Despite the imminent release of Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!, some fans are still looking towards the future. Next year promises another Pokemon Switch title that more closely resembles other portable RPGs. One unique feature of these games is the ability to transfer your monster collection from one generation to the next. And according to recent developer statements, the studio is trying to continue that trend for the next Pokemon Switch game. However, it is not a done deal just yet.
Talking with GameSpot in a transcribed interview, Pokemon Director Junichi Masuda touched on the importance of backward compatibility.
“We’re definitely always thinking of that kind of forward-moving functionality, especially since we’ve introduced Pokemon Bank,” he said.
Despite the existence of this storage solution, the team behind the newest Pokemon RPG isn’t quite sure how they’ll get the creatures off the 3DS and onto the Switch. Masuda stated that it was a complicated process that the team is still cracking.
“We do have plans to find ways to let players use their Pokemon in the next game,” he explained.
Past games such as Pokemon Stadium and My Pokémon Ranch have let players transfer their creatures to a console in a limited capacity. Since this is the first time a mainline RPG will be based on a home console, they’ll need to support all the stats, held items, and everything else that makes the popular series so intricate.
This assumed pair of Switch games will usher in the eighth generation of Pocket Monsters. We’ve already seen our first glimpse at a new creature from these games in Meltan. The Steel-type Pokemon first appeared in Pokemon Go for trainers to collect. Later, the official Pokemon channel YouTube video explained more about the creature, hinting at its legendary origins. This new Pokemon will be able to be captured in this year’s Pokemon Switch title, Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!. Just link the phone app to the new game and you’ll be able to try him out before the new RPG hits the Switch in 2019.
