During today's Pokemon-focused Direct, Nintendo announced it is releasing the classic second generation Pokemon titles, Pokemon Gold and Silver, on 3DS via the Virtual Console.

Like the Virtual Console versions of Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow, Pokemon Gold and Silver will feature local wireless connectivity to allow players to trade and battle with each other, as they could in the original releases. The titles will also be compatible with Pokemon Bank, allowing you to transfer your collection of monsters to Pokemon Sun and Moon, as well as the newly announced Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Additionally, players can use the Time Capsule feature to trade Pokemon from Red, Blue, and Yellow over to the second generation titles.

Originally released in 2000, Pokemon Gold and Silver were the first proper sequels in the Pokemon franchise. The pair were the first installments to take advantage of Game Boy Color's expanded color palette and introduced 100 additional Pokemon, a day/night system, and two new types of Pokemon: Dark and Steel. The original Red, Blue, and Yellow versions were rereleased on 3DS back in February 2016 to commemorate the series' 20th anniversary.

Pokemon Gold and Silver hit the 3DS Virtual Console on September 22. There was no mention of their third version, Pokemon Crystal, however.