Pokemon Ultra Sun

 3DS
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1103 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 789 out of 1103
  2. Mixed: 109 out of 1103
  3. Negative: 205 out of 1103
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  1. Oreun
    Apr 15, 2021
    6
    Its a decent game, but I still think it should've been a Pokemon Sun DLC.

    Es un juego decente, pero creo que deberia de haber sido un DLC de Pokemon Sol,
  2. MadnessisRising
    Mar 5, 2019
    6
    Don't get me wrong. it's a great game. But it's exactly the same as Pokemon Sun. It's kinda unfair from Game Freak to release a game again, just with 4 or 5 new Pokemon and a 5 minute Story-Add-on! They could have reached the same result with a dlc or patch for Pokemon Sun... The extra-stuff is worth around 5 $/€ definitely not more! If you don't posses Pokemon Sun/Moon I can highlyDon't get me wrong. it's a great game. But it's exactly the same as Pokemon Sun. It's kinda unfair from Game Freak to release a game again, just with 4 or 5 new Pokemon and a 5 minute Story-Add-on! They could have reached the same result with a dlc or patch for Pokemon Sun... The extra-stuff is worth around 5 $/€ definitely not more! If you don't posses Pokemon Sun/Moon I can highly recommend this game! If you already posses Sun/Moon don't buy it, seriously!… Expand
  3. Kenmei
    Mar 16, 2018
    7
    What could have been the perfect send off for the pokemon games on the 3DS consoles ends up bringing very little to the table that wasn't already in the previous Sun/Moon games. It almost feels like the devs decided that just doing the bare minimum for the sequel style games would suffice because of how well the first games were received. And these are definitely the most technicallyWhat could have been the perfect send off for the pokemon games on the 3DS consoles ends up bringing very little to the table that wasn't already in the previous Sun/Moon games. It almost feels like the devs decided that just doing the bare minimum for the sequel style games would suffice because of how well the first games were received. And these are definitely the most technically advanced Pokemon games to date. However, there's very little actually added to the game to set it apart from the original Sun/Moon. And with a history of changing the sequel style games up so much that they are almost brand new games in the past, (like Black/White 2 or even with the old Crystal game), this just seems pathetic in comparison. The game gets a 7 because the original Sun/Moon were awesome and really moved the series forward in technology. If you own the original games, there's really no reason to buy this one. It's basically the same thing.… Expand
  4. juuulya
    Apr 27, 2018
    5
    A good game for beginners/little children, but a huge downgrade to longtime players/fans of the pokemon series. Extremely tedious cut scenes and storytelling; i fell asleep a few times trying to pay attention to them. You can't go more than 10 steps without a cut scene during the beginning of the game. Once you beat the elite four the game gets astronomically better, but that's aA good game for beginners/little children, but a huge downgrade to longtime players/fans of the pokemon series. Extremely tedious cut scenes and storytelling; i fell asleep a few times trying to pay attention to them. You can't go more than 10 steps without a cut scene during the beginning of the game. Once you beat the elite four the game gets astronomically better, but that's a ridiculous amount of time to suffer through story mode. Also extremely structured, no more wandering around the world. You go where the game wants you to, no other options. Tutorials galore, there needs to be a "i already know this" option in game. The new pokemon designs are awesome, and the color palette and graphics of the game are appealing.
    As someone who's been playing pokemon since hoenn, this is easy the worst entry to the series. Returning gamers and fans should avoid this, but new players and young children will love it. A great gift for your 6 yr old nephew, but save yourself $40 worth of disappointment and wait until next gen.    … Expand
  5. linvail
    May 4, 2018
    5
    If you are looking for a game that treats you like an intelligent person, look elsewhere... There is no challenge, no compelling story and little innovation...

    if not for the online game I would say that it is completely skippable...
  6. T-bird
    Nov 30, 2017
    6
    This game feels like a Re-skin of pokemon sun and moon. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed sun and moon, but I wanted a new game, not a rehash. The stickers around the region feel like a less fulling version of the Zygarde cores and cell. I never got 100% Zygarde but I got around 80%. This game is not at all terrible. Just a tad disappointing. By the trailers I thought it was going to beThis game feels like a Re-skin of pokemon sun and moon. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed sun and moon, but I wanted a new game, not a rehash. The stickers around the region feel like a less fulling version of the Zygarde cores and cell. I never got 100% Zygarde but I got around 80%. This game is not at all terrible. Just a tad disappointing. By the trailers I thought it was going to be completely different. Good game though… Expand
  7. Dadedido
    Apr 19, 2018
    6
    While decent it doesn't do enough to justify a second purchase, if you haven't got SM yet then maybe you should try this one, otherwise be free to skip it, you won't miss too much.
  8. Kick454
    Apr 19, 2018
    7
    Honestly, I REALLY hate the fact that it's two versions instead of one. I actually was going to quit the franchise, but then I gave this game a try and I think I'm done with this repetitive franchise. But, judging the game by it's own merits, it's not a bad game at all.

    Pros: + Variety in Pokemon: WAY better than Sun and Moon's low variety. + Ultra Space: Minus the lowest quality    Honestly, I REALLY hate the fact that it's two versions instead of one. I actually was going to quit the franchise, but then I gave this game a try and I think I'm done with this repetitive franchise. But, judging the game by it's own merits, it's not a bad game at all.

    Pros:
    + Variety in Pokemon: WAY better than Sun and Moon's low variety.
    + Ultra Space: Minus the lowest quality motion controls, it's a pretty cool concept.
    + Lack of National Dex: UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT! I hated that the Shiny Charm was locked behind the National Dex in previous titles.
    + Ultra Megalopolis Battle: Honestly, the only battle I liked aside from the Champion battle

    Mix:
    = Soundtrack: Meh... Pokemon soundtracks aren't that great in my opinion, and this game didn't fix that (nor did Sun/Moon, which pretty much almost the entire soundtrack was from those games). Aside from the Legendary Final Battle in Ultra Megalopolis, it was meh.
    = Story: Well... Pokemon isn't really about story isn't it? THEN WHY IS THERE ONE IN THE GAME ANYWAYS? I did enjoy some parts of the story, but for the most part it's just as good/bad as Sun/Moon.
    = Gameplay: It's literally the same thing as EVERY OTHER POKEMON GAME BEFORE IT (and hopefully not after it).

    Cons:
    - The Dual Versions: Why couldn't this just be one version?
    - Side Quests: Again, it's an RPG. Why can't effort be put into RPG things?
    - Motion Controls: What idiot thought Motion Controls and Pokemon would mix? But then again, at least there's an option to turn them off.

    BRUTALLY HURTS THE GAME:
    - Barely any difference between Sun and Moon and USUM: This alone hurt my experience with my Ultra Sun playthrough. I mean, there are still quite a number of changes, but they aren't that frequent. May as well just have this game be DLC as a second file...

    Overall, the game is good, not great, but good. I believe it warrants a 7/10 from me.    … Expand
  9. SplitMind
    Jun 27, 2018
    5
    Overall it's actually a fantastic game.

    The reason I'm giving it a lower score is because there really is not a lot of additional content there to justify the price tag, and given that they have had over a year to work on this, it feels a bit lazy. The RR endgame content in particular was a massive missed opportunity that could have doubled the lifespan of the game, but instead they    Overall it's actually a fantastic game.

    The reason I'm giving it a lower score is because there really is not a lot of additional content there to justify the price tag, and given that they have had over a year to work on this, it feels a bit lazy. The RR endgame content in particular was a massive missed opportunity that could have doubled the lifespan of the game, but instead they just condensed it all into a brief series of battles in a small dungeon.

    Having said that, if you have not played Sun or Moon, definitely get this version. This is the definitive Pokémon experience for me. The innovative adaptation of HMs alone make the game much more of a pleasure to play.    … Expand
  10. NouZeM
    Nov 7, 2018
    7
    El juego en sí es muy bueno si no has jugado a Sol y Luna, pero si lo jugastes, pensarás que es un reciclaje típico de Activision o EA.
    Ten cuidado si ya jugastes a lo anteriores.
    Ohmori, Im watching you
  11. ggolding
    Feb 26, 2018
    7
    Pokemon Sun and Moon brought a lot to the table for the Pokemon franchise by swapping the gyms out for trials and focusing more on the story. Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (USUM) are more fo the same with slight changes to the story. Now, everything from Sun and Moon have been built up and improved, though USUM doesn't change enough to really be called a new game, it's more like aPokemon Sun and Moon brought a lot to the table for the Pokemon franchise by swapping the gyms out for trials and focusing more on the story. Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (USUM) are more fo the same with slight changes to the story. Now, everything from Sun and Moon have been built up and improved, though USUM doesn't change enough to really be called a new game, it's more like a Master Quest with a slightly different story and a much worse post game. That said, I do like all of the additions they put in and they do give you various items that were event exclusive in the past (such as the event exclusive Z-crystals). If you haven't played the seventh generation Pokemon games yet and you're interested in them, then I'd suggest playing these over Sun and Moon because they are the definitive versions of the game. Though if you want a good post game, I'd suggest Sun and Moon over this.… Expand
  12. Chickynator
    Nov 17, 2019
    5
    Ultra changes. As in the game is still an average boring game but now there is a cool looking hallway going towards an annoying as hell boss fight that honestly is just better to use focus sash toxic and stall until it dies.
    Otherwise this is basically the same game. At least there are a few new better songs and a few story changes so Hau is less dumb and more Lusamine family history.    Ultra changes. As in the game is still an average boring game but now there is a cool looking hallway going towards an annoying as hell boss fight that honestly is just better to use focus sash toxic and stall until it dies.
    Otherwise this is basically the same game. At least there are a few new better songs and a few story changes so Hau is less dumb and more Lusamine family history.
    Not really worth anyone's time because it wastes your time with forced NPC interactions just as much as SuMo did.    … Expand
  13. frankzhang2046
    Nov 11, 2019
    7
    My first finished (main story) pokemon game. I really prefer the Kahuna/trial system over the traditional gym leader system. The removal of the need for HM slaves is another very welcomed change.
  14. Kiraki1120
    Nov 16, 2019
    6
    This game almost didn't improved from Sun and Moon! For its full price, there are alsmost no new content and it is basically Sun and Moon with cheap DLC. The only good addition to this game was Ultra Necrozma and that's it. Not worth to pay.
  15. Federx
    Jan 30, 2022
    6
    just sun but worse. the "additions" are more like detriments, they ruined what good alola had without fixing any of the shortcomings
  16. PappyBakesCakes
    Apr 5, 2020
    7
    Too much dialogue and exposition. Otherwise the game is fun with the Alolan forms of old Pokémon being a great innovation for the series.
  17. KegMinami
    Dec 31, 2019
    7
    This would probably be a much better game had Sun and Moon not been released a year before it. That said, it's still a very solid game. Though not much has changed visually since Sun and Moon, Ultra Sun and Moon still boast some of the best visuals on the 3DS. It improves on some of the problems Sun and Moon had by introducing a larger post-game, a new battle facility in Festival Plaza,This would probably be a much better game had Sun and Moon not been released a year before it. That said, it's still a very solid game. Though not much has changed visually since Sun and Moon, Ultra Sun and Moon still boast some of the best visuals on the 3DS. It improves on some of the problems Sun and Moon had by introducing a larger post-game, a new battle facility in Festival Plaza, and even some minigames which I found fairly enjoyable.
    There are still some negatives, however. The story is basically the same, if not worse when you factor in Lusamine's now confusing motivations. It gets a little monotonous to play through, with the slog of the first few hours, intrusive cutscenes and hand-holding, and the fact that it's pretty much a retread of Sun and Moon. The new Ultra Space areas you can visit are, for the most part, just glorified hallways (although the visuals are still EXTREMELY impressive, otherwise).
    If you skipped the 3DS games and are wondering whether to get S/M or US/UM, just go for US/UM. It's the definitive version of the Gen 7 games.    … Expand
  18. Hochbichler
    Oct 26, 2022
    5
    Pokémon Ultra Sun was released in 2017 as the upper version of the Gen VII main title Pokémon Sun. In a classic Pokémon manner, Pokémon Moon and Ultra Moon were release in pairs with Sun and Ultra Sun respectively. But in many ways the classic Pokémon ways were abandoned with this game, but more about that later. Pokémon Ultra Sun is not a sequel to Sun ( as it was with B/W and B2/W2 ),Pokémon Ultra Sun was released in 2017 as the upper version of the Gen VII main title Pokémon Sun. In a classic Pokémon manner, Pokémon Moon and Ultra Moon were release in pairs with Sun and Ultra Sun respectively. But in many ways the classic Pokémon ways were abandoned with this game, but more about that later. Pokémon Ultra Sun is not a sequel to Sun ( as it was with B/W and B2/W2 ), but it is rather an upgraded upper version as it used to be in Gen I to IV. The changes are not generally pretty subtle and do not warrant a separate release, in my opinion. Now lets get to the actual review. When it comes to Pokémon games, I am very conservative. Actually, I am pretty conservative generally speaking, but even more so when it comes to gaming. I have gotten used to the only very slightly changing gameplay of the main series Pokémon games over the years and I love them for it. They are the only console games I emulate on my PC. And I do not want them to change. But this time around, they have changed. And not for the better. First of all, I do not think, that I have ever played a Pokémon game that would be so easy as this one. In all possible ways, you are getting help all the time. All the time the game holds your hand. The EXP share system is ridiculous and wrong, you overlevel everyone else almost immediately. There is always healing and items everywhere. You get so much money right during the first hour of gameplay that you cannot possibly spend it. Roughly 5 to 10 times more than in previous Pokémon games. Ultra balls at lvl 10. Every two minutes there is someone there to help you, to heal you, to show you the way. And I could go on. It very quickly became a painful experience for me, gone was the sense of adventure and exploration I have always gotten from a Pokémon game before. Now I know that these games are theoretically made for children, so maybe the difficulty should not be brutal, but Pokémon games were always meant for children and the difficulty went down very noticeably here. Other than that I do not really like the settings, I was expecting myself to like the Hawaii, but it just does not feel right for Pokémon for some reason. The characters are obnoxious, the new Pokémon are ugly as always and the game does not even try to force you to use them, as the original 150 form a majority of all the wild Pokémon. No Microtransactions, marginal SJW. I played on PC using the Citra emulator.

    I have not felt this bad about a Pokémon game for a very long time. Actually never before. I have barely gotten through the game. I hope next Gen will be much better. Final Verdict: 46%    … Expand
  19. fanmadeendings
    Feb 15, 2022
    7
    The content is pretty good, but returning to the special version thing after the way superior sequel concept from gen 5 is really disappointing.
  20. Jrson
    May 5, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pretty much the same as the original Pokemon Sun with some slight deviations in the story. Be aware that Necrozma makes the elite four and champion absolutely trivial. Not to say that the last couple Pokemon games were hard, but Necrozma makes the elite four braindead easy.… Expand
  21. Flounder
    Mar 29, 2022
    6
    Einfach ausgedrückt ist es nur ein Spiel, das nur ein Jahr nach den Originalen zur völlig falschen Zeit herauskam, und alle Ergänzungen fühlten sich nur halb gebacken an.
    Es fühlt sich an, als hätten sie einfach etwas zwischen Sonne und Mond und dem nächsten Spiel herausgebracht.
  22. Toasttt
    Mar 26, 2022
    7
    meh . .
  23. AlexMakesToast
    Nov 20, 2022
    7
    Ultra Sun = 7/10
    ..........................................................
  24. Xadreco
    Mar 17, 2023
    7
    Being a pokemon game, it's automatically decent. The problem is that there is an unjustified difficulty spike at the beginning of the game at the trainer school. Also, the game is generally far too easy, with the trainer school teacher battle being the only difficult battle of the entire game.
  25. miguellopez99
    Jun 1, 2023
    7
    74/100 .

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best 3DS Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2017
16
#16 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. RPGamer
    Apr 2, 2018
    80
    Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon is still fantastic, especially since the original was a major shake-up to the decades-old Pokémon formula. The update may be overly samey to someone who has already played Sun & Moon, but it does improve upon the base game in several ways. The new version is a must for newcomers to either this current generation or to Pokémon in general.
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 16, 2018
    80
    Pokémons improved in a visual and gameplay way. Devs could let go the monster management, but otherwise the changes are definitely for the better. If you have a weak spot for Pokémons, this is your game. [Issue#282]
  3. Nintendojo
    Feb 15, 2018
    91
    Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the definitive versions of Generation VII. Fans that already made the trip to the Alola region might find that it takes a while to get to the juiciest new additions to the game, but diehard Pokémon fans and those that held off on Sun and Moon will find a lot to enjoy. The games are truly robust experiences, and the new additions help flesh out a game that was already quite strong. I could detail more about the story changes and enhancements, Mantine surfing or Team Rainbow Rocket, but not much else needs to be said. This is a terrific Pokémon experience that has only gotten better.
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