Pokemon Moon - Nintendo 3DS Moon Edition

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.

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.