The latest Pokemon Direct stream has come and gone, and it was a classic bit of Nintendo marketing in the sense that fans are more bewildered than excited. While there were certainly some points of interest in the eight-minute long presentation, most of the concrete information discussed during the stream centered around Pokken Tournament despite the announcement of a brand new entry into the main Pokemon series called Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon.

While the Pokemon Direct stream failed to provide much in the way of detail regarding the upcoming Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon, it did announce that they would both be releasing for the Nintendo 3DS, squashing the rumors of a new Pokemon Sun and Moon sequel coming to the Switch that had become so rampant leading up to the presentation. The announcement also featured the news that Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will offer an alternate storyline to the one experienced by gamers over the course of the original Sun and Moon titles, although the exact differences between them were left undiscussed for the time being.

Nintendo was able to provide a release date for the new games, however, and fans will be able to get their hands on Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon before the end of 2017. The games are set for a simultaneous global launch on November 17, 2017, and have been marketed with the tag line "a new light shines on Alola!"

While gamers will be pleased to return to the setting that garnered Pokemon Sun and Moon so much critical praise, the majority of fans will likely be disappointed that the Pokemon Direct stream didn't have more to announce regarding the franchise's future on the Nintendo Switch. While Pokken Tournament remains a popular off-shoot of the main Pokemon series, there still hasn't been a main game on a console in Pokemon's long and illustrious history, and the Switch's portability makes it an appealing possibility many believed Nintendo would take advantage of soon.

Regardless, however, the announcement of a new main Pokemon game - even if it is a sequel to one that released not too long ago - is a big deal for Nintendo, and should help continue making the Nintendo 3DS relevant despite competition coming from its own younger brother in the Switch.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon will release on November 17, 2017, exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.