Pokemon Moon

 3DS
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 982 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 682 out of 982
  2. Mixed: 131 out of 982
  3. Negative: 169 out of 982
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  1. Lv36Blastoise
    Feb 12, 2017
    10
    This game was awesome! The story was great and gameplay was outstanding. It had an emotional story that impacted the game and customization is cool. -Lv36Blastoise
  2. Sadikusama
    Feb 2, 2017
    9
    Quite possibly the best version since the classic generations. Sun & Moon feels so fresh and new, taking gameplay to new heights. I remember the day I bought Pokémon Blue as a kid, this very moment changed my perspective on what games were capable of in terms of fun; Sun & Moon delivers quite similarly with amazing visuals, entertaining storylines, and a bunch of new Pokémon. S&M is also aQuite possibly the best version since the classic generations. Sun & Moon feels so fresh and new, taking gameplay to new heights. I remember the day I bought Pokémon Blue as a kid, this very moment changed my perspective on what games were capable of in terms of fun; Sun & Moon delivers quite similarly with amazing visuals, entertaining storylines, and a bunch of new Pokémon. S&M is also a lot easier to navigate, at the same time more challenging. Exploration is key in this new generation, as the map feels more alive and not so 'blocky' as in previous games. The only downsides here are some rather strange Pokémon designs and frequent cutscenes. Highly recommended to any Pokémon trainer!… Expand
  3. JohnKramer
    Jan 25, 2017
    9
    De lejos, el juego más fresco e innovador de la saga. Sin medallas que conseguir, esta maravillosa aventura dura más de 30 horas contando con una de las mejores historias de la saga. Los diseños de los Pokémon y escenarios están muy bien llevados en los gráficos, que explotan la 3DS. La banda sonora es de lo mejor visto en Pokémon, contando con remasterizaciones de la música antigua de laDe lejos, el juego más fresco e innovador de la saga. Sin medallas que conseguir, esta maravillosa aventura dura más de 30 horas contando con una de las mejores historias de la saga. Los diseños de los Pokémon y escenarios están muy bien llevados en los gráficos, que explotan la 3DS. La banda sonora es de lo mejor visto en Pokémon, contando con remasterizaciones de la música antigua de la saga, a la vez que nuevos temas al nivel de otras entregas. Lo único malo de Pokémon Luna, son los bajones de FPS en algunos combates, que entorpece la experiencia.… Expand
  4. Manamaster
    Jan 19, 2017
    9
    One of the best Pokémon experiences I've had and I've been playing Pokémon since Blue when I was 8 or 9 years old.
    Turning off the Exp. Share is highly recommended to have a more challenging and enjoyable experience.
    After skipping all the trailers and reveals to have a fresh adventure on Alola, along some low-expectations, as I knew there wouldn't be gyms and the game could be    One of the best Pokémon experiences I've had and I've been playing Pokémon since Blue when I was 8 or 9 years old.
    Turning off the Exp. Share is highly recommended to have a more challenging and enjoyable experience.
    After skipping all the trailers and reveals to have a fresh adventure on Alola, along some low-expectations, as I knew there wouldn't be gyms and the game could be dumbed-down like OmegaRuby was, I was quite surprised when the experience happened to be fulfilling and the difficulty curve didn't disappoint (if you are playing with the Exp. Share off).

    Having so many extras to make the competitive side of the game more enjoyable and less of a chore, this game presented a better experience than the one I had on BW and BW2 even though the story was simpler.
    On the story side of the game, at first Lillie is a bidimensional character that says "I don't want Pokémon to get hurt" at least once per conversation, but in the end she get development as a character, unlike Hau.
    Spending time in-game was fun, it took me about 15 hours to complete each island, stopping the main story for while to catch and train Pokémon, finding hidden items and talking to the NPCs. I beat the Elite 4 on my first try after the 100 hour mark, while some other players finished the game in less than 30 hours.

    Give it a try and I hope you enjoy this game as much as I did.    … Expand
  5. gdiego135
    Jan 18, 2017
    8
    I have been playing Pokemon since i was around 8 years old, now 17, and sadly this is the first one I have actually beaten the elite 4, some people are saying this is the hardest pokemon to date, I say the complete opposite, the elite 4 aren't that high leveled, and the game shows you which moves are good and which are bad, so that makes it pretty damn easy. The addition of ride pokemon isI have been playing Pokemon since i was around 8 years old, now 17, and sadly this is the first one I have actually beaten the elite 4, some people are saying this is the hardest pokemon to date, I say the complete opposite, the elite 4 aren't that high leveled, and the game shows you which moves are good and which are bad, so that makes it pretty damn easy. The addition of ride pokemon is awesome, though I wish any pokemon that's big enough for you to ride on could be a ride pokemon, but still cool none the less. Alolan forms are great but their are too little, like literally only 15 COME ON. And no new megas is a bummer, they seemed to be replaced by z moves, which are cool to look at but megas are way better, and their answer to this is that it's bad for the pokemon. Really? also the new SOS battles where the pokemon call for help can get annoying especially if your trying to catch a pokemon. may seem like a lot of negatives, but it's a pokemon game with new pokemon, and still feels like a pokemon game so I do recommend I just got a lot of nitpicks… Expand
  6. JonNajem
    Jan 12, 2017
    4
    This really doesn't feel like a mainline Pokemon game. At all. I was extremely disappointed with the approach they took for this game. Taking out gym battles and replacing them with "trials" or "Island Challenges" to fit the aesthetic of a Hawaiian setting. I honestly didn't mind the Hawaiian setting, i liked it at first, but then i realized that the entire core game's features revolveThis really doesn't feel like a mainline Pokemon game. At all. I was extremely disappointed with the approach they took for this game. Taking out gym battles and replacing them with "trials" or "Island Challenges" to fit the aesthetic of a Hawaiian setting. I honestly didn't mind the Hawaiian setting, i liked it at first, but then i realized that the entire core game's features revolve around that and it doesn't feel like a Pokemon game anymore. If this game was considered a "Spin-off" id be a whole lot easier on it in terms of scoring it. I'm all for change in video games, but keep the core features (Gym battles, Region-wide exploring in this case) and add to it, don't take it out completely. As a main Pokemon game part of the main series, it's a massive disappointment.… Expand
  7. SpectrumZeta7
    Jan 4, 2017
    7
    As a fan who has followed Pokemon for the full 20 years, Sun and Moon are mixed if not frustrating package.The world building, characterizations, and unique culture found in the Alola Region are A+, and it all comes with a beautiful presentation that greatly surpasses Pokemon's first step into 3D. But in terms of gameplay, this installment, by and large, is not a strong successor to itsAs a fan who has followed Pokemon for the full 20 years, Sun and Moon are mixed if not frustrating package.The world building, characterizations, and unique culture found in the Alola Region are A+, and it all comes with a beautiful presentation that greatly surpasses Pokemon's first step into 3D. But in terms of gameplay, this installment, by and large, is not a strong successor to its predecessors at all in my humble opinion. There are a number of nice, small things that it gets right in this regard, but it also takes huge steps backward for reasons that I just cannot comprehend. Several features were either removed or made worse than what they were in previous games, and it leaves this Anniversary title feeling somewhat empty and unsatisfying once the main adventure is over and that 'New!' smell wears off.

    If you want Pokemon to be a more story intensive series, or if all you’re invested in is a good run through the campaign, then this game will probably tickle your fancy. At the same time, if you like to go into the deeper game mechanics and enjoy after-game activities, I would advise treading with caution. This isn’t a bad game, but it's not at all the greatest that Pokemon has to offer.

    Positives ~
    - The world is well conceived, [mostly] well-written, and comes with a-lot of charm.
    - The game in general is gorgeously presented.
    - Ride Pokemon replace the need for HMs.
    - Farming Berries, EVs, and treasure through Poke-Pelago is a nice luxury to have whenever I’m busy with studies or business.
    - Pokemon Refresh is a pleasant successor to Amie.
    - Small Quality of Life changes, such as making the ‘Judge’/IV Checker a feature of the Box, or asking if you want to swap a newly caught Pokemon into a full party.
    - Choosing to break the mold of the Gym structure with the Island Trials as a new form of game progression.

    Negatives ~
    - The early game, even after 20 years, still insists that everyone playing Pokemon is a child who needs to be taught how to play. With no option to object or say ‘I know what I’m doing’. It can be intrusive.

    - XY’s Player Search System is gone, leaving the game’s core multiplayer/online services slower and significantly less intuitive. In its place is the Festival Plaza, an online hub that you'll be logging into and out of regularly if you want to do anything related to Wi-Fi. Its a downgrade from being able to play the regular game and stay online at the same time.

    - The DexNav, which allowed you to keep track of captured Pokemon in a given area (and actively search for them in the wild nearby), is gone.

    - Friend Safari, which made Hidden Abilities, version exclusive Pokemon, starter Pokemon and even high IVs more readily available, is gone.

    - Super Training and Reset Bags are gone, so stat management isn't quite as effective.

    - The National Poke-Dex is gone after being built into every game since FRLG, and will instead be a feature of the Pokemon Bank...A paid service...

    - There’s only one fishing rod now, and Magikarp has a higher encounter rate than everything (and no, that wasn’t a joke…I wish it was...).

    - Triple Battles, Horde Battles, Rotation Battles, and Inverse Battles are all gone.

    - The Frame-rate dip during Double Battles and Battle Royal is positively dreadful…

    - The Rotom Map that regularly appears on the touch screen makes bare minimum use of it when compared to previous DS/3DS entries.

    - The services available through the Festival Plaza hub are a poor follow-up to the Join Avenue. It features a series of shops that you can use in a similar fashion, but you can no longer pick what shops you want, and they won’t level up as they’re continually used and visited. You receive shops at random as you earn more Festival Coins for completing online missions, and you use those coins as a secondary currency to purchase stores from other players that you meet online…It’s...Kind of convoluted by comparison.    … Expand
  8. weltensturm
    Jan 3, 2017
    2
    I'm two hours into the game and all I do is being forced into stuff that I don't want to do, by NPCs that are as flat as a board. So far it's one giant unskippable cutscene with a few battles in between.
  9. Snorlax123
    Jan 3, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My opinion, this game steals the show for all other pokemon games in almost every way. from the new type combinations to the inclusion of Darwin's evolution theory to give us Alolan pokemon to the new trial system that made the story line seem less like "YOU MUST BATTLE THE GYMS AND BECOME STRONG" to "You should take on these trials when you wish but we urge you to follow this tradition." It has a very welcoming feel. And on top of that, I feel the game takes advantage of an outrageous story line by creating a region that is unlike any other and pokemon that aren't even pokemon. The plot twists here and there and story line that never let up reminded me in some aspects of one of my favorite rpgs Xenoblade. Especially the family bonds revealed at the end with Lillie Gladion and their mother. I literally played this for a week and a half straight, emerging myself in the side quests and fun little add ons like the poke finder, which i wish there had been more of, and the grooming of pokemon and poke pelago. The main complaint I have that takes this game down a notch is the increased difficulty of EV training. It's very tedious to me and i much preferred the punching bag system. But overall, an astoundingly amazing release by nintendo. I look forward to more unique releases!!!!… Expand
  10. Havoc44
    Dec 24, 2016
    10
    I found Pokemon Moon a great game and not playing Pokemon since Red, Yellow, and Blue was a refreshing experience. I really like how if you had a high affection with your Pokemon they could remove poison, paralysis, etc. out of sheer will because they don't want you to worry. Very very nice touch.
    There are tons of things to do during and after you finish the main story. New people to    I found Pokemon Moon a great game and not playing Pokemon since Red, Yellow, and Blue was a refreshing experience. I really like how if you had a high affection with your Pokemon they could remove poison, paralysis, etc. out of sheer will because they don't want you to worry. Very very nice touch.
    There are tons of things to do during and after you finish the main story. New people to meet, new Pokemon to encounter. The battle system was fun and in depth. You really have to pay attention to the Pokemon you have, the abilities you use, and what consumables you carry and when to use them.

    The story was good, with some nice hidden stories and dots to connect if you really pay attention. Love the Lillie character, I would root for her any day.

    The animation for Z-moves and just regular moves were well done. Along with your Pokemon reaction when you feed and pet them. I really love the game with very few complaints. And with over 170 hours...ya it shows lol. Well, back to playing, cause you know "Gotta Catch Them All" :)    … Expand
  11. EspadaTiburon
    Dec 21, 2016
    8
    This is the best Pokemon game in years. After the disappointment that was X and Y, I'm really glad with what they did in this game. The amount of content feels just there, unlike X and Y. The post game isn't as empty as X and Y. The story in the game is definitely better than most of the Pokemon games. I feel that one of the best things they did in this game is the removal of gyms. HavingThis is the best Pokemon game in years. After the disappointment that was X and Y, I'm really glad with what they did in this game. The amount of content feels just there, unlike X and Y. The post game isn't as empty as X and Y. The story in the game is definitely better than most of the Pokemon games. I feel that one of the best things they did in this game is the removal of gyms. Having the island kahunas and trials rather than gyms made the game fit more with the overall environment in the game. It felt like a breath of fresh air after so many games that just followed the same old formula. Post game, you have a couple legendaries, Ultra Beasts, and Battle Tree, where you can meet characters from older games. My only issue with this game is that it runs like crap when there's more than 2 Pokemons out on the older 3DS. The frame rate drops to what would be considered unplayable if the game wasn't turn based. Other than that, this game is probably my second favorite Pokemon game right after Emerald. The big thing that Emerald did better than this game in my opinion, is how much post game content was in Emerald. This game definitely has a good amount, but it's nowhere close to Emerald's Battle Frontier.… Expand
  12. nittylimao
    Dec 15, 2016
    10
    Pokémon Sun and Moon is as perfect as a game can be. It's got the best storyline and rivals since Unova (a friend of mine has, in addition to that, commented that Hau and Gladion are like the more charismatic version of Bianca and Cheren, respectively); doesn't have HMs any longer, which is way better than having to carry a HM slave around, as it was almost mandatory in Hoenn; brought anPokémon Sun and Moon is as perfect as a game can be. It's got the best storyline and rivals since Unova (a friend of mine has, in addition to that, commented that Hau and Gladion are like the more charismatic version of Bianca and Cheren, respectively); doesn't have HMs any longer, which is way better than having to carry a HM slave around, as it was almost mandatory in Hoenn; brought an innovation regarding the local Pokémon League, with the trials and how they're so much more fun than the old Gym system (Kiawe's one was the best IMO), and the thing where you have to fight people who want to take your spot as the Champion. (I may or may not have lost purposefully to Hau.) A change is always welcome, and, for that, S/M takes the cake as one of the best Pokémon games to date.… Expand
  13. Smashbash
    Dec 14, 2016
    10
    This game starts a bit slow but it is worth every second. The cut scene are enjoyable and the characters have tons of charm. Gamefreak got creative this time and did away with the gym system which was surprisingly great. This game was a breath of fresh air and proof that pokemon games can be different and expiremental without being bad. I do not think I would want to see another gameThis game starts a bit slow but it is worth every second. The cut scene are enjoyable and the characters have tons of charm. Gamefreak got creative this time and did away with the gym system which was surprisingly great. This game was a breath of fresh air and proof that pokemon games can be different and expiremental without being bad. I do not think I would want to see another game following this exact same formula but I am excited to see what gamefreak and the pokemon company will bring to the table next.… Expand
  14. Renzokuken
    Dec 10, 2016
    9
    Really fun addition to the pokemon universe, with some great new additions to the pokedex, the calling for help addition is super annoying but other than that, it's a stellar entry in to the series and is well worth a buy for both fans and beginners alike.
  15. cookthesauce
    Dec 4, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This didn't even feel like a pokemon game. All throughout the story there was no sense of accomplishment; it didn't feel like there was any purpose to completing the trails or defeating the kahunas. The only reason I gave this game any points was that the ending was done really well, but even then it came out of nowhere. Aether was hardly a presence until the very end, and they were made out to be a huge threat which didn't even feel like a threat. Speaking of villains, the team this time, team skull, is the worst so far. They played no part in the story, even after the main events took place. All-in-all it was disappointing, very disappointing.… Expand
  16. brockcheese
    Dec 1, 2016
    9
    This is easily my favorite pokemon game. The legendaries are cool, the story is awesome and it's fun just to experience the pokemon once again with new Alolan forms and z moves.
  17. thefishslap
    Nov 29, 2016
    6
    One light, a crib full of pokemon. pokemon the solar series is the crisp game ever to chip away at yet angaing another heart renckhing story, and a child one at that. I've finished the a game, but it was around thanksgiving. The ulntra beats are very strong, and that was not a the eggs at your nation! Although the past game to get tougher, it wouldn't matter after the fact that when the toOne light, a crib full of pokemon. pokemon the solar series is the crisp game ever to chip away at yet angaing another heart renckhing story, and a child one at that. I've finished the a game, but it was around thanksgiving. The ulntra beats are very strong, and that was not a the eggs at your nation! Although the past game to get tougher, it wouldn't matter after the fact that when the to get the starter pokemon at the best in the game. I love it. Love it, love it, love it!… Expand
  18. AmyRoses
    Nov 26, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokémon Sun and Moon does very little to add to the long-running series that is Pokémon.

    First off, let's talk about what Sun and Moon do right. The most obvious change from previous iterations of the Main-Series games is the removal of HMs. This is a huge step in the right direction, as HMs have always been widely regarded as a bad game mechanic. Now, you don't need to teach your Pokémon unuseful moves in order to progress. Now, we can only hope they continue this trend in the future, but I have little faith in Game Freak as a whole.

    Sun and Moon are potentially the first Pokémon games with interesting characters. Lillie and her mother, Lusamine, both have some depth. Sun and Moon also bring Pokémon one step closer to the 'modern' age, by introducing cinematic cutscenes.

    The new Pokémon are overall fairly well designed, even if their shiny variations are less than spectacular. My personal favourites are Brionne and Mimikyu.

    And finally, the change of formula is mildly refreshing, but overall, underwhelming.

    Now I'm going to talk about what Sun and Moon do wrong. And let me tell you, there's a lot of it.

    First of all, despite Game Freak's attempt to 'change the formula', the game once again feels very samey. This is Pokémon, after all, so what do you expect? The only problem is that the games promised a change from the status quo, and changing Gyms' names to 'island challenges' doesn't really feel all that different. Almost every challenge is played very similarly to how gyms are, but somehow, a whole lot less satisfying. The rewards of an TM after defeating a gym seem to be long gone, and unlike beating a gym, completing an island challenge doesn't feel like a milestone. You don't get a badge, but a 'stamp' in your passport, which is a whole lot less exciting, and doesn't feel like something to be proud of. Not only that, but these challenges are even a whole lot easier than the gyms of previous games, usually involving you to walk through an area and battle a single Pokémon.

    Whilst I praised the mildly interesting story, it's impossible to ignore the cutscenes. It feels like there is a cutscene every 5 minutes in this game, making it drag on for no real reason. In fact, if you want to restart the game to get a female starter, or one for a specific nature, the cutscene for getting your starter lasts around five minutes, so tough luck. This, coupled with the low framerate on the o3DS makes the cutscenes unbearable.

    This brings me to the next problem: Performance. On the New 3DS, I have heard that the game has a relatively stable framerate, but with the occasional drops in Totem/Double battles. On the original 3DS, this is taken to the next level, with moments where you can actually count the number of frames per second. Fortunately, it doesn't affect the gameplay, as it is a turn based game, but it's still unpleasant to look at. On the other hand, though, the overworld seems devoid of lag during regular play, which is actually slightly impressive. However, after playing ORAS again after S/M, the difference in the overall experience was obvious. Faster encounter times, less loading, smoother framerate, it's just painfully obvious that the 3DS lacks the power needed for Sun and Moon to work.
    Overall, Sun and Moon are a huge disappointment. They just don’t feel like a new generation. It’s as if Sun and Moon are just X and Y with a coat of Hawaiian paint. Let’s just hope the possible Switch version is more enjoyable.    … Expand
  19. alienators
    Nov 24, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have played every pokemon game and my personal favorites are red, ruby, oras, and crystal. I had imagined this one playing similarly to oras but it wasn't quite so. It didn't live up to expectations. It wasn't the changes that made it so disappointing, most of the changes were bearable. It's just not that refined of a game. They tried to add too much too fast and it was a bit of a hit and miss. The hand holding is terrible and the amount of cut scenes is unbearable. It's as if they're forcing the story on you instead of just letting it happen. I'm mostly frustrated with the game because they took away some my favorite things. One, being able to actually evolve my god damn pokemon just by lvling them instead of having to meet some stupid evolution condition like lvl up in snow, which they made is so that there's only snow at the end of the game. Two, taking away my HM mules. Three, having the ability to not feel like a fckn baby from all the hand holding; oh, ember is not very effective against tentacruel, who would've god damn known that? This game doesn't challenge you; there aren't any neat little puzzles or things you have to figure out for yourself.
    I think this game can be summed up in one sentence: It's not even nearly as good as it could've been and if it was anymore handholding, you could watch the game complete it by itself. . . but it's not half bad.    … Expand
  20. OfficialWeng
    Nov 24, 2016
    9
    After finally finishing this game I feel I can give my opinion on it fully. Pokemon Moon could be the greatest installment to the franchise to date, and it will at least for me, be one of my all time favourites. Straight off the bat it's clear that this will be a very different Pokemon game, it feels much more cinematic and recent, it feels as if it has evolved. The removal of gyms withAfter finally finishing this game I feel I can give my opinion on it fully. Pokemon Moon could be the greatest installment to the franchise to date, and it will at least for me, be one of my all time favourites. Straight off the bat it's clear that this will be a very different Pokemon game, it feels much more cinematic and recent, it feels as if it has evolved. The removal of gyms with the replacement of trials was a bold move, but it worked. The new trials are fun and the totem pokemon you faced off at the end posed more of a challenge than I originally thought they would. The story was great, full of twists and turns which I won't spoil. It's not perfect, it suffers from some frame rate issues and overall I'd say my main complaint was a lack of seeing the new Pokemon. The game has come under fire for showing too much before the release and it really impacted here, while there were a lot of Pokemon that were never shown in trailers I still never saw most of them in the wild. The amount of times I was excited to come across a new route to find Pelipers and other older pokemon as well, I would have much prefered it if it was like Black and White where only new pokemon could be find until completing the main game.

    Overall I would say Pokemon Moon was my favourite Pokemon game on the 3DS and is up there next to my all time favourite; Platinum    … Expand
  21. KingOfRock
    Nov 24, 2016
    8
    I want to start off by saying I think this game is great. I'm starting off with the negative things, not to complain, but to get it all out of the way and end on a high note. Some of these complaints may be nitpicky, but they don't ruin the game for me so I think they're fair.

    - Since there are no HM's (that's a plus, by the way) your substitute is Pokemon you can ride and use in other    I want to start off by saying I think this game is great. I'm starting off with the negative things, not to complain, but to get it all out of the way and end on a high note. Some of these complaints may be nitpicky, but they don't ruin the game for me so I think they're fair.

    - Since there are no HM's (that's a plus, by the way) your substitute is Pokemon you can ride and use in other ways, like the Tauros you can ride and the Rotom that you have as a Pokedex, and I suppose an all-purpose utility object (a Swiss Rotom?). My only gripe about this is, and again I know it's small, but, why not just give us the Pokemon? I mean, we clearly have them, so why not add them to our Pokedex and maybe let us use them in battle? It isn't a huge deal, but still, it is kind of a tease.

    - This game feels far more linear than previous entries and there's less exploring than in previous games. Funny, I've noticed Pokemon games becoming more and more linear with each passing generation, despite the advance in technology.

    - Too many cutscenes and tutorials. I think that's the same thing that ruin the Mario and Luigi games for me.

    - We're not stupid, the kahunas are gym leaders. I still think the game would be better without them and replaced with a different type of challenge. But, I like the way the lead up to the kahunas as opposed to just going into a gym and solving generic, easy puzzles or fighting a bunch of generic gym NPC's.

    - We have another villainous team trying to steal Pokemon. We've seen that every generation. I don't think we need to see another villainous team in a Pokemon game. Unless there's a game where we get to be in the villainous team, in which case make another one for the next generation.

    - There are quite a few Alolan forms that look absolutely atrocious.

    - Pokemon's battle system is still a rock, paper, scissors type battle system, and I think that's what needed overhauled more than anything. Seriously, can we get an ATB style system like in Final Fantasy so the speed stat feels like it means more than just who goes first?

    - Again, too many new legendaries were added, and they don't feel so legendary because of it.

    - I swear Gumshoos is just Donald Trump.

    Now for the things I liked:

    - The trials. Like I said, they're a nice change from the generic gym setup.

    - No HM's, so no HM slaves.

    - The story is pretty decent. Not great, but it's okay.

    - It only asks you once if you want your Pokemon to learn a new move instead of asking then asking to confirm it. Trust me, I love that change.

    - I like quite a few of the new Pokemon, such as Toucannon (possibly my favorite design of all the new Pokemon), Mudbray, Araquanid, and Oranguru.

    - I actually do like the designs of the islands, and the concept of them, even if they aren't large enough to give us much exploration.

    Overall, I would give this game a 7.5/10 (showing as 8/10 because you always have to round up, right?). It is certainly overhyped. It's not the greatest Pokemon game, despite some critics calling it so. Silver and Gold still hold that place for me. But, I still think it's good. Maybe not the thing that will reinvigorate the Pokemon series, but it's a step in the right direction.

    Hopefully the Pokemon Company will see changes are welcome and change a few things, overhaul the battle system. I think Nintendo could implement a few changes that don't just involve adding a new move to use in battle, or new forms in a way that isn't too complicated for younger players, but different enough to add a much needed deeper layer of game play and strategy to the games. Here's to hoping for bigger, better things in the future and that we see more changes and maybe a return to some old favorites, like the radio from Gold and Silver.    … Expand
  22. byandforgamers
    Nov 20, 2016
    8
    So... After months of anticipation, Pokemon Sun & Moon are finally out. Before Is start, I just want to mention that I have played these pokemon games since the very beginning. To this date, I have to say Pokemon emerald is still my all time favorite. It had exploration, wonder, two good enemy faction (magma and aqua) each with their own goals and reasons as to why they do what they do. OnSo... After months of anticipation, Pokemon Sun & Moon are finally out. Before Is start, I just want to mention that I have played these pokemon games since the very beginning. To this date, I have to say Pokemon emerald is still my all time favorite. It had exploration, wonder, two good enemy faction (magma and aqua) each with their own goals and reasons as to why they do what they do. On top of all that, they had a post game area called the battle frontier, essentially a set of mini-games with varying rules to challenge user. I say this so you will understand where I am coming from in the review.

    To start with, I enjoy the setting. You, the trainer, just moved to a new region called alola. Essentially, this region is not a giant map like every other game was. Instead, the region is made up of 4 small islands, each with their own pokemon (though some do cross over). I would assume they are trying to make this region similar to Hawaii, which I am fine with.

    Another thing they did differently is they got rid of the gym system. Other games before this, you would enter a town, solve a problem usually caused by rival factions, then battle the gym leader, get the gym badge and repeat. This game instead makes you go through trails, which is like a sort of puzzle, before fighting a difficult pokemon, called a totem. I can see what they were going for, trying to break the mold. Though I don't hate it, it still feels foreign to me.

    So here is something I find odd and kind of annoying. So my team is pretty powerful, some Pokemon are at level 30 (my traded Gengar is Lvl 44) and I assume I am 3/4 complete with the main story. I explore a new area and I lock eyes with a trainer. Im thinking "alright, its go time. Show me what you got". The battle starts and they only have a single Pokemon and I immediately go why... Most of the trainers you fight will only have 1 Pokemon, and rarely they might have two. I would like trainers to have at least 3-6 considering I am almost done with the main story. Battling trainers yields far more EXP than fighting regular mobs do, on top of that the more pokemon the enemy has, the more likely you are to see a pokemon you havent seen yet. Does anybody remember playing Pokemon Red? You just beat brook and you go down a road to enter a small cave. On the way there, there is a small cluster of NPC's each with their own pokemon, most of the time at least 2-3. By the halfway point in the game, most NPC's have at least 4-6 Pokemon. However it seems in Moon(the version I got) Almost every NPC has only 1 pokemon, which I can still usually one-shot if I want to.

    Another thing abut this game I find odd. Say you are trying to catch a pokemon in tall grass. You slowly diddle its health down and even manage to paralyze it. All of a sudden, just as youre about to catch it, it calls for help. Every time the pokemon calls help, if it succeeds it brings another pokemon by the same name into the fight. Now you're sitting in a 1v2 fight, and are unable to throw any pokeballs out. So now you have to go back and forth and knock out the pokemon it calls for help, only to have it repeat the process over and over again. I wish I was joking, but I have been caught in a 10-15 minute look of this, all because I wanted to catch a beldum. It wouldn't even be so bad if the frames didn't lag during double battles.

    One last thing I would like to mention. This game has a lot of text. Youre traveling through a town and its like a tutorial, they drag you into every store and side shop and talk to you. You probably dont care, you just want to catch pokemon, you dont want to take pictures and waste your time. But the game feels that you need to. Another things I have to say is that the rival faction (skulls) are seemingly lackluster. Granted I havent beaten the game just yet(almost there though), but it just seems to me like its a watered down version of team rocket, steal pokemon, get money. Except they dont have the same humor as team rocket, instead they use ghetto slang and hand guesters(like gangsters). After at least 10 hours of playing(I am guessing) I dont understand their motives or their goals. Team Aqua and Magma wanted to use the legendary pokemon to either cover the world in water(Aqua) or land(magma). Team Plasma wanted to free all pokemon by force. Team Flare wanted to destroy the ENTIRE planet. Team Skull just want to be a minor nuisance to everyone around them.

    As a whole, I enjoy the game, especially because I have a bunch of friends that play it as well. Its Pokemon, and it has survived as a franchise for nearly 2 decades doing the same thing over and over very well. Its a collect-athon of the highest order. Collect pokemon, evolve them, capture other pokemon, become the best trainer of them all, and fill out the pokedex. If you liked the core aspect of pokemon, you will enjoy this game, just set your text speed to the fastest speed and grab your ultra balls and start collecting.    … Expand
  23. Lazor
    Nov 19, 2016
    7
    The last pokemon game I played was Black 2, so I'm a bit out of the loop when it comes to recent innovations. To get straight to the point; the game is what I would describe as "alright".

    Here's what's wrong with the game: The amount of hand-holding and linearity is absurd. There's no way you can even turn off tutorials or the constant directions, the best you can do is set your text    The last pokemon game I played was Black 2, so I'm a bit out of the loop when it comes to recent innovations. To get straight to the point; the game is what I would describe as "alright".

    Here's what's wrong with the game:

    The amount of hand-holding and linearity is absurd. There's no way you can even turn off tutorials or the constant directions, the best you can do is set your text speed to fast and mash A. You can tell they went above and beyond to try to make this game as child friendly as possible. Unfortunately, in doing so, they've alienated their teenage and adult consumer base.

    I don't care about the lack of gyms, to be honest, I was never really a fan of them to begin with. The rest of the experience is generally what you'd expect from a pokemon game. There are some new innovations, like the lack of HMs, but I feel as if they're overshadowed by the aforementioned hand holding and linearity.    … Expand
  24. hotgaydad69
    Nov 19, 2016
    4
    So many cutscenes, absolutely terrible. I'm an hour into the game and I've played maybe 20 minutes thanks to terrible cutscenes around every corner. Too many unskippable chunks of the game that really take away from the "drop a kid into the wild to catch pokemon and have an adventure on his own" vibe pokemon has always had.
  25. thiagomestres
    Nov 19, 2016
    5
    Pros: No hms. They are trying to do something new by having the Trials instead of gyms. Some of the pokemon's designs are really cute. Non chibi characters (i kind of liked them though, but it seems like most people didn't...). Being able to see what's super-effective.
    Cons: Handholding, unskipable tutorials that teach you something you could either find out for yourself or that you    Pros: No hms. They are trying to do something new by having the Trials instead of gyms. Some of the pokemon's designs are really cute. Non chibi characters (i kind of liked them though, but it seems like most people didn't...). Being able to see what's super-effective.
    Cons: Handholding, unskipable tutorials that teach you something you could either find out for yourself or that you already knew. Unnecessary amount of cutscenes, they are long and unskipable too. No national dex, instead you have to buy the Pokémon Bank for something that should be in the game. Less battle modes than it's predecessor. Lots of copy-pasted features with just a few differences, like the Festival Plaza (Join Avenue), Pokémon Refresh (Amie without minigames) and the Battle Tree (Battle Tower with a few cameos). Story extremely slow paced. They reveal every plot twist right at the start of story. Battle menu's options are too small. Almost 0 postgame. Battles can be quite laggy. Loading can take a lot of time in the o3ds.    … Expand
  26. NewFaceofFun
    Nov 19, 2016
    4
    The only issue with Battle Royal is that the game’s performance takes a massive dip when four Pokémon are duking it out on-screen. These framerate drops happen more frequently than in previous games where two-on-two battles were the only serious offender, which is a shame, but thanks to the slow-paced, turn-based combat it never really becomes an issue, more an inconvenience.
  27. guetzalwoatl
    Nov 19, 2016
    10
    Personally moon is my favorite version. Has the better pokes. Legendary just looks cooler to me too. Has the same feel of pokemon with much needed changes. New setting really gives this series new life. Lack of gyms didnt bother me. Like the music and had fun looking at new versions of older pokes. Check this out if you can
  28. SteelDragon
    Nov 19, 2016
    1
    Big disappointment to me. The framerate issues and the lack of difficulty make this game feel as if they were antagonizing the older Pokemon fans while they let the younger fans depend on long tutorials and boring cutscenes.
  29. SerenaAsh
    Nov 19, 2016
    1
    Am I the only one who actually preferred if they had kept the traditional gym system? And also, that they had never created Z-Moves and just kept going with Megas, expanding the mechanic?
  30. PokeCritic
    Nov 19, 2016
    6
    Personally, I have mixed emotions about the game. Yeah, I'm excited for the new changes, and yeah, SOME of the Pokémon look horrendous. There's a lot of new features so I'm holding my breath wondering why this game sucks. Hoping for the best. On a more positive note, I got the game for FREE!!!!
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best 3DS Game of 2016
2
#2 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2016
4
#4 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 84 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 82 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 84
  3. Negative: 0 out of 84
  1. Vooks
    Apr 8, 2017
    100
    Pokémon Sun and Moon make terrific changes the twenty-year-old formula, allowing new fans and returning ones back into the series with a wonderful lively and colourful world. It's just a little too easy for us who have been here from the start - but it's easy to forgot that when you're having such a blast.
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  2. Easy Allies
    Mar 19, 2017
    90
    If you’re a newcomer to the series, this is an excellent opportunity to learn the fundamentals in a laid-back setting. If you’re a pro, you’ll relish the new options in place for making your Pokémon all they can be. Sun & Moon is a Pokémon vacation we’d gladly take again.
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  3. Vgames
    Mar 8, 2017
    90
    These games exceeded my expectations by a mile. Pokemon Sun and Moon are games that every Pokemon fan and every 3DS owner needs to own. Nintendo and Gamefreak did an awesome job creating a great story and the changes they made for the format make the game feel fresh and exciting more so than ever before. The game has its minor issues like the end game and some performance issues on Old 3DS models but the soundtrack, the story and the new features more than make up for it, to make an unforgettable experience.
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