Pokemon Sun

 3DS
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1265 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 868 out of 1265
  2. Mixed: 186 out of 1265
  3. Negative: 211 out of 1265
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. CreedCREEDcreed
    Jan 6, 2018
    10
    Best story of all pokemon games (+)

    Pokepelago, now my boxed mons won't just be forgotten (+)

    Unexpected quest system instead of gyms, bound with nature and the pokemon themselves (+)

    z-moves are a good spice to the battles, as I can give use to my weaker mons now (+)

    Overall Sun and Moon were amongst the best games that came out in 2016
  2. Scrubba-DrivE
    Jan 30, 2018
    10
    The first game to finally remove gyms and let me have a different journey for a change. That is while still be a fun journey that makes sense in the world of pokemon, whichalways feels like there's millions of discoveries to be found. Alola is one of the best looking regions and has a strong thematic and cultural sense, it really feels like an actual place, and even the new pokemon feelThe first game to finally remove gyms and let me have a different journey for a change. That is while still be a fun journey that makes sense in the world of pokemon, whichalways feels like there's millions of discoveries to be found. Alola is one of the best looking regions and has a strong thematic and cultural sense, it really feels like an actual place, and even the new pokemon feel like they have more personality and charima than ever.… Expand
  3. yggSSparappRR
    Feb 14, 2018
    10
    One of the best things relating to pokemon to ever be published Period. It did away with obsolete parts while adding more, moving forward instead of more of the same. The story is on pair with great franchises known for their great stories, trials, kahunas, totems and captains are all interesting concepts that bring more and better to the table. Evil teams were the best we ever had.One of the best things relating to pokemon to ever be published Period. It did away with obsolete parts while adding more, moving forward instead of more of the same. The story is on pair with great franchises known for their great stories, trials, kahunas, totems and captains are all interesting concepts that bring more and better to the table. Evil teams were the best we ever had. Z-moves complemented the main battle system well and naturally, without overwhelming it but adding a new layer stil. Catching, breeding and training pokemon is easier and more practical while still compelling to do, even going as far as giving a way to interact with the boxed pokemon in island where they can hang out, explore and even train. And the best of all: HMs are finally gone and replaced with something better, and all that is just what I can remember from the top of my head.… Expand
  4. Tony44
    Mar 22, 2018
    10
    This was a very beautiful surprise. After the boring and easy XY and ORAS. We can find by far the best Pokémon of all time.
    -Best story of the franchise (Black and White is close to it, but is less worked and interesting)
    -Best Pokémon designs -Great difficulty, introducing great AI and bosses. The first Pokémon that can get hard. -Best region, at least the most beautiful but not the    This was a very beautiful surprise. After the boring and easy XY and ORAS. We can find by far the best Pokémon of all time.
    -Best story of the franchise (Black and White is close to it, but is less worked and interesting)
    -Best Pokémon designs
    -Great difficulty, introducing great AI and bosses. The first Pokémon that can get hard.
    -Best region, at least the most beautiful but not the biggest.
    -Best characters, even secondary ones.
    -Best additions. THE FIRST POKÉMON THAT REALLY ADDS SOMETHING NEW. And it feels really fresh and works. It's just good, just what Pokémon needed.
    -Good Postgame, not the best, but it is really good for a original version.
    -BEST ending. The ending was just perfect.

    For me, the best Pokémon game until now. I really loved the changes, Z-Moves and regional variants are welcome. I was hoping Pokémon to change since Black and White, which went saying "the revolution of Pokémon" and it was just more of the same. THIS is what Pokémon needed. And with a great main story and difficulty curve.

    Loved it.    … Expand
  5. POK95
    Mar 22, 2018
    10
    For me, THE BEST Pokémon game so far. Before this game, it was "Black and White", but "Sun and Moon" have blessed me with the best story of any Pokémon game, best desings, region, characters...

    It's maybe hard to some people to decide which story is better between "Black and White" and "Sun and Moon", but, i really loved BW story, it has an interesting theme but it gets so simple, going    For me, THE BEST Pokémon game so far. Before this game, it was "Black and White", but "Sun and Moon" have blessed me with the best story of any Pokémon game, best desings, region, characters...

    It's maybe hard to some people to decide which story is better between "Black and White" and "Sun and Moon", but, i really loved BW story, it has an interesting theme but it gets so simple, going really nowhere, remaining as an idea without decent exploitation. BW had great potential, which was wasted. But SM it's completely different. Yeah, the story still not being so good outside Pokémon, but inside it... It's just the best. Great characters surprisingly great worked, deep story that goes beyond any other game from the franchise has ever gone, sometimes it gets really dark for a game intended for children, and a amazing and nostalgic ending. The story can be a little slower at the beginning, and its also full of plot twists that sometimes can be predicted, but it really doesn't mind, story works and it gets more and more interesting. The best part are the characters, and i'm not just talking about Lillie, Gladion, Lusamine, Hau, Guzma or Kukui that general people will love, i'm also talking about the secondary characters with great background stories that just surprised me a lot.

    I think this games also improved Pokémon difficulty, i mean, Pokémon has always been easy and "Sun and Moon" aren't different. But this time, they improved the difficulty curve a lot, and they have included bosses that can make you pass through hard times. It's a perfect game to new players but also for old players like me (i've been following the franchise since Red and Blue).

    It also improves metagame and adds great innovations, this game has changed the franchise more than any other, with difference. Trials are really good, fresh and the bosses are just a great addition, but... Sometimes it gets too easy to get to the boss, that's the only bad thing that I find in trials, and it's not annoying either, because the journey through the trial is usually fun.

    Music, as always, it's just perfect. This games has many great and catchy themes. And desings, for me are the best, the addition of Ultra Beast seems really interesting such as Z moves. Regional variants is such a awesome idea.

    The region its the MOST beautiful until now. And its great to explore it. I just loved this games, and after XY that i thought everything was lost, this have recovered hope. I would love to see a great story such as SM's in the new Nintendo Switch games. And I would love they to follow this line, just improving a bit the player's freedom to walk through the region.

    Postgame its great for a first version, much more than XY, and Red and Blue comeback its amazing.

    For me, the BEST POKÉMON GAME ever made. It really works, it brights just as the sun.    … Expand
  6. KramR
    Mar 23, 2018
    10
    Llevo jugando a Pokémon desde Rojo y Azul. No me lo esperaba para nada, buena jugabilidad, la mejor curva de dificultad de cualquier juego de la saga, la mejor historia, los mejores personajes, la mejor ambientación. Es simplemente, el mejor juego de Pokémon.

    Mi historia favorita era la de "Pokémon Blanco y Negro", pero esta la ha superado con creces, profundizando bastante en    Llevo jugando a Pokémon desde Rojo y Azul. No me lo esperaba para nada, buena jugabilidad, la mejor curva de dificultad de cualquier juego de la saga, la mejor historia, los mejores personajes, la mejor ambientación. Es simplemente, el mejor juego de Pokémon.

    Mi historia favorita era la de "Pokémon Blanco y Negro", pero esta la ha superado con creces, profundizando bastante en personajes mucho más tridimensionales y con giros argumentales ¡GIROS! ¿Quién habría esperado giros argumentales en un juego de Pokémon? Sí, pueden ser más o menos predecibles, pero alguno te lo acabas comiendo, y yo, que he jugado sin saber absolutamente nada de los juegos me he quedado flipando. El final es maravilloso incluso fuera de Pokémon y el mensaje de los créditos casi me emociona y todo, es un mensaje de la desarrolladora al jugador y eso es magnífico. Además es un plus que la historia esté relacionada con la alquimia.

    La dificultad me ha sorprendido mucho, si bien no pensaba activar el repartir experiencia, he tenido que acabar usándolo. Wishiwashi, Mimikyu, Lurantis y la última Kahuna, me han destrozado al equipo entero en más de una ocasión. Jamás me habían derrotado en un juego de Pokémon durante la trama principal desde que era pequeño y no sabía muy bien como iban los juegos. La estrategia que usan los NPC está MUY mejorada y eso hace que este sea de los juegos de Pokémon más inteligentes de la saga, si no el que más. Sigue sin ser un reto, pero es más difícil que la mayoría del resto de ediciones. La liga Pokémon me costó, y llevaba sin costarme una liga desde "Diamante y Perla".

    Los personajes son fantásticos y EVOLUCIONAN. El único personaje que evolucionó un poco hasta la fecha en la saga fue "N" o "Azul", ambos con una pequeña frase al final del juego, aquí evoluciona Lylia, Gladio, Guzmán, Tilo... Es sorprendente la mejora en cuanto a trama que ha pegado Game Freak con estas ediciones. Y lo mejor es que hasta personajes secundarios como Denio, Hela, Zarala... ¡Tienen una profundidad!

    La región, es cierto que no es de las más grandes, pero tampoco es pequeña, es mediana. Y es preciosa, si para mi Kalos fue la más bonita, esta la ha superado con creces. Súper bien ambientada. Da gusto explorar cada rincón. Y los gráficos son preciosos.

    Lo que innovan estos juegos me ha hecho decir: ¡POR FIN! Game Freak jamás ha innovado por miedo y nos vendió "Blanco y Negro" y "X e Y" como "innovadores" pero ninguno innovó nada, en todo caso "X e Y" con la megaevolución, que rompía el juego y lo hacía exageradamente fácil. En "Sol y Luna" la megaevolución queda para el postgame (acertadísima decisión), nos han introducido los Movimientos Z, que son bastante últiles e interesantes y no destrozan el juego, quitan los gimnasios para introducir las pruebas que son una especie de sistema de "jefes" que acerca Pokémon a un RPG más convencional y hace que funcione mucho más como RPG. Quitar las MO's, al fin. El recorrido, los kahuna, el Poké Resort para no sentirte tan mal al dejar Pokémon en el PC. Brutal.

    Las únicas pegas que le veo son: La complicación de conectarse con un amigo por la "Festiplaza" y la caída de FPS en combates dobles, pero bueno, esto último tiene más que ver con la potencia de la consola.

    El resto es fantástico. 10/10, mi juego favorito de Pokémon hasta la fecha sin duda, me he quedado alucinado. El mejor de la saga con diferencia, quien diga lo contrario, le puede la nostalgia o no acepta el cambio. Pero esto, es un cambio a mejor.    … Expand
  7. Wake_loms
    Apr 27, 2017
    10
    El mejor juego de pokemon de toda la historia, ademas de una evolucion grafica, presenta opciones de jugabilidad distintas, y ahora se vuelve muchisimo mas atractivo para cualquier jugador tanto en la historia como en la jugabilidad
  8. MOHAMMAD0203
    Nov 28, 2016
    10
    First of this game is excellent, the story is the strongest probably since black and white. The gameplay is refined and polished and many of the new pokemon look great with the exception of a few. The graphics look as polished as they can get on the 3ds. The only problem is the lag you sometimes face but that is really the systems fault not the game.
  9. Jass13_02
    Nov 28, 2016
    10
    Absolutely perfect :) The game has the same charm and changes that stay in what Pokemon is. For the first time ever the current region feels alive because the routes of every island could be take you a few hours if you explore them
  10. MJSY
    Nov 27, 2016
    10
    I have always loved Pokémon, as I have played it since Pokémon Red and Blue. Pokémon Sun and Moon reminded me why I started loving pokémon in the first place. It is very accessible for newcomers and the story of these games is great as it has more than enough plot-twists. You begin sympathising with each character and enjoy the encounters with team Skull. Anyone who says the game is bad,I have always loved Pokémon, as I have played it since Pokémon Red and Blue. Pokémon Sun and Moon reminded me why I started loving pokémon in the first place. It is very accessible for newcomers and the story of these games is great as it has more than enough plot-twists. You begin sympathising with each character and enjoy the encounters with team Skull. Anyone who says the game is bad, just is not honest. It's just really really good. If I could only buy one game for the 3DS; I would choose this one (or Super Smash bros) ;)… Expand
  11. kiank
    Jan 14, 2018
    10
    This game was a great change of pace from the usual pokemon. The change of pace with no gyms was welcoming and the story was fun with some of the most interesting characters in any pokemon. I played this game for almost 200 hours and I enjoyed every one of them.
  12. Bunnyhoppy
    Nov 3, 2017
    9
    I absolutely love this game. It was fairly challenging at times, but not so hard it can't be played by a kid (Not that all of us who play Pokemon are kids. Pokemon stays with you forever). The plot is amazing, particularly compared to X and Y. The graphics...fabulous. And I absolutely love the Alolan forms, too. People say that Pokemon is old, but that doesn't change anything. It's still aI absolutely love this game. It was fairly challenging at times, but not so hard it can't be played by a kid (Not that all of us who play Pokemon are kids. Pokemon stays with you forever). The plot is amazing, particularly compared to X and Y. The graphics...fabulous. And I absolutely love the Alolan forms, too. People say that Pokemon is old, but that doesn't change anything. It's still a great franchise.… Expand
  13. chocapic
    Nov 21, 2017
    9
    Como juego de pokemon, es de 10, tanto por todas la innovaciones, como por la historia y por los diseños espectaculares de los pokemon. Personalmente no me gusta el rumbo que esta tomando la saga hacia un publico mas infantil, tanto por la dificultad como por los diálogos de dora la exploradora, y sigo prefiriendo los gimnasios a esta basura, pero es una idea nueva por lo menos. Juego deComo juego de pokemon, es de 10, tanto por todas la innovaciones, como por la historia y por los diseños espectaculares de los pokemon. Personalmente no me gusta el rumbo que esta tomando la saga hacia un publico mas infantil, tanto por la dificultad como por los diálogos de dora la exploradora, y sigo prefiriendo los gimnasios a esta basura, pero es una idea nueva por lo menos. Juego de pokemon excelente, que te encantará si eres fan, pero no esta a la altura ni de 2º ni de 5º generación.… Expand
  14. TheDarkGreenPit
    Nov 30, 2017
    10
    Alola is really fresh and innovative compare to the beginning of previous generations, this is the game where they FINALLY, after so long, started to push the envelope and find ways to innovate and change old formulas while still keeping the core of the series true to itself. Like the Totems replacing the old gym leader system.
  15. sirejovan
    Nov 29, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. With the scraping of the gym badges system, and the inclusion of a new one involving trials, this game is drastically different from it's predecessors, and I mean that in a good way. Veterans like me will definitely feel compiled to finish the game till the end, and after that, there is still plenty of post-game content to ensure you get your money's worth out of this game.… Expand
  16. Zetah
    Nov 28, 2016
    10
    Probably the best pokémon game yet.

    The series needed a change after the years of X/Y, and Sun brings new features and little changes in the right direction. Even the absence of the gyms plays a fundamental role in this, making the old and boring (last generation failed in every possible way to make them appealing) gym system different and more engaging. I really appreciated the fact    Probably the best pokémon game yet.

    The series needed a change after the years of X/Y, and Sun brings new features and little changes in the right direction. Even the absence of the gyms plays a fundamental role in this, making the old and boring (last generation failed in every possible way to make them appealing) gym system different and more engaging.
    I really appreciated the fact that wild pokemon can now call for help: the easiest part of the game is now more engaging and opens to different possibilities in shiny hunting and EVs training.
    The main story is probably one of the best of the series and if not rushed gives the game a good longevity.    … Expand
  17. marvs869
    Mar 11, 2017
    10
    Gen 7 grew up from its chibi phase back in Pokemon X and honestly, the 3D models made the game so much more immersive. It felt like I was on actual interesting islands with so much to discover. If I had to rate this game from the changes alone that it distinguished itself from the past generation like Z-moves, immersive pokemon sounds and actions, ratios from height of building to people,Gen 7 grew up from its chibi phase back in Pokemon X and honestly, the 3D models made the game so much more immersive. It felt like I was on actual interesting islands with so much to discover. If I had to rate this game from the changes alone that it distinguished itself from the past generation like Z-moves, immersive pokemon sounds and actions, ratios from height of building to people, trials and kahunas, a much better story of friendship and the end-justifies-the-means ambitions, I would still have rated this a 10/10… Expand
  18. ScreenScraggy22
    Jul 5, 2017
    9
    These critics KNOW what they are talking about. This game is full of fresh and new things that make this a unique installment to the series. The story is probably one of the best in the series next to Black and White. The new Pokemon look great and this game brings more of a challenge than X and Y did. Have nostalgia take you over, but that doesn't change the fact that this is one GREATThese critics KNOW what they are talking about. This game is full of fresh and new things that make this a unique installment to the series. The story is probably one of the best in the series next to Black and White. The new Pokemon look great and this game brings more of a challenge than X and Y did. Have nostalgia take you over, but that doesn't change the fact that this is one GREAT Pokemon game.… Expand
  19. kilometerman
    Dec 18, 2016
    10
    I dont think that it really is a 10, but i have it as 10 to counter-balance the people who only played the first hour, or genwunners.

    Sun and Moon are easily the best games games in the series. Amazing characters that develop and are interesting, a good story, a good difficulty level, great music, and lots of smaller additions as well (such as thr auto pokeball button). The first    I dont think that it really is a 10, but i have it as 10 to counter-balance the people who only played the first hour, or genwunners.

    Sun and Moon are easily the best games games in the series. Amazing characters that develop and are interesting, a good story, a good difficulty level, great music, and lots of smaller additions as well (such as thr auto pokeball button).

    The first island is really long and somewhat boring, but oncr you get past it, the game is great. This is the first Pokemon game I've played where I've enjoyed exploring, talking to NPCs, and filling out the Pokedex. The whole expierience is just great, and based on what I've heard from friends, it appeals to long-time fans, new players, and people returning to the series after GO.

    Overall, great games. I would definitely recommend them to anyone wanting to get back into Pokemon, or peoplr looking to get into the series.    … Expand
  20. NeoCortexTrophy
    Mar 4, 2017
    10
    As someone who played since Red and Blue, Sun is by far the very best game in the entire series. Great story and characters that prove a pokemon game can have a compelling narrative in a way never done before, a great region to explored, divided into 4 islands with a unique and exotic feel and charm to it.

    It also shown unexpected boldness from Gamefreak by finally changing up the once    As someone who played since Red and Blue, Sun is by far the very best game in the entire series. Great story and characters that prove a pokemon game can have a compelling narrative in a way never done before, a great region to explored, divided into 4 islands with a unique and exotic feel and charm to it.

    It also shown unexpected boldness from Gamefreak by finally changing up the once already tiring formula of 8 gym leaders along with the changing and renovation of many other older staples. HMs are gone and replaced by a better system that won't stuck your team with unwanted choices. The trials and challenges feel fresher and more interesting than many previous games allowed themselves with the gym system, the rival characters, despite their outside appearence are unique in personality, are well developed through out the story and are real challenge. The game as a whole also have better challenge for experience players than any previous one.

    The world feels more alive and connected. Older elements and characters from all previous generations come back in unexpected forms.

    The perfect game to commemorate the series 20 years anniversary, was positively surprised by how much I ended up liking it.    … Expand
  21. Coramcrash
    Dec 29, 2017
    8
    Ha tutti i tratti distintivi e di pregio dei predecessori e non si fa mancare qualche aggiunta di qualità.
    Per la prima volta assistiamo ad una storia vera e propria con i controcazzi.
    Le uniche pecche le si possono riscontrare nel level design troppo semplificato ed a volte confusionario ed in alcuni dialoghi eccessivamente inutili e frustranti. Ma alla fine sembra un gioco incompleto,    Ha tutti i tratti distintivi e di pregio dei predecessori e non si fa mancare qualche aggiunta di qualità.
    Per la prima volta assistiamo ad una storia vera e propria con i controcazzi.
    Le uniche pecche le si possono riscontrare nel level design troppo semplificato ed a volte confusionario ed in alcuni dialoghi eccessivamente inutili e frustranti.
    Ma alla fine sembra un gioco incompleto,
    voto 83/100    … Expand
  22. DelWolf
    Apr 20, 2017
    9
    This takes the Pokémon series and gives it the tweaks it desperately needed, with a story that drives this close to perfection. However, after completing the main story, unless I want to battle online competitively, I didn't find myself picking it back up for more. However, the main game is nothing short of amazing.
  23. asdfre
    Jan 13, 2017
    9
    This game is what would happen if black and white and diamond and pearl had a baby together. The characters are some of the most fleshed out I've seen in a Pokemon game and the legendary feels more relevant to the plot. The ride pager was a brilliant addition (no more HM slaves wasting a slot). For those complaining about framerate drops: yes it's annoying, but it doesn't matter as much inThis game is what would happen if black and white and diamond and pearl had a baby together. The characters are some of the most fleshed out I've seen in a Pokemon game and the legendary feels more relevant to the plot. The ride pager was a brilliant addition (no more HM slaves wasting a slot). For those complaining about framerate drops: yes it's annoying, but it doesn't matter as much in a turn based RPG.

    It does lose a point for making some clothes version exclusive for no reason and the introduction of SOS battles when the horde mechanic was better.    … Expand
  24. MattCK
    Nov 25, 2017
    10
    The main plot is the most interesting of the series with Black and White, but still not being so good, not as easier as XY or ROZA were, new Pokémon are great, Island Trials, Ultrabeasts, Alola ambientation, the awesome music, cinematographic cutscenes, Alola forms, No more HM, characters and their evolutions, Red and Blue's comeback, Alola is big, great ending, metagame improves... IThe main plot is the most interesting of the series with Black and White, but still not being so good, not as easier as XY or ROZA were, new Pokémon are great, Island Trials, Ultrabeasts, Alola ambientation, the awesome music, cinematographic cutscenes, Alola forms, No more HM, characters and their evolutions, Red and Blue's comeback, Alola is big, great ending, metagame improves... I think this is one of the best Pokémon games, and finally they've changed the franchise a bit.

    Despite all of this, this game have also failures, plot is interesting, yeah, but inside the Pokémon series, as a story in general is still poor. Postgame could have been longer. Pokémon has changed but... Only a bit. Z-Moves take too long. Festival Plaza it's a bad decision and the Rotomdex sucks sometimes.    … Expand
  25. Aquiver
    Oct 11, 2017
    8
    As with every Pokémon game, this duo come with a new villainous Pokémon Team, (Team Skull) a plethora of new Pokémon – 81 in total, new Pokémon moves and abilities, a new region and most importantly new gyms. Or is there…?

    In Pokémon Sun and Moon the islands have not yet created a gym system (or even an Elite Four at the beginning of the game!) and instead have a system of trials that    As with every Pokémon game, this duo come with a new villainous Pokémon Team, (Team Skull) a plethora of new Pokémon – 81 in total, new Pokémon moves and abilities, a new region and most importantly new gyms. Or is there…?

    In Pokémon Sun and Moon the islands have not yet created a gym system (or even an Elite Four at the beginning of the game!) and instead have a system of trials that involve: a challenge set by the Trial Captain, a fight with the Totem Pokémon and a battle with each Island Kahuna. Although this may seem off-putting for seasoned fans, the way it is presented comes off as a breath of fresh air. The actual challenges are not hard at all so don’t expect to tested by these new trials but the Totem Pokémon fights can be quite difficult if you are under prepared and the Kahunas aren’t anything to laugh at either.

    Many people have complained that these new generations of Pokémon have been getting easier and easier and time goes on. Though this may be true, that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun anymore or entertaining to play through. If you want a really challenging game there are ways of making that happen but on the whole, you have come to the wrong place. Pokémon games are about having fun, exploring new regions, seeing new Pokémon and not having a really difficult time. Saying that, I will admit that these new games are easier than previous games mostly due to the fact that the effectiveness of each move is displayed beneath it. This can become pretty annoying as you don’t have the option to turn it off.

    Pokémon Sun and Moon are set in the region of Alola – a fantasy world based off Hawaii. In comparison to other regions where you traverse one section of land, the Alola region is made up of five main islands and has your character explore between them. This concept is nothing new as we have had mostly island regions before. Although many people were cautious towards this approach, I found that, although at some points confusing, overall it was an enjoyable change.
    The Pokémon included in this generation invoke a variety of emotion. Some people are indifferent to designs and what the Pokémon are based off but for some it means that Nintendo are “running out of ideas.” I don’t think that this is the case. Most of the Pokémon are aesthetically pleasing and there are only a few that I wouldn’t pick up purely because of design. Something that has been introduced as a unique feature of Alola are Alolan Pokémon. These are Pokémon from other regions that have changed their colour and type supposedly because of the climate in Alola. Although the premise seem a bit odd, it was really nice seeing some old faces getting new looks and getting new ways to play. The only criticism I have is that some of the designs are questionable and Pokémon that usually come in parallel pairs (For example, Arcanine and Ninetales) only one of them got an alternate form.
    Your character customisation follows a similar system as was implemented in Pokémon X and Y. When creating your player, you have four sets of skin colour and hair colour to choose from for each sex and throughout the region there are apparel shops that allow the player to buy new items of clothing or accessories. This is nothing new but it is something that fans have asked to bring back after its exclusion out of Omega ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

    The story is a typical Pokémon plot. It isn’t anything ground-breaking but it does include some new parts. One of these is a legendary Pokémon that is part of an evolutionary line - a first for the franchise. Other than that, the story is ordinary but does rid of the mountains of rivals you had during Pokémon X and Y and does involve some immersive cut-scenes.

    Helpfully, a feature that come with these games is the removal of Technical Machines (or TMs.) For anyone new to the franchise, in other games these were moves that could be used to access different areas, in other words, moves that could be used out of battle. The catch however, was that you couldn’t naturally replace these moves and instead had to but tutored off. As easy as this sounds it was incredibly annoying. Ride Pokémon replace this annoyance with something entertaining. Instead of having moves that allow you access now you now use Pokémon. As the name suggests, these Pokémon are called by you and you ride them to clear certain obstacles - something the community has been asking for since day one.

    Overall I think that the new instalment in this collection is a good addition to the series. However, it is obvious that Nintendo and Game Freak’s focus is on the younger audience and not necessarily the seasoned players.

    Pokémon Sun and Moon are produced by Game Freak and published by Nintendo/The Pokémon Company.

    It is available on the 3DS and platforms that support 3Ds games.    … Expand
  26. NintendoGamer1
    Oct 6, 2017
    8
    With the classic game-play of previous iterations as well of having no more HMs makes this game an amazing experience. Unfortunately the game is ridiculously easy compared to other game in the Pokemon series.
  27. dandragon
    Jan 16, 2018
    10
    This game is a amazing the new Pokémon are okay. But overall a good game. My only problem is their is a lack of post game content after the main story. But I would just get this game.
  28. Kenmei
    Nov 29, 2016
    9
    A very good update to the familiar formula, while the main story is still very bland, everything else that was added to the game is very well done. I quite enjoyed the new Island Challenge system. While it's not that different from the gym battles, it's different enough to be enjoyable. The changes to the battle system UI is great too. I think ti's a very good update to the series,A very good update to the familiar formula, while the main story is still very bland, everything else that was added to the game is very well done. I quite enjoyed the new Island Challenge system. While it's not that different from the gym battles, it's different enough to be enjoyable. The changes to the battle system UI is great too. I think ti's a very good update to the series, especially one that had gotten fairly bland over the years. I quite enjoyed the new game and I hope that they added a 3rd game to this story and skip the remake this time around.… Expand
  29. Wiwaldo
    Mar 7, 2017
    9
    This game it's still pokemons but with fresh feeling. It's what this series needed, evolution but not revolution. Only bigger issue is transfer internet function to different section.
  30. Reciter5613
    May 2, 2017
    9
    It's great! The new setting and Pokemon variations really make it interesting. Switching the gym battles with these trails is a fresh new idea. Of course the frame rate can go down in battle. The cutscenes can go on for too long and are difficult to keep up with at time. Not that it matters since some of the story is a bit predictable. Not to spoil but I'm sure you can guess which goodIt's great! The new setting and Pokemon variations really make it interesting. Switching the gym battles with these trails is a fresh new idea. Of course the frame rate can go down in battle. The cutscenes can go on for too long and are difficult to keep up with at time. Not that it matters since some of the story is a bit predictable. Not to spoil but I'm sure you can guess which good guys is really a bad guys shortly after you meet them. Also there is a major spike in difficulty. At the first two islands it's very easy but then when you get to the third it wicked hard without warning. The ending was sweet and there is good replay value so I really recommend.… Expand
  31. Palea8526
    Nov 28, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really like the new "3D" feel of the overworld, it makes it a lot nicer to look at then the old square format pokemon always had. I actually like the trials, they are not gyms, but at the end of the day it's pretty much the same thing IMO. I found the game to be a little harder then XY and ORAS (They were too easy IMO) but I would have liked it if it were just a tad harder. The powered up Totem Pokemon as well as the 2 vs 1 format does help making the game harder, so I think it's actually a good step in the right direction. I also enjoyed many of the goofiness of the game.. MY BODY IS READY!… Expand
  32. MazinroboX2
    May 14, 2017
    9
    This game is amazing, and not getting the scores it deserves in my opinion. It has the problem of starting a bit slow and with many cutscenes, which is maybe why it is getting low scores, the beginning of the game can be a bit tedious for veteran Pokémon fans. But this Alola region is amazing, beautiful, so full of joy and things to do, and from the third island things begin to improveThis game is amazing, and not getting the scores it deserves in my opinion. It has the problem of starting a bit slow and with many cutscenes, which is maybe why it is getting low scores, the beginning of the game can be a bit tedious for veteran Pokémon fans. But this Alola region is amazing, beautiful, so full of joy and things to do, and from the third island things begin to improve drastically! It also becomes a lot harder from that point. I played without Exp. Share, without Z moves, and with Set Battle Style, and opponents began to overlevel my team even though I battled everyone. This made quite of the final battles of the game hard. So, it can be challenging if you want it to. Post-game is also quite decent, with many things to do, a few new routes, and the UB sidequest.

    Something I didn't like that much is the SOS battle system, with Pokémon constantly asking for help, it can be pretty annoying to catch Pokémon, and also some exclusive Pokémon from this system are a pain to catch (I spent an hour looking for a Slowbro, and when it appeared I had lost so much focus I killed it with a crit; at least that was great because later in the chain I got a Shiny Slowpoke!). Another thing I have to point out is the frame drops against Totem Pokémon and when there are many Pokémon in the screen in older versiones of the Nintendo 3DS. While those situations aren't very common, they are a bit annoying. But apart from that I love the path these two games have taken. It has renewed the Pokémon franchise a lot, with things like Island Trials replacing gyms, which I believe are quite original and some of the Totem Pokémon quite challenging to beat. It also removed HMs, which allows you to train freely a team of 6 Pokémon! Speaking of Pokémon, I really like most of the Alola versions of Gen 1 Pokémon, most like Grimer were made a lot better, a lot more useful in-game than they ever were. And new Pokémon design is also very good, for me better than 6th Gen and 5th Gen Pokémon by a lot. The variety of Pokémon you find in Alola is huge, but they made it pretty well adding at least one or two of the new Pokémon to each of the new places to make the whole game feel fresh.

    All in all, while not a perfect game, the game is still a very very good Pokémon game, it is being underrated due to its slow start, which maybe wants to help people new to the franchise understand Pokémon, but give it time, as it gets better the deeper you go in the game, and you can find challenge if you want to!    … Expand
  33. tbeit2
    Mar 25, 2017
    9
    I will say that I'm a huge Pokemon fanboy who has liked all of the main games. Despite that, I will say the Sun is one of the best.

    The gameplay is improved a lot. The addition of Z moves are great and add a tactical layer to the gameplay. Plenty of new Pokemon shake up the experience, with some new type combinations, new moves and abilities. The game is also the most difficult    I will say that I'm a huge Pokemon fanboy who has liked all of the main games. Despite that, I will say the Sun is one of the best.

    The gameplay is improved a lot. The addition of Z moves are great and add a tactical layer to the gameplay. Plenty of new Pokemon shake up the experience, with some new type combinations, new moves and abilities. The game is also the most difficult mainline game. The opponent's movesets are challenging, some of them use Z-moves and they are at decent levels as well.

    The design is also improved. Gamefreak removed HM's, which makes the experience a lot more smooth and less tedious. The islands are all fun to explore and have plenty of nooks and pockets to explore. The graphics are also beautiful, marking an improvement over X and Y. The framerate does drop during double battles which is unfortunate though.

    The story is also a bit underdeveloped. There are some interesting characters and a more personal arc this time, but I feel that we could have explored it further. Other than that, the music is good but not the best in the series.    … Expand
  34. Xenn2423
    Nov 23, 2016
    8
    Pokemon Sun is a great game to start off with for new Pokemon fans, but doesn't bring too much to the table for experienced pokemon trainers.

    Let's start with a quick look at the pros and cons. Pros: -Amazing graphics and animations for a Pokemon title -Features are more refined and user friendly -Map on lower screen makes it easy to find your next objective -New 'Alolan Form'    Pokemon Sun is a great game to start off with for new Pokemon fans, but doesn't bring too much to the table for experienced pokemon trainers.

    Let's start with a quick look at the pros and cons.

    Pros:
    -Amazing graphics and animations for a Pokemon title
    -Features are more refined and user friendly
    -Map on lower screen makes it easy to find your next objective
    -New 'Alolan Form' Pokemon bring back some fan favorites
    -'Z-Move' mechanic adds a new layer to movesets
    -Unique puzzles take the place of the battle-heavy gym system
    -'Poke pelago' allows pokemon in your PC to be productive
    -EXCELLENT soundtrack for boss/rival/legendary battles

    Cons:
    -Very, VERY linear story: No freedom to explore
    -Incredibly predicatble plot twists
    -Vague and sometimes nonsensical storyline
    -Limited post-game content
    -Pokemon cannot be transferred from old games until January
    -Only a few new pokemon are added
    -Many, MANY pointless loadscreens and cutaways
    -Unskippable cutscenes (Some of which are 5+ minutes)
    -Lengthy and dull tutorial that can't be skipped
    -Multiplayer features are buried behind the new 'Festival Plaza'
    -Communication features limited (no more typed out messages or shoutouts)
    -Main Rival (AKA 'Edgelord Supreme') has very little screen time
    -Pokedex talks too much (Yes, it TALKS now)
    -You can't even buy Black Jeans if you're playing Sun >:(

    Overall, this game was worth the money spent. For only $40 USD, I got about 30 hours out of the storyline, and I'm up to 50 and counting now that I'm building up my usual competetive teams. However, the story was somewhat lacking, and there is very little postgame content to play through if you aren't a hardcore player. If you don't intend to play competetive multiplayer, complete the pokedex, or complete some other obscure long term goal, this game will most likely only last you 30-40 hours before you move on.

    For multiplayer fans, the replacement of the PSS (Player Search System) will hit you rather hard. Instead of having the ability to have a short, typed message displaying what you are looking for or whether or no you'd like to battle, you must choose from vague, unhelpful preset phrases along the lines of "Willing to trade any time!" You will no longer be able to tell the world that you need a level 97 female Alolan Ninetales with 5 perfect IV's, Moonblast, and its hidden ability. Not only that, but you won't even be able to USE the multiplayer features until you complete a few completely unrelated tasks in the festival plaza, which many people haven't even located in their menus in the first place. These barriers make it seem almost like Game Freak didn't want people to interact with the multiplayer menus, and leave us wondering why they even opted to get rid of the brilliant PSS system in the first place.

    Final verdict: New pokemon players will find this to be a great introduction to the Pokemon games, and hardcore players will enjoy some of the new battle systems and Pokemon. However, if you're a casual Pokemon player that's just in it for the story, and you want something more along the lines of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in terms of content, you're going to want to pass on this one.

    8.5/10 (from a hardcore player's perspective)

    9/10 (from a new player's perspective)

    6.5/10 (from a casual player's perspective)    … Expand
  35. AntRoot
    Nov 30, 2016
    9
    Great game. Possibly the best in the entire series. Amazing gameplay, variety, and replay value. Only problem is the framerate with battles with more than two Pokemon.
  36. Hongwaree
    Jun 13, 2017
    9
    Pokémon Sun does refresh the franchise, with a great and beautiful world, full of stuff to look for and find, beautiful Pokémons for most part, and a more interesting gameplay. Hours and hours of fun make this game a must buy for any Pokémon or rpg fan. I never wanted to play Pokémon after Crystal, and Pokémon Sun brought me back. I've been playing more hours than I should...and that wont'Pokémon Sun does refresh the franchise, with a great and beautiful world, full of stuff to look for and find, beautiful Pokémons for most part, and a more interesting gameplay. Hours and hours of fun make this game a must buy for any Pokémon or rpg fan. I never wanted to play Pokémon after Crystal, and Pokémon Sun brought me back. I've been playing more hours than I should...and that wont' change in a while.
    + Nice roster
    + You can breath Hawaii wherever you go
    + Lot of things to do
    - Festival Plaza
    - The customization of your character still feels poor.
    - Story.    … Expand
  37. Angulaureon
    Dec 14, 2017
    10
    Most innovations of all the main series games by far. The ever stales gyms got replaces by an interesting trial system with totem bosses that really excite you for what's coming next. Great new pokemon each with their own lore, top-notch story and that's only 1% on all the GREAT stuff SM added
  38. Luqueto
    Sep 22, 2017
    9
    Pokemon Sun/Moon is a totally refreshing pokemon adventures were the basic concept of 8 gyms was eliminated and instead this game offers a series of challenges that you must overcome in order to beat the game. The main story is pretty decent and long enough compared to other pokemon games, but it lacks of a post-game after beating the pokemon league. What its also new is the removal of HMPokemon Sun/Moon is a totally refreshing pokemon adventures were the basic concept of 8 gyms was eliminated and instead this game offers a series of challenges that you must overcome in order to beat the game. The main story is pretty decent and long enough compared to other pokemon games, but it lacks of a post-game after beating the pokemon league. What its also new is the removal of HM and instead you can ride pokemon that you register through the game, making the game less tedious. Most people would criticize the low frame rate at double battles and they are right, but its nothing you have to worry a lot if you not play competitive as the game has few double battle combats. So i probalby recommend this game if you have the opportunity to buy it.… Expand
  39. USER34455
    Nov 20, 2016
    10
    Its a your standard Pokemon game Its pretty good. The only bad things people seem to find about this game are cherry picked. People need to loosen up and see these are some great games and I hope Game freak sees the positive reviews and not the negative because these games are honestly one of the best in the series.
  40. lilweezy34
    Dec 3, 2016
    10
    At first I was kind of iffy on the game because of the long start but the graphics are really incredible and the atmosphere of the game is more how I imagined it to be when I was little, friendly. So for that I think its a great pick up and wonderful game for long time Pokemon Caretaking.
  41. nickdos
    Nov 30, 2016
    10
    The good
    The new pokemon designs are great.
    New pokemon are made with the sole purpose of **** up the meta. The writing has a comedic slant compared to the previous games. Team Skull is great because of this The plot is legit No more HMs. Now you can go through the game with whatever team you want. The game is more difficult. Hatching eggs is a lot easier this time around. The    The good
    The new pokemon designs are great.
    New pokemon are made with the sole purpose of **** up the meta.
    The writing has a comedic slant compared to the previous games. Team Skull is great because of this
    The plot is legit
    No more HMs. Now you can go through the game with whatever team you want.
    The game is more difficult.
    Hatching eggs is a lot easier this time around.
    The music is great
    Z moves are a great idea. There was little reason to not mega your pokemon in XY, but in Sun/Moon you actually have to think about your Z move.
    Pokemon Refresh is a bit more personal than Amie was in gen 6. You can cure your pokemon of status effects outside battle, and they removed that **** minigame where you make faces at the camera and it doesn't register.
    No more triple/hoard battles.

    The bad
    PSS was great. They replaced it with this plaza thing which just makes everything more convoluted. Try playing with someone on your friends list in XY, then try the same in Sun/Moon.
    GTS doesn't let you write your own messages any more. This is probably due to the extra languages they added. You pick from a list of predefined messages now.
    The story is a bigger deal. This in itself isn't a bad thing but you feel railroaded into playing the game the way the devs want. Future playthroughs are going to be a drag.    … Expand
  42. iliketrains
    Aug 16, 2017
    9
    This is my first pokemon game and I LOVE it. From the charters to the different pokemon this game is amassing! The only problem is the battles feel to easy.
  43. SuperMatt777
    Nov 19, 2016
    8
    Pokémon Sun/Moon are an interesting take on the main series of Pokémon, taking a break from challenging 8 gym leaders in favor of Island Trials. It definitely fits the Hawaii theme that the game has going on and I think it's pretty cool. The games themselves are really good, making the long, hyped wait well worth it. The new Pokémon introduced maintain a level of creativity in theirPokémon Sun/Moon are an interesting take on the main series of Pokémon, taking a break from challenging 8 gym leaders in favor of Island Trials. It definitely fits the Hawaii theme that the game has going on and I think it's pretty cool. The games themselves are really good, making the long, hyped wait well worth it. The new Pokémon introduced maintain a level of creativity in their designs, types and abilities, in my opinion. A few new and incredibly useful features introduced include the removal of HMs in exchange for the Poke Pager, a device that calls specific Pokémon to fill in the place of the missing HMs. Incredibly helpful and relieves you of forcing yourself to have a water or flying type just for Surf, Waterfall and Fly or a completely different Pokémon all together for the rarely used Strength or Rock Smash. Another addition is the Poké Refresh, which replaces the Poké-Amie from the previous generation. The repetitive mini games are gone and instead, you can just pet and feed your Pokémon. Simple enough. You can also clean it after battle and, best of all, restore the Pokémon of any status condition it may have gained from the battle, effectively eliminating the need for a few status restoring items. You can also check stat alterations in the battle itself as well as the game telling you which moves are effective against the Pokémon you're up against, making it incredibly helpful for new players. The game's locations are quite nice as well, perfectly fitting in with the game's theme and the many characters are filled with personality, many of which really make you wonder what their backstories are. The Battle Royal idea is a cool thing as well. I've seen some YouTubers do free for all battles in gen 6 games and this idea seems to take that idea and make it official. The only complaint is how the battles end when one person loses all their Pokémon.

    However, despite how much I'm enjoying the games, there are a few flaws. While I don't mind the change in Island Trials, the Totem Pokémon battles are incredibly irritating, mainly due to the introduction of wild Pokémon being able to call for help. Not only does this stack the odds against you, but it makes catching wild Pokémon a hassle and facing the Totem Pokémon almost one sided against you. I don't mind the Island Trials idea, but I still much prefer gym battles. Another big thing is how uncommon or hard to get the new Pokémon are. If they don't have a five percent chance of finding in the wild, the either evolve in a specific place more than halfway through the game. I love the idea of Alolan forms, a change in type for past Pokémon makes them more interesting to use, but the variety is low and limited to generation 1 Pokémon, which I'm not huge on. There is also a hefty amount of Pokémon missing from the game, meaning you must transfer to get them. Z-Moves are also a new introduction to the game, but I barely see use in them. I feel they were meant to compare/compete with the Mega Evolution idea, but in my eyes, I just don't see use in them. Trainer customization returns, but it's incredibly dull compared to X & Y.

    Overall, Sun and Moon were definitely worth the wait. Various fixes made playing the games much easier and the new ideas are, in my opinion, not bad. The new Pokémon are amazing and creative and the game's story is interesting so far, as it is filled with amazing characters. However there are those various flaws that are easy to complain about and they can be pretty glaring at times. But get passed those and your looking at pretty great games. The change of pace wasn't a bad idea, but it's not one I hope to see become the new normal.    … Expand
  44. zachary1000
    Mar 26, 2017
    9
    Pokemon Sun and Moon truly take the franchise to new heights, and have become my favorite games in the series. The pokemon designs were surprisingly good overall, and the difficulty was well-balanced. The main new feature of Sun and Moon are of course the replacement of gyms with trials, and I personally really liked this change of pace. The trials all felt different from one another, andPokemon Sun and Moon truly take the franchise to new heights, and have become my favorite games in the series. The pokemon designs were surprisingly good overall, and the difficulty was well-balanced. The main new feature of Sun and Moon are of course the replacement of gyms with trials, and I personally really liked this change of pace. The trials all felt different from one another, and the totem pokemon provided for a fun challenge. On top of that, the captains were all unique individuals and gave the trials themselves more personality. To be honest, the characters as a whole were very interesting, and drove the story forward in a lot of cool ways. I might go as far as to say that Sun and Moon have the best storyline out of any main series pokemon game, right alongside Black and White. The only downsides would probably be the game's slow start, and the lack of new pokemon out in the wild. Nonetheless, Pokemon Sun and Moon are great games and I highly recommend them to anyone who not only likes the series, but to people who want something new and might have gotten tired of the traditional pokemon formula at this point.… Expand
  45. Rockoman100
    Nov 26, 2016
    10
    I should first note that I do not think this is a 10/10 game. I rated it 10 to offset the crazy unfair zeros this game is getting from people who seem to have only played the first hour of the game and gave up, have only watched the trailers, or are salty because they were banned for getting it early.

    Right off the bat, this game is gorgeous, the new graphics and overall art style of    I should first note that I do not think this is a 10/10 game. I rated it 10 to offset the crazy unfair zeros this game is getting from people who seem to have only played the first hour of the game and gave up, have only watched the trailers, or are salty because they were banned for getting it early.

    Right off the bat, this game is gorgeous, the new graphics and overall art style of the game are much-needed atmosphere change for the Pokemon series. Pokemon has finally untethered itself from its grid-based history. There is no grid movement at all, and no option to use it, because the map is not built on the grid. The world is designed to look and feel far more organic, like most modern game worlds. It truly feels like Pokemon has *finally* come into its own with this.

    Very similar praise can be given to the music. The soundtrack in this game is absolutely gorgeous and it doesn't sound like your average Pokemon music at all. Additionally, the range in styles between the tracks can vary drastically, but each track always succeeds in setting the tone of the area or scenario just right. There is also a great deal of thought and detail put into much of the music. There is heavy use of leitmotif, from the recurring "Welcome to Alola" theme popping up in different forms throughout your adventure, to certain team/character leitmotifs being used in the music to not only complement but cleverly forshadow parts of the story.

    Now comes the story. This has to be the best, most well thought-out story in the main series Pokemon games. I believe this game has dethroned Black/White. At the very beginning of the game, you are shown an intriqueing cutscene that sets the tone for the rest of the game's story. While the story takes a while to take off after that, the knowledge of that opening scene really keeps you interested in how this story is going to unfold, and it all pays off eventually. Meanwhile, the game keeps you occupied with less-interesting but still entertaining and enticing plots and motivations, such as your pursuit of the Island Challenge and Team Skull's hilariously inept goons attempting to terrorize the region. The Island Challenge is an excellent replacement for the standard Pokemon League Challenge we have been used to for 20 years now. It really aqcuaints the player with the vibrant and unique culture of the Alola region and feels like a breath of new life for the series. The Island Challenge is fun, lighthearted, and strangely enticing. It is extremely refreshing and makes Sun/Moon feel very different from your average Pokemon games, and they benefit strongly from that. As for Team Skull, before playing the game I was worried that they would be too silly of a team to be involved in a serious story, but the way the overall story is handled makes Team Skull's silliness entirely acceptable. They are meant to be a large part of the comic relief of this game (though this game is already hilarious!), although their leader is carefully revealed to be a somewhat tragic character. I'm not going to spoil anything but the story gets much MUCH more interesting than just "Team Skull does bad thing, stop them". The significant characters in this game are all fantastic and lovable in their own way. Every character fills their niche perfectly and the character development of some of the more important characters is unmatched by any other Pokemon game. It would be a tragedy for any one character to be removed from this game. The same cannot be said for X/Y, to say the least. This game does *real* storytelling, and it made me fall in love with its characters such that I was actually sad when the story was over because it meant I wasn't going to see more from them. It was like watching my favorite show end. The improved graphics and art style also help communicate the story much more effectively.

    Okay, enough about the story and style. In terms of the basic mechanics, it's still Pokemon, but there are numerous quality of life improvements. To name a few:
    -There is a dedicated button to throw a Pokeball.
    -The game will show you the type-effectiveness of your moves against your current opponent, given that you have seen the opponent Pokemon before.
    -HMs have been removed in favor of a system that doesn't force you to compromise the strategy of your team.
    -EXP is scaled to your level to prevent over-leveling and to help under-leveled mons.

    That last one is important. This game still has the EXP Share functionality of X/Y, but the scaled EXP formula prevents the sort of ludicrous over-leveling people experienced in X/Y. Additionally, the AI is better, NPCs use EV-trained mons, and the battles are overall more cleverly designed. This has resulted in a considerably more difficult game than X/Y, even with the EXP Share on and battle mode set to "switch". I actually *lost* a few story battles.

    Overall this game is an unique, enticing, challenging and extremely well-polished adventure, especially for the Pokemon series.    … Expand
  46. Come_on_son
    Nov 21, 2016
    9
    The game is great! Although I dont know why some pokemon charcter models like seriously incineroar!! Why cant you be like some of those fan made ones! Nintendo plz employ those artists to help you!! Or just make the game cool!! Everyone thought incineroar would look better on all fours, sleek with some dark aura! smh
  47. Portalguy17
    Nov 21, 2016
    10
    I thought this game was great, some things were kinda annoying like the cutscenes but they're interesting to watch the first time through, the story is pretty darn good in my opinion, some of the alolan form Pokemon are just bad but that's fine, getting rid of gyms and adding trials and kahuna battles was an excellent replacement for gyms, this is a great Pokemon game that's not afraid toI thought this game was great, some things were kinda annoying like the cutscenes but they're interesting to watch the first time through, the story is pretty darn good in my opinion, some of the alolan form Pokemon are just bad but that's fine, getting rid of gyms and adding trials and kahuna battles was an excellent replacement for gyms, this is a great Pokemon game that's not afraid to try something different.… Expand
  48. datass
    Nov 20, 2016
    10
    Also to the people complaining about how "easy" the game is, don't use the XP share, and also put "set" on in the settings instead of "switch" will make the game more fun and frustrating when fighting trial captains.
  49. Fred_GameOnBatt
    Feb 12, 2017
    9
    I'm impressed that Pokemon Sun and Moon truly take the franchise to new heights. This game is a great surprise BUT The introduction is a bit slow, especially for the hardcore pokemon fans. I think this game in my opinion is great for newcomers. The graphics are a bit better than the previous 3DS Pokemon games. The gameplay is still the same, they didn't change much with the core elementI'm impressed that Pokemon Sun and Moon truly take the franchise to new heights. This game is a great surprise BUT The introduction is a bit slow, especially for the hardcore pokemon fans. I think this game in my opinion is great for newcomers. The graphics are a bit better than the previous 3DS Pokemon games. The gameplay is still the same, they didn't change much with the core element in the game.

    It's a good Pokemon and great way to Celebrate it's 20th Anniversary.    … Expand
  50. JJJKR
    Dec 31, 2016
    10
    This game came out 2 years ago pokemon Heart gold is the newest game. Why would anyone buy a 3DS ganme when the nintendo ds is the latest thing. Worst pokemon game ever. I hate the starter piplup why couldn't i pick a rowlet. Rowlet is so much better then pipup. Piplup sucks. The pokemon in this game were awful there was onl 3 pokemon to choose from. Also why is there no trainerThis game came out 2 years ago pokemon Heart gold is the newest game. Why would anyone buy a 3DS ganme when the nintendo ds is the latest thing. Worst pokemon game ever. I hate the starter piplup why couldn't i pick a rowlet. Rowlet is so much better then pipup. Piplup sucks. The pokemon in this game were awful there was onl 3 pokemon to choose from. Also why is there no trainer customization in this game. I really wanted to change red's design, At least you can battle Moon in this game. Worst game eva. 10/10… Expand
  51. aescalantesuare
    Sep 29, 2017
    8
    Después de dedicarle mas de 100 horas e iniciar el "competitivo", puede decir que es el juego de la saga mas me ha emocionado.

    Puntos en contra:

    - Los mapas son sencillos
    - Todos los combates contra la PC son faciles
    - No existe la Pokédex nacional
  52. ernchii
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    After being so excited and hyped for this game for so long, all I can say is that it does not disappoint. Some may dislike the new Pokemon introduced in this generation, however I disagree. Gen 8 consists of a solid line up of Pokemon with strong personalities reflected in their dex entries. Each dex entry is written in a way that makes the Pokemon feel like a living breathing creature. IAfter being so excited and hyped for this game for so long, all I can say is that it does not disappoint. Some may dislike the new Pokemon introduced in this generation, however I disagree. Gen 8 consists of a solid line up of Pokemon with strong personalities reflected in their dex entries. Each dex entry is written in a way that makes the Pokemon feel like a living breathing creature. I enjoyed the story of Pokemon Sun a lot. The story is far deeper than almost every other Pokemon game. I really love the new characters introduced in this gen. As opposed to the last few games where the character briefly appears and never again, the characters in these games are fleshed out and lovable, having their own cutscenes. On the topic of cutscenes, many seem to dislike them, but I didn't really mind them.

    I really enjoyed PokePelago for some reason, being there always gave me sense of serenity and calm. I enjoyed picking up my PokeBeans and farming berries. I just finished the main story and haven't really touched on the post-game content, all I can say is that the in-PC IV checker is a huge blessing that GameFreak should have done since IVs became a thing. Seriously. In terms of accessibility and convenience, Pokemon Sun has great UI and there is not much hassle trying to get anything done.

    However, the game suffers from performances issues. The biggest issue being massive lag happening during double battles. Besides that, I don't really mind linearity in video games as long as it is done well, this game plays a cutscene every time you walk into an area you are not supposed to go. It is really annoying to walk 2 steps into an area, have the screen fade into a cutscene, and then fade out to where you are standing. And it happens so many times it quickly became annoying to me. I don't mind not entering an area, but I wished they would just let the npc say something in a quick text box and let me leave. Also, while this is not entirely the games fault, I wish they didn't reveal such a big bulk of Pokemon before the game's release. I know, I could just skip out on watching the reveal trailers, but I was riding on the hype train so of course I'm not going to miss out on any new information! Frankly, the biggest joy that came in this game was discovering the new, unrevealed Pokemon, and the surprises in the story.

    I love Pokemon games, and all I can say is that Gen 8 is one of the best ones. For anyone doubting whether or not to try out the series, play it!    … Expand
  53. aoukoa
    Nov 26, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's currently 5:19am and I'm tired as all hell, but I just read some of these reviews and honestly I'm kind of angry. It seems like everybody begs Nintendo to change up the formula but then loses their **** when something new is tried. I'm gonna list off a bunch of the common "issues" people have with the games and say if they are in my opinion justified or bull****.

    1. The amount of cutscenes- For me this isn't a big deal because I like cutscenes in my games, but even if you dislike cutscenes you have to acknowledge it's the natural evolution of the series, all the other games technically had the unskippable cutscenes you hate so much it's just that they didn't have any dynamic camera angles and weren't quite as long. This in my opinion is to the benefit of the game as it makes you more involved in the story and less likely to just frustratingly mash through boring characterless dialogue in the old games.

    2. The island challenge- In my opinion this is the change the series needed, even if it's just a one off. It allows for much better pacing than the classic 8 gyms and it's uniqueness really immerses you in the world. I do think that the actual trial themselves (not the totems) could get a slight bit of improvement. But overall I honestly don't get how people could hate this as much as some do.

    3. Your dialogue choices don't matter- they never have, I've never seen people complain about this before so why now?

    4. The region is linear- Every region has been linear, and every game since gen 5 has literally had a loop for a region. It sucks but don't compare it to how it's more linear than B/W or X/Y like some are doing

    5. Characters expression never changes and it's jarring - I agree 100% honestly

    6. Worse Graphics than X/Y- Honestly if you believe this you're crazy

    7. Framerate drops- the N3ds which I played on had some frame drop but it wasnt terrible, however I assume this is an old 3ds issue.

    8. Bad pokemon designs - I agree some like Bruxish or Alolan Dugtrio are bad but honestly imo this game has some of the better/best designs in recent memory

    9. bad music- honestly you're **** crazy, this is probably the second best Pokemon soundtrack other than B/W

    10. Long tutorial- I kind of agree that this is annoying but I believe the game makes up for it by having the tutorial actually being involved for a change, and I actually really like the new trainers school.

    11. Bad story- Yeah it's not good, but it's a million times better than any other pokemon story except maybe B/W

    12. Evil team(s) are bad- I don't like the aether foundation much but honestly in my opinion team skull is one of the best teams in the series, they are goofy and fun and instead of trying to be all sinister they play up the goofy grunts found in the other games to their fullest potential.

    13. it's light heartedness- It's the 20th anniversary man, just chill out and reminisce. There is a reason game freak chose Hawaii for the setting. It's supposed to be a low stakes journey where the main goal is to just become part of alola and have fun.

    14. Your rival: Hau is a pretty bad rival early game, late game he gets better bit still isn't great, however canonically Hau isn't your rival, Gladion is, and the music track names prove this.

    Honestly in my opinion pokemon sun and moon are by far the best games in the franchise and I really don't understand most of the criticism    … Expand
  54. BasilZero
    Feb 15, 2017
    9
    Game: Pokemon Sun
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: GameFreak/Nintendo System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS) Total Score: 93/100 Value Score: 9.3/10 • Story: 8/10 • Characters: 9/10 • GamePlay: 9/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 9/10 • Music: 10/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 10/10 • Player Value: 9/10 Pros +No more Gym battles, now Island Trials which make you do side quest events such as    Game: Pokemon Sun
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: GameFreak/Nintendo
    System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
    Total Score: 93/100
    Value Score: 9.3/10

    • Story: 8/10
    • Characters: 9/10
    • GamePlay: 9/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 9/10
    • Music: 10/10
    • Length: 10/10
    • Replay Value: 10/10
    • Player Value: 9/10

    Pros
    +No more Gym battles, now Island Trials which make you do side quest events such as finding items, solving puzzles or fighting certain battles
    +Region is split into 4 islands with a Hawaiian theme
    +Some first gen pokemon have new forms with new typing
    +Pokedex now Rotom-Pokedex which talks with you and splits entries into 4 categories (for each island) and the entire region
    +QR Scanner allows players to scan in data of pokemon that they have not caught
    +New battle type called Battle Royal where it allows you to do a 4 way free for all battle
    +Z-Moves bring a new way in battling allowing you to do special moves in a cinematic cutscene, this replaces mega evolution
    +Poke-rides are a new feature which allow you to use certain pokemon to traverse the region, this makes surf, flying, strength obsolete as HMs (there are no more HMs)
    +Hyper training returns
    +Festival Plaza allows players to see other players and interact with them for battle or trade, they can access the GTS here as well. Festival coins can be obtained here by interacting with characters which can be used to increase the rank of your festival plaza
    +Poke Pelago is a new feature which allows you to create your own island to have your PC stored pokemon to find items, discover wild pokemon and to even raise levels and stats.
    +81 new pokemon

    Cons
    -No more gyms (replaced with Island challenges)
    -No HM moves/field moves
    -No Bicycle
    -FPS gets lowered in horde battles
    -No National Pokedex
    -Post game is weak in game wise but thanks to Festival Plaza, replay value can still be increased with other players through trading/battling    … Expand
  55. Youmustdienow
    Nov 22, 2016
    9
    Plus+++++
    Lush Visuals that resembled Zelda Skyward Sword & Spirit Tracks.
    Controls move in 8 directions unlike the previous games that had massive circle pad, dead zone lag. Takes 30 Hrs to beat which is a perfect run time. Not much grinding at all for an RPG. Use Rare Candy to boast XP even more. Every building in the game can be entered. No repeats of locations. Riding    Plus+++++
    Lush Visuals that resembled Zelda Skyward Sword & Spirit Tracks.

    Controls move in 8 directions unlike the previous games that had massive circle pad, dead zone lag.

    Takes 30 Hrs to beat which is a perfect run time.

    Not much grinding at all for an RPG. Use Rare Candy to boast XP even more.

    Every building in the game can be entered. No repeats of locations.

    Riding Pokemon that run 100mph never gets old.

    Wealth of post game activities and collecting.

    Negative------
    Caves and water navigation increases random battles while desiring to explore and collect.

    Music was not very catchy like other known Nintendo brands. No orchestrated tracks, repetitive.

    Couldn't Save game after long end battle, optional extra battle, 20 minute long credit sequences, and 10 Minutes worth of cut-scenes. Good luck with battery not dying while on the go.

    Plot dragged on at points with bad guys bragging and dissing the player's skills. Family member who betrays and is evil cliche.

    Enemies that hide in trees, then ambushed. Total BS

    Bosses that use health potions even while they have 1 percent health.

    Pokemon that keep calling for battle support while I'm in the middle of trying to capture it.    … Expand
  56. kikumaru818
    Nov 21, 2016
    10
    I have to give this game 10/10 rate. Because I love Pokemon so much. I have played every generation, and I am still having fun on it. I am not a ruthless person to rate below 6/10 because of "no gym," "slow loading time," "stupid storyline" Bla Bla Bla..... At least, this is a totally complete game, with a lot of new elements. I earn at least 8/10. I first time want to give 8, but finally,I have to give this game 10/10 rate. Because I love Pokemon so much. I have played every generation, and I am still having fun on it. I am not a ruthless person to rate below 6/10 because of "no gym," "slow loading time," "stupid storyline" Bla Bla Bla..... At least, this is a totally complete game, with a lot of new elements. I earn at least 8/10. I first time want to give 8, but finally, I decide to give this generation 10! because I am a real fan of Pokemon. The developers deserve this rate!… Expand
  57. Sakamoto_San
    Sep 11, 2017
    8
    Un buen juego pero con una historia floja, dejaron fuera las mecánicas de las mega evoluciones incluidas en la versión anterior y eso deja la sensación de que el juego esta incompleto, su principal problema es no contar con la pokedex nacional para poder juntar a todos los pokemon que se limite solo a Alola es muy malo y deja a el titulo sin la amplia variedad de pokemon que existen.
  58. Shabok
    Nov 20, 2016
    8
    I've been playing pokemon, both competitively and casually, since RBY first came out. Here are my feelings:

    Pro: + The new mons are some of the best overall in terms of design. Much better than XY + Gyms have been replaced but its a nice change and actally makes the game harder + Graphics and animations are great + Lots of things to do aside from clear the trials + Customization of    I've been playing pokemon, both competitively and casually, since RBY first came out. Here are my feelings:

    Pro:
    + The new mons are some of the best overall in terms of design. Much better than XY
    + Gyms have been replaced but its a nice change and actally makes the game harder
    + Graphics and animations are great
    + Lots of things to do aside from clear the trials
    + Customization of your avatar
    + Festival Plaza is a great consolidation of thing competitive players care about
    + No more HM
    + Tons of QoL improvements for casual and competitive
    + It's pretty long

    Con:
    - Framerate drops on standard 3DS whenever more than one mon is on the screen
    - Wild pokemon calling for help is the worst mechanic in any of these games. Ever. It's worse than hoarde battles, which were actually very useful for EV training. This is just irritating. It's supposed to add challenge, however it just translates into useless tedium
    - Boring, predictable, stereotypical characters
    - Rival (if you can call him that) is irritatingly cheerful and says about 4 different things just in different ways... What happened to all the jerk rivals?
    - The amount of handholding is nauseating
    - Rotomdex is annoying. It never shuts up and always tells you exactly where to go
    - Zmoves are cool but I find myself never using them because I can get 2 attacks off by the time the animation finishes
    - Team Skull is...embarassing
    - You can only go fishing in designated spots
    - New mons are all slow as dirt, with only 2 or 3 non legends having base Spd >=100

    This is not the best game in the series. GSC still blows it away. I'm still giving it a solid 8. It's not a bad game by any means (although those framerate drops are, frankly, embarassing in 2016) and it's definitely worth playing. It's hard to appeal to every type of person who plays this game. They definitely tried to. In my eyes, they earned B when, with a few tweaks, this could have been a solid A title.    … Expand
  59. SirCharizard
    Nov 22, 2016
    10
    Pokémon Sun & Moon are probably the best Pokémon game yet! We may have lost the 3D feature and Poké Finder can still be a disappointment, but Game Freak has showed us their best effort to deliver a game that feels fresh for first time in years. The games present the evolution of the storytelling techniques that we have been following over the past years, resulting in beautiful andPokémon Sun & Moon are probably the best Pokémon game yet! We may have lost the 3D feature and Poké Finder can still be a disappointment, but Game Freak has showed us their best effort to deliver a game that feels fresh for first time in years. The games present the evolution of the storytelling techniques that we have been following over the past years, resulting in beautiful and intriguing cut-scenes and lots of good dialogues.
    The characters are appealing and full of charisma and it's impossible not to fall in love with the new Pokémon or the Alolan forms of old Pokémon. One of the issues with the last generation was the games were too easy. This has changed now. The Totem Pokémon present a real challenge and lots of Trainers won't shy away from using Z-Move against you - remember how sad was that quite a few Trainers would use Mega Evolution in XY and ORAS?
    There also plenty of new features to provide players with fun for during and after the main campaign, such as the Festival Plaza and the Poké Pelago. There might be a few glitches and problems, especially for those who are not playing in the New 3DS and I feel sorry for not having the option of sharing pictures of my game on the Miiverse (or for not being able to save good quality pictures I take of the Pokémon), but these are really minor problems for those that are shaping up to be two of the most memorable Pokémon games ever!    … Expand
  60. OrbitingJupiter
    Nov 22, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Alright, I already wrote a review for Pokemon Sun and Moon, however, I originally gave them a 6/10. I thought they were pretty decent games, but also took huge missteps as well. Well, as you can clearly see, I'm writing a second review. Overall, looking back on the 2 games, I have to say...

    My opinions on this game have shifted for the better. I suppose I just needed to adjust a bit. Don't misinterpret what I'm saying; I don't think they're perfect now, I have just grown more fond of them. Anyhow, I'm not here to be an ass-kisser, I'll keep this review as objective as possible.

    I'll start with what I liked. Firstly, I thought the Pokemon designs in the game were, for the most part, very good. There are exceptions, of course (*glares at Dhelmise*), but on the whole, I liked them. Hopefully they can keep this up.

    Another thing I though was very interesting were the Alolan forms of the older Pokemon. I liked the idea that certain Pokemon have to adapt to different regions and areas. Most of their designs were very good as well, with the only exception being Dugtrio, but I can't say that its original design was all that mesmerizing either.

    The soundtrack has grown on me as well. I originally thought it was quite sub-par, however, it has gotten better the more I listened to it. I especially like Guzma's, Lusamine's, Red's/Blue's, The Elite Four's, and the League Title Defense's themes. The credits theme is pretty damn good too... except for the amateurish vocals.

    The graphics in the game are damn good as well. The 3D Pokemon models look astonishingly good, the environments look very pleasant, an they overall appear less "Gamey," as I said in my previous review. I WILL mention one issue some folks came across, and that is the framerate. I won't lie- I was playing on the new 3DS, and the only time I encountered slowdown was during double battles. If you have a new 3DS, the framerate shouldn't be too much of an issue, but if you have a standard 3DS, you should probably be wary of this when you think about purchasing these games.

    All of that is really good, but the thing that REALLY changed my mind on the semi-negative rating...

    Was the story. I honestly didn't expect my opinion to shift as much as it did, but the more I thought about it, the better it became.

    The story in this game is easily one of the best, if not THE best, story in the entire series, only rivaled by Black and White. I am SO glad this game wasn't like X and Y with its shallow characters, non-existent emotions, and muted tone. The story in this game is really good! You feel actual tension as things start to happen, the protagonists are very down-to-earth and view you as actual FRIENDS and not battle buddies like those 5 caricatures from X and Y (shows how great they are when I can't even remember their names), and best of all, YOU FEEL ACTUAL EMOTIONS AS IT PROGRESSES. There are some genuinely touching moments in the game!

    The driving force behind this story is Lillie. Lillie is the best character in the Pokemon franchise since N. I'm not exaggerating, she really is a great character! She's not an obnoxious damsel in distress, nor an edgy 'I hate everything and everyone' if you know what I mean. She's a very grounded, yet emotional young woman with a ghastly upbringing. Her mother is a Ultra Beast obsessed lunatic, and her father is a street thug. After being through all of this, she ends up meeting the player, and as the journey goes on, she grows more autonomous and cheerful.

    The only issue I can highlight is that she CAN seem kinda cliched at times, but overall, she's a fantastic character, and a great motivation to progress through the game. I really hope she appears in another Pokemon installment.

    With all of that out of the way, it's time to talk about the negatives.

    Unfortunately, the biggest issue I had with the game is still present. The new Pokemon may have great designs but their stats are incredibly "Second-rate." The most common complaint about them is that they're too slow... and yeah, I empathize with that. Tip: When you get to the battle tree, DON'T USE GEN 7 POKEMON. THEY SIMPLY CAN'T COMPETE WITH OLDER ONES. Yes, there are exceptions, but the majority of them just can't hold their own against anything but themselves.

    The only other huge issue I have is the pacing. Not only does the story take a bit of time to gain some traction (despite its quality), but the opening tutorials like the trainer school last way longer than they should. Sorry, but taking 2 hours to tell me stuff I already know isn't acceptable.

    At the end of the day, I'm very happy that I played these games. GAMEFREAK has shown to me that even though they will always stick with the winning formula, they at least had a bit of ambition while making these games.

    I will recommend this game to any Poke-fan out there, maybe even most folks who own a 3DS. Here's hoping for a sequel of some kind.

    8/10    … Expand
  61. valls
    Nov 21, 2016
    10
    El mejor juego de pokemon! 10/10

    Con un modo historia de mas de 25 hs
    Pos-game infinito
    Nuevo modo competitivo
    bigcheese53535 Te recomiendo que sigas jugando pokemon rojo y azul
    roastbird
    1 Nadie usa el modo 3D
    2 Pokemon no es solo ganar medalla en los GYm
    3 Tiene el mejor modo historia de la franquicia.
    4 Es mejor que X/Y
  62. DarthSidious63
    Nov 21, 2016
    8
    To all the complainers of how easy Pokemon is then move on. It's main target audience is a younger audience or fans of the series. Granted there is too much hand holding but it's a nice looking game. Sun and Moon has nice changes but its time to add a difficulty setting for experience players.
  63. SuperRon
    Nov 20, 2016
    10
    This game is a great surprise.
    This is the second instance of when pokemon break their own norm and create a real game better than the other one.
    The first pokemon game that did that was colosseum, the second one is sun and moon. The gym are remplaced by challenge of island that really gives an immersive feel to the game. Excellent music, the most inspired and fitting of the    This game is a great surprise.
    This is the second instance of when pokemon break their own norm and create a real game better than the other one.
    The first pokemon game that did that was colosseum, the second one is sun and moon.

    The gym are remplaced by challenge of island that really gives an immersive feel to the game.

    Excellent music, the most inspired and fitting of the franchise.

    Great graphic, minus the slowdown that happen on multi battle.

    Great variety of pokemon, so you can build pretty interesting team during the game.

    Honestly the story is really good and the best that has yet to be produced in pokemon, it's easy to let yourself follow the trame, and be excited to just move on to the next thing.

    Mecanically everything is conveniant, no HM needed,when your party is full you can add to your team and send to PC, same thing for eggs, everything is easy and fast to do, including EV/IV training once you figure it out.

    Finished the main game at around 35 hours, the main story is slightly longer than usual, and lots to do in the post game, depending on your taste and preference.

    Most people commenting negatively are either just at the beginning of the game or just hate change, and would be the same that say "but pokemon is always the same!"    … Expand
  64. lizthewiz
    Nov 18, 2016
    10
    Pokemon Sun shines brighter than any predecessor in the Pokemon franchise. The graphics are fresh and lush. The story is entertaining. Above all, it's the most lively Pokemon adventure yet.
  65. JavierNF
    Nov 20, 2016
    10
    Amazing. The best Pokémon game.

    )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
  66. abbe44
    Nov 19, 2016
    10
    i really loved these games
    loved the trials and the new Pokemon and i loved that there was cut scenes instead of just static dialogue
    the region was beautiful and lush
    the only real gripe i have is that the first hour or so is a little slow
    and omg the story was great! so many likable characters
  67. tpab
    Nov 19, 2016
    10
    This game is great. The region is an improved Hoenn and has lots of places to explore. My favorite part of the games is the removal of HMs. Another positive is salandit and its evolution being my new favorite Pokemon.
  68. desdar300
    Nov 19, 2016
    10
    I've read a lot of the negative User reviewers and they all seem to have one thing in common " They hate change" and that's really sad to me for multiple reasons.
    Pokémon Sun and Moon are without a doubt the most innovative games in the series to date and it feels like a honest to God step forward and that's a good thing for a guy like me who's grown tired of the standard Pokémon formula.    I've read a lot of the negative User reviewers and they all seem to have one thing in common " They hate change" and that's really sad to me for multiple reasons.
    Pokémon Sun and Moon are without a doubt the most innovative games in the series to date and it feels like a honest to God step forward and that's a good thing for a guy like me who's grown tired of the standard Pokémon formula.
    >The story
    One thing that I can say is that I found myself really getting sucked into the story, mainly because the characters are a lot more well rounded this time around and go through ACTUAL character development.
    I'd say by the end of the game you'll love at least one of the characters whether it's Kukui, Lillie, or Hau
    > The Graphics
    Sun and Moon are some of the best looking games you'll find on the 3ds and the little touches added between each version really adds to the players immersion something that other Pokémon games barely do.
    That said they'll take a bit of a dip in double battles and it is noticeable but it didn't harper the game for me.
    > Gameplay
    Ditching Gyms are the best thing GF gas done since Gold and Silver because it makes the games a lot more unpredictable due to the Island trials being quite varied and also make things less formulaic.
    Verdict:
    Sn and Moon are a very welcome addition to the Pokémon franchise that not only keeps things fresh but it doesn't stray away from what made Pokémon great to begin with. I highly recommend picking these up whether you're a long time fan, a returning fan, or new to Pokémon in general. A must buy for this holiday season!    … Expand
  69. CodyCoyote64
    Nov 24, 2016
    10
    The best game this year! An absolute blast to play from start to finish. The game introduces several new concepts to the series, such as a new kind of boss battle.
  70. guetzalwoatl
    Nov 19, 2016
    10
    You get the awesomeness of the originals with the updated look of x and y. If you have been liking the more recent games you will like this one. I like the new versions of pokemon and soundtrack.
  71. Rinoa_Heartilly
    Nov 18, 2016
    10
    Note: Don't listen to the whingers who gave the game a bad score based on only 1 or 2 hours of play into the game. No one likes them and they aren't helpful at all. The best way fo judge is to play for yourself or at least read reviews of people who have actually played the game (15-20hrs+ recommended).

    Anyway imo this is absolutely the best one yet and a great gate-way for the new    Note: Don't listen to the whingers who gave the game a bad score based on only 1 or 2 hours of play into the game. No one likes them and they aren't helpful at all. The best way fo judge is to play for yourself or at least read reviews of people who have actually played the game (15-20hrs+ recommended).

    Anyway imo this is absolutely the best one yet and a great gate-way for the new players to get into. Please purchase and play the game to decide for yourself but if you love Pokemon you will not be disappointed. The game should get at least an 8 just for removing the HM system.    … Expand
  72. SuperSony
    Nov 18, 2016
    10
    This game is truly beautiful. It shows that nintendo can break away from the traditional Pokemon formula and make it even bigger and better. The Pokemon designs are creative and blend in with the environment making the whole game feel more fluid and natural.
  73. snakekill321
    Nov 18, 2016
    9
    The Alola islands are truly spectacular! I was tempering my expectations of the game and did my best to avoid any spoilers, and being about 10 hours into the game, I am pretty happy. The cast and characters are well done, the battle system is fun as well as the animations of the trainers. This is not a simple reskin of X and Y this is a whole new adventure with new mechanics and newThe Alola islands are truly spectacular! I was tempering my expectations of the game and did my best to avoid any spoilers, and being about 10 hours into the game, I am pretty happy. The cast and characters are well done, the battle system is fun as well as the animations of the trainers. This is not a simple reskin of X and Y this is a whole new adventure with new mechanics and new pokemon. I am honestly excited to write this review and go back to playing the game.… Expand
  74. Maxson
    Nov 19, 2016
    8
    It's a good game, probably not the best one but I'm still exploring the game. The introduction is a bit slow, especially for the hardcore pokemon fans. I think this game in my opinion is great for newcomers. The graphics are a bit better than the previous 3DS Pokemon games. The gameplay is still the same, they didn't change much with the core element in the game. For those that areIt's a good game, probably not the best one but I'm still exploring the game. The introduction is a bit slow, especially for the hardcore pokemon fans. I think this game in my opinion is great for newcomers. The graphics are a bit better than the previous 3DS Pokemon games. The gameplay is still the same, they didn't change much with the core element in the game. For those that are suffering from long loading time and lag, you guys are playing the game on the old 3DS. I have the new 3DS XL, and the game runs fine. I'm pretty disappointed with some of the reviews here, because some of the guys just don't understand. Gamefreak wants to bring new players in, that's why we have the tutorial and introduction in the game. They want new players to understand the basic concept of the game, especially the younger kids that are playing this game for the first time in their gaming life.… Expand
  75. EpicLadySponge
    Nov 18, 2016
    8
    It is agreeable that Pokémon Sun isn't getting anywhere from its predecessors, X and Y, but to be on the safe side, it does have its beauty moments and anyone wondering when to buy it, it would possibly be now... only if you have a 3DS that is.
  76. vgmkyle
    Nov 18, 2016
    10
    Will the reviews change how well this game is going to sell? Absolutely not. The audience is well educated at this point, and I think most Nintendo players don't even check... and they shouldn't. See this as a coping well for Sony Fanboys that don't have any expansive universes to come back to in this incredible fashion.
  77. FutureWorld
    Nov 18, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't get me wrong. I have played all of the Pokemon games, and I am a definite fan of the franchise. However, I do feel that Pokemon Sun is not the epic Pokemon game that I myself was looking for. Remember, this is just my own opinion, and I do agree that the game was had cool new additions and finally changed the gameplay into a full 3D world. However, I just didn't feel as hyped as what others have been all over the Internet. One of the main things that I have criticized heavily on Sun is the fact that they changed the Gyms. The trials were a great idea.......for post game content that is. To me, Gyms in Pokemon are like the Rings in Sonic or the Mushroom in Super Mario. They are important to the game, and are part of the formula of the game. Losing the gyms makes the game feel a bit left out, but this is just my opinion. I would love to go on with more details, but here what I will finally say: Pokemon Sun has its fun moments, but there is plenty that can be desired for the next Pokemon generation… Expand
  78. FireDragon
    Nov 18, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have been with the Pokémon franchise since Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and I must say, the main series have gotten better over years! It was not until X and Y where I thought Game Freak finally revolutionized the series with 3D models and big beautiful landscapes to the point of making it great to play again. They finally changed the game for the better! However, it was not until I played Sun and Moon, where, overall, the games have changed the formula of the series in such a dramatic way, that it was not the way I was hoping for Generation 7 to turn out to be. With that being said, I have listed the pros, where the games did well on, and the cons, where the games did poorly on.

    Pros

    + The new forms for some of the Pokémon are fun to use

    + The Festival Plaza is pretty entertaining and a good way to get items

    + You're now able to heal status ailments by taking care of your Pokémon after battle

    + HMs are replaced with the more efficient Pokémon Pager system

    + Trials and Kahunas provide an interesting twist to the standard gym battle formula

    + The graphical upgrades make trainers and Pokémon look better and more interesting

    + Ability effectiveness now appears on the move select screen

    + A map on the bottom screen shows where you're at and where your next objective lies can be pretty helpful

    + Battle mechanics offer a new and fun touch

    + Does experimental things with formula

    + Riding Pokémon lifts the move limitations throughout your adventure

    Cons

    - Daycare only breeds eggs and no longer levels Pokémon

    - Very few Pokémon in game and no Pokémon Bank until January

    - Serious frame rate drops during totem battles and double battles

    - A lot of unnecessary cut scenes slow down the game. (I love cuts scenes normally but some of them feel pointless. There are quite a few cut scents that comprise of people only waving at you.)

    - No room to explore freely until almost the third island, everything is extremely linear

    - Alola Pokémon seem to have a low encounter rate

    - Not a lot of variation in Pokémon. Many places just have the same Pokémon with one new Pokémon added into the mix

    - Your dialogue choices almost have no impact what so ever

    - Your character's expression almost never changes which is a bit jarring when other characters are
    visible upset.

    - Double Battles chug rather harshly

    - More linear and easy going
    - Story less intriguing than expected and, at times, can be nonsensical and uninteresting - Z-move animations are way too long can and be boring to watch after several times From an overall standpoint, Pokémon Sun and Moon had many great points about it. However, the big changes to it feel as if Game Freak is trying to reboot the Pokémon series, even though it is already great. Instead of these big changes, why not just keep the gyms and add more Post-Game content to the new games? Taking pictures of Pokémon, challenges and trials from different characters, and fun minigames all feel like optional activities that you could do by yourself, but you are forced to do them in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Because of this, I did not enjoy the game, and I felt like they changed too much to the new generation. The game has its great and beautiful moments, but it also has it tedious and monotonous moments as well. * Now remember this clearly. This is just my opinion. Please do not feel offended by it. Thanks for reading my review and I hope you have a wonderful day!*    … Expand
  79. ke
    Nov 20, 2016
    1
    Why this game is pure garbage:
    1. Endless dialogs without any meaning
    2. horrible low fps
    3. still narly never in 3D
    4. Zero anti aliasing
    5. **** music
    6. Horrible long loading times
    7. Moore cutscenes than a telltale game
    8. Still much to easy
  80. randomnessiswow
    Nov 18, 2016
    4
    There are SOOO many cutscenes. I played for an hour, and literally 30-45 min of it was cutscenes. In addition, the load times are brutal, as every time you enter/exit a cutscene THERE'S A LOAD TIME. Furthermore, they found a way to make the training school required, which... I mean, just kill me.
  81. RealPokeGamer
    Nov 18, 2016
    3
    Pokémon Sun is one of those games that changes the face of a successful franchise in a bad way. Although it is a very fresh and innovative Pokémon game in the saga, it lost all hope when the developers took the most important part, Pokémon Gyms, out of the game. Without any badges to get, this tedious adventure lasts more than 30 hours with the least favorite story of the series. ThePokémon Sun is one of those games that changes the face of a successful franchise in a bad way. Although it is a very fresh and innovative Pokémon game in the saga, it lost all hope when the developers took the most important part, Pokémon Gyms, out of the game. Without any badges to get, this tedious adventure lasts more than 30 hours with the least favorite story of the series. The designs of the Pokémon and scenarios are very wacky, strange, and queer, and the graphics look alright and decent. The soundtrack is the worst of the Pokémon series, terribly depending on versions and sounds of other regions. What a disgrace. Without a doubt, the worst game in the Pokémon franchise.… Expand
  82. bigcheese53535
    Nov 19, 2016
    0
    This game feels more like some weird spinoff to the anime series than a mainstream Pokemon game. There's so many pointless cutscenes and dumb tutorials....it doesn't feel like a Pokemon game. 5 Hours in and I just can't play it anymore. Super boring compared to the other games.
  83. Romorais
    Sep 15, 2017
    8
    I really enjoyed the game, but it's debatable that it has a very slow beginning and, even thought goo history, way too extensive narrative.
    The game tries too hard to explain the new gimmicks of the game and it made me feel like i played 20 hours of tutorial
  84. SSJSSKuririn
    Feb 24, 2018
    10
    Not only the pokemon game with the greatest story, but also the best for pro-players, as the training, capture and SPECIALLY breeding of pokemon is easier than ever. It's also the most revolutionary generation that changed the most of the pokemon patterns and formulas instead of just reusing previous concepts, the hm system for example being replaced by something much better, just likeNot only the pokemon game with the greatest story, but also the best for pro-players, as the training, capture and SPECIALLY breeding of pokemon is easier than ever. It's also the most revolutionary generation that changed the most of the pokemon patterns and formulas instead of just reusing previous concepts, the hm system for example being replaced by something much better, just like gyms are replaced by a refresher in its kind of boss… Expand
  85. stollosoup91
    Mar 18, 2018
    10
    Best pokemon in years:
    -an immersive story full of twists like I never expected from pokemon,
    -the new pokemon are mostly creative and cool, specially the ultra beasts, a new kind of pokemon that are unique and just straight up awesome in how they add up to the pokemon world -The trials, that replaced the gyms, are both harder, more unique and way more refined as challenges.    Best pokemon in years:
    -an immersive story full of twists like I never expected from pokemon,

    -the new pokemon are mostly creative and cool, specially the ultra beasts, a new kind of pokemon that are unique and just straight up awesome in how they add up to the pokemon world

    -The trials, that replaced the gyms, are both harder, more unique and way more refined as challenges.

    -zmoves really helped me make good use of weaker pokemon I avoided using in past games

    I wasn't playing pokemon games ever since black 2 came out, so when a group of friends kept recommending this to me I went with high expectations but and I was still blown away by it.    … Expand
  86. LawsofLeftover
    Mar 3, 2018
    10
    The best writing the franchise has ever had + the best characters + best music tracks + the best evil team in Team Skull, which is better than all other teams together + overall really good batch of newer pokemon
    I give it a 10/10 and recommend it as a longtime fan of the series
  87. FlaffyJasmine
    Apr 22, 2018
    10
    Story - Very Good
    Online - All right
    Music - The best in pokemon
    Region - Fun
    Z-Moves - Fun
    To me it deserves a 10
  88. MegaKyuremFlame
    May 20, 2018
    10
    It's been enough time for the reviews to this game to be fair and balanced and as such I gotta say: this is the best generation in the series and would be the games if not for its enhanced versions existing. Alolan Forms, the massive revolution that is was finally replacing gyms and hms... not to mention z-moves, both fun to look at while also balanced and helpful to the metagame in a wayIt's been enough time for the reviews to this game to be fair and balanced and as such I gotta say: this is the best generation in the series and would be the games if not for its enhanced versions existing. Alolan Forms, the massive revolution that is was finally replacing gyms and hms... not to mention z-moves, both fun to look at while also balanced and helpful to the metagame in a way you'd never expect such additions to be. I truly loved those games as a pokemon fan and a player.… Expand
  89. chavelucre
    Apr 27, 2018
    10
    Excelente jogo, região interessantíssima, cheio de adições e reformulações para as formulas da serie que deixam esse jogo com uma sensação de algo novo e fresco. Também tem a melhor narrativa da serie, mas mantendo os elementos viciantes de capturar e treinar pokemon
  90. PrimeLightining
    May 13, 2018
    10
    gen 7 was the best gen (BY FAR even). Obsolete mechanics like Hms and gyms that dragged down the series were finally replaced by new ideas, many aspects of the series were revolutionized while still keeping the heart of the series and everything that makes pokemon what it is.
  91. lamedonyx
    May 23, 2018
    10
    Good looking 3d and is what many would argue the best pokemon game in the franchise by far.
    Looking back no wonder me and all my friend would get so hooked up playing with each other compared to other multiplayer games, as it's filled with qualities.
  92. mrcnx
    May 6, 2018
    8
    Great game with excellent new features and it offers a bit of a shakeup for the series. Sadly thoit's not as addicting as the previous titles. Overall a great experience
  93. Kazekage
    May 9, 2018
    10
    Pokemon and characters full of personality, in fact the characters are all very memmorable this time, they also all play roles in the story instead of staying there like gym leaders used to, this gen was amazing.
  94. NarukamiyU
    May 21, 2018
    10
    The most captivating games I've ever played, couldn't stop it till I had finished, then I went with Moon for a nuzlocke run and it was equally good.
  95. Diegochocho
    Jul 6, 2018
    9
    El modelos de los personajes lo hicieron mas reales, la música muy buena, tiene el mejor equipo villano de toda la saga en mi opinión, y la historia es buena.
  96. shang-chi_VG
    Apr 30, 2018
    10
    A decade from now this game will probably be remembered as a classic: the musical track has some great catchy stuff that you can hear without tiring, the story is unforgetable, same with almost every character you meet along the way. Almost every new pokemon had something unique about it, not to mention the regional forms. Rides were a blessing that saved us from hms, not to mention it'sA decade from now this game will probably be remembered as a classic: the musical track has some great catchy stuff that you can hear without tiring, the story is unforgetable, same with almost every character you meet along the way. Almost every new pokemon had something unique about it, not to mention the regional forms. Rides were a blessing that saved us from hms, not to mention it's the first time I could train my pokemon "IVs" instead of having to breed good ones.… Expand
  97. DRAKEDRAKSDREKE
    Jul 9, 2018
    10
    Replayed and finished S/M a couple times and it keeps feeling great every time, even after this long. As a long-time pokemon fan who played all games, this is one of the best ones in the franchise, no contest. Great region, story, and trials were way better than gyms in every way. If this is the way the series goes forward, we're in for a golden age of pokemon.
  98. Bald_Strikes
    Aug 11, 2018
    10
    The 3DS brought many great gems to the pokemon series so when I say Pokemon Sun, alongside the Moon version are the second best game pair in this whole game series, only second to it's bettered Ultra versions, its with heavy-hitter competition. I'm a fan since Pokemon Red and Blue came out in the U.S. in the late 90s but even after so long and having played all games I keep the assertionThe 3DS brought many great gems to the pokemon series so when I say Pokemon Sun, alongside the Moon version are the second best game pair in this whole game series, only second to it's bettered Ultra versions, its with heavy-hitter competition. I'm a fan since Pokemon Red and Blue came out in the U.S. in the late 90s but even after so long and having played all games I keep the assertion above: I was shocked with how much of a breath of fresh air this pair brought to the franchise. From replacing the gyms with a new boss system to new concepts like the rides, playing them feels like a mix of discovering so much new mixed with the prime pokemon trainer experience, not only many changes happened: They WORKED and they MATTERED which is something rare to say for games that change so much on old formulas.

    The side content is some of the best the series ever had, the hunt for Zygarde cells, Pokepelago, Refresh, etc, you feel like the pokemon is your pal instead of just a sprite in the team screen

    It has the best characters and best and most interesting story in the series, I'm yet to find a single pokemon fan who haven't gushed about how interesting and engaging the plot surrounding your journey was this time. Also decent pacing throughout your journey as to let you explore each section as the trials come by. The story actually managing to pull iconic and emotional moments like I've never seen in the series. And don't let the bright tropical looks and colorful people full of personality trick you: the story can get dark at points, with uncharted themes to pokemon

    The designs of new pokemon were ALL unique. You can feel a higher focus in creativity in each new pokemon, with ideas that feel iconic yet unexpected, including the regional forms, which bring new life to old pokemon like Raichu by putting them into new concepts based on how they'd adapt into a tropical setting.

    Team Skull is the best "evil team" pokemon has had and will be remembered fondly 20 years from now as one of the highest points in the series (but I can say that about a lot of things Alola region brought us)

    Z-Crystals are a neat way to make a weaker mon stay relevant, while working to all pokemon and having special effects if you combine it with effect/status moves. Speaking of the Meta, it's really well balanced in recent years, making going online a joy.

    All accounted, don't let online trolls who diss nintendo games everywhere convince you otherwise: It is a Must to play this game or the Ultras if you enjoy pokemon, as any longtime fan (of which many I have befriended by playing it with) this game with in recent months will most certainly tell you, this pair and its follow up are love letters to any pokemon fan, from the pleasure that it is to make runs in it, to how easy it is to breed, trains and battle online, to the beautiful and interesting places to explore, to even multiple references and old characters from every gen coming back.    … Expand
  99. QuacksonjaMeme
    Aug 29, 2018
    8
    Sun and Moon are really great and fun games. Ive spent more then 100 hours in Pokemon Sun and i have enjoined every second of my playtrough. A lot of new content and Pokemon were added. Definitely worth the price.

    8/10
  100. Eduppzzs
    Aug 23, 2018
    10
    Best games + best story + best characters. Masterpiece Id say and I don't say it to any game, specially not any pokemon.
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best 3DS Game of 2016
1
#1 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2016
1
#1 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 85 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 87
  3. Negative: 0 out of 87
  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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »