Rumor: Switch will get a Pokemon Sun & Moon “third version” called Pokemon Stars
The Switch rumors don’t stop coming today, and it’s another major one, this time from Eurogamer. The outlet claims that, according to multiple sources, a mainline Pokemon game is currently being developed by Game Freak for the Switch under the codename “Pokemon Stars”. As the name implies, it is supposedly the “third version” to Pokemon Sun & Moon, like Yellow was to Red & Blue, Platinum was to Diamond & Pearl and so on. The game is “already well in development”, according to Eurogamer, and will launch in 2017. The target release date is apparently late 2017, though it was initially planned as a Summer release. This would be the first ever mainline Pokemon game to be playable on a home console – and the first time that games in a single generation of Pokemon will span multiple consoles.
According to Eurogamer, the Pokemon Sun & Moon initial reveal trailer might have already shown footage of this supposed Switch version – the model of Pikipek shown there is apparently from Pokemon Stars:
This would imply that Pokemon Stars has already been in development for quite some time – according to Eurogamer, it was being worked on alongside Sun & Moon, though focus was shifted to the 3DS game in the last couple of months to get them ready and polished for launch. Now that development on them has finished, the focus has shifted to this supposed Switch version.
According to Eurogamer, it will be possible to trade between the 3DS and Switch versions via the Pokemon Box app (note: this is likely an error on Eurogamer’s part; they probably mean Pokemon Bank). Since this will be a “third version”, it will be set in the same region, with the same routes and cities, but with better graphics, obviously. According to some, but not all, of Eurogamer’s sources, there will also be more Pokemon to collect in this version, though it’s unclear if this means completely new Pokemon or just more returning ones.
Of course, take this rumor with a healthy dose of skepticism. Still, we do know that at least some kind of Pokemon game will be on the Switch – Tsunekazu Ishihara, the CEO of The Pokemon Company, has said so himself. Maybe he was talking about this supposed Pokemon Stars game – or maybe not. What do you think? Could a mainline Pokemon game on a home console actually happen?
