Pokémon X & Y has been "a long time coming", not a reboot

Pokémon X & Y is going polygonal, despite Gamefreak's late 2012 comments that doing so would abandon some of the franchise's charm. But don't worry - Gamefreak won't abandon the franchise's history in taking a long overdue step into the 3D realm.

The Pokémon Company international marketing director J.C. Smith told Polygon that it was time to shake things up.

"This game has been a long time coming," he said.

"Obviously, Game Freak wanted to make sure that when they created this new universe on the 3DS, that it looked fantastic; both in the polygonal style and also when people are able to see the 3D effects as well. It's really exciting to see the Pokemon come to life a little more."

The executive said Gamefreak has always done its best to make the games graphically rich and after three generations of DS titles took some time to get sued to the step up to the 3DS.

"But even in this early stage of development, it's looking really cool," he said.

Although Pokémon X & Y's reveal showed off some of the most significant changes yet introduced to the series, such as more cinematic battle scenes, and a blend of old and new Pokémon, Smith insisted this new entry is not a reboot of the franchise.

"There's always been an evolution of the look and feel; it just happens to be that we played Black and White, and Heart Gold and Soul Silver, and Diamond and Pearl, and Platinum — all of those games on the same platform. So it feels like it's been a long time in the same way," he said.

"But between the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, and moving up into the DS now, it's always had that change. There's never been a conscious decision to reboot, it's just a decision to try new things and express the world in a new way."

Pokémon X & Y is expected on 3DS world-wide in October this year.