Pokemon Black and White catching Japan Sept. 18

While North Americans will have to wait, the latest in the storied Pokemon franchise has been dated for a Japanese release. Pokemon Black and White, a double release that Nintendo promises will be a "groundbreaking evolution of all aspects," will hit Japan September 18.

The news first broke on Japanese television program Pokemon Sunday, though an official trailer has surfaced (see below). Besides the release date revelation, the trailer shows off a number of new environments and the game's new battle design.

Last year's Pokemon Platinum has sold well over 5 million units, even though it recycled much of the content seen in 2007's Diamond/Pearl edition. Meanwhile, Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which revisit 2000's Gold and Silver versions, have lit up the Japanese sales charts since their September 2009 bow, selling more than 1.4 million units during their first week alone. The games have also sold more than 435,500 copies in North America since being released in March.

For more information on Pokemon Black and White, check out the game's Web site.