Pokémon Sun and Moon Elevate the Franchise

It’s only been a few hours of in game time for me – just completed my first Island Trial – but it is obvious already that Pokémon Sun and Moon have elevated the franchise and taken it places I wasn’t sure they would ever get. Even after 20 years of Pokémon video games, Nintendo and Game Freak have found a way to establish new ideas and fresh approaches that even have the most hard core of Pokémon game fans excited.

What was going to be difficult for Game Freak after launching Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby was how they would approach the next new Pokémon title. Ruby and Sapphire brought a few new ideas to the table – and carried over many from X and Y which really launched Pokémon to new heights – but the company could get away with it because they were remakes. If nothing they tried work, it wouldn’t matter as much as players got that nostalgic feeling of catching old generation Pokémon again.

There was a lot of hype around Pokémon Sun and Moon, and an equal amount of reservation. Let’s face it: even the most dedicated Pokémon fans knew the formula had to change to keep people engaged. And it really, REALLY has.

Gym battles are gone, and replaced with Island Trials. Team Skull characters have more personality than any previous evil organization in a Pokémon game. And you can feel VERY nostalgic as you catch Generation 1 Pokémon again, but this time with an Alola form. The professor is more engaging, the people closest to you are more interesting and secretive, and there is so much to explore and uncover.

Game Freak introduced a Festival Plaza, which on paper doesn’t sound that great, but in reality works very well. And there is SO MUCH MORE. Kudos to Game Freak and Nintendo for taking Pokémon in a slightly different direction.

We will have more on Pokémon Sun and Moon, including our review, soon. In the meantime, check out our great Friend of the Site, Abdallah on YouTube. He is working on a 100% walkthrough for the game, as well as videos giving you the best tips and tricks to be successful. We have embedded episode one below this article!

Our Review of Pokémon Sun and Moon has been delayed by a shipping issue with Nintendo of Canada. These thoughts have been provided by a close friend of the site for the purpose of this review. Shout out to our awesome PR representative who is doing everything to sort out or minor issues!