Pokemon Moon – Nintendo 3DS Moon Edition
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Specification: Pokemon Moon – Nintendo 3DS Moon Edition
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10 reviews for Pokemon Moon – Nintendo 3DS Moon Edition
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$44.84
RCADavidson –
As someone who played Poke’mon since the Poke’mon Special Edition days, I can say that the changes in this game has the biggest changes to the series, ever. First of all, they got rid of gyms for the Island Challenge, like it or not, and honestly, I’m mostly mixed on it. In one way, I find going through them a bit easy, of course I haven’t finished the yet so I can’t say that for all the trials, but they can actually be a bit fun at times. Another change they had, which is another “like it or not,” are the Z-Moves replacing the Mega Evolutions. Personally, I would prefer the Mega Evolutions, and the Z-Moves aren’t always exiting, but to each his/her own. The level design is also less grid-like, which I didn’t even realize that in the demo, but it’s definitely a step up from the older grid-like design, since what worked in the past, where we had d-pads on portables, are just aged concepts with analog sticks/pads on the system.Now, the game itself is still Poke’mon in core concept, and some of the changes are a bit light compared to others, such as effectivness rating on your move lists for example, but one of the changes I can’t believe didn’t come sooner is Poke’mon Refresh. If you played X/Y or Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, you might’ve heard of a feature called Poke’mon Amie, which is mostly, in my eyes, NintenDogs Poke’mon Edition. It was one of those features I barely used, mostly cause I couldn’t find a point in it, and even the effects felt small to me, even if it was for better exp, dodging moves, or just help in evolving certain Poke’mon. However, with Poke’mon Refresh, I feel like it’s in my best to use it, especially when you can cure status conditions. I always hated having to run to the nearest Poke’mon Center to cure that one Poke’mon. Now, it’s just more convenient to cure your Poke’mon than it has been before, and it actually made me want to use the other features. Another feature I really like is Poke’mon Ride. Why? Because no more HM Slaves. It’s like the Soar feature in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, but with more options to go through obstacles and traveling faster, and again, no more non-removable HMs, freeing up your move lists for your favorite moves. There are also changes presentation-wise, such as trainers standing behind their Poke’mon during battle and ACTUAL OPPONENT MODELS INSTEAD OF SPRITES. I kind of wish your opponent doesn’t look a manikin after they lose, but it’s a step in the right direction. Even the new Poke’Dex can tell you the exact location of a Poke’mon and gives you mission locations, via bottom screen. Overall, while there are more features and changes, I feel like these are great changes for the series thus far, making this game may favorite version of the game. Oh, and during daytime in real world, it’s nighttime in-game, because that’s totally not the weirdest way of differentiating the version at all, but kept within theme anyway. Customization also comes back from versions X and Y, letting you make a more unique looking trainer than just identifying yourself as a Bug Catcher or Ace Trainer.Storywise, it’s the usual Poke’mon affair. The only difference I can say is that your rival actually picks the weaker Poke’mon instead of the stronger one, i.e. a fire-type Litten vs a Grass/Flying type Rowlet, but at least he’s a cheery fellow. I also like the characters thus far, even the members of the crime organization you’ll fight most of the game, Team Skull, which has the most ridiculous members ever. Seriously, these guys are just hilarious, from their animations, the way they talk, to the boneheaded ideas they have, like stealing berries. Of course, I haven’t finished the game yet, and I likely won’t put any spoilers on the review anyway, except for berry stealing, but I feel that this story, so far, is just the typical Poke’mon affair, except with no gyms, and I’m fine with that.As far as the Poke’mon themselves, I think they look great. I even like some of the Alola Forms of classic Poke’mon, such as Vulpix for example. Sure, there are some to make fun of, such as Alola Persian being compared to Garfield, and even Gumpshoos, in the head, reminded me of Donald Turmp when I first saw it (could be a coincidence, could be an office joke turned Poke’mon, who knows). But for the most part, I feel like a lot of the designs are great, and I haven’t found too many designs to laugh at.I do have some small problems, though, I have, such as the removal of elements. For example, in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, you can sneak up on Poke’mon, but on this version, that’s not the case. While it’s a small thing, I actually liked this feature as it felt like actual Poke’mon hunting. There is also, mostly in battles and mainly due to upgrades, a good amount of slow down, which won’t affect your gameplay experience, but it shows how old the hardware is, especially when they got rid of 3D (for the most part) in the game, which caused slow down in the older 3DS Poke’mon games anyway. You only get it while using the Poke’Finder, a little camera minigame more or less, which is already laggy at best anyway. I’m also not crazy about the change from Mega Evolutions to Z Moves, but that’s just me.Overall, I highly recommend either Sun or Moon. Really, whether which version to get, if both isn’t an option for you, really depends on the Poke’mon you want, so I would research the differences, but other than that, there aren’t that many, and even then, the two games connect to each other. If you want to move your Poke’mon from X/Y or Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, you’ll be waiting until January to do that, so keep that in mind when you purchase either one of them.
VincentVincent –
Huge changes to the pokemon formula since Pokemon X & Y, no longer as it’s strictly battle and collecting focused (although still present) as they added variety of mechanics to switch things up a bit and to bring more variety in gameplay. Changes include:1. No HMsNo longer do you have to carry around a HM slave (s). This has bothered me in the past games as I have to restrict 1 or 2 slots out of my party of 6 to help traverse certain areas of the world. In the place of HMs there are Poké Rides where you can ride pokemon interacting with them on the world map, some you may not be able to access until you’ve completed mission within the game.2. Is it super effective?No longer do you have to look up guides online (unless it’s your first encounter) to tell if a move is super effective or not very effective against the pokemon you’re up against. After you battle a pokemon once, the game will tell you what moves is super effective or not in the battle menu once you encounter the same pokemon the second time.3. No Traditional GymsNo longer do you have to battle your way through gym after gym to prove you’re the best out of brute force.There are 4 islands in the game, each of which are controlled by 4 Island KahunasTo get to them you have to get pass Trail Captains and Todum PokemonTrail captain will give you quizzes, side quests to complete, and/or fight in traditional battlesTodum Pokemon. Basically typical pokemon you find the wild, but significantly stronger and have grunts that help them battle.4. Rotom PokédexTypical pokedex, but with a face and personality attached to it.5. Alola FormsBasically different forms of pokemon you seen in previous generations. Either it’s there physical form that is different and/or the pokemon’s typing6. Z-MovesWith a Z-Ring and a Z-Crystal you can use a pokemon’s ultimate move once per battle. It’s not like Mega Evolutions where it stays constant7. QR Scanner.You can now scan QR codes to get event pokemon8. Battle RoyalA 4 player free-for-all where the battle ends after all of one’s pokemon trainer’s faints. They tally the win-losses of each trainer and the one with best stats at the end wins9. Hyper Training.Once a pokemon reaches level 100, they can go through hyper training which can improve a Pokemon’s IV10. Poké PelagoYour PC Box now has functionality to it. It’s like a day care sort of thing, instead of just depositing your pokemon, you can passively train them in the PC or have them search for items11. Festival Plaza.An online mode where you can battle other trainers and trade with them. You get festial coins for each interaction which you can spend on clothes, shop or upgrade your pokemon’s stats. There’s also missions you can undertake to get more coins.12. Night and Day phase, New PokemonPokemon Sun goes the traditional time route while Moon does the opposite. In Pokemon Moon if you’re playing in the daytime, the game will consider it night time in-game. Some events also play out differently like different Totum Pokemon on the same island/trailIn traditional Pokemon fashion you can only get some pokemon in each version so trading is required either with a friend or if you own both versions. Also some pokemon evolve differently in each version now. I’d say some of overall models of new pokemon are better looking than the last batch in previous iterations of the pokemon series.13. Auto RunYour run is as fast as a bike now, and it has unlimited use. You can now move in all directions instead of the traditional 4 and it feels very fluid14. No RodFishing is now dedicated to specific regions in the world. You cannot fish wherever you want anymore.15. Photo TakingYou can now take Photos of pokemon in the wild.16. Team Skull and Aether FoundationTeam Skull is the new antagonist group like Team Rocket, but they have a new style to them as they try act gangster-ish with their animated hand gesters/movements. They have more personality and have a darker tone to their backstory and mission.Aether Foundation is the opposite of Team Skull as their mission is to cure injured and hurt pokemon. The group is also conducting research on the Ultra Beast (Pokemon) which is a good mystery story in and of itself.17. Graphical UpgradeGame looks better than the last, although there are some pixelation around the edges still. Models look more realistic than before, and the battle animations are more visually impressive. There are some framerate issues on 2v2 battles for some reason, but then again I own the launch 3DS. You may not have the issue if you own the New 3DS? It’s a turn-based system so it doesn’t really matter much in terms of gameplay, but the slow down is noticeable18. Pokemon RefreshSimilar to Pokemon amie but with more grooming options-Returning mechanics:Pokebank return, you can now transfer all your pokemon to Sun and MoonClothing Options: Although more options are available, it still feel very limited.Mega Evolutions return, but none for new pokemon from what i’ve discoveredOverall, love the changes to the traditional formula as it gives the Pokemon Series a nice refresh and is more streamline to play.
john titor –
As the Pokemon games reach their 7th generation, the formula of the games has become very much a standardized affair. Move through routes, defeat gym leaders, then face the elite four and challenge the champion. The games have each stood out individually for features such as Pokemon contests from R/S/E, customizable fashion from X/Y, the DexNav from Omega Ruby, and so on which have not been carried on to later games. The biggest change in Pokemon Sun/Moon is the removal of Pokemon gyms, replaced by Island Challenges where trainers fight predetermined battles and solve puzzles. I strongly dislike this change; while the total experience gained ends up matching gyms, the distinct feeling of a gym and gym leader is lost, and so areas lose some of their individuality. I hope that gyms return in the next series of games.Other changes have been made too, mostly positive. While the number of new Pokemon added is relatively small compared with games such as Black/White, new Pokemon “Alolan” forms have been added with new designs, typing, and movesets. The Alolan forms make for very interesting new designs and type/move combinations, and my personal favorite is the Alolan Ninetales, which is now blue and is an Ice/Fairy type. Customizable fashion and hairstyles have made a welcome return from Pokemon X/Y after being absent in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, and there is a very Hawaiian feel to the clothing options. HM moves have been removed, replaced by Pokemon riding to break rocks, travel on water, or flying between cities. The day/night cycle has a renewed emphasis, where Pokemon can appear on routes depending on the day or night like in the original Gold/Silver games. Additional modes include the Festival plaza, where trainers can meet and interact, sharing stats and greetings and matching up for battles and trades. A second new mode is the Poke Pelago, small islands where you can grow berries, increase Pokemon happiness, levels, and EVs, and search for rare items. Both of these modes are fun and can be quite the time-wasters.One complaint I have is the relatively limited set of post-game activities. A small set of new areas open up along with the ability to catch new legendary “Ultra Beasts”, along with the Battle Tree, the new area where you can battle AI-controlled teams for currency to purchase rare items. However, these activities can be completed relatively quickly and the Battle Tree can become repetitive very fast unless you have a diverse set of Pokemon to battle with. Another complaint I have is the lack of backwards compatibility. Despite Pokemon X/Y, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire and Sun/Moon all being 3DS games, there is no way to trade between Sun/Moon and the older games. The only possibility is using the external Poke Bank application to transfer your friends from earlier games to the new games, but not vice versa. This process makes it difficult to transfer teams across the games, and harms the replayability of those older games by not letting you use newly caught ‘Mons.Overall the game is highly enjoyable and accessible for newcomers or those who may have not played for many years (I myself just recently purchased a 3DS and the newest 3 series of games). The new Pokemon and Alolan forms are very visually distinct and have interesting type combinations that make battles deeper. Most of the changes to gameplay are positive and add to the diversity of modes available to players. The difficulty curve, while on the easy side (It is still a children’s game after all) is consistent and compelling, and the environments of Alola are lovingly rendered and attractive to the eyes. I would recommend this game to any Pokemon fan as well as anyone interested in RPG games or curious about the Pokemon series.
Tristan –
Easily the best pokemon game of recent years. Sure, I guess some of the earlier ones might seem better for the sake of nostalgia, but I honestly think this is probably the best yet.First, in recent years there have often been complaints about the pokemon being laim or uninspired, and I feel like this set has done a really good job of making a large number of really great pokemon. Sure, there are always a few that seem pointless, but it’s far less than in other games, in my opinion. I played through the games multiple times with entirely different teams because there were so many pokemon I wanted to try using.Second, the break with tradition with the gyms was a great change of pace. The prior formula was tried and true, but was so predictable, that even the nicest and coolest gyms were just okay. With the trials, every single one had me excited for what twist it would have. And boy did they have some great twists, it’s probably the first game that there were multiple times where I smiled or laughed out loud at something that happened during a trial.And speaking of laughing, Team Skull will forever be immortalized as my favorite villain team ever. Nothing can beat the nostalgic true evil of Team Rocket, or the ethical and moral designing around N from black and white, but this is the first team where I was excited every time I saw them, rather than exasperated that they were wasting more of my time. The jokes, the comedic timing, the music! Everything was done so well, that it will be hard to create a new villain in the next games that will be able to compare.Finally, and I think most importantly, the excellent cast of characters. Sure, I thought Hau was as lame and uninteresting as the next guy, but so many of the other characters were so well designed. The trial captains were dynamic and felt so much more alive than your average gym leader from the previous games. Kukui, for all his lame jokes, was more involved and excited to exist than any before, and it seemed like he had real motivation behind his work. And, of course, Lillie. For the first time ever in a pokemon game, I would purposefully go out of my way to talk with Lillie every time something happened, hoping for a new comment or dialogue. Whenever she popped up needing help, I didn’t feel annoyed or tired, but I genuinely wanted to help her. Her character alone was worth the entire game in my opinion, and I desperately hope that they make a third game for this set just so that I can experience more of her story, considering there is still so much to tell. It seems like they’ve set themselves up perfectly for a sequel, but we can never be sure just what Nintendo is thinking.All in all, I think it is no surprise that this is considered one of the best games of recent pokemon history, and it is definitely an adventure worth experiencing for anyone who considers themselves a pokemon fan.
Dwayne Brent Charles –
This is hands-down one of the best Pokemon game I’ve played, and the story is arguably one of the better ones of the series. There are a few caveats which keeps it from being 100 but it’s definitely worth the time of day to experience. Please note that at the time of this review, the access to the rest of the pokemon not available to the Alola region hasn’t been patched in yet.PROs:+ Better narrative+One of the better designed worlds in the series+ The characters in the game are a lot of fun+ You can run from the start! Also, Pokemon you ride makes covering distances a lot easier, even in the water later on into the game.+ It’s Pokemon’s return to challenging gameplay. You’ll have a really bad time doing a Nuzlocke in this game.+ The music will give Black & White, and Diamond and Pearl a run for their money. Arguably the highlight of this series.+ The battle interface has been streamlined a bit for ease of use.+ There are more battle boxes, so you don’t necessarily have to constantly edit your team when the usual 2 is used up.+ The PC box has been streamlined. Moving items and organizing your pokemon within the box is easier.+ Team Skull are one of the most endearing villains in the series.+ Breeding Pokemon are a lot easier, and there are visual cues as to when an egg is ready.+ The Z moves are a welcome addition to the series.CONs:- Catching rare Pokemon in the water is a horrible experience- The game has one of the longest openings in a Pokemon game. Cutscenes will be very jarring for the first few moments into the game until you eventually get used to it.- NEBBY, GET IN THE BAG!- Festival Plaza, this game’s online hub, makes it an even more tedious journey to just battle someone online. It takes a lot more button presses/ clicks than usual. It’s a step down from the X&Y’s more convenient interface.- The Zygarde Core quest is infuriating. It’s definitely a worse version of the megastone quest from X&Y- Acquiring megastones in this game requires you to go through the one of most tedious post-game challenges. To make matters worse, they’re also the most expensive.
Danny –
As a longtime pokemon fan, this purchase was a no-brainer for me. For this installment I chose to not look at any spoilers of the game beforehand, so these are my thoughts while playing through:New Pokemon:Any game with new pokemon usually guarantees a thumbs up from me. I’m less of a fan of remakes because I played through the originals so many times as a kid. The new pokemon this time around were all really great and I felt like a kid again seeing them all for the first time. I also really liked the addition of alolan forms for some of the original 151 pokemon, but there were only ~15 of those total (including some evolutions), which was kind of disappointing. Another great thing is that there are plenty of new legendaries / special pokemon to catch, which I felt was lacking in X/Y.Z Moves:Instead of mega-evolution, this game introduces z-moves. They are essentially a once-per-battle super move that you can use by attaching an item to your pokemon. Honestly, I prefer mega evolutions. It breathed new life into some pokemon by changing abilities and appearance. Z-moves are kind of boring…Trial battles instead of gyms:”Trials” replaced gyms in this installment. This was a super cool new addition in my opinion. A lot of people are unsure how they feel about the change, but I thought trials were great. They are very similar to gym battles in terms of progression through battles/ puzzles to be solved, but the advent of totem pokemon, enemies calling for help during battle, and increased stats made them more challenging and satisfying.Extra features:In terms of extra features, this game did a good job. Replacing hidden machines with pokemon riding was a great idea, it really makes you feel more involved and saves your teams’ move slots. Pokemon refresh and poke-pelagio are also fun little mini games that offer benefits during the main game. Festival plaza is basically more cumbersome way to connect to the internet/ interact with others, but it adds minigames and shops that can be fun as well. Lastly, breeding for competitive play is easier and quicker than ever, which is always appreciated by those getting into online play for the first time.Overall, I really enjoyed (and am still enjoying) the game! I would recommend it to any pokemon fan new or old, and even as an introduction to the series, as the game itself isn’t too hard and there is a huge variety of pokemon to catch! The game has a few ways to increase or decrease difficulty, such as the exp share and constant stream of rare candies, which is great for easing new players in, or for veterans who want more of a challenge.
Ana –
I pre-ordered this back in October – I was super stoaked when it arrived on release day.I’ve been a super big pokemon fan since Red/Blue were released 20 years ago. I was a little apprehensive since I’d heard Sun/Moon kinda deviated from the ‘traditional’ pokemon game.~Spoilers! Don’t read this part if you don’t want to know about storyline~The biggest thing I didn’t really care for was how guided the game is – there are a TON of cut scenes you can’t skip through, and the beginning of the game really forces you along (blocked paths, required tasks before you can do anything else, etc.). This makes the game quite easy to progress through since there isn’t really any way you can get lost.Sun/Moon don’t have the traditional Gym Leaders/Battles – instead, you are a “trial-goer” and participate in little mini-tasks through your journey across Alola. Rather than Leaders, you are given trials by Island Captains, and eventually face the Island Kahuna as the “Grand Trial” on each island.I honestly found some of the trials to be rather silly – one is a “find the difference” sort of game, another is wandering around finding items in a jungle, etc. None are particularly difficult puzzles or anything. Grand Trials are battles, and those aren’t particularly difficult either (you get the Alpha Saphire/Omega Ruby style Exp. Share pretty early on, so your team is pretty OP.The main story line is pretty interesting – I enjoyed some of the unexpected twists. The after-story is also pretty good, and there’s quite a bit to do after beating the pokemon league the first time around.There are no HMs in Sun/Moon – instead, you get to ride various pokemon around and can call them from anywhere. Pretty useful, and there’s no need to keep an HM slave around to get through different dungeons.I liked Pokemon Refresh a lot – it’s really cute to be able to interact with your pokemon after a battle. Pokepelego is also pretty cool – the ability to farm berries so quickly/in one spot is insanely useful. I’m not too thrilled with the Festival Plaza – it seems you need to be connecting with other trainers via NFC, etc to get the most out of this one.TL;DR – Fun pokemon game.
April –
Got it for my sons birthday and he was so happy.
Holly Ann –
Maybe you’re a child reading this with glee, wonder and excitement. You love Pokemon and want to explore, train and test your ability to become the very best like no one ever was. Or maybe, and more accurately you’re a grown adult with a family, who has grown up with Pokemon with some games bringing you excitement while others not so much. In Pokemon Moon, you will not be disappointed. The game reinvents the world of Pokemon while staying true to its roots. In this game you will encounter many exciting adventurous elements that will resurrect the nineties kid in you.Explore The Uniquely Tropical Alola RegionIn this game you play a Pokemon trainer who is just beginning his journey into the world of Pokemon. You will explore many different geographical locations that are all centralized in the breezy, relaxing tropics. As a result of this many of the creatures you will encounter will be affected by this including old classics such as Raticate, Pikachu,Vulpix and a vast number of other Pokemon both new and old who will display all new abilities and characteristics to assist you in your journey.Tired Of Waiting While Your Avatar Has To Constantly Walk Everywhere? Fly To Anywhere From Anywhere With The All New Charizard Ride PagerWhether you have a Charizard in your party or not it will not make a difference. In the game your character receives a ride pager that allows you to summon Charizard from anywhere you are and fly to any island you desire with relative ease. No longer will you have to wait while your avatar walks or runs long distances or capture flying Pokemon to get to specific locations! Simply summon Charizard and off you go!Discover The Mysteries of The All New Ultra Beasts!A whole new unique Pokemon! Or are they? In Pokemon Moon the player is introduced to creatures that have come from a dimension known as Ultra Space! After completing the games main story, your journey will not simply end there! After the credits roll your character will awake in his/her room and be given a mission by a mysterious old man who gives you an ancient item.You will use this mysterious item to track down and capture/contain what are known as Ultra Beasts. Unique and powerful creatures that are much more powerful than even the strongest Pokemon. Whether you capture or destroy the beasts is up to you. Your Decisions. Your Actions. Your Choice. Whatever you choose to do will change/affect the outcome of the game.Action! Adventure! Mystery! What more could someone want? Pokemon Moon is a game for everyone of all ages and backgrounds to play and enjoy.
Mommy Var –
Having played through the Pokemon series, flaws and all, I can say the added features here make this one of the best Pokemon I’ve ever played. While the story mostly follows the traditional formula (Collect, Train, Unlock New Areas, Beat the Bad Team, and become the Champion), it does it in a way that finally makes the game feel like it’s not working against you.Probably the best feature added to this game (and possibly the best addition to the entire series) is the removal of HMs. Instead of having to find the one or two HMs that can be viable on an actual member of your team and having to load as many as possible onto an HM slave (Thank you for your years of service Golduck!), you are now given what becomes effectively a summon ability. At certain progress points through the game, you get access to different Pokemon that function as ridable HMs. A Charizard will help you fly. A Tauros will smash rocks in your path and allow you to dramatically improve your run speed (very helpful with egg hatching). It means your team can be 6 Pokemon that you choose, not 5 plus one just for HMs.The key drawback I found for this game was the hard push to expand the Poison type. While it is nice to see some old faces rejuvenated (looking at you Muk), the sheer number of additional Poison types makes this game feel like you’re exploring the poison islands. While I realize this is likely a response to help tone down the power of the Fairy type, which was a response to tone down the Dragon type, it feels a bit heavy handed. Granted, Poison types have been underrepresented for most of the history of Pokemon, but I think they could have been a bit more creative in their execution. Other than that complaint, I think the overall execution of the game was fantastic, as were some of the new additions to the roster.One other nitpick is that there is no National Dex, even after completing the game. Not the biggest deal, but a good FYI.You can see many other reviews that can tell you about the different areas and features, so by all means check those if you;re curious. What it boils down to is if you’re remotely interested in Pokemon, you should play this game!