Those who pre-ordered Pokemon Sun & Moon are now able to digitally pre-download the game from the 3DS eShop ahead of its release later this month.

The holiday season sees big game releases every year, but Pokemon Sun & Moon are among its biggest — that is, if the game's pre-order numbers are to be believed. Nintendo has claimed it to be the most pre-ordered game in the company's long history and those many, many fans digitally investing early can now pre-download either Pokemon Sun or Moon in preparation for their releases.

There are a couple benefits to downloading early. The most significant reason is the ability to start playing the game as soon as it's launched. Additionally, preloading the game will provide players with 12 Quick Balls in-game to help them get a head start in their quest to catch 'em all. Just make sure there are at least 3.2 GB of available space for the download.

Pokemon fever has been rampant this year with the coming of this next generation, and Nintendo has been pushing its brand hard; not that it needs an enormous amount of help. Pokemon has never exactly been unpopular, but this generation specifically has been very good at enticing new players, while appealing to the nostalgic senses of older ones.

There is an all new, very well-produced series of Pokemon shorts, for example, that detail unseen adventures throughout the game's history. The trailer which revealed the game's final starter evolutions also saw the return of the original protagonist and rival, from the first Pokemon game, as grownups. There are also plenty of first generation Pokemon roaming the new Alola region, which might be the only generation some are familiar with. So, even those who haven't played since Red & Blue will encounter some familiar faces — both human and Pokemon alike.

For longtime fans, Pokemon Sun & Moon are adding several new game mechanics, very different visual styles, gobs of new Pokemon, and so much more that it has lost a lot of its series fatigue. It's so different that its demo has caught the intrigue of enough people to be downloaded 3.5 million times. This is also due to Nintendo's aggressive marketing, which has been pumping out content constantly, dropping new details on the game nearly every week since it was announced.

There is a lot to look forward to in Pokemon Sun & Moon, and the numbers show that many people see the potential in this generation enough to invest early. There are a lot of perks to purchasing physical copies, such as pre-order bonuses like posters and whatnot, but nothing quite matches the feeling of downloading games digitally ahead of time and playing them at the exact moment they launch worldwide. It's only like a day or two head start, but for diehard Pokemon fans, that time is precious.

Pokemon Sun & Moon will release for the Nintendo 3DS on November 18, 2016.

Source: Serebii (via Siliconera)