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ExploreThis week, the latest pair of Pokemon games, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon arrive, making it the final dual-game installment for this particular platform. Fans have been waiting for this one for a long time, and the hype is unreal…but does the game actually live up to it? What makes these games different from the earlier Sun and Moon that released in 2016?
Let’s break this down:
Platform: 3DS
Storyline: The core adventure of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon is still much the same as 2016’s Sun and Moon. Players will return to the fictional Alola region, the game is still presented in third-person overhead perspective, and players still control a young Pokemon trainer who has just moved to the Melemele island with their mother. The trainer must battle various other Pokemon trainers and teams, including Team Skull, obtaining and leveling up various Pokemon as they go.
The plot mostly revolves around the summoning of “Ultra Beasts”, or legendary extradimensional Pokemon. The main villain of the story is summoning Ultra Beasts in order to create a pathway to Ultra Space – another dimension – where they can live a solitary life away from others. The problem? Opening the portals is dangerous. Ultra Pokemon are escaping into Alola and the rest of the world and wreaking havoc in their wake.
The player must help catch the escaped Pokemon and subdue the main villain, eventually becoming the champion of Alola.
Gameplay Differences: So, what makes Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon different from the original games? Well, for one, the games introduce a mysterious new group called the Ultra Recon Squad. They arrive to Alola through an Ultra Wormhole, and seem to have some sort of connection to the Ultra Beasts.
On top of that, as with every new pair of Pokemon games, there are new exclusive legendary Pokemon that some call “The most vibrant to date“. Without spoiling too much, there are small but meaningful changes to the overly complicated plotline of Sun and Moon, and the game-makers have added dozens of new fun challenges and minigames.
Honestly, the game plays more like a remaster than an entirely new edition, and that’s okay. Most of us haven’t completed our ‘dex, and there are plenty of new Pokemon to battle and catch. So, if you haven’t finished Sun and Moon yet, this might be a good game to pick up.
So, is Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon worth the return trip? We’ll let you decide. Let us know what you think in the comments!
In the meantime, why not head over to our Pokemon Collection, or check out some more awesome Pokemon t-shirts below? You can never have too many, and with the holidays coming up they make awesome gifts.
Gotta Wear ‘Em All!
Written by Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a Portland-based freelance writer, who spends her time playing with her cat, blogging, working on the three-billion writing projects she has bouncing around in her brain, tutoring kids in writing and reading, and perusing the streets of Portland, looking for the best coffee shops and book shops.
