2016 is a big year for Nintendo as it marks its 20th anniversary and to celebrate this new milestone, Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow which is the original trio of Pokemon games has been announced to launch on 3DS Virtual Console on 27th February next year. Meanwhile, the heavily speculated Pokemon Z rumored to also come out next year is leaked to get a big release announcement happening mid-December.

This month's Nintendo Direct broadcast has announced that the original Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow will be launched with exciting new features; wireless trading and battling. Pokemon fans can recall that in the Game Boy version, trading and battling with friends was only made possible by performing a physical linking of the two handhelds using a Game Link Cable. 

The game's official release is tweeted on Twitter account of Nintendo of Europe. The post reads: 

It's official. #Pokemon Red, Blue & Yellow will arrive on Virtual Console for #3DS on 27/02/2016! #NintendoDirectEU pic.twitter.com/2DfvTRtMg0

- Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) November 12, 2015

This news may have disappointed some fans who are rooting for a release announcement of Pokemon Z instead but still a delight to a number of Pokemon aficionados who played the original Pokemon game way back when.  

Speaking of Pokemon Z, the most recent issue of the famous CoroCoro magazine is said to leak that Nintendo will be doing a big announcement on its imminent release next month, Nintendo Life reports. The November edition of the said Japanese publication dropped the news of a Pokémon announcement happening on December 15th. It added to announce of having the first exclusive details on the rumored Pokemon Z by then.

Earlier, same magazine published the screenshots of new Zygarde forms prompting that indeed the title is in the works, according to Latino Post. Hence, it is not far from having the slightest chance that hardcore fans of the franchise will be hearing more exciting details surrounding the Pokemon Z release pretty much sooner from now.   

For the time being, Pokemon lovers can stay tuned for more updates on Pokemon Z as well as for additional scoops on the confirmed release of Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow early next year on 3DS virtual console.