E3 2013: Pokemon X and Y Developer Roundtable reveals two new battle modes and friends lists

Nintendo already revealed some new information about the upcoming Pokemon X and Y during its E3 broadcast, but we were invited to a closed-door developer roundtable discussion with Tsunekazu Ishihara and Junichi Masuda to learn more.

First, let's get the new 'mon out of the way.

Joining the ranks of new X and Y Pokemon revealed at E3 are the crab-like Clauncher who's of an unspecified type, the Water and Poison type seahorse Skrelp, and a new Flying type Talonflame that's defined by its speed.

You'll be able to use these new Pokemon in traditional one-on-one fights, but if you've been eager for some new battle types we're happy to report that Pokemon X and Y has got you covered.

When traveling out in the field, you might find yourself in a Hoard Battle where you square off against not one, but five Pokemon.

Defeating one of the Hoard will leave your Pokemon vulnerable to counterattacks by all of the remaining members, so it's in your best interests to use attacks that can affect multiple Pokemon at the same time (like Rockslide).

Success in a Hoard Battle has obvious advantages, namely mountains of experience points that you'd expect for defeating five Pokemon.

Another new battle revealed for X and Y is the "Sky Battle" which, as the name implies, takes place up in the air.

For obvious reasons, only certain types of Pokemon may participate in Sky Battles. Flying types are a natural fit, but other Pokemon with the Levitate ability (like Haunter) can also take to the air to fight.

Sky Battles feature dramatic camera-angle changes and allow Flying types to execute the new "Brave Bird" dive attack which deals ferocious damage to enemies but also damages the flier in the process.

Perhaps the most intriguing innovation in Pokemon X and Y, however, is the addition of the Player Search System (PSS).

This is nested on the bottom of the touch screen, and allows you to interact with other X and Y players that you streetpass with.

If you don't live in an area with a lot of other 3DS owners, you can switch from "Local Wireless Connection" to "Internet" so you can always find new players to battle and trade with.

The PSS splits other players into three groups: Passerbys, Acquaintances, and Friends, with interactions elevating a player up the ranks. Incidentally, if you already have friends registered to your 3DS (via a friend code), they'll automatically appear as "Friends" in your PSS.

Finally, if you're worried about looking like everyone else in the PSS, Game Freak and Nintendo once again have you covered - you'll be able to extensively customize your character in X and Y moreso than was previously thought by changing their hair colour, hairstyle, and choice of hat-based accessory freely.

Pokemon X and Y launches globally on October 12.

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on