Report: A Version of Pokémon Sun and Moon is Coming to Nintendo Switch

By Cameron Wade  |  November 18, 2016 | 11:23am
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As of right now, there is no official information regarding how Pokémon is coming to the Nintendo Switch, besides the fact that The Pokemon Company is going to make a game for the console.

Now Eurogamer is reporting that a version of the just-released Pokémon Sun and Moon is coming to the Switch. The game currently has the codename Pokémon Stars, and though that fits with the theme of Sun and Moon, it’s not clear if this will be the official title.

Stars was in development simultaneously with Sun and Moon at Game Freak, but was put on hold in the last few months to give the team time to focus on Sun and Moon leading up to their releases.

Stars will reportedly feature the same map and art style as Sun and Moon, but with higher-resolution assets that the Switch will be capable of handling. Some of Eurogamer’s sources said the game would have unique Pokémon. Though this wasn’t confirmed by all of their sources, having version-exclusive Pokémon is standard practice within a generation of games, and since you’ll be able to trade between Stars and Sun and Moon, it’d make sense.

Like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, don’t expect Pokémon Stars to be a launch game for the Switch, though. The game was originally slated for a summer 2017 release, but it’s been reportedly pushed back to even later in 2017.

Pokémon GO, as well as the pre-orders on Sun and Moon, have proven that people will mobilize en masse for Pokémon. Having a killer app like that release over the holiday season could give a big boost to Switch sales, so it may be smarter for Nintendo to hold off on the game until the holiday season in 2017.

The Nintendo Switch is set for a March 2017 release. We’ll hear more about the console, and maybe Pokémon Stars, in January.

 
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