesome! Many diehard and lapsed Nintendo fans alike were immediately intrigued by the new system on the basis of its innately appealing foundational features.
Nintendo and the Pokémon Company have revealed the release dates, starters, and first legitimate trailers for Pokémon Sun and Moon. The game comes out November 18 in Japan, the US, and Australia. Europe has to wait a few days until November 23.
As a longtime Nintendo fan, I understand how easy it is to get sucked into a doom-and-gloom mentality when they make unpopular decisions. Considering the company’s current market position, their latest bombshells seem to rank among their most worrisome moves: delaying the next Zelda yet again, bringing only one playable game to E3, keeping NX details under wraps, and so on. But, as is often the case, I think the reaction to Nintendo’s upcoming plans is overblown and shortsighted.
Mother 3 was released in Japan on April 20, 2006. That means it’s been over ten years since the sequel to the cult classic Earthbound landed on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance. To this day, it’s never been officially released outside of Japan.