Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are video games released in 2016. They were created by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. These games are the first in the seventh generation of the Pokémon series. They were first announced in February 2016 and released worldwide on November 18, 2016, to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary. Enhanced versions, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, were released on November 17, 2017, for the same consoles.
Development of these games began after the completion of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The games focus on interactions and relationships between Pokémon. Players control a young trainer traveling through the Alola Region, which is inspired by Hawaii. The goal is to complete an island challenge, stop the plans of Team Skull and later the Aether Foundation, and battle trainers of increasing difficulty. Sun and Moon added 81 new Pokémon species, Alolan forms of older Pokémon, special moves called Z-Moves, alien-like creatures known as Ultra Beasts, updated battle and training systems, and improved 3D graphics. While the games have similar stories, they can be played separately. However, trading Pokémon between the two games is needed to complete the Pokédex. Pokémon from other games can also be traded, as in earlier versions.
Critics generally praised the games for their fresh approach and gameplay. At release, they became some of Nintendo's fastest-selling games. As of September 30, 2024, Sun and Moon have sold 16.33 million copies worldwide, making them the third-best-selling Nintendo 3DS titles, following Mario Kart 7 and the previous games Pokémon X and Y.
Gameplay
Pokémon Sun and Moon are role-playing video games with adventure elements. They are set in the fictional Alola Region, which is loosely based on Hawaii. The games are viewed from above, like looking down on a map. Players control a young Trainer who goes on a quest to catch and train creatures called Pokémon. They battle other Trainers to win. When a Pokémon defeats an opponent in a turn-based battle, it gains experience points. This allows it to level up, improve its battle stats, learn new moves, and sometimes evolve into a stronger Pokémon. Players can catch wild Pokémon during random encounters by weakening them in battle and using Poké Balls. These Pokémon can then join the player's team. The games also allow players to battle and trade Pokémon with others using the Nintendo 3DS' connectivity features. Some Pokémon are only available in Sun or Moon, so players are encouraged to trade with others to collect all Pokémon from both versions.
Pokémon Sun and Moon use fully three-dimensional (3D) polygonal graphics, like earlier games in the series. This allows more interaction with the game world and more dynamic battles. The character models in Sun and Moon have more realistic proportions compared to the chibi-styled models used in Pokémon X and Y or Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Players can customize their Trainer's appearance at the start of the game by choosing gender, skin tone, and hair color. Later, they can earn outfits and accessories to change their character's look. New Pokémon species are introduced, including the Starter Pokémon: Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio. Also included are two Legendary Pokémon, Solgaleo and Lunala.
Pokémon Sun and Moon are the first games in the series to be available in Chinese (both Simplified and Traditional), along with English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, and Korean. This makes nine languages available in total. The games introduce new versions of older Pokémon called Alolan Forms. These Pokémon have different types and appearances. For example, Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales are Ice and dual Ice/Fairy types, instead of Fire types in other regions. Alolan Sandshrew and Sandslash are Ice/Steel types, instead of Ground types. Alolan Meowth and Persian are Dark types, instead of Normal types. Some evolved Pokémon also have dual types, such as Alolan Marowak (Fire/Ghost) and Alolan Raichu (Electric/Psychic). Players use a Rotom-possessed Pokédex on the bottom touchscreen, which shows a map with markers for story goals.
Pokémon Sun and Moon introduce a new type of move called Z-Moves, which can only be used once per battle. Moves that helped navigate terrain in earlier games have been replaced by special Pokémon that can be summoned anytime. The "Poké Finder" is a feature of the Rotom Pokédex that lets players take photos of wild Pokémon, similar to Pokémon Snap. The games' clocks are set 12 hours apart: Sun uses the 3DS' time, while Moon is 12 hours ahead. Character customization, which was available in X and Y, returns in Sun and Moon. A new "Pokémon Refresh" feature allows players to care for and feed their Pokémon. Mega Evolution, a mechanic first introduced in X and Y, also returns in Sun and Moon. The Battle Tree is a location where players can battle or team up with other trainers, including Red and Blue from the Kanto region. Online trading and battling with other players is possible. From the Festival Plaza, players can join "Global Missions," where people worldwide work together toward goals like catching 100 million Pokémon.
Pokémon caught in earlier games like X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire can be transferred to Sun and Moon. The games are also compatible with Pokémon Bank, an online storage system introduced in the previous generation. During a special Pokémon Direct on February 26, 2016, Tsunekazu Ishihara from The Pokémon Company announced that Pokémon from the Virtual Console versions of Red, Blue, and Yellow can be transferred to Sun and Moon through Pokémon Bank. Compatibility with Pokémon Bank was planned for the games' launch but was delayed until January 24, 2017. Tomy released a peripheral toy called a Z-Ring, which works with Z-Moves in the games.
Plot
The games take place on a tropical archipelago, a group of islands known as the Alola Region. Joe Skrebels of IGN describes it as "Pokémon's take on Hawaii." During an interview at E3 2016, Shigeru Ohmori noted that Game Freak staff took trips to Hawaii to conduct research for Sun and Moon.
The leading scientist in the Alola Region is Professor Kukui, whose name comes from the kukui, also known as the candlenut, the Hawaiian state tree. This continues the trend of Pokémon professors being named after trees. Team Skull is the name of the villainous group in Alola. The Aether Foundation is an organization that studies Ultra Beasts, mysterious creatures from another dimension. Though Professor Samuel Oak does not appear in Sun and Moon, his cousin Samson Oak takes his place.
The player begins by traveling from the Kanto Region to Melemele Island in the Alola Region with their mother. After meeting a young blond girl named Lillie and rescuing her special Pokémon, which she calls Nebby, the player receives a Starter Pokémon from local Professor Kukui and begins the Island Challenge, a tradition that includes challenges across the islands with a local youngster named Hau. Unlike previous games, the challenges involve battles with stronger Pokémon, followed by battles with each island's Kahuna after completing the island's trials. Throughout this journey, the player encounters Team Skull, a group of people who left the island trials. Team Skull includes their leader, Guzma, and an enforcer named Gladion. The player also meets the Aether Foundation, an organization led by a blond woman named Lusamine, who aims to protect Pokémon from threats.
During a visit to the Aether Foundation's base, Aether Paradise—a large floating structure—a mysterious creature called an Ultra Beast appears through a portal but disappears before it can be captured. Later, after defeating Team Skull at their base, Gladion reveals that Team Skull has been working for the Aether Foundation, kidnapping Nebby to use its powers to summon Ultra Beasts. The player then battles through Aether Paradise with Hau and Gladion's help, eventually defeating Lusamine, who is revealed to be Gladion and Lillie's mother. Despite this, Lusamine and Guzma open an Ultra Wormhole, with Lusamine overusing Nebby's powers to transport them to Ultra Space, the Ultra Beasts' dimension. This causes Nebby to evolve into a cocoon-like form while Ultra Beasts are released onto Alola's islands, forcing the island Kahunas and guardian deities to fight them.
Proceeding to the final island, the player and Lillie perform a ritual to evolve Nebby into its final form—Solgaleo or Lunala, depending on the version—at the island's Altar. With Nebby's new power, the player and Lillie travel to Ultra Space and find Lusamine, who allows herself to be taken over by the Ultra Beast they previously encountered. The player battles Lusamine in self-defense. After defeating her, the player returns to Alola and climbs Mount Lanakila to challenge the newly formed Alola League, defeating the Elite Four members. In the final match, the player defeats Kukui to become the first-ever Alola League Champion. In the credits, the player battles Melemele's guardian deity, Tapu Koko, after a celebration, with Lillie and Lusamine leaving Alola for Kanto the next day.
In the postgame, the player is contacted by two members of the International Police: Anabel, who previously led the Battle Tower in Pokémon Emerald, and Looker, a detective who has appeared in games since Pokémon Platinum. The player helps them manage the wild Ultra Beasts that Lusamine released into Alola through a series of quests. After completing the final quest, Looker reveals he saw another Ultra Beast, but Anabel dismisses this. If the player travels to Ten Carat Hill, they will encounter Necrozma.
Development
Game director Shigeru Ohmori explained that the titles Sun and Moon were chosen because these celestial bodies symbolize human relationships. Hawaii was selected as the game's setting because of its clear nights and bright sunlight, which were decided after the titles were chosen. Development of the games began immediately after Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were completed, and Ohmori remained the game director. Since the games were released on the franchise's 20th anniversary, Sun and Moon were created from the beginning with more significant changes than previous games. Ohmori also noted that the games focused more on the Pokémon themselves, their characteristics, and how players interact with them.
The first Pokémon designed for the seventh generation was Jangmo-o. Ohmori mentioned that for the 20th anniversary, the team wanted to include many special surprises and added fun elements. Only Pokémon from the original Red and Blue games received Alolan forms, as a special tribute to longtime fans and because these older Pokémon were more familiar to players. Following trends from newer games, the designers of Sun and Moon focused on improving the movements of fully 3D models from earlier games like X and Y to make the Pokémon appear more lively.
Although Pokémon Go was successful, the developers said it did not influence the creation of Sun and Moon. However, it helped raise awareness of the franchise, and the team worked to connect the app with the main games. Ohmori noted that during development, the team "completely redesigned the system" and pushed the 3DS hardware to its full potential. With a team of about 120 people, the games took three years to develop, a time frame similar to other new-generation games. Later, Kazumasa Iwao, who designed the battle systems for Sun and Moon, became the director for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
According to composer Junichi Masuda, who co-produced the game, the soundtracks for Sun and Moon were inspired by traditional Hawaiian music. While the music uses similar rhythms, the melodies are different and still give a tropical island feel. On November 30, 2016, a four-disk soundtrack titled Pokémon Sun and Moon Super Music Complete was released in Japan, containing 169 songs—160 from the games and 9 special tracks. The international version, Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon: Super Music Collection, was released on iTunes on the same date.
Promotion and release
On February 25, 2016, the existence of two new Pokémon games was discovered when Nintendo’s trademarks for them were found on a website called the European Union Intellectual Property Office. IGN suggested that the introduction of a new Pokémon, Magearna, might indicate the games would soon be revealed. The games were officially announced the next day during a Nintendo Direct presentation that celebrated the franchise’s 20th anniversary. The games supported nine languages. On May 10, more details were shared in a new trailer, including new Pokémon, box art, and release dates. Pokémon Sun and Moon were released in Japan, North America, and Australia on November 18, 2016, and in Europe on November 23, 2016. A comic based on the games was published alongside an edition of CoroCoro Comic on September 15, 2016. Early buyers received a special Munchlax holding Snorlium Z, which allowed it to use a unique Z-Move exclusive to Snorlax, Munchlax’s evolution, through a wireless event. A Japanese trailer was released on September 8, 2016. A Pokémon Sun and Moon-themed New Nintendo 3DS XL was released on October 28, 2016.
Similar to Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, a special demo was released on October 18, 2016. During Nintendo’s Financial Briefing on October 27, 2016, they reported the demo had been downloaded more than 3.5 million times, making it the most popular and fastest-selling 3DS demo in history. Pokémon Sun and Moon were the most pre-ordered games in Nintendo’s history and the most anticipated 3DS releases in 2016, according to Nielsen Game Rank.
Days before their release, the games’ files were leaked online, allowing pirates to access the full game, including online features, before the official release. Nintendo took action by banning users who used online features, even if they later played the official version, and also blocked access to other 3DS online services, such as the Nintendo eShop and Miiverse.
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon are improved versions of Pokémon Sun and Moon, developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They were announced on June 6, 2017, during a Pokémon-themed Nintendo Direct presentation and released worldwide on November 17, 2017. These games include an alternate storyline set in the same world as Sun and Moon and feature Pokémon and locations not available in the original games.
Reception
Pokémon Sun and Moon received a score of 87 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 84 reviews, which means the games were generally well-received. Another review site, OpenCritic, said the games were strongly approved by 95% of critics. This made Sun and Moon the 5th and 6th highest-rated 3DS games in 2016 and the 19th and 20th best-rated games for the console overall. Critics praised the change from the gym system, with some calling it an important step for the franchise’s future.
Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the games a 38 out of 40 score. IGN reviewer Kallie Plagge gave the games a 9 out of 10, saying they changed the game’s design to create an engaging adventure that improved on earlier games. She also praised the simpler battle system and other features. Alex Donaldson of VG247 said the story made him more interested than any other Pokémon game. Alex Olney of Nintendo Life called the story the most detailed and ambitious Game Freak had ever made and said the games were the best in the series. He also praised the natural design of the Alola region and how the game balanced new features without confusing fans. Chris Tapsell of Eurogamer said the games were the best in the series in more than ten years and gave them an "essential" rating.
However, Tapsell also said the games had too many tutorials in the first few hours. Jeremy Parish of USGamer said Z-Moves were not as exciting as expected, even though the game was the most engaging campaign in the series in a long time. Allegra Frank of Polygon said the games had a set path and not much else beyond the main story, though she called the journey with Pokémon the most memorable in years.
According to Nintendo of America, Sun and Moon were the fastest-selling games in the company’s history at the time. As of March 31, 2023, the games sold 16.30 million copies, making them the third-best-selling 3DS games, behind Mario Kart 7 and Pokémon X and Y. During a GameStop earnings call, the games had the most pre-orders of any video game in the past five years. They were GameStop’s best-selling game of 2016, selling more copies than Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
On their first day of release, Sun and Moon sold 10 million copies worldwide. In Japan, the games sold over 1.9 million copies in the first three days. In Europe, they were Nintendo’s biggest game launch ever, selling 368,000 copies in the United Kingdom and 450,000 copies in France within a week. European sales reached over 2 million copies in the following week. In North America, the games sold over 3.7 million copies in less than two weeks and reached 4.5 million copies by mid-January.