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Any other gameplay tweaks I should be aware of? Somewhere between the previous Mega Evolution system and the classic Final Fantasy-style Summon, these attacks, while still subject to the same type-beats-type-rules of combat, are always impressively elaborate affairs. Keeping with the Polynesian theme, Z-Moves are accompanied by specific trainer animations, hula dance-like movements that call forth the requisite elemental might. Still, I’ll say again that the overall game experience is so strong that you’ll likely never miss it. Whether this was done to lend more processing power to the overall graphics and gameplay or is simply a tacit admission that few 3DS players actually employ the system’s 3D feature is beyond me. Pokémon Sun and Moon do not support the titular system feature of stereoscopic 3D. What about the 3D?īrace yourself, friends. Jagged outlines, heavy use of blur effects, and the like slightly sour the visuals somewhat, but the gameplay is so tight and the narrative so interesting that you can’t help but forgive these minor trespasses. Obviously rendered in-engine, these character model close-ups (particularly on the bigger screen of the New 3DS XL) tend to show some unsightly seams. The only time things falter is in the cut-scenes.
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While Alola’s four islands each have unique topographical slants, the game world and its various denizens still manage to achieve a beautiful cohesion.įrom crystal-clear waters and lush jungles to sparse volcanic mountains and snow-capped peaks, it’s exactly the kind of world you want to return to time and time again-which is key when you’re dealing with such a robust RPG adventure. Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon achieve the sort of visual fidelity you’d expect from a late-cycle first-party Nintendo title. Yes, my tiny lovable kitten, KILL! How does it look? I won’t reveal any more, lest I ruin what is a genuinely engaging mystery, but suffice it to say the game offers tons of new experiences, throwbacks to beloved franchise characters and other touchstones, and a plot that should entertain trainers of all stripes. In addition to Team Skull, rival trainers, Kahunas, and their island Captains, Alola is both home to special island guardians, unique Pokémon known as Tapu, and is prowled by fierce Ultra Beasts. And you’ll need all the help you can get! Rather than battling your way through one Gym after another earning Badges that are little more than keys to the next prescribed area, you instead make your way across Alola’s individual islands, taking part in themed Trials that, upon completion, grant you the right to challenge the resident Kahuna.īesting a Kahuna, while still the game’s central plot engine, now affords you a related Z-Crystal, a type-specific item that can be used to unleash powerful Z-Moves when held by appropriate Pokémon. On a more functional level, Sun and Moon feel like a looser experience.
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Does the new setting really make that much of a difference? He’s backed up by an eclectic cast of characters like his mysterious assistant Lillie, fun-loving fellow trainer Hau, the hip-hop wannabes and all-around hapless villains of Team Skull, and a passel of new Pokémon (and regional variants) that reflect the island region’s vast and differing ecosystems.
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Professor Kukui, for example, is a bare-chested free spirit whose passion for Pokémon, while certainly scholarly, is far from studious. Your adventure beings in earnest as you relocate from Kanto to the tropical Alola Region, where things are done a bit differently. Pokémon Sun and Moon keep this core mechanic, this not-so-delicate dance of capture and combat, but the changes made therein are much more meaningful than expected. In other words, the story of Pokémon is, as ever, a quest “to be the very best / like no one ever was.” One could generously call the core Pokémon titles formulaic an adolescent protagonist takes to the road, his new Pocket Monster in tow, to prove his mettle by beating the region’s gym leaders.
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How do Sun and Moon differ from previous Pokémon title? It’s like ‘Fantasy Island’ for Pokémon… but with no Hervé Villechaize. We’ll enjoy tropical drinks, participate in sacred native customs, and befriend and fight specialized animals for sport. Come along with me on a trip to a faraway island paradise.
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