Video-Game Review: Pokemon Sun/Moon

Like+the+past+games+in+the+Pokemon+series%2C+either+game+in+the+pair+has+a+different+%E2%80%9Clegendary%E2%80%9D+pokemon+than+the+other

Like the past games in the Pokemon series, either game in the pair has a different “legendary” pokemon than the other

Story by Jorge Soares-Paulino, Copy Editor

Every couple years, developer Game Freak and publisher Nintendo release a new entry in the main Pokemon series (along with several spin-offs in between). The special thing about the Pokemon series, however, is that every new entry comes in pairs of two. Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue were the first entries in this long-living franchise, and the latest pair of games has just released: Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon (cleverly shortened to Pokemon SM). Managing to keep the same old Pokemon traditions alive while still providing some interesting twists, SM is a fantastic new entry into the Pokemon franchise which shows just how fun Pokemon will never stop being.

Pokemon SM takes you to the new region of Alola, a hawaiian-based region filled with roughly 80 new pokemon as well as pokemon from regions past. Any Pokemon fan will immediately notice that this region is pretty different than all the past ones; Alola isn’t one landmass. Instead, it’s split into four large islands, all of which the player will have to go through on their journey to catch ‘em all. SM has also done away with the classic Pokemon Gym Leaders from the past games; now, the player must face the seven “Island Trials” which are spread out throughout the islands. Each island is led by a “Trial Captain,” and each captain has a different task for you to accomplish in order to complete that challenge. One captain may ask for you to find a certain object, while another may simply ask to beat a certain pokemon. After making your way through all the “Island Trials” of one island, you’ll then be tasked with beating that island’s Kahuna, or leader, in a traditional pokemon battle. This is reminiscent to the old Gym battles, but it’s a nice little spin on the classic system.

Besides the new Island Trials system, there’s a bunch of neat little features in Sun and Moon which set them apart from the other games. One of these features is the addition of the Z-Move, a new attack your pokemon can do which can deal some massive damage. This is pretty much equivalent to a “super attack,” as your pokemon can only use this move once per battle and that’s it. You should also know that these moves take a whole dance routine to execute (not even joking), so it can get pretty annoying when you want to finish a battle quickly but you have to sit there and watch your Snorlax go through his whole minute-long attack process. Beyond that there’s the customization options which make their return from Pokemon X and Y; these options allow you to design your character to be more like you, from choosing their skin color to their type of clothing. There aren’t exactly a lot of options to choose from, but it’s nice to be able to differentiate yourself from the millions of other players who also play this game.

Speaking of other players, SM also features a new way to play online with other people called the “Festival Plaza.” This little area is accessible at any time through the in-game menu, and it’s basically just a small park where other players’ characters will appear. You can then challenge these players to a battle or request to trade with them, all by the push of a button. Not only that, but the more you use Festival Plaza, the more “Festival Coins” you’ll get. Collecting these coins will allow you to level up and unlock perks and bonuses such as the ability to purchase other players’ clothes for your character.

All in all, Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon are fantastic new entries in the Pokemon franchise; keeping the same traditions alive while adding in some twists and turns to make it very different than the past games in the series. The Alola region is a welcome change from the repetitive regions of the previous games, and the Z-Moves provide a unique twist on battling that you can’t quite find in any of the older titles. If anything, Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon have rejuvenated my excitement for future Pokemon titles and how they will innovate the series further.

Final Rating:

 

[email protected]