Nintendo announces that the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon are the most pre-ordered games in the company's longstanding history, shattering existing records.

It's odd to think that Pokemon is a franchise that has existed for a little over 20 years. In that time, consumers have seen highs and lows associated with the series, but it has always performed incredibly well on Nintendo hardware – and off, as was the case of Pokemon GO. In what can likely be accredited to the IP's restored popularity in recent months, Nintendo has announced that the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon have officially become the company's most pre-ordered games ever.

Opting to forego the release of relevant statistics or rough numbers to backup this claim, the firm simply stated that the amount of pre-orders equated to an "historic milestone" for the company. Looking back, it's crazy to think about the pieces of Nintendo-published software that have now been bested in terms of sales popularity prior to launch, but it also speaks to the power of Pokemon. Known as something of a cash-generating powerhouse, the Pocket Monster franchise seems right at home taking the crown for most pre-orders in Nintendo history – although the marketing strategy behind Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon deserves plenty of credit as well.

Capitalizing on the nostalgia that many longtime gamers still have for the series, The Pokemon Company has opted to breath new life into some of the original 151 Pokemon by offering Alola Form variants for a number of them. Featuring alternate forms for the likes of Sandslash, Vulpix, and Exeggutor (just to name a few), these games are looking to provide players with a new adventure that's still surrounded with nods to the series' past. One of the biggest examples of this is the return of original rivals Red and Blue in Sun and Moon, and there are sure to be even more instances of the generational crossover awaiting fans in the finished titles.

As Nintendo prepares to show off more of its newly-revealed Switch console in January, it's noteworthy to see that interest in the company's current handheld product, the Nintendo 3DS, is remaining steadfast. However, with The Pokemon Company already confirming plans to support the new console following its release, this could very well be Pokemon's last hurrah on 3DS hardware. That is, of course, simply speculation on our end, though.

Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon are set to arrive exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 2DS on November 18, 2016.

Source: Polygon