14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at Game Freak and publisher Nintendo have announced that they will be launching two new games in the core Pokemon series, named Black and White 2, on the older DS handhelds during the month of June.
The big surprise is that the two companies have chosen to create straight numeric sequels, something that the Pokemon series has not seen before, rather than announce a series of paired games that use new color combinations.
The developers have not stated whether the new games will be launched on Western markets, but given the history of the series it’s probable that they will not be available outside of Japan before the start of 2013.
Game Freak has not offered any clear information on the two titles, but the fact that they are straight sequels probably means that they use the exact same universe and many of the same characters.
Another surprise is the decision to launch the two new games on the older DS hardware rather than move the series to the newer 3DS, which delivers more hardware power and the ability to play the games in full, glass free 3D.
Pokemon Black and White 2 will be playable on the 3DS, given the backwards compatibility of the handheld, and the teaser images released in Japan suggest that two new legendary Pokemon that have not yet been named will be added to the line-up.
Pokemon fans expected to see Nintendo and Game Freak talk about a Grey video game that would mix the best elements of the first Black and White titles on the 3DS, adding a graphics update and some new creatures to recruit.
It is not clear whether the two companies have plans for a new pair of 3DS titles or whether the big Pokemon release of the year will be linked to the upcoming Wii U home console.