Pokemon multiplying on Wii, DS

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver haven't even fallen out of the NPD Group's top 10 monthly sales chart yet, but Nintendo has already lined up their successors. The company today announced that Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version will arrive on the Nintendo DS in North America and Europe in spring of 2011. Additionally, European Poke-maniacs unwilling to wait that long will be able to tide themselves over with PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure starting July 9.

Beyond a new storyline and monsters to catch, details on what gamers can expect from Pokemon Black and White remain slim. However, Nintendo has previously said that the game will be a "groundbreaking evolution of all aspects," though it will presumably maintain its traditional adventuring and battle mechanics. As for the dual name, Nintendo traditionally releases near-identical editions of the same Pokemon game under slightly different monikers, encouraging players to exchange captured monsters between versions.

Details are much easier to come by on PokePark, which launched in Japan last December. The game revolves around Pikachu, who must save the PokePark after its Sky Prism is destroyed. The gameplay will be based around searching the park to pick up the Prism pieces with the help of key Pokemon. There will also be minigames at many of the attractions, including races, strength tests, and obstacle courses.

For more on Pikachu's Adventure, check out GameSpot's Import Friendly coverage of the Japanese edition of the game, starting at the 7:48 mark of the video below.