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. Marioipod13
    May 25, 2023
    10
    Underappreciated, excellent Pokemon game. With 807 Pokemon in this game (you might need multiple games to obtain them all) you have nearly unlimited options for how to teambuild. Its story has few but significant changes from Sun and Moon, but it more than makes up for it with its expanded postgame. The Battle Agency in particular is a fun way to team up with friends, and theUnderappreciated, excellent Pokemon game. With 807 Pokemon in this game (you might need multiple games to obtain them all) you have nearly unlimited options for how to teambuild. Its story has few but significant changes from Sun and Moon, but it more than makes up for it with its expanded postgame. The Battle Agency in particular is a fun way to team up with friends, and the underappreciated Battle Royal is exclusive to this generation.… Expand
  2. Patrick95
    Nov 27, 2022
    9
    Si buscas contenido en un juego de Pokémon, este es el juego. Lleno de contenido, misiones secundarias a montones (el único juego de la saga principal con estas junto a Leyendas:Arceus hasta ahora, años después), historia postgame interesante, ultraespacio explorable, los 807 Pokémon existentes hasta estos juegos están disponibles en él... Y un largo etc. Sin olvidar que probablemente seSi buscas contenido en un juego de Pokémon, este es el juego. Lleno de contenido, misiones secundarias a montones (el único juego de la saga principal con estas junto a Leyendas:Arceus hasta ahora, años después), historia postgame interesante, ultraespacio explorable, los 807 Pokémon existentes hasta estos juegos están disponibles en él... Y un largo etc. Sin olvidar que probablemente se trata del videojuego más retante de la saga, sobre todo si se juega con el repartir experiencia desactivado o no llevándolo siempre activado (que hasta este juego se podía desactivar, aunque incluso con él activado el reto es asegurado).

    El gran punto flojo para mi y la razón por la que no se lleva un 10 es que estropea la historia de los juegos originales: Pokémon Sol y Luna. Que para mí son los juegos con la mejor trama de la saga. Eso y que hay más tutoriales obligatorios (muchos que en Sol y Luna eran opcionales). Por lo demás, es sin duda un fantástico juego de la saga.    … Expand
  3. Steeldude
    Feb 5, 2019
    9
    Turn off the Exp Share and witness the hardest Pokémon game to ever come out. Loved every second of it. Great music, great region (finally the routes are curvy and not just straight lines) and a good story. Post-game is also quite well done (could've been a little better, though).
    Haven't played Sun/Moon. If you have, then this game will probably lose one point for being too similar to    Turn off the Exp Share and witness the hardest Pokémon game to ever come out. Loved every second of it. Great music, great region (finally the routes are curvy and not just straight lines) and a good story. Post-game is also quite well done (could've been a little better, though).
    Haven't played Sun/Moon. If you have, then this game will probably lose one point for being too similar to previous titles.    … Expand
  4. LuigiCuau
    Oct 23, 2021
    9
    la verdad no entiendo por que ponen de 10 los usuarios a un juego que es un port de un juego que tiene menos de un año, por que agregar4 nuevos pkm o nuevas formas no es para un juego de 10, ni la mini historia posterior es para un juego de 10, es un 90% el mismo juego que sun and moon, pero si le doy un 9 es por que ese evento del TEAM ROCKET simplemente es impresionante, algo únicola verdad no entiendo por que ponen de 10 los usuarios a un juego que es un port de un juego que tiene menos de un año, por que agregar4 nuevos pkm o nuevas formas no es para un juego de 10, ni la mini historia posterior es para un juego de 10, es un 90% el mismo juego que sun and moon, pero si le doy un 9 es por que ese evento del TEAM ROCKET simplemente es impresionante, algo único enfrentar a todos los lideres de lso equipos malvados de juegos pasados ya demás el poder atrapar a todos los legendarios pasados.… Expand
  5. AngryShark92
    May 27, 2018
    9
    Pokemon Ultra Sun kinda fills out what the original version should have been, from the plethora of legendaries to capture, to the well rounded side quests/activities, this game delivers in a way that the original version really couldn't. In addition, this version is a bit more challenging which is a welcomed addition seeing as most of these games tend to be a breeze when it comes toPokemon Ultra Sun kinda fills out what the original version should have been, from the plethora of legendaries to capture, to the well rounded side quests/activities, this game delivers in a way that the original version really couldn't. In addition, this version is a bit more challenging which is a welcomed addition seeing as most of these games tend to be a breeze when it comes to difficulty. The wormhole travel is also fun and the ability to catch a lot more Pokémon from different regions in this version is also a great addition.

    It's not all perfect in the Alola region, as a Pokémon player for nearly 22 years now, these modern games are really starting to push it with the amount of chatter and robotic actions from the npcs you encounter or travel with. What I mean by this, is that there is simply too many moments throughout the journey where you are stopped in your tracks to have a lengthy conversation about topics that are repeated and regurgitated over and over and it is becoming tiresome and it completely breaks the pace of the story.

    Please for the love of Ultra Beasts, Gamefreak please cut this down or implement a skip button, I sometimes find myself just forgetting about the plot entirely because I'm just spamming A + B so I can get back to exploring and battling, which is what makes these games fun.

    + Fun gameplay (battles & explorations)
    + Excellent visuals
    + Great soundtrack
    + Refined arena (Pokémon Stadium) mechanics
    + Loads of side quests/activities
    + Great legendaries and lore
    + The surfing mini game is fun with a classic reward
    + Poke Pelago & Refresh are fun

    - Too much dialogue that is un-skippable, narrative was never this series' strongpoint
    - Wormhole travel controls are awkward
    - Some useless side activities imo
    - Uninteresting npcs and side characters

    I also have to mention that I am not sure I like the sequels direction they are taking, feel like the additions made in the sequels should be included in the original version for a single release, rotating with a refresh of the older games in between.

    Overall this is a solid effort that should have been part of the original release, but they did get it right regardless, and the Alola region proves to be another solid entry in the franchise that will be fun for fans of the series to explore. This game is an 85/8.5 for me.    … Expand
  6. TMinecraftMaker
    Nov 17, 2017
    9
    Jumping into the world of pokemon, this time once again on the islands of Alola. In the time running up to the game i was not motivated for the game, but because of the nostalgia factor, i had to try it. And boy is it good! Like every game, this one has its flaws too but let's start with the positive ones!

    Positives: The story gives you more freedom than the previous Alola games, it    Jumping into the world of pokemon, this time once again on the islands of Alola. In the time running up to the game i was not motivated for the game, but because of the nostalgia factor, i had to try it. And boy is it good! Like every game, this one has its flaws too but let's start with the positive ones!

    Positives:

    The story gives you more freedom than the previous Alola games, it still shows some handholding but it has been reduced a lot!

    Where Sun and Moon were lacking significantly in the Post game factor, this game makes up for it and even beyond that! The real fun begins when you get to Poni Island!

    New looks on the menus and the battle icons etc (personally i find this nice to see!)

    They kept the trials which made the original Sun and Moon so good, and I loved it!

    You can collect Totem pokemon!

    Team Rainbow Rocket... do i need to say more?

    You can collect all the legendaries, which is nice for the ones that don't have Pokemon Bank or the younger ones who have not had the chance to catch them before.

    Negatives:

    A good amount of the story is not too different which would have been nice.

    Nothing substantial changed in the core gameplay which i would have loved to have!

    Summary:

    All in all this is a very good game that you can out hours into and you have satisfaction over! It is enjoyable for both younger and older players and has a lot more to offer post game! A solid 9/10!    … Expand
  7. Dragonfly44
    Nov 27, 2017
    9
    While not my favorite, this is clearly the best Pokémon game ever. It has great graphics, an engaging and exciting story along with great gameplay, even making something as simple as running around collecting stickers crazily addicting. The game is also much harder than any other Pokémon game, which also makes it much more enjoyable rather than the lack of challenge in previous games. 94/100
  8. IAmNotARobotto
    Nov 17, 2017
    9
    The Awesome
    -Totem Stickers. The most fun and entertaining exploration element in any Pokémon game to date. Fun to look for these even if there was no reward, but there is a pretty cool reward for every certain number of stickers. Probably the most fun I’ve had in the overworld of any Pokémon game ever.
    -Team Rainbow Rocket. For anyone who takes interest in the bad guys of the main    The Awesome
    -Totem Stickers. The most fun and entertaining exploration element in any Pokémon game to date. Fun to look for these even if there was no reward, but there is a pretty cool reward for every certain number of stickers. Probably the most fun I’ve had in the overworld of any Pokémon game ever.
    -Team Rainbow Rocket. For anyone who takes interest in the bad guys of the main games over the past 21 years.
    -Parallel universe ultra recon squad giving story elements and designs new to the series.
    -Best trainer placement of any Pokémon game to date by far. The karate guys on champion road, the golfer at hokulani, lotta laughs.
    -All legendary Pokémon. Probably the biggest sales point for fans of the series.
    -Charmander and all the other starters also available to catch so it’s pretty cool for old people with nostalgia. Same was with Rainbow Rocket.
    -Background Pokemon. Much like the trainer placement, the sense to have a Pokémon walk by the window outside or come down a chimney etc is superb. No value to find other than the satisfaction of seeing some neat Pokémon walking around. The rare chimney one was funny too.

    The Pretty Good
    -A ton of new sub events. Some of these are awesome, some not. Ditto becoming human being official stuff in the games was awesome etc.
    -The photo club was a lot more fun than I expected. Still don’t think there’s enough reason to spend a lot of time ther but it’s neat.
    -Surfing is also surprisingly a pretty fun mini game. But also not something I feel the urge to do too many times.

    The Not So Good
    -Main flow of game is pretty much the same as Sun and Moon, even though much of the story is different.
    -Some new backgrounds are pretty bland areas with some exceptions as well.
    -Some things in the game are jokes that will go over the majority of everyone’s head most likely. The new gym for example.
    -Nothing groundbreakingly innovative. But this can be said regarding almost all Pokémon games since the original. They stick by the if it’s not broke don’t fix it mind set, which does have its benefits.    … Expand
  9. kiank
    Jan 14, 2018
    9
    Pokemon Ultra Sun is a great game. The story is great, even though the dialogue can be a little long sometimes. Some of the battles were tough but I still enjoyed them. I do miss the pokemon gyms a little though but I did like some of the challenges there. I love poke pelago and wonder trade. It was a good swan song to pokemon on the 3ds.
  10. TOADttremor
    Jan 11, 2018
    9
    Exciting new elements and features for the first time featured in the series, from new ways to get legends, to new secret stories to discover, including outside the main one, there's something for everyone, it's objectively one of the most developed and content stuffed pokemon games to date, dozens of good elements and features were brought back and further developed and ironed one way or another.
  11. H0000-Halves
    Jan 31, 2018
    9
    I found many pros in this game including the new side-roles you take to aid npcs, the new OST, the characters, the archipelago in which you play with the pc box pokemon and most of all: Team Skull.
  12. ripfridgeVictor
    Jan 31, 2018
    9
    Most satisfied I was playing pokemon since when I was a kid when Gold and Silver came out, thanks to all the options and things to do. Also the best opportunity to complete a pokedex in a long time thanks to ultra-wormhole ride giving you access to lotos of rare mons.
  13. Fennekinninja
    Feb 8, 2018
    9
    Not only the changes and additions to Sun blew me away but to make things better, this may be the first pokemon game tha t manages to make itself as balanced and challenging as it should. I always liked pokemon, but even the oldest games always ended up being cake-walks, not here.
  14. MegacourageTak
    Feb 12, 2018
    9
    After finishing the robust main and post game stories, I keep coming back to do trades, battle tree, battle spot, hunts of shiny coloured pokemon and more. Can't recommend it enough to people who still play their 3ds/2ds
  15. POK95
    Mar 22, 2018
    9
    THE HARDEST POKÉMON GAME EVER. I've loved it. It adds great things to the original games, new beginning, ending and places to discover. The best part its the postgame, and the challenge that it can be for a experienced player like me. I have loved the difficulty, it's just the best at that for me.

    But, for me, it destroys a bit the Sun and Moon original story, and that's why I only put    THE HARDEST POKÉMON GAME EVER. I've loved it. It adds great things to the original games, new beginning, ending and places to discover. The best part its the postgame, and the challenge that it can be for a experienced player like me. I have loved the difficulty, it's just the best at that for me.

    But, for me, it destroys a bit the Sun and Moon original story, and that's why I only put it a 9. For me Sun and Moon were the best Pokémon games until now with the best story, and I was wishing Ultrasun and Ultramoon to improve them adding new things but they removed great scenes from the story and changed Lusamine personality and now she is not as great as it was in SM. But well, the games still being great and i still loving Gen VII, for me the best gen until now.

    I want this difficulty, with great story and designs, such as SM, for the new Switch games.    … Expand
  16. FranciscoM
    Mar 5, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokémon Sun/Moon was one of the best experiences I had in the Pokemon world! The region is great, vibrant colors everywhere, Alolan form Pokemon, customization of your character and despite not having the best story all around, it was still enjoyable. Still, when Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon was announced I was expecting something along the lines of Black/White 2, a sequel to the previous games. Instead, and the trailers of the game show that they advertised a "different" Alola region. Was to be expected the same timeline but eventually, "mid-game" as the director of the game said, "the timeline will change". Unfortunately, in a game with 4 islands, the changes start in the last one and until then the story continues pretty much the same as in previous games, except for the addition of a new team and some new pokemon. The issues of Sun/Moon were fixed but this still felt more like a DLC and not a full game. It was the first time ever I felt buyers remorse with a Pokemon game and I regret a lot paying full price for it. Still, if you never played Sun/Moon you should go for this one.… Expand
  17. Loco1911
    May 19, 2018
    9
    Considerando que deberían haber sido los originales Pokémon Sol Y Luna, este juego junto con el Ultra Luna son de lo mejor que he visto a nivel gráfico y a nivel de historia de pokémon
  18. ReedYT
    Nov 8, 2020
    9
    Pokémon ultra sun is good and pretty poggers generally but i don’t like the weird trials like bro I just wanna go to the gym and work out not into a forest with a random Pokémon I gotta fight but yeah other than that good game
  19. PercyJ
    Dec 6, 2018
    9
    After my experience in pokemon moon the announcement of this pokemon game was not a welcome one at least to me.But gamefreak proved me wrong once more.This game is fun as hell and although I knew most of story the new parts were fantastic and improved the whole experience a lot
  20. Speedie
    Nov 24, 2019
    9
    Ultra Sun is loaded with content, most of which you may never use. Even after finishing the game there will be so much for the player to discover.

    I originally though I would dislike the new style of not having Gym Leaders, but I was happily surprised by the originality of the Island Challenges, and how much I enjoyed them. The story of this game is very engaging, and the characters    Ultra Sun is loaded with content, most of which you may never use. Even after finishing the game there will be so much for the player to discover.

    I originally though I would dislike the new style of not having Gym Leaders, but I was happily surprised by the originality of the Island Challenges, and how much I enjoyed them. The story of this game is very engaging, and the characters fulfill the definitive personalities we've come to expect from Pokemon characters. This is the most original of all Pokemon games to date, but it didn't let go of most core qualities that fans love about Pokemon.

    The difficulty definitely spikes in this game, but its nothing a casual player can't manage. It's simply speed bumps that require more training of your Pokemon, which in turn cause you to explore more of the region and find all of the secrets hidden within.

    For the first time in Pokemon history, you truly feel as if the journey is yours, and not the character's on the screen. Between taking pictures with you Pokemon, petting them, exploring the region with them, and fulfilling your quest with them, its a true Pokemon journey you won't forget.    … Expand
  21. new2dsxl
    Sep 8, 2019
    9
    Taking the original games and bombarding them with a whole host of crazy ideas, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have easily achieved their goal of becoming the definitive versions of the series’ final generation on the 3DS. Combining all of this with the fact that a small handful of new, non-mythical Pokémon have been added mid-generation for the first time in the series, and that theTaking the original games and bombarding them with a whole host of crazy ideas, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have easily achieved their goal of becoming the definitive versions of the series’ final generation on the 3DS. Combining all of this with the fact that a small handful of new, non-mythical Pokémon have been added mid-generation for the first time in the series, and that the Pokédex has been expanded to natively include over 400 Pokémon catchable in the games without trading, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have managed to make the region of Alola feel even more alive that it did before – and that’s quite the achievement.

    In some ways, it feels like these games have come too soon; Pokémon Sun and Moon are still so fresh in our minds and we can’t help but feel that the Ultra versions would have felt more special – and therefore easier to justify purchasing – if a little more time has passed. You’d be forgiven for not wanting to jump back into the same world again so soon but, in their own right, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are truly incredible entries to the series that deserve to be sitting amongst the elite Pokémon titles. If you’re ready for another trip around Alola’s beautiful islands, this is the way to do it.    … Expand
  22. Xobo
    Sep 6, 2019
    9
    Great game which deviates from the classical Pokemon formula by introducing island challange and totem Pokemon . Addition of z moves is also great .
  23. JasonBB
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Although this game ruined the original Sun and Moon plot, that it's still the best in the franchise... It gave us great additions and lots of content to end up being a great third version such as Platinum or Emerald. Original games were the best, this is a good game if you want even more content.
  24. GamePlayer77
    Sep 20, 2020
    9
    One of my favorite Pokemon games ever. An amazing step-up from it's predecessor, Pokemon Sun, with a ton of new features, the vast majority of them outstandingly good.
  25. Komalore
    Jul 21, 2020
    9
    It's a great game for veterans and newcomers alike with a great cast and a good challenge.
  26. Pyronick
    Jul 5, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Buen juego, como su predecesor, con un gran y nostálgico postgame, pero no debió cambiar de esa manera la historia, era mucho mejor antes, a pesar de que los temas y criaturas que explora son también muy buenos, pero en relación a la historia de los personajes principales y antagonistas estaba mejor en Pokémon Sun and Moon.… Expand
  27. sugarnite
    Dec 17, 2021
    9
    Probably the last true Pokémon experience, you can catch almost every one of these 800+ creature with just one copy of the game.

    Everything is streamlined and user friendly, I really enjoyed how they got rid of HM’s so you’re able to focus your party on battle readiness. The story is not good, similar to the other games. Being forced to tap on my 3ds screen just to get to the next battle    Probably the last true Pokémon experience, you can catch almost every one of these 800+ creature with just one copy of the game.

    Everything is streamlined and user friendly, I really enjoyed how they got rid of HM’s so you’re able to focus your party on battle readiness.

    The story is not good, similar to the other games. Being forced to tap on my 3ds screen just to get to the next battle had me pulling my hair out in frustration.

    Definitely pick this up if you’re a 2ds/3ds owner, or if you haven’t played a Pokémon in a while.    … Expand
  28. Colyn97X
    Apr 18, 2022
    9
    This game is simply amazing, the vast world that is available on the 3DS looks unreal on a console that delivers such short experience apart from remakes and various remasters, this is by far the most complete game, but it’s not perfect and needs a lot of tinkering that needs to be done for future re-masters or remakes on future Nintendo consoles if Game Freak considers it.
  29. LilacFeels
    May 5, 2022
    9
    Playing Pokemon Ultra Sun was an amazing experience, re-visiting Alola with new elements and new things to do it's just crazy, i really loved all the new aspects, the story on the other hand isn't that great as it was on Pokemon Sun and Moon, but for me, it doesn't matter. A really amazing game and a really amazing experience!
  30. Garde_Mystik
    Aug 30, 2023
    9
    Just using this as a filler to have my score documented. These games are an outstanding last mark of the handheld era and I'll greatly miss them.
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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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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