The beauty of the tropics await you as you strap on your backpack and head off into the unknown. You enter this world solely armed with a starter pokémon by your side and a unyielding ambition to conquer the islands of Alola. Prepare to take flight across four diverse islands, overthrow each trial’s totem pokémon, and become the first champion of the Alola league in Pokémon’s newest titles “Pokémon Sun” and “Pokémon Moon.”

Both “Pokémon Sun” and “Pokémon Moon” unveil the 7th generation of Pokémon, which includes 81 brand new Pokémon (not including the new Alola-Kanto variants) 40 abilities and 80 unique moves to spice up combat. Both games follow a common Hawaiian theme (hence the name Alola) and take place on the four tropical islands of Melemele, Akala, Ula’Ula, and Poni. Within this new region, there’s no established league or gyms, unlike all Pokémon games prior. However, this problem is resolved by a more narrative driven experience and a grand island challenge, where the skills of the player are tested by a series of trials and kahunas spanning across all four islands. Game Freak, the developer of the Pokémon franchise, reinvented the franchise by resolving problems from previous generations despite several new flaws.

Within the development of “Pokémon Sun” and “Pokémon Moon”, a brilliant developer considered “Hey, remember those HM’s which were despised by all and mandatory to complete certain sections? Let’s get rid of those.” This genius man was then promoted to CEO of the company, made trillions by being the first GameFreak developer to actually listen to fan input and used this idea to create “Ride Pokémon”, allowing players to now easily progress through the game.

Along with Ride Pokémon came various beneficial tweaks, such as instant access to customize the PC, the ability to add recently caught Pokémon to a full party and the reveal of Z-Moves to provide another layer of strategy to combat. However, these solutions were not without flaws, as the new games also include long unskippable cutscenes (which admittedly establish the overall story), the ability for wild Pokémon to summon help and an assortment of more uncreative Pokémon based off of common objects.

Sun and Moon placed a unique twist on the Pokémon franchise’s outdated formula with new aspects of combat and general progression by means of overarching storyline. Along with this shift in story, these titles are packed full of entertainment and would provide a great experience for fans both young and old.
Overall Score: 9/10