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. FranciscoM
    Nov 23, 2018
    9
    A vibrant region, customization of your character, cool new Pokemon added and a near perfect game, apart from some minor issues with frame rates.
  2. Yorkishimitsu
    Oct 1, 2018
    10
    Incredible, good story, the kind I expected from other jrpgs but for pokemon was a first as previous games never got there. Gameplay dynamic and full of places to discover, quests to figure out and pokemon to find, anything that other pokemon games did, was done again as well or better here.
    Fully recomend playing it to the very end, it has some unforgettable bits
  3. Dsros96
    Oct 30, 2018
    10
    Best Pokémon game ever. Best graphics, innovation and a challenging story mode. The trials were a nice way to do something new but the gyms were better. The new Pokmeon designs are beautiful.
  4. zeffsrightleg
    Nov 17, 2018
    10
    Such a good story and so many new things added, it felt like a long time coming for this adorable game, specially loved the whole idea of ultra beasts
  5. greninjaX
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    a great pokemon game with a great story, and not a single pokemon had to be cut.
  6. KrimsonKatt
    Dec 30, 2018
    8
    This is by far the best 3DS Pokemon game. Amazing graphics for 3DS standards, best story since the original Black and White, extremely solid gameplay with some decently challenging story battles, a modest amount of legendaries, (8 of them) and game changing quality of life changes in comparison to XY and ORAS, not to mention the 60 or so new Pokemon, the removal of obnoxious HMs, fasterThis is by far the best 3DS Pokemon game. Amazing graphics for 3DS standards, best story since the original Black and White, extremely solid gameplay with some decently challenging story battles, a modest amount of legendaries, (8 of them) and game changing quality of life changes in comparison to XY and ORAS, not to mention the 60 or so new Pokemon, the removal of obnoxious HMs, faster movement speed, streamlined breeding and EV training, infinite leveling exploit, super training to max IVs for rare items, (who's collection of can be easily cheesed) and simpler ways to get shines in comparison to XY and ORAS. The only bad things I can say is the very long and slow tutorial, there being no national pokedex, and the battle tree just being another reskin of the awful battle tower from Emerald.… Expand
  7. ShawnEXE
    May 3, 2019
    8
    Music: 4/5
    Game Play: 3.5/5
    Graphics: 4/5
    Story: 4/5
    Time-Value: 5/5
    Overall: 4.0/5
  8. new2dsxl
    Sep 6, 2019
    10
    Simply put, Sun and Moon are best Pokémon games that Game Freak has ever produced. Poké Pelago, the side quests, the absolutely stunning nature of the presentation, it's all a sheer joy from start to finish. Game Freak hasn't missed a beat and has managed to carefully balance the inclusion of new mechanics without totally ruining things for the most hardcore fans. It's got content comingSimply put, Sun and Moon are best Pokémon games that Game Freak has ever produced. Poké Pelago, the side quests, the absolutely stunning nature of the presentation, it's all a sheer joy from start to finish. Game Freak hasn't missed a beat and has managed to carefully balance the inclusion of new mechanics without totally ruining things for the most hardcore fans. It's got content coming out of its ears, a much more interesting story, and rewards exploration in a way no other title in the series has. Whether you're a Pokémon fan new or old, this is an absolutely essential purchase.… Expand
  9. JasonBB
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    Some people hating on Sword and Shield is coming here to hate this game too. But let's remember and compare Sun and Moon to SWSH.

    Because Sun and Moon is far less hand holdy than Sword and Shield, because the story is the best Pokémon has made so far, because this game allowed you to turn off the exp share and enjoy a good difficulty, because this game had much more postgame, because    Some people hating on Sword and Shield is coming here to hate this game too. But let's remember and compare Sun and Moon to SWSH.

    Because Sun and Moon is far less hand holdy than Sword and Shield, because the story is the best Pokémon has made so far, because this game allowed you to turn off the exp share and enjoy a good difficulty, because this game had much more postgame, because this game had all the Pokémon...

    Well... Sun and Moon are one of the best game of this franchise, let's not forget that. This game is underrated just because is not old enough yet.    … Expand
  10. EdwardG
    Dec 3, 2018
    8
    Pokémon Sun shakes the classic Pokémon formula up with new quality of life improvements as well as through the overall theme of the game. Alola is a unique region in that it is split up over four main islands and that it takes inspiration from Hawaii. This is reflected in the great music, designs of the equally great new Pokémon, the likeable cast of characters and even the battlePokémon Sun shakes the classic Pokémon formula up with new quality of life improvements as well as through the overall theme of the game. Alola is a unique region in that it is split up over four main islands and that it takes inspiration from Hawaii. This is reflected in the great music, designs of the equally great new Pokémon, the likeable cast of characters and even the battle interface.

    Catching Pokémon is as fun as it's ever been, and catching them all is a fun challenge. As there are now over 700 Pokémon, there are countless cool and interesting designs. As for the postgame, you can catch and raise more Pokémon, trade and battle online, and there are also a few cool moments after the main story is over. However, after you're done with the story, which I enjoyed thanks to the characters as well as the decent plot, there isn't loads to keep you playing, especially if you tire of the grind of finding, catching and raising new Pokémon. In particular, finding, breeding and raising battle-ready Pokémon (including hidden abilities, natures, IVs and more) for the online side of the game can be a little overwhelming but it is completely optional and is there for people who want a deeper experience.

    On the whole, Pokémon Sun is another great entry into the series with enough new and exciting additions to set it apart from the rest of the games.    … Expand
  11. Akatito
    Nov 2, 2018
    8
    Este análisis lo hago con mucha ilusión ya que pokémon es una saga legendaria para todos aquellos niños que crecieron con ella en su día y que hoy por hoy siguen creciendo con estos juegos. Voy a decir que me ha parecido, de la manera mas especial posible...

    Hacía ya 10 años que no jugaba un pokémon, el último que jugué fue pokemon perla allá por el 2007-2008 y ahora este Pokemon sol    Este análisis lo hago con mucha ilusión ya que pokémon es una saga legendaria para todos aquellos niños que crecieron con ella en su día y que hoy por hoy siguen creciendo con estos juegos. Voy a decir que me ha parecido, de la manera mas especial posible...

    Hacía ya 10 años que no jugaba un pokémon, el último que jugué fue pokemon perla allá por el 2007-2008 y ahora este Pokemon sol que salió hace uno o dos añitos lo he jugado en 2018. Tenía mucha curiosidad por ver como había avanzado la saga ya que la había perdido muchísimo de vista. Antes de jugar pokemon sol sabía que en anteriores entregas ya estaban cambiando la perspectiva de la cámara, los gráficos, obviamente los mapas, pokemons y los legendarios. A si que pensé: Joder, voy a jugarme el ultimo pokemon de todos para ver la evolución que lleva esto a día de hoy.

    El inicio es como cualquier otro juego de pokémon, te sientes super bien recibido a esta nueva entrega ya que todo se maneja con la misma facilidad que siempre, te explican todo a la perfección para que tengas la edad que tengas no te pierdas nada de lo que debes aprender para jugar.

    Hay muchas cosas que se coservan en este pokémon y que son míticas de la saga, como elegir el pokémon entre los tres elementos principales, el compañero/rival que te acompañará durante todo el juego, los gimnasios (Aunque ahora no son gimnasios, son una especie de pruebas) y en vez de medallas son unos cristales, pero para el caso viene a ser lo mismo. Las mecánicas también son muy parecidas, incluso me atrevo a decir que las han mejorado.

    Sin duda de las cosas que mas me han gustado de Pokemon sol ha sido precisamente eso, esa cualidad de hacerte sentir como en casa, esa manera de decirte "Estas en el pokemon de tu infancia, pero con las novedades y mejoras de un pokemon actual" Es decir lo que viene a ser el "Mas y mejor" de toda la vida.

    Pero todo esto también tiene su lado malo. Como ya he dicho arriba... Pokemon te explica todo a la perfección, para que cualquier persona de cualquier edad pueda entender todo y jugarlo igual de cómodo y de bien que tú. ¿Que pasa? Que si tienes 20 años como es mi caso esto se hace un poco pesado, es decir... Para un chaval de entre 8-13 años puede ser muy bueno esto que estoy comentando, pero para la gente de 15-16 en adelante es un estorbo. Esto de que te expliquen todo al dedillo como si fueras tonto se hace muy cansino ¿Es necesario?

    La historia del juego es la misma, la típica de siempre, no esta mal... No es que sea una historia muy profunda ni que toque temas fuertes ni que te pretenda enseñar nada pero bueno, esta bien, sobretodo para los niños (Again).

    La jugabilidad sigue siendo la misma aunque han añadido algunas cosas bastante molonas como los ataques especiales que son como un "Ataque final" al uso. También han mejorado las animaciones de algunos ataques, son realmente espectaculares para ser de pokémon. Pero de nuevo esperaba algún que otro cambio, si que es cierto que aquí no creo que el problema sea la edad del público de pokemon, aquí creo que simplemente les ha dado pereza cambiar el sistema de combate de toda la vida y han tirado con el, de nuevo

    Entonces es una mezcla de sentimientos que me mata por dentro queridos amigos... Por un lado me ha gustado mucho ya que tenía completamente olvidada a la saga, pero por otro lado es que hay tantas cosas que me flaquean que me duele incluso decirlas, pero es que las tenía que soltar.

    Pero por supuesto a pesar de estos pequeños detalles de quisquilloso mental, el juego es super disfrutable, y la verdad es que la idea de Alola es bastante buena, diría que una de las mejores de todos los juegos que llevan hasta la fecha, ese estilo "Tropical" estilo Hawai, la ropa que visten los aldeanos, los pokemons con formas especiales de Alola, el tema de las distintas islas, no sé. La verdad es que la idea en si esta bastante guay y para un juego de pokemon admito que es un enfoque bastante chulo, aunque como ya he dicho sigo opinando que esta mal aprovechada y podían haberle dado mucha mas caña.

    También me ha fastidiado bastante el hecho de ir jugando al juego y ir viendo los mismos pokemons que ya conocía... Y es como: WTF, llevo 10 años sin jugar a un pokemon y conozco al 70% de los pokemons que me están apareciendo, eso es mala señal, indica que han metido muy pero que muy poquitos en esta nueva entrega, a si que lo comprobé y efectivamente es de las entregas que menos pokemon nuevos han implementado, practicamente el 60-70% de los que hay en el juego son de otras entregas y eso es una mierda.

    Estoy seguro, pero muy que muy seguro, de que los chavales que jueguen a Pokemon sol hoy en día sentirán lo mismo que yo sentía cuando jugaba los pokemon de años anteriores, esa "Magía" y por eso le doy esta nota buena, porque objetivamente pokemon siempre será pokemon.    … Expand
  12. Gloglo23
    Jan 1, 2020
    10
    Metacritic should not allow people to review bombing games like this, last week this game had a 8.3 score and now it's just 7.7 because of Sword and Shield haters. STOP.
  13. VariaVbux
    Jan 2, 2020
    10
    Got the game upon release, very excited since I wasn't invested in Y or Omega Ruby. It truly did not disappoint, the Pokemon, the music, the story, I had a much better time than previous titles. While the game did lag out offline, it wasn't too much of an issue. Easily one of the best 3DS Pokemon titles.
  14. GenkiYokota
    Jan 27, 2022
    10
    One of the best generations by far, it has a spectacular story and an excellent competitive scene.
  15. Mutty99
    Feb 4, 2020
    10
    Wow, what an adventure! This game brought a lot of fresh hair into the Pokémon franchise; interesting story, memorable characters and awesome new features. Still enjoying it nowadays :)
  16. Jrson
    May 5, 2020
    8
    The character models have been improved from X&Y and ORAS. the new pokemons are great and the Alolan versions are a nice addition. There is a good amount of post game content in the form of catching all of the Ultra Beasts.
  17. ZeroBacon
    Oct 7, 2020
    9
    I think this is a very good Pokemon game. Not as great as some of the other ones, but it’s one of the best ones in years. The removal of gyms is fine, but it has some great music. I think this game’s worth a shot, even if its dead easy.
  18. Pyronick
    Jul 5, 2021
    10
    Gran juego, buena historia, buenos personajes y una gran variedad de Pokémons a elegir, un título refrescante para la saga.
  19. Federx
    Jan 30, 2022
    9
    very underappreciated entry, pushing more into jrpg territory with proper story and characters was a good direction for the franchise.
  20. jakandjoe
    Apr 14, 2021
    8
    pretty good game i enjoyed it but i wish their was more gym leaders but still great game.
  21. LordJazbin
    Apr 19, 2021
    10
    The best Pokémon game in the franchise for now. Story is good (the best one for now, with even some little interesting plot twists for the first time), difficulty and level curve is great (and even kinda hard in some parts!), characters are charismatic and less flat than previous generations, music is outstanding (as always), Pokémon designs are great, there are kind of boss battles, realThe best Pokémon game in the franchise for now. Story is good (the best one for now, with even some little interesting plot twists for the first time), difficulty and level curve is great (and even kinda hard in some parts!), characters are charismatic and less flat than previous generations, music is outstanding (as always), Pokémon designs are great, there are kind of boss battles, real side-quest, is a bit innovative for the first time in forever...

    This has to be the best Pokémon game to date. It was definitely the step in the right direction, but then they came with Sword and Shield...    … Expand
  22. albegres
    Feb 9, 2022
    8
    75/100
    Very good Pokémon game. It's somehow overlooked these days because it hasn't Gyms, but it can make you feel like in a journey anyway.
    PS: Alola is a stunning region
  23. PikiAkaSelen
    May 20, 2022
    10
    One of the most original and brave entries in the Pokemon franchise, I see why some fans dont like it since its not a traditional pokemon game. Its game decisions are brave and work surprisingly well, its a unique twist from a pokemon mainline game almost being like a more developed spinoff. With all of that in mind I think its by far the best one from the 3DS era and also one of theOne of the most original and brave entries in the Pokemon franchise, I see why some fans dont like it since its not a traditional pokemon game. Its game decisions are brave and work surprisingly well, its a unique twist from a pokemon mainline game almost being like a more developed spinoff. With all of that in mind I think its by far the best one from the 3DS era and also one of the better pokemon games.… Expand
  24. Lolman2026
    Aug 19, 2022
    10
    This game has an amazing story, great character development, and one of the best worlds a Pokémon game has had in a while. Although the game may not seem as much at first, It gets Better and Better as you progress. The new battle animations and styles are so wonderful that sometimes I walk into battles just to see the animations. If you have a 3DS, you must try it out!
  25. ZeoN
    Feb 22, 2021
    10
    Uno de los mejores juegos de la franquicia Pokémon, una banda sonora tremendamente buena, una región original y muchas nuevas criaturas sumadas a una historia madura y completa. Muy recomendado
  26. Barnes1987
    Mar 6, 2017
    8
    Pokemon is back yet again with Sun and Moon. The look of the game has improved greatly and the same fun gameplay is still there, but some minor changes bring the score down a little for me. Still well worth a look.
  27. militarymetal
    Nov 30, 2016
    8
    Pokemon Sun/Moon is a different experience than any Pokemon game before it. While the game still carries the same linearity of traditional installments, the new environment not only inspires exploration, but also highly encourages it. It's a refreshing feeling for a Pokemon game, and even 30 hours into gameplay, not once did I ever feel discouraged from exploring the game at all. I alsoPokemon Sun/Moon is a different experience than any Pokemon game before it. While the game still carries the same linearity of traditional installments, the new environment not only inspires exploration, but also highly encourages it. It's a refreshing feeling for a Pokemon game, and even 30 hours into gameplay, not once did I ever feel discouraged from exploring the game at all. I also appreciated the new trial system over the traditional gym system, as they were all unique to their respective typing, and each challenge felt fun and engaging. The new elements, new mechanics, and the gorgeous environment create a truly spectacular experience.

    However, the game is not without it's fault. While Sun and Moon are definitely Game Freak's most ambitious installment to date, the overall story was a bit lacking. While elements of it were new and different, it was a pretty typical archetype for the Pokemon series. It's not bad by any means, but I felt as though that as far that goes that they did not bring anything new to the table.

    Overall, Sun and Moon are still a much needed breath of fresh air to the series, and it makes me hopeful as a fan to see what they do next in the world of Pokemon.    … Expand
  28. Hippoall2002
    Feb 20, 2017
    8
    A very good game. The new monsters are cute, But I think strategy is less reachable. Also, the new pokedex is easier to complete but some of my favourite pokemon are not still in he game ( Hippowdon ;_; ). The mount are really cool and usefull. The design of the interface is better and the new Z-moves are all awesome.
  29. peropify
    Dec 14, 2016
    8
    Pokemon Sun (and Moon) is everything you want in your latest Pokemon generation game. There have been overall good and interesting changes to the casual and professional player and has generally picked up most of the good things found in past games. However, it would be nice if they would invest in a game that focused more on story and there's just way too many Pokemon in the game now forPokemon Sun (and Moon) is everything you want in your latest Pokemon generation game. There have been overall good and interesting changes to the casual and professional player and has generally picked up most of the good things found in past games. However, it would be nice if they would invest in a game that focused more on story and there's just way too many Pokemon in the game now for it to be feasible to "catch them all", not to mention how plagued the game is with hackers. But this game was a step in the right direction.

    My suggestion is to break even more from convention with strong emphasis on story and difficulty. The reason the Pokemon franchise is so successful is because of it's roots in Pokemon Red and Blue. Gameplay was designed amazingly (either by genius or mistake), from the more difficult gym leader typings and pokemon available in the early game. As for story, I think it would be a great idea to go back to the past - a prequel if you will - that explains interesting pokemon mythology from the legendary dogs to the pokemon war.    … Expand
  30. Sausage22
    Nov 7, 2017
    8
    Pokemon Sun and Moon are huge improvment over older entries, but in the same time gets some new flaws that previous games didn't have. Also one of the best looking game on 3ds.
  31. SiemB
    Jan 22, 2018
    8
    It are great games. As aways, I enjoyed them much as a pokémon fan, but it are defenitely not the best pokémon games I have played.

    The alolan forms, the new pokémon and the story are awesome. On the other hand, the unskippable cutscenes can be very frustrating if you replay the games. Also, I don't like the trials as alternative to gyms and the tropical theme of the game doesn't really    It are great games. As aways, I enjoyed them much as a pokémon fan, but it are defenitely not the best pokémon games I have played.

    The alolan forms, the new pokémon and the story are awesome. On the other hand, the unskippable cutscenes can be very frustrating if you replay the games. Also, I don't like the trials as alternative to gyms and the tropical theme of the game doesn't really fit to pokémon in my opinion.

    There are many changes, some may find that positive while other might hate it. One thing is for sure: at least GameFreak tried to innovate the games and many people critized the lack of that in the past.    … Expand
  32. Neng-
    Dec 15, 2016
    8
    This game steps up pretty much every other Pokemon game made before, the plot is more engaging, battle animations look better, route designs are very well done and the kahuna system is innovative and gives a fresh atmosphere to the game.

    There are some annoying things they got rid of like the MO system and the box storage (you can now switch a party member for a Pokemon you just    This game steps up pretty much every other Pokemon game made before, the plot is more engaging, battle animations look better, route designs are very well done and the kahuna system is innovative and gives a fresh atmosphere to the game.

    There are some annoying things they got rid of like the MO system and the box storage (you can now switch a party member for a Pokemon you just caught), and that's a step in the right direction.

    Altough, things like the bad framerate (even on new3ds) in double battles is something that should be fixed as soon as possible, and the z moves doesn't really add anything to the game that really matters.

    That being said, the new alola forms are cool and the post-game is very entertaining, all in all is a game that keeps improving and that is always a good sign. Collapse    … Expand
  33. CorkAficionado
    Dec 8, 2016
    8
    I'm a longtime fan of the series so keep that in mind when considering my review. Also keep in mind that the game is intended for children, so I'm not going to be super critical.

    I was really impressed with the my experience on the first island, I thought the pacing was pretty great after the introduction and I was really pleased by the sheer quantity of basic pokemon I caught within    I'm a longtime fan of the series so keep that in mind when considering my review. Also keep in mind that the game is intended for children, so I'm not going to be super critical.

    I was really impressed with the my experience on the first island, I thought the pacing was pretty great after the introduction and I was really pleased by the sheer quantity of basic pokemon I caught within the first four or five hours. Everything was relatively easy, but I thought that was fine since it was the first island.

    Once I arrived at the second island my enthusiasm diminished a bit because the amount of newly available pokemon per area was starting to diminish. That said I was still having a pretty great time, the ride system removing the requirement of HMs to travel was a great feature, and the rate of introduction was such that it allowed you a pretty good deal to explore without gating it behind gym badges like previous entries in the series.

    By the time I got to the third island though I was really struggling to keep interest. In a game where the premise is to "Catch them all." Running into the same rats and birds ~60% of the time is not exactly an enticing prospect. Heck, these are entirely different islands, maybe show a little bit more biodiversity? I understand having common pokemon but you could at least have made them common per island, rather than the same common pokemon between islands. Fortunately the story picks up at this point and compels you through the end of the game, which is alright on it's own.

    The Post-game is alright, but I don't enjoy it as much as I did with Gen 4 and Gen 5s different modes of battling. I don't have as much time to grind out ideal pokemon either, so that definitely factors into it. Still, I find it better than Gen 6.

    All in all I was genuinely pleased with the quality of Sun and Moon. There were a lot of very great cosmetic enhancements over previous entries, small things such as better backgrounds in combat and trainers using different types of pokeballs. This is easily the best looking pokemon game to date, but that is very much what it should be.

    All things considered it's a pretty solid entry. They made some poor choices in regard to pokemon distribution (in my opinion), and having a regional dex smaller than the previous generations is a bit sad as a person who enjoys catching as many per region as possible. But the various quality of life improvements and cosmetic enhancements were really a step in the right direction in my opinion.

    Conclusion:

    I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it's a good game. I enjoyed it significantly more than XY / ORAS and about on the same level as BW / B2W2. I was also pretty disappointed in the quantity of new pokemon, but the regional variants were an inclusion that I thought were great and would love to see more of in future games.

    I think most fans of the series will enjoy the game, I think most children will enjoy the game. I think the game could have offered more, but the game is still good if not great.    … Expand
  34. minorthreat97
    Dec 11, 2016
    8
    It's a good Pokemon and great way to Celebrate it's 20th Anniversary. However there a few things that could've been expanded upon or improved. Somethings that used to be in Gen 6 have been removed, which doesn't ruin the game in a big way but it does make you wish they stayed or were improved. There isn't too much new Pokemon but overall they're interesting pretty cool. The story isIt's a good Pokemon and great way to Celebrate it's 20th Anniversary. However there a few things that could've been expanded upon or improved. Somethings that used to be in Gen 6 have been removed, which doesn't ruin the game in a big way but it does make you wish they stayed or were improved. There isn't too much new Pokemon but overall they're interesting pretty cool. The story is predictable and cheesy but overall it's tolerable and pretty great. Somethings are a chore however, the cutscenes sometimes feel like they go longer than 1 minute and the tutorials take so long to finish ( I'm over exaggerating but it feels like forever.) Oh yea Rotomdex is pretty annoying, it's cool at first but it just never shuts up lol.

    Overall this a pretty good game, some things I wish could've been improved but I got my money's worth and I'm actually enjoying the game.    … Expand
  35. fbnaulin
    Nov 21, 2016
    8
    I play Pokémon since Red/Blue, but stop completing Pokédex and caring about sharing / competitive features after Gold / Silver. Then, I just play Pokémon as an RPG, main story, maybe some extras and that's all.

    Having this in mind, Pokémon Sun / Moon gave me a very nice and fresh impression. The story is peaceful, and everything feel like a slices of life touch in it. It's great to have    I play Pokémon since Red/Blue, but stop completing Pokédex and caring about sharing / competitive features after Gold / Silver. Then, I just play Pokémon as an RPG, main story, maybe some extras and that's all.

    Having this in mind, Pokémon Sun / Moon gave me a very nice and fresh impression. The story is peaceful, and everything feel like a slices of life touch in it. It's great to have a Pokémon game where you can advance without a HM slave or using a lot of repels to avoid countless useless encounters.    … Expand
  36. iMustang
    Mar 26, 2019
    8
    I have to say prior to playing this game, I pretty much expected the worst generation since Diamond and Pearl. Alolan Forms did not look good to me, I wasn't impressed by Z-Attacks, and overall I thought they were changing a formula that wasn't broken to begin with. Well... Those changes actually made for one of the most unique and best games. I ended up loving the trials and theirI have to say prior to playing this game, I pretty much expected the worst generation since Diamond and Pearl. Alolan Forms did not look good to me, I wasn't impressed by Z-Attacks, and overall I thought they were changing a formula that wasn't broken to begin with. Well... Those changes actually made for one of the most unique and best games. I ended up loving the trials and their captains, and the way all of their traditions worked so uniquely in this region. Some of the Alolan Forms were cute and made sense, and I ended up falling in love with Z-Moves. The story was also really enjoyable and had a lot of interesting characters you always wanted to know more about, especially Lillie. It was far from perfect, what with the awful call for help mechanic, some awkward evolutions, and the game taking a very lazy approach towards trials by the 4th island (which was a shame since they were the coolest part of the game in my opinion). But something doesn't have to be perfect to still be good.… Expand
  37. Aquvamaen
    Nov 1, 2019
    8
    As with the other pokemon titles for the 3DS, I think Pokemon Sun and Moon are very underrated games. It was a fresh and new consept, which was very fun for a Pokemon game, Trials istead of gyms, totem pokemon, sos chaining and great new pokemon designs and an overall good story. Like the other 3DS titles there is a lot of handholding, and you`re not as free to explore the region as inAs with the other pokemon titles for the 3DS, I think Pokemon Sun and Moon are very underrated games. It was a fresh and new consept, which was very fun for a Pokemon game, Trials istead of gyms, totem pokemon, sos chaining and great new pokemon designs and an overall good story. Like the other 3DS titles there is a lot of handholding, and you`re not as free to explore the region as in previous games but it`s still a very fun game. It`s what you`d expect from a pokemon game with a twist.… Expand
  38. zidfrit
    Apr 24, 2020
    8
    Un juego de pokemon que he vuelto a disfrutar de entrenar e ir armando mi equipo para enfrentar los nuevos retos que nos espera en esta nueva región, incluye un nuevo concepto que en lo personal no me agrado, prefiero la vieja escuela, y es la inclusión de misiones en lugar de lideres de GYM, al menos al final juegas una liga pokemon para quedar campeón (ahora entiendo por que Ash ahora siUn juego de pokemon que he vuelto a disfrutar de entrenar e ir armando mi equipo para enfrentar los nuevos retos que nos espera en esta nueva región, incluye un nuevo concepto que en lo personal no me agrado, prefiero la vieja escuela, y es la inclusión de misiones en lugar de lideres de GYM, al menos al final juegas una liga pokemon para quedar campeón (ahora entiendo por que Ash ahora si pudo ganarla)… Expand
  39. TatsMcGee
    Sep 8, 2018
    8
    I would call this game, one of the most anticipated games of the year. At least for me, this was one game that I was very excited about. I was a huge fan of Pokemon X/Y and although ORAS (Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) weren’t as enjoyable as X/Y, ORAS are still great games.

    In what Nintendo would probably describe as a P.R. disaster, a few weeks before the game came out, all the new    I would call this game, one of the most anticipated games of the year. At least for me, this was one game that I was very excited about. I was a huge fan of Pokemon X/Y and although ORAS (Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) weren’t as enjoyable as X/Y, ORAS are still great games.

    In what Nintendo would probably describe as a P.R. disaster, a few weeks before the game came out, all the new Pokemon were revealed. But what started out as potential disaster ended up helping out Nintendo because this was the best selling Pokemon game ever made. Clearly people saw the Pokemon and had to get this game to have the New Pokemon on their team.

    It wasn’t just new Pokemon though, Game Freak (The developers of Pokemon) took old generation 1 Pokemon and put a fun spin on them all. Take Ninetales from the picture to the left here. Up until this point, Ninetales was a Fire type but in Pokemon franchise, he/she gets a new typing and a new look. Lets be realistic here, I think it looks a lot better. So if the new Pokemon didn’t bring enough hype to the game, the new Alolan Versions of old Pokemon certainly did.

    The game starts out a little bit different than most other Pokemon games. For example in the first Pokemon games, you get to pick your starter within the first 5 minutes of the game. This its take quite a bit longer and although I don’t know the exact time, it felt like it was a good half hour before you can even pick your first Pokemon.

    Picking the starter wasn’t too much of a hard decision for me. I had given it a lot of thought before hand. I came to the decision that I was going to pick Rowlet, a couple weeks before the game even came out. Some of you may be wondering why and the simple reason is because I really like the Owl design of Decidueye. I also took it a step further and looked into the three starters stats and move list. The fact that Decidueye could learn Brave Bird, Spirit Tackle, Leaf Blade, Sucker Punch and if I wanted to he could also learn False Swipe. This is the first time where I actually preferred the grass type over the other two. This is just my own personal opinion but I think Decidueye is the best grass starter in the history of the Pokemon franchise.

    The rest of my team, ended up filling out as the game progressed through the story. A lot like my starter, I looked at the leaked Pokemon list and really made tentative plans of what my team was going to look like. That did play out the way I wanted it to and ended up only keeping half of my original team. Normally in Pokemon games, I build a team early on and play the game with that team. This was the first time in a Pokemon game that I just kept tinkering with my team, trying to find a good chemistry with all my Pokemon. Finally, I did settle on the team that is just below this post.

    Datrix/Salazzle/Mudsdale/Toucannon/Alolan Ninetales/Alolan Golem

    Getting back on track and talking about the game itself, I felt like the game took a long time to actually get going. There was a very long tutorial that ended up taking at least an hour and half (if not closer to 2 hours).

    I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t had a chance to pick to up the game yet. I’m not going into specific details about the story but I do want to talk about my opinion of the story. Personally, I did not like the story. With that being said, I know I am in the vast minority and most people think that this is the best Pokemon story created. Before I go into why I didn’t like the story, I do want to give out a shout out to Game Freak for focusing more on the Narrative rather than just the gameplay.

    The Game’s length is probably somewhere between 20 and 30 hours. I know it sounds like a wide margin but it all depends on if you take the time, explore and try to catch all the Pokemon as you can. Personally, it took me about 25 hours to play through the game and it just felt like a long time for me. A big reason for that are the very long and unskippable cutscenes. I feel like there are at least 5 hours of unskippable and not very interesting cutscenes. This really slowed the game down for me and made the game feel like it was poorly paced.    … Expand
  40. Reddytal
    Dec 28, 2021
    8
    La historia es muy de anime y el estilo gráfico no es nada del otro mundo pero aporta bastante conceptos nuevos que refresca mucho a la franquicia y hace a esta entraga mucho más memorable. La curva de dificultad es un desastre como ya nos viene acostumbrando Gamefreak desde XY pero como dije a estas entregas los mantiene aflote la buena cantidad nuevos conceptos.
  41. Patrick95
    Feb 2, 2022
    10
    Para mi gusto, Pokémon Sol y Luna son los mejores juegos de la saga, sin duda. Me encantó su dificultad que es bastante equilibrada, te da las oportunidades de "casualizarlo" como los juegos más modernos, pero también la posibilidad de desactivar esas facilidades para volverlo más clásico siempre que quieras. Y los Pokémon dominantes son los mejores "Bosses" de tipo RPG que ha tenidoPara mi gusto, Pokémon Sol y Luna son los mejores juegos de la saga, sin duda. Me encantó su dificultad que es bastante equilibrada, te da las oportunidades de "casualizarlo" como los juegos más modernos, pero también la posibilidad de desactivar esas facilidades para volverlo más clásico siempre que quieras. Y los Pokémon dominantes son los mejores "Bosses" de tipo RPG que ha tenido Pokémon jamás. Con combates por turnos RPG que te hacen pensar buenas estrategias frente a Pokémon fuertes en un combate 1vs2.

    Además la trama de estos juegos me parece la más compleja e interesante de la saga junto a Blanco y Negro. Con personajes memorables y carismáticos (Guzmán es una maravilla, sin duda uno de los mejores personajes de la saga) y tramas, subtramas e incluso giros de guión. También me encanta la ambientación de la región, ya que Alola es de las regiones que más "sientes", todo funciona distinto y se siente todo muy tradicional, además de que el propio lore de la región es de los más profundos de la franquicia.

    También me gusta que las rutas están diseñadas para ser lo suficientemente complejas por si quieres detenerte a explorar pero a la vez puedes atravesarlas rápido si estás jugando de forma menos detenida. Es un diseño muy inteligente que sabe dar juego a el jugador casual que quiere superarlo rápido y al jugador veterano que busca detenerse y explorar cada rincón.

    Otra cosa que me encanta y que ahora hecho de menos de Alola, son las misiones secundarias, los entrenadores maestros de cada ruta y el Poké Resort. Son mecánicas muy buenas que ojalá vuelvan a la línea de juegos principales. Al menos las misiones secundarias parece que han vuelto en Leyendas Arceus, juego que por cierto, bebe muchísimo de lo que construyó Alola en su día. Con paralelismos como las poké monturas, los capitanes, los dominantes...

    Sol y Luna son una delicia, y sin duda una de las mejores aventuras que Pokémon ha dado nunca.    … Expand
  42. Flounder
    Mar 29, 2022
    8
    ALS Pokémon-Fan sage ich, dass dies das beste Spiel ist, es hat eine großartige neue Umgebung, großartige neue Funktionen, die die Pokémon-Formel wirklich aufrütteln, und hat die ehrgeizigste und am besten erzählte Erzählung, die jemals aus einem Pokémon-Spiel hervorgegangen ist. Das einzige wirkliche Problem für mich ist, dass das Spiel schmerzhaft einfach ist.
  43. Ardho
    Apr 19, 2023
    8
    The first game to finally remove gyms and let me have a different journey for a change.
  44. SirXyonder777
    Jun 29, 2022
    9
    This game is an amazing Pokémon game. The graphics are great, but when they zoom in on the faces, you can see the pixels. An overall amazing game, but why did they get rid of the gyms?! I wish they didn't redesign all the Pokémon they did, but it's a great game for anyone who likes Pokémon, and I would argue that it's one of the best games to introduce someone to the series. I also reallyThis game is an amazing Pokémon game. The graphics are great, but when they zoom in on the faces, you can see the pixels. An overall amazing game, but why did they get rid of the gyms?! I wish they didn't redesign all the Pokémon they did, but it's a great game for anyone who likes Pokémon, and I would argue that it's one of the best games to introduce someone to the series. I also really love how they brought back past characters like Dexio, Sina, Red and Blue.… Expand
  45. grimreapersims
    Feb 8, 2022
    8
    ....................................................................................................................................................................................................blank
  46. Marwans
    Feb 24, 2022
    8
    An excellent game of the few Pokemon I've played.
    Story (10/10)
    Characters (9/10)
    Soundtrack (10/10)
    Graphics ( 8/10) It's a 3DS
  47. BeeBarb28
    Apr 16, 2022
    10
    The game is very nostalgic and almost perfect, the only Thing i've got to say is that the cutscenes are a bit long. The New exclusive Pokémon are great and you can Transfer pokemon with Pokémon Bank.
  48. Guzmant
    Sep 10, 2023
    9
    I'm not going to lie, I'm not the biggest Pokemon fan.

    A lot of Pokemon games have a great concept but fall very flat in execution, the best Pokemon games are ok while the worst ones (aka 90% of the Switch releases) are abysmal. 'Pokemon Sun & Moon' was the biggest exception. The gameplay, whole functional, is not too different from the other games. although I have things that are worth    I'm not going to lie, I'm not the biggest Pokemon fan.

    A lot of Pokemon games have a great concept but fall very flat in execution, the best Pokemon games are ok while the worst ones (aka 90% of the Switch releases) are abysmal. 'Pokemon Sun & Moon' was the biggest exception.

    The gameplay, whole functional, is not too different from the other games. although I have things that are worth praise:

    1. Z moves working for everyone: the idea of Megas only working for specific pokemon (and none of the generation it was supposed to represent) was nonsense and limited a potentially great gimmick. Z moves are more limited than Megas in concept, but they are executed much better.

    2. Totem battles: finally no more triple battle luck fest, totem battles are much more skilled are require more strategy rather than just spamming your best moves.

    The plot is the best in the series by a wide, and I mean WIDE margin. Besides having the best world building in the series, the main characters are fleshed out, develop on screen (can't say the same for the previous gens) and are more grounded overall. Lusamine is the best villain in the franchise and the most well written character: a crazy woman who went insane after losing her husband and started loving Ultra Creatures more than her own children to the point she wanted to reach their universe and merge with them.

    The Pokemon is the best generation yet. all 3 starters have great design and ooze with personality (especially Incineroar) and some of the best Pokemon like Mimikyu and Tsareena. There's barely any bad Pokemon at all.

    The cutscenes, often criticized for being "awful" even though they're nothing atrocious that other games didn't do, help the game to feel more immersive and visually interesting than chibi sprites that barely move.

    This game was a great experience.    … Expand
  49. GovosUsan
    Mar 31, 2023
    10
    Best 3d pokemon game with great story cool new mons and a national dex and without hms
  50. TreasureOrTrash
    Sep 8, 2023
    10
    Treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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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

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.
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  2. Easy Allies
    Mar 19, 2017
    90
    If you’re a newcomer to the series, this is an excellent opportunity to learn the fundamentals in a laid-back setting. If you’re a pro, you’ll relish the new options in place for making your Pokémon all they can be. Sun & Moon is a Pokémon vacation we’d gladly take again.
    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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