When Pokemon Black and White launched in Japan in September, it set a franchise record by selling more than 2.6 million copies in a single week. The twin titles--which are ranked as a single game in Japan--proved so popular that they remained on Media Create's top 10 best-seller list for 11 weeks, falling off in mid-December.

　　Pokemon Black and White are coming to (North) America.

　　Now, Nintendo has revealed when the next wave of Poke-mania will wash over US shores. This morning, the game giant announced that Pokemon Black and White will arrive in North America on March 6. As in Japan, the dual games will be exclusive to the DS suite of systems.

　　Pokemon Black and White introduce a handful of changes to the established gotta-catch-'em-all formula. Developer Game Freak has expanded the game's online functionality through features such as Global Link, where players can access special content by uploading their save files to a website. Black and White also introduce more than 150 new Pokemon that players can add to their Pokedexes.

　　As for the dual name, Nintendo traditionally releases near-identical editions of a Pokemon game under slightly different monikers, encouraging players to exchange captured monsters between versions. Pokemon Black will feature an exclusive city, while Pokemon White will sport a lush forest region. Both games will feature changing seasons for the first time.

　　For more on Pokemon Black and White, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.