Background
The Pokemon Company celebrates 20 years of catching and battling the adorable and deadly little creatures we have all come to love. Pokemon Sun & Moon are the newest entries in the wildly successful and beloved Pokemon franchise and this time we explore the Alola region, a chain of islands home to many new faces, both human and Pokemon. They were developed by Game Freak and released to the Nintendo 3DS systems on November 18th, 2016.
Story
This time around, we are an 11 year-old kid who has just moved to the Alola region with his/her mother and their pet Meowth. You quickly make new friends such as Hau, the grandson of one of the island Kahunas, and Lillie, a girl dressed all in white with a mysterious Pokemon in tow and past thats just as mysterious. You set off with your new friends on the Island Challenge, which is a series of trials spanning all four islands of the Alola region that will test the will and strength of trainer and Pokemon alike. Throughout your Island Challenge you will meet two very interesting groups of people, The Aether Foundation led by Lusamine, and Team Skull, led by Guzma, his second-in-command Plumeria, and the mysterious kid Gladion.
As you progress through the story you will uncover the secrets of both organizations and uncover the mystery of the exactly what are the Ultra Beasts. Upon the completion of Pokemon Sun, I had to reflect for a little bit and really think about where I though this story matched up when compared to the many other titles in the series. I have to admit that I believe that in terms of story and narrative, Pokemon Sun & Moon are a far beyond anything else in the Pokemon franchise. These new installments succeed where all others have failed, such as a truly moving story dealing with family, death, and loneliness; three areas they have rarely touched on. They also succeed in bringing true personality to the characters, every character you interact with is overflowing with personality and quirks that they all truly stand out in their own right.
New Places
As I said previously, Pokemon Sun & Moon take place in the new land of the Alola region. The Alola region takes inspiration from Hawaii, including it’s geographical layout as a chain of islands. Each island contain their own adventures for you to experience and trials to face. Through out the four islands: Melemele island, Akala island, Poni island, and Ula’ula island; you will see the sights and defeat your many foes as you participate in the Island Challenge which takes you to each island defeating each island’s trial captains as well as their kahunas. This is perhaps the largest departure from previous games, yet they allow for even more variation in the gameplay.
New Faces
As I said earlier you will meet many new faces on your journey as with every journey, and everyone of them will show you how far Pokemon has come. Professor Kukui, who gives you your first Pokemon and continues to aid you in any way he can throughout the story and has a secret hobby that I will let you find out about, is just as interesting as the generic Team Skull grunts, who resemble and act like nothing more than a common street gang, but do it in such a way where I couldn’t help but laugh every time I saw them and every time they said something sarcastic or self-depreciating. Strangely enough, you will also come face-to-face with Professor Oak. But not the one your thinking, no no no, you meet Samson Oak, the brother to Kanto’s Professor Oak. He isn’t involved very much but when you meet him it sure is interesting. The trainers aren’t the only thing that get an overhaul. Many first generation Pokemon have adapted a little differently in the Alola region. This leads to a very different appearance, and sometimes a completely different typing from the original form. Allowing for a whole new mess of fun with old friends.
Legacy
Throughout their 20 year tenure in the gaming world, Pokemon has developed a particular formula to their games. It is one we have all become accustomed to, and have grown complacent towards. Game Freak took their formula and flipped the script on it this time around. They manage to take away gym leaders, perhaps the most recognizable story mechanic and replace it with trials and trial captains, something that fills the same role but allows for more fluidity and more diversity then just walking into a building and fighting someone. Pokemon Sun & Moon provide a new look at Pokemon will also reminding us why we fell in love with in the first place 20 years ago. They even mentioned it in one of their promo advertisements how we have evolved and grown up and they have as well. Even the small details of the game pay homage to the series. One in particular is when you are fighting against the final opponent during the main story, the music that plays will fill you with nostalgia as it is a variation of the main battle theme from Pokemon Red & Blue. Its almost poetic how the newest game ends the way the first one began. Another aspect I believe will go unrecognized is the trainers relationship with their Pokemon. Pokemon Refresh is the new Pokemon relationship builder and through spending time with your Pokemon, their affection for you will grow, allowing for direct influence in battles. Your Pokemon will often: survive a hit that would have KO’d them, score a critical hit they otherwise wouldn’t have, shake off status effects, and even dodge and attack entirely. Finally making us really feel a connection to our Pokemon, thus, making us truly feel like the Pokemon trainers we always wanted to be.
Verdict: 9/10
To put it simply, Pokemon Sun & Moon are not only an amazing addition to the Pokemon family but also a welcomed breath of fresh air to this beloved franchise. They perfectly execute a shift into a totally new direction while maintaining what has always made Pokemon so special: discovery. We get to discover a whole new region, new people, and even rediscover old Pokemon with a renewed interest. The entire game brings a renewed take on the formula and it allows for us to have a brand new experience. If you own a 3DS then you should absolutely check this game out.
