Nintendo Direct - Pokémon 3DS XL systems, Pokémon Bank, classic Pokémon in X andY

In Nintendo’s Pokémon-themed Nintendo Direct event this morning, the company announced a few new details for the upcoming release of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y.

First of all, there will be a pair of limited edition Pokémon-styled Nintendo 3DS XL systems launching on September 27th for $199.99. The XL systems will be available in red and blue and will feature designs of the legendary Xerneas and Yveltal Pokémon.

As for Pokémon X and Pokémon Y itself, the big news is that players can choose their partner from a trio of classic (although now mega-evolved Pokémon) — Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. The Nintendo Direct also dug deeper into the Mega Evolution system in the game.

Nintendo additionally revealed the Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter, which for a fee, will allow users to store their Pokémon in the cloud (aka the internet) and transfer them from and/or to other compatible Pokémon titles.

Check out a whole lot of assets below, including screens, art and product shots along with the Nintendo Direct presentation.

Pokémon 3DS XL product shots:

Character Art:

Screenshots:

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Read on for all the details.

In a surprising twist announced this morning during a special Nintendo Direct presentation, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y players do not receive Chespin, Fennekin, or Froakie from Professor Sycamore but are in fact given the choice of a classic partner Pokémon—Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle—from the very first Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue! Adding to the excitement, once a player has evolved this Pokémon into Venusaur, Charizard, or Blastoise and obtained its unique Mega Stone, the Pokémon will be able to Mega Evolve while in battle.Mega Venusaur, Mega Charizard, and Mega Blastoise will possess overwhelming powers never before seen in a Pokémon game. Players can choose fan favorite Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle whenPokémon X and Pokémon Y launch worldwide October 12, 2013, for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

More secrets about Mega Evolution were also revealed today. It was previously announced that certain Pokémon needed to hold a unique Mega Stone in order to Mega Evolve, but now it’s known that there is a second requirement players must fulfill for Mega Evolution to occur. Trainers must also obtain a bracelet called the Mega Ring that holds a mysterious stone called a Key Stone. The Trainer’s Key Stone resonates with the Mega Stone held by his or her Pokémon, and together they trigger the Evolution that is normally impossible—Mega Evolution.

Director from GAME FREAK inc., Mr. Junichi Masuda, also announced Pokémon Bank—a new Nintendo 3DS application and service that allows Pokémon X and Pokémon Y players to conveniently store up to 3,000 of their beloved Pokémon on the Internet. Pokémon Bank gives players the flexibility to store and deposit 100 Boxes worth of Pokémon. This is in addition to the Boxes found within Pokémon Xand Pokémon Y, just like in previous Pokémon titles.

Additional features of Pokémon Bank include the ability to deposit and withdraw Pokémon from multiple copies of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Once a Pokémon X or Pokémon Y Game Card is inserted into a Nintendo 3DS system or the downloadable version of the game is opened, the Pokémon Bank software can be turned on for use. Players can then transfer Pokémon from multiple copies of the game via Pokémon Bank to one copy of Pokémon X or Pokémon Y.

Pokémon Bank software is activated upon payment of an annual service fee. This charge will support maintenance of the online server that allows players to store up to 3,000 Pokémon conveniently, and will provide the application’s support for future Pokémon titles.

Players who activate Pokémon Bank, will be able to use its linked application, Poké Transporter, which makes transferring many Pokémon caught in other Pokémon games easy. What used to be a lengthy process to transfer Pokémon from a previous Pokémon game to the latest titles is now a breeze with Poké Transporter—just insert Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2, or Pokémon White 2 into your Nintendo 3DS system and use Poké Transporter to transfer Pokémon from those games into Pokémon Bank.

Pokémon Bank will be available in North America on Nintendo eShop. More details about this software, including a free trial period, will be added to Pokemon.com in the near future.

Also announced in this morning’s Nintendo Direct presentation were details for the North American release of two special Nintendo 3DS XL hardware designs featuring imagery from Pokémon X andPokémon Y. These systems come in Red or Blue and feature brand new Legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal. The systems will launch on September 27 at a suggested retail price of $199.99 each.

To view the Nintendo Direct presentation in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct.

For more information about Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, including new images and gameplay video featuring information announced today, please visitPokemon.com/XY. Pokémon X and Pokémon Y will be sold at major retailers and digitally on Nintendo eShop.

Be sure to check out Pokemon.com, Like the official Pokémon Facebook page at Facebook.com/Pokemon, and follow Pokémon on Twitter @Pokemon to ensure you’re receiving the latest Pokémon X andPokémon Y news!

Remember that the Nintendo 3DS family of systems features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visithttp://www.nintendo.com/3ds.