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
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  1. Cer2xrafa
    Aug 7, 2023
    7
    Un juego decente, los diseños nuevos son buenos y su dificultad es media. Lo mejor es su historia, pero existen mejores juegos dentro de la saga
  2. miguellopez99
    Jun 1, 2023
    7
    68/100 .
  3. Kdog152
    Jan 5, 2023
    5
    This is just the same as Pokémon has been for years. The last decent games were omega ruby and alpha sapphire. After that, just mediocre. It's a shame as well as it is based in England (my home country). There's is a little bit of fun here, but the majority of the exploring in this game is boring. I got to admit that running around on Taurus is pretty damn fun. it's a shame that you can'tThis is just the same as Pokémon has been for years. The last decent games were omega ruby and alpha sapphire. After that, just mediocre. It's a shame as well as it is based in England (my home country). There's is a little bit of fun here, but the majority of the exploring in this game is boring. I got to admit that running around on Taurus is pretty damn fun. it's a shame that you can't use him all the time, because traversing normally is boring. The Z crystals power moves were a nice touch, but definitely not enough to redeem the game. And honestly, some of these Pokémon have stupid or bad names.… Expand
  4. AlexMakesToast
    Dec 11, 2022
    7
    Sun = 7/10
    ................................................................
  5. FireBroFilms
    Aug 15, 2022
    7
    ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎
  6. DolphinReviews
    Jul 20, 2022
    6
    It's a great Pokémon game but compared to other games, or even RPG's it's slightly above average. It's nice to see they tried new ideas in this installment.
  7. HildaSimp5
    Mar 4, 2022
    6
    Pokémon SM are good step ups from XY, but nowehere close to being the best games in the series for me.
    Alola is beautiful, but far too linear and corridor like, lacking the exploration the series once had.
    The story is pretty good actually and fun. New Pokémon are pretty good, except those awful Ultra Beasts. Music is ok too. Z Moves are fine i guess, but no replacement fpr Mega Evolution.    Pokémon SM are good step ups from XY, but nowehere close to being the best games in the series for me.
    Alola is beautiful, but far too linear and corridor like, lacking the exploration the series once had.
    The story is pretty good actually and fun.
    New Pokémon are pretty good, except those awful Ultra Beasts. Music is ok too.
    Z Moves are fine i guess, but no replacement fpr Mega Evolution. Regional Variants are a fantastic addition, completely wasted beacuse they are used exclusivly on Gen 1 Pokémon, what a waste.
    This is also a massive issue with these games. The ludicrous pandering to Generation 1 and Kanto is beyond annoying. I get it, ok?! First Generation that started it all, blah, blah, BLAH!
    The games are also too handholdy.    … Expand
  8. halalgamer
    May 26, 2021
    7
    Haven't saw much improvement from Pokemon X and Y. Models are pretty all the same. Z-Moves were a huge downgrade from Mega Evolutions. Removing gyms from the game was dumb. With every new Pokemon game, the difficulty of the games are easier and easier. The new Pokemon on the other hand were great. Story in my opinion was a bit more interesting then it was in X and Y.
    7/10 Good.
  9. DrPebba
    May 16, 2021
    7
    I think this is a really good game, but i dont know, there is something that makes me not enjoy it as other pokemon, i dont like alola as a region at all, the astethic gets repetitive but i dont know, its basic pokemon , the same gameplay with some tweaks, the graphics ook pretty good for a 3ds game, and the world is really big, the story its kinda bad, i dont remember almost anything ofI think this is a really good game, but i dont know, there is something that makes me not enjoy it as other pokemon, i dont like alola as a region at all, the astethic gets repetitive but i dont know, its basic pokemon , the same gameplay with some tweaks, the graphics ook pretty good for a 3ds game, and the world is really big, the story its kinda bad, i dont remember almost anything of it, the characters are forgettable and uninteresting, and the villians are the worst in the franchise, but i think overral its an ok game but just not a great pokemon… Expand
  10. Oreun
    Apr 15, 2021
    7
    Decent game that changes the Pokemon formula. Definetely recommended.

    Juego decente que cambia la formula de Pokemon. Recomendado.
  11. SuperK27
    Sep 19, 2020
    6
    While the graphics look much better than ever and the characters are great, I see the road for future pokemon games not much promising. I've never liked the concept of mega evolution, which was introduced in X and Y, and the concept of z-moves introduced in this game didn't get me interested either. It is also clear that Game Freak has run out of ideas on creating more unique pokemon asWhile the graphics look much better than ever and the characters are great, I see the road for future pokemon games not much promising. I've never liked the concept of mega evolution, which was introduced in X and Y, and the concept of z-moves introduced in this game didn't get me interested either. It is also clear that Game Freak has run out of ideas on creating more unique pokemon as they have started reskinning the previous pokemon from past gens. Which the battle system is still turn-based and solid, the game has also gone much easier than ever. Pokemon in general needs a difficulty option, for those who want to be challenged as these games become easier and easier.… Expand
  12. emilyratesgames
    Jul 20, 2020
    6
    Score: 6
    ------------------------------------------------------------------
  13. NazgulzLegacy
    May 20, 2020
    6
    A few irritating moments like not being told which direction to go or details on how things work, had to keep looking things up to make progress.
  14. PappyBakesCakes
    Apr 5, 2020
    7
    Too much dialogue and exposition. Alolan forms are a great innovation for the series.
  15. KegMinami
    Dec 31, 2019
    6
    Pokemon Sun and Moon are... Decent. If you can get through the horrendously slow first few hours of the game.
    The best part of the games were, unquestionably, the totem battles. They added an exciting element to the game, and were actually fairly challenging if you're not prepared. The Island Challenge itself is an interesting alternative to the Gym Challenges, as well. The removal of HMs    Pokemon Sun and Moon are... Decent. If you can get through the horrendously slow first few hours of the game.
    The best part of the games were, unquestionably, the totem battles. They added an exciting element to the game, and were actually fairly challenging if you're not prepared. The Island Challenge itself is an interesting alternative to the Gym Challenges, as well. The removal of HMs in favor of Pokeride was also a plus, and helped make the world feel a lot more alive and interesting. Additionally, introducing regional variants of old Pokemon was one of the best decisions the series could have made.
    So what's the problem? For one, as mentioned, the first few hours are infuriatingly slow. And the rest of the game is littered with sections where characters will just stop you to talk for no reason. Not to mention there's not a lot to do once you've finished the main game. You can catch the Ultra Beasts, challenge the Battle Tree, or go online and that's about it. Additionally, the removal of Triple and Rotation battle styles was a big loss for me, personally. I may have been the only one, but I actually really enjoyed those styles.
    Overall, it's not a bad game, but a flawed one. Stick with US/UM, it's the more complete version.    … Expand
  16. pahono6888
    Nov 16, 2019
    6
    Too much handholding. The routes are too simple. The franchise continues to decline here.
  17. Sonicfan10193YT
    Nov 15, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A pretty good game overall. But I don't like a few changes they made in comparison to the older games. Gimmicks Like Z-Powers just don't work for me. Graphics were beautiful and The Game Took some nice cues from Hawaii, which was interesting. I didn't like the idea of No gyms. And some of the Cutscenes/storyline were Completely pointless. The new "Alolan Pokemon" were just Bad remakes of the originals, and would generally prefer to NOT find these Pokemon. Music was pretty good. In the end, I would prefer you get a different game than Sun/Moon… Expand
  18. MopOfVirtue
    Nov 14, 2019
    5
    Pokémon Sun was one of my most anticipated releases in the series. Prior to release, it looked fresh and new. There was a new gym system, new formes of beloved Pokémon from past generations, and a new gym system.

    Then, I played it. The game kicked off with an unskippable cutscene and plenty of hand-holding. In fact, my first day with the game was an arduous slog through tutorials in an    Pokémon Sun was one of my most anticipated releases in the series. Prior to release, it looked fresh and new. There was a new gym system, new formes of beloved Pokémon from past generations, and a new gym system.

    Then, I played it.

    The game kicked off with an unskippable cutscene and plenty of hand-holding. In fact, my first day with the game was an arduous slog through tutorials in an attempt to play a Pokémon game. By the time I scraped out the other side, my interest in the game lay flat on the boardwalk of an uninspired town with way too much water and way too little to do.

    The rivals were easy, and the gyms weren't a challenge either. By the time I got to the end, I just wanted it over and done with. I felt this game drain my love for the series. It lacked the charm of older games. The fires of exploration and curiosity were quickly snuffed out by unnecessary hand-holding.

    On the positive side, there were some cool wrestling references, and Team Skull's leader was a solid battle. In fact, he was one of the most interesting characters in the game. The streamlining of HM moves into new abilities meant I could focus on building a formidable party without any weak spots. Even with these improvements, sadly, the positives don't begin to outdo the negatives. First impressions lingered and I felt disengaged for much of my playthrough. As the great Ric Flair, and the professor, both day, "to be the man, you've gotta beat the man." This game was not The Man.

    If I were to put a number on this game, it's about a 5/10.    … Expand
  19. NicoMarza
    Jul 6, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. gioco ambizioso, ma a volte frettoloso. Gameplay soddisfacente e belle innovazioni rispetto ai precedenti. Storia un po deludente e post-game banale. Gioco comunque carino da provare...sicuro ce di meglio.… Expand
  20. Kick454
    Apr 20, 2018
    5
    Honestly, even though it changed some of the generic, overused stuff Pokemon had, it wasn't really that good of a game in my opinion.

    Pros: + Story: ...Better than USUM's messup, but NOWHERE near the best story in any game. + Lack of a National Dex: As said in my Ultra Sun review, THANK GOODNESS IT'S GONE! + Post-Game: Despite being COMPLETELY unoriginal (XY post-game had the    Honestly, even though it changed some of the generic, overused stuff Pokemon had, it wasn't really that good of a game in my opinion.

    Pros:
    + Story: ...Better than USUM's messup, but NOWHERE near the best story in any game.
    + Lack of a National Dex: As said in my Ultra Sun review, THANK GOODNESS IT'S GONE!
    + Post-Game: Despite being COMPLETELY unoriginal (XY post-game had the detective stuff first), it was still good.

    Mix:
    = Gameplay: Meh... same as EVERY OTHER MAIN SERIES POKEMON GAME.
    = Soundtrack: It's ok, I guess.

    Cons:
    - Trials: Boring, barely require any effort.
    - Graphics: I know Nintendo isn't about graphics, but for even 2016, they sucked.

    Overall, Pokemon Sun/Moon warrant a 5.5/10 from me. Not the best Pokemon games, but not the worst.    … Expand
  21. Sressiv
    Mar 5, 2018
    7
    A fresh new entry in the series, with lots of nice tweaks and tons of changes from previous entries. So much has changed, but in a good way. The islands are nice, and graphically everything is more advanced. Things have been made less tedious. I had fun building a party with the new generation of Pokémon, even though there were less than I expected, and they're all great! Pokémon hasA fresh new entry in the series, with lots of nice tweaks and tons of changes from previous entries. So much has changed, but in a good way. The islands are nice, and graphically everything is more advanced. Things have been made less tedious. I had fun building a party with the new generation of Pokémon, even though there were less than I expected, and they're all great! Pokémon has gotten a huge twist, it's an all new experience, but still Pokémon.… Expand
  22. evani
    Nov 8, 2017
    5
    Worst main series pokemon game i have ever played.
    Cut scene, dialog, follow the npc it just never lets you play the game, the first 30 minutes is horrible just full of Dialog and cut scenes let me play the game!
  23. Firepistol95
    Nov 3, 2017
    7
    Performance review: Its a good game so far, imo. but from wht ive been hearing from ppl tht the load times are long and Double battles hav framerate drops. If I remember right, I read somewhere a couple of days ago tht the game is best played on a New 3DS. And I hav one, so far I have rarely seen a single framerate drop and the load times are about 3 seconds long, sometimes less. It looksPerformance review: Its a good game so far, imo. but from wht ive been hearing from ppl tht the load times are long and Double battles hav framerate drops. If I remember right, I read somewhere a couple of days ago tht the game is best played on a New 3DS. And I hav one, so far I have rarely seen a single framerate drop and the load times are about 3 seconds long, sometimes less. It looks like we're hitting the point where games are being demanding enough to where u will actually need a New model to hav the best exp with them. So it looks like the old models are slowly, but surely, phasing out. If Nintendo is planning to keep the 3DS life span going any longer. Im glad I dont use an old model anymore.… Expand
  24. Spitbot
    Oct 22, 2017
    7
    It's a Pokemon game.

    I could end the review right there, because chances are, you already know what you're getting into, but assuming you've never played one of these massive critter-collecting RPG adventures, this is a good place to start. There are over 800 Pokemon, it's a blast to play, and there's post-game stuff to keep you occupied after the 20 - 30 hour story, but if you've    It's a Pokemon game.

    I could end the review right there, because chances are, you already know what you're getting into, but assuming you've never played one of these massive critter-collecting RPG adventures, this is a good place to start. There are over 800 Pokemon, it's a blast to play, and there's post-game stuff to keep you occupied after the 20 - 30 hour story, but if you've played Pokemon before? You might be happy to know that they've mixed this one up a bit - The gym system has been overhauled, your old favorite Pokemon are back with new forms, there are new, ultra-powerful moves that can only be used once a battle, and yet...

    It feels like it's different for the sake of being different.

    The replacement for the gym system works, and it works well - I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong - but there was nothing wrong with gyms in the first place. The Z-Moves are nice, but they don't feel as rewarding or cool as Mega Evolution (and the animations get kinda tedious, too). They tried to write a good story, which I applaud them for, but it really isn't anything special. I know nobody cares about the plot in these games, but it gets in the way - This game has the worst tutorial since Black and White. At it's core, this is still Pokemon. All of these games have problems, and while I have a few gripes with this one, it's more or less what you've been playing since 1996.

    So, brand new to the series? Jump right in, the water's warm. Seasoned veteran? It won't surprise you, but I'm sure you'll have some fun. Looking for something brand new? You'll probably be let down.    … Expand
  25. koolaidman486
    Aug 1, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sun and Moon (they're the same game with very minute differences in terms of story and gameplay) aren't bad. I just don't think it's great. First off, I personally hate the trials system over gyms. I'd rather do a puzzle, fight some trainers, and then fight a leader of a certain type. The trials feel incredibly same, frequently it's fighting 3 Pokemon, then fight a fully evolved Pokemon with a guaranteed partner and super beefed up stats. Thankfully this game is easier then the entire previous generation, as bosses frequently had excellent coverage for weaknesses and they were almost always designed to counter the most likely to be used strategy for fighting said bosses. The world looks nice, and the music is generally good. My next gripe comes with the entire first island. It's ridiculously hand-holdy. The game will never really fully let go of your hand and Sun and Moon are still some of the easier games to date. Z moves are fine, albeit I would've preferred a greater emphasis on mega evolution but that's just me. New and Alolan Pokemon are almost all good. There are a few did but that's to be expected. Overall, I'd recommend getting Sun or Moon if it's on sale, but I just can't do full price, I can't.… Expand
  26. Revmx
    Jul 18, 2017
    5
    Pokémon Sun and Moon are mediocre as Pokémon games, are mediocre as RPGs, and are mediocre as games.

    With the series conventions, many people rate this game with the expectations they have from the past games, rather than rating them entirely as a game. People ignore the fact that the stat system has mostly stayed the same since 1996, showing its age in obtrusive modifiers like IVs.    Pokémon Sun and Moon are mediocre as Pokémon games, are mediocre as RPGs, and are mediocre as games.

    With the series conventions, many people rate this game with the expectations they have from the past games, rather than rating them entirely as a game. People ignore the fact that the stat system has mostly stayed the same since 1996, showing its age in obtrusive modifiers like IVs. People ignore that the 4 move turned based combat has not evolved one bit, meaning each and every iteration so far has really only added more gimmicks and RNG. People ignore that the story is much the same as a bad children's cartoon.

    So what does Sun and Moon do to break from the conventions of the previous games and improve at its core? Nothing.

    What does it have over X and Y? That's what most people's hype was rooted in. Really, the only true difference is that Sun and Moon are more wacky. For every functional improvement in Sun and Moon, they seemingly removed two that came from X and Y. They introduced 'bottlecaps' as a half measure to fix IVs (instead of just removing them), but removed Super Training (a genuinely positive feature which was there to effect the somewhat hidden EVs). They also removed the PSS, the best online integration in a Pokémon game ever, in favour of the dreadful 'Festival Plaza' which makes you run around like a fool and go through loads of UI to do the most basic things. The game foregoes the 8 gym model of past games, which I thought would be a positive step, but replaced it with these 'Trials' which resemble MMO quests but manage to be less interesting and fun.

    Game Freak has proved they have no interest in improving the fundamental game design of the series, but instead want to focus on flashy, promotional gimmicks which will sell the game. This is evident in the 'Z-moves', which are just more powerful moves with ridiculously long animations.

    Forgetting the series conventions, let's think of Sun and Moon as any other RPG and judge it as such. As a game, there is no better word that comes to mind than 'lazy'. It is extremely linear, the story is piss-poor, and worst of all, it doesn't even run on its system. Even in normal gameplay, it can chug. You especially do not want to go on a multiplayer double battle.

    Sun and Moon are easily the worst games in the franchise, and are barely worth looking at as RPGs themselves. I give it a 5/10.    … Expand
  27. randomphoenix03
    Jun 29, 2017
    7
    As a lifelong fan of Pokémon, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this game. However, there just was some things I didn't like about it. First of all, personally, it just felt different. The feel was just completely different compared to when I played any other Pokémon game. I'm counting off for this because I feel like it's because the game was changed in such a way that it felt soAs a lifelong fan of Pokémon, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this game. However, there just was some things I didn't like about it. First of all, personally, it just felt different. The feel was just completely different compared to when I played any other Pokémon game. I'm counting off for this because I feel like it's because the game was changed in such a way that it felt so different for me.

    Another thing was the change in the gym leader system. It's both a pro and con for me, because Nintendo was trying to change up the formula, which was good, but it just wasn't the same as gym leaders, which is not as good.

    Finally, the biggest con for me is the amount of handholding the game puts you through. Out of what I believe is four islands if I remember correctly, two of them are mostly tutorial. It feels like it's designed for three-year-olds. It just ruins the fun of it when you're put in to what feels like a multiple hour-long cutscene.    … Expand
  28. mrmettse
    Mar 31, 2017
    6
    I've been playing all pokemon DS games and i don't really care for this one.
    Find the ''camera angle'' weird and miss a lot of the old ways to do things. Don't really like the trial parts.
    Guess it takes some getting used to.
  29. Firepork08
    Mar 26, 2017
    7
    I am a massive Pokémon fan and overall I really enjoyed this entry to the series but I think I just expected more from it the new pokemon added are very hit or miss and a lot feel unfinished as if they need an evolution or pre evolution (Komala, Drampa and Turtanator) non stick out to me as amazing although some are defiantly great like decidueye, bewear and mimikyu but the biggest problemI am a massive Pokémon fan and overall I really enjoyed this entry to the series but I think I just expected more from it the new pokemon added are very hit or miss and a lot feel unfinished as if they need an evolution or pre evolution (Komala, Drampa and Turtanator) non stick out to me as amazing although some are defiantly great like decidueye, bewear and mimikyu but the biggest problem with Sun and Moon is how much the story is shoved in your face you enter a new area and your instantly took away from your experience to see a cutsceen now the story is great but you have to sit through literally 35 hours on my first run of the game to the point where it picks up. The soundtrack is very meh to me some tracks are ok but compared to X+Y and ORAS soundtracks sun and moon's soundtrack was lacklustre but of course music depends on your taste. I was very sceptical about the new trails thinking that they wouldn't be a challenge and I would miss gyms but they were the opposite really I loved trails and thought they were much harder then gym leaders and were a very welcome edition to the pokemon series. Some new features were also very great such as the poke pelago making training so much easier but some were terrible such as the festival plaza which was way too confusing.… Expand
  30. MrComrade
    Mar 4, 2017
    6
    It's a nice game. The setting, most of the characters, the and music are very nice. I like the new pokemon, even if their stats are a bit wonky. The main reason for the 6 is one of the characters really drags the game down for me. I couldn't stand her interrupting the story constantly. She ruined any desire I would've had to go back and revisit Alola.
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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

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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
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