6) Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Intentional or not, it certainly looks as if Nintendo and The Pokemon Company will once again be utilizing Pokemon GO‘s obscene popularity to ensure the same level of financial success that it enjoyed last year, with the launch of Pokemon Sun and Moon.
For those that have already long-since resigned 2016 to distant memory, you may not remember the Pokefever phenomenon that enveloped the planet upon launch of Niantic’s augmented reality mobile title, though I doubt anyone could forget the swathes of aspiring Pokemon Masters that swept through parks, coffee shops, museums and God knows where else to land themselves a rare catch. The craze, which died down several months later, reignited the desire to Catch ‘Em All for many lapsed Trainers, a boon for Pokemon Sun and Moon, which went on to break several records for Nintendo.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Sun and Moon did so much more than piggyback off of a wave nostalgia, as they’re arguably the greatest entries in the series to date, but there’s absolutely no denying that Pokemon GO contributed to results like these. With the latter once more enjoying a wave of publicity (not all of it good, mind you), anticipation levels for Ultra Sun & Moon are approaching those of its predecessors.
Given their status as pseudo sequels rather than the dawn of an entirely new Generation, expect expansion, rather than innovation, for the 3DS follow-ups, which look set to follow a similar format to 2012’s Pokemon Black 2 & White 2. If that’s the case, color me excited to experience a whole new adventure in the sunny Alola region.