Pokémon Sun and Moon
| |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Game Freak |
Publisher(s) | |
Director(s) | Shigeru Ohmori |
Producer(s) |
|
Designer(s) | Shigeru Ohmori |
Programmer(s) | Sosuke Tamada |
Artist(s) | Takao Unno |
Writer(s) |
|
Composer(s) |
|
Series | Pokémon |
Platform(s) | Nintendo 3DS |
Release |
|
Genre(s) | Role-playing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Pokémon Sun[a] and Pokémon Moon[b] are 2016 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the seventh generation of the Pokémon video game series. First announced in February 2016, Sun and Moon were released worldwide on 18 November 2016, commemorating the franchise's 20th anniversary. A pair of enhanced versions, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, were released for the same consoles on 17 November 2017.
The titles began development following completion of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, with increased emphasis on Pokémon interactions, and relationships. They follow a young Pokémon Trainer's journey around the Alola region—based on Hawaii—with the objective of the games being to complete the island challenge and prevent the schemes of Team Skull, and later the Aether Foundation, all while attempting to challenge various Pokémon Trainers of gradually increasing difficulty. Sun and Moon introduced 81 new Pokémon species, and new features such as Alolan forms of previous generation Pokémon, powerful moves known as Z-Moves, alien creatures known as Ultra Beasts, updated battle and training mechanics, and improved polygonal 3D graphics. While largely independent of one another, the two games follow a similar plot, and while each can be played separately, trading Pokémon between the two games is necessary to complete the Pokédex. Pokémon may also be traded in from other games just like in previous installments.
The games received generally favorable reviews from critics, who welcomed the change from the formula used by prior Pokémon games and praised the gameplay of Sun and Moon while criticizing the lack of content beyond the primary plot. Upon release, the games became some of the fastest-selling games in Nintendo's history at that point. To date, Sun and Moon have sold over 16 million copies worldwide, making them the third-best-selling Nintendo 3DS titles, after Mario Kart 7 and their predecessors, Pokémon X and Y.
Gameplay
[edit]Pokémon Sun and Moon are role-playing video games with adventure elements, set in the fictional Alola region (loosely based on Hawaii),[1] presented in a third-person, overhead perspective.[2] The player controls a young trainer who goes on a quest to catch and train creatures known as Pokémon, and win battles against other trainers.[1] By defeating opposing Pokémon in turn-based battles, the player's Pokémon gains experience, allowing them to level up and increase their battle statistics, learn new battle techniques, and in some cases, evolve into more powerful Pokémon. Players can capture wild Pokémon, found during random encounters, by weakening them in battle and catching them with Poké Balls, allowing them to be added to their party. Players are also able to battle and trade Pokémon with other human players using the Nintendo 3DS' connectivity features. As with previous games in the series, certain Pokémon are only obtainable in either Sun or Moon, with players encouraged to trade with others in order to obtain all Pokémon from both versions.[3][4]
New features
[edit]Pokémon Sun and Moon are presented in fully three dimensional (3D) polygonal graphics, like their predecessors, allowing for more interactivity with the overworld and more dynamic action during battles. However, the character models in Sun and Moon possess more realistic proportions compared to chibi-styled models used in Pokémon X and Y or Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.[5] Players are also able to customize their Pokémon trainer's appearance, choosing gender, skin tone and hair color at the start of the game and can later acquire outfits and accessories to change their character's appearance. Joining the previous generations of Pokémon are all new species, such as the new starter Pokémon; Rowlet, Litten and Popplio and the Pokémon that are, within the fictional Pokémon world, described as legendary, namely Solgaleo and Lunala.[6][7]
Pokémon Sun and Moon are the first entries in the series to be available in Chinese, both Simplified and Traditional, along with English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese and Korean, for a total of nine available languages.[8] The games introduce variants of Pokémon introduced in older games with new typings and appearances, known as Alolan Forms. Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales, which are Fire types in other regions, are respectively Ice and dual Ice and Fairy types. Alolan Sandshrew and Sandslash, which are Ground types in other regions, are Ice and Steel types. Alolan Meowth and Persian, which are Normal types in other regions, are Dark types. Some Pokémon evolutions have gained dual typings as well, such as Alolan Marowak which is now a Fire and Ghost type and Alolan Raichu, an Electric and Psychic type.[9][10] Throughout the game, players utilize a Rotom-possessed Pokédex on the bottom touchscreen, which displays a mini-map containing markers for story objectives.[11]
Pokémon Sun and Moon introduce a powerful new type of move known as Z-Moves which can only be used once per battle.[12] Hidden moves, which were used to navigate terrain in past games, have been replaced by specialized Pokémon that can be summoned at will.[13] The "Poké Finder" is a function of the Rotom Pokédex which allows players to take photos of Pokémon in the wild, similar to Pokémon Snap.[14][15] In addition, the two games' clocks are set 12 hours apart from each other, with Sun operating on the 3DS' time and Moon operating 12 hours ahead.[16] Character customization as previously seen in X and Y returns in Sun and Moon. A new "Pokémon Refresh" feature enables players to care for and feed their Pokémon.[17] Mega Evolution, a game mechanic first introduced in X and Y, returns in Sun and Moon.[18] The Battle Tree is a location which allows players to battle or team up with Pokémon trainers, including Kanto region trainers Red and Blue.[19] Players can trade or battle with other players online.[20] From a location called the Festival Plaza, players can participate in "Global Missions", where people from across the world work towards a set target — such as catching 100 million Pokémon collectively.[21]
Connectivity
[edit]Pokémon caught or obtained in Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire can be transferred to Sun and Moon.[22] The games are also compatible with Pokémon Bank, an online Pokémon storage system introduced during the previous generation of Pokémon games.[23] In a special Pokémon Direct on 26 February 2016, Tsunekazu Ishihara from The Pokémon Company announced that Pokémon caught in the Virtual Console versions of Red, Blue, and Yellow are transferable to Sun and Moon via Pokémon Bank. Compatibility with Pokémon Bank was initially planned to be available at the games' launch but was delayed and later became available on 24 January 2017.[17][24] Tomy also released a peripheral interactive toy resembling a Z-Ring, which synchronizes with the use of Z-Moves in the games.[25]
Plot
[edit]Setting
[edit]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".[26] During an interview at E3 2016, Shigeru Ohmori noted that Game Freak staff took trips to Hawaii to conduct research for Sun and Moon.[27]
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, continuing the trend of Pokémon professors being named after trees. Team Skull is the name of the villainous group in Alola.[28][29] The Aether Foundation is an organization which studies Ultra Beasts, mysterious creatures from another dimension.[30] Though Profesor Samuel Oak does not appear in Sun and Moon, his cousin Samson Oak takes his place.[31]
Story
[edit]The player starts off moving from Kanto region to Melemele Island of Alola region with their mother. After meeting Lillie and rescuing her special Pokémon she calls Nebby, the player obtains a starter Pokémon from local Professor Kukui and embarks on the island challenge, a coming-of-age custom spanning trials across Alola, along with local youngster Hau. Unlike in previous games, trials involve battles with powered-up Pokémon, followed by battles with each island's Kahuna upon completion of an island's trials. Throughout this, the player encounters Team Skull, a gang of people who quit the island trials whose members include their leader Guzma, and enforcer Gladion. The player also encounters the Aether Foundation, an organization aiming to shelter Pokémon from various threats.
During a visit to the Aether Foundation's base, Aether Paradise—a very large floating structure—a mysterious creature called an Ultra Beast emerges from a wormhole, but retreats before it can be defeated or captured. Later, after the player has defeated Team Skull at their base, Gladion reveals that Team Skull has been working for the Aether Foundation, kidnapping Nebby to use its powers in summoning Ultra Beasts. The player then proceeds to battle through Aether Paradise with Hau and Gladion's help, eventually defeating Aether president Lusamine, who is revealed to be Gladion and Lillie's mother. Despite this, Lusamine and Guzma manage to open an Ultra Wormhole, with the former overclocking Nebby's powers, transporting them to Ultra Space, the Ultra Beasts' dimension. This causes Nebby to evolve into a cocoon-like form while Ultra Beasts are unleashed 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. [c] With Nebby's newfound power, the player and Lillie travel to Ultra Space and find Lusamine who, not wanting to be rescued, allows herself to be taken over by the Ultra Beast they encountered earlier, forcing the player to battle her in self-defense. After defeating the crazed Lusamine, the player returns to Alola and ascends Mount Lanakila to challenge the newly formed Alola Pokémon League and defeating the Elite Four members. In the last match, they defeated Kukui to become the first-ever Alola Pokémon League Champion. In the credits, the player battles Melemele's guardian deity Tapu Koko after a celebration, with Lillie and Lusamine departing Alola region for Kanto region the following day.
After becoming the first-ever Alola Pokémon League Champion, the player is contacted by two members of the International Police: Anabel, who was head of the Battle Tower in Pokémon Emerald, and Looker, a recurring detective since Pokémon Platinum. The player assists the two with handling the wild Ultra Beasts that Lusamine let loose into Alola in a series of quests.[d] Following the final quest, Looker reveals that he saw another Ultra Beast, although Anabel dismisses this. If the player then travels to Ten Carat Hill, they will encounter Necrozma.
Development
[edit]Game director Shigeru Ohmori stated that the choice of Sun and Moon as title was inspired by the two celestial bodies’ metaphorical representation of human relationships.[32] Hawaii was chosen as the basis for the game's region following the title's determination, due to its clear nights and plentiful sunshine.[33] Development started immediately after Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire was completed and Ohmori kept his game director position. Since the games were to be released on the franchise's 20th anniversary, Sun and Moon were developed comparatively from scratch with the application of more radical changes than its predecessor.[32] Separately, he also mentioned that the games' intended to place more emphasis on the Pokémon and the nature of the games, in addition to the player's interactions with them.[34]
The first Pokémon of the seventh generation to be designed was Jangmo-o. Regarding the various other designs of the generation, Ohmori mentioned that "For the 20th anniversary, we wanted to have a lot of special surprises… we wanted a funny element".[35] Pokémon from Red and Blue were the only ones to receive Alolan forms—according to Ohmori, this was as a special surprise for long-time players and simply due to the older Pokémon being more recognizable.[36] Following the trend between newer generations of the main series, the designers of Sun and Moon focused on the motions on the full 3D models from X and Y in order to create livelier creatures.[33]
Despite the successes of Pokémon Go, the developers stated that it did not affect the development of Sun and Moon, although it did improve public awareness of the franchise in general and that they were working to develop interactivity between the app and the main series.[36] Ohmori added that during the development of Sun and Moon they "completely redesigned the system, and actually ended up pushing the 3DS even further to what [they] thought was the most [they] could draw out of it."[37] With a team of around 120, the games took about three years to develop, which is comparable with other new-generation games.[38] Later on, Kazumasa Iwao, who was responsible for the battle systems in Sun and Moon, was recruited as director for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.[39]
Music
[edit]According to composer Junichi Masuda, who co-produced the game, the soundtracks used in Sun and Moon were based on traditional Hawaiian music styles. However, while it utilizes their core rhythms, Alola's music employs "completely different" melodies while still invoking a tropical island feel.[32] On 30 November 2016 the Nintendo 3DS Pokémon Sun and Moon Super Music Complete[e], a four-disk soundtrack containing 169 songs, 160 from the games and 9 special tracks, was released in Japan. The international release, known as Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon: Super Music Collection, was released on iTunes on the same date.[40][41]
Promotion and release
[edit]On 25 February 2016, the existence of the two games was leaked when Nintendo's trademarks for them were found on the website of the European Union Intellectual Property Office.[42] IGN pointed towards the recent introduction of a new Pokémon, Magearna, as indication the two games would be revealed.[43] The games were officially announced the following day in a Nintendo Direct presentation that also commemorated the franchise's 20th anniversary.[44] The games launched with support for nine languages.[22] On 10 May, more information on the games was released through a new trailer, including new Pokémon, box art, and release dates. Pokémon Sun and Moon released in Japan, North America, and Australia on 18 November 2016, and in Europe on 23 November 2016.[45] A comic based on Pokémon Sun and Moon launched alongside an edition of CoroCoro Comic on 15 September 2016.[46] Early purchasers of the games received a special Munchlax holding Snorlium Z, enabling it to use an exclusive Z-Move unique to Snorlax, Munchlax's evolution, via a wireless distribution event.[47] A Japanese trailer was unveiled on 8 September 2016.[48] A Pokémon Sun and Moon-themed New Nintendo 3DS XL was released on 28 October 2016.[49]
Similar to Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, a special demo was released on 18 October 2016.[18] On 27 October 2016 during Nintendo's Financial Briefing, they stated the demo had been downloaded more than 3.5 million times, being the most popular and fastest "selling" demo in 3DS history.[50] Pokémon Sun and Moon were the most pre-ordered games in Nintendo's history.[51] The games were also the most anticipated 3DS releases in 2016, according to Nielsen Game Rank.[52]
Days before their release, the games' files were leaked on to the Internet, giving software pirates access to the full game, including online functions, before their release. Nintendo took action against those who used the Internet features, banning users involved from not only using the online features of the games — even if later playing the official release — but also from accessing other 3DS online services, such as the Nintendo eShop and Miiverse.[53]
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
[edit]Pokémon Ultra Sun[f] and Pokémon Ultra Moon[g] are enhanced 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 6 June 2017 during a Pokémon-themed Nintendo Direct presentation[54] and were released worldwide on 17 November 2017.[55] They feature an alternate storyline set in Sun and Moon's world, and include Pokémon and locations not available in the original games.[56]
Reception
[edit]Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | 87/100[57][58] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Destructoid | 9/10 [59] |
Famitsu | 38/40[60] |
Game Informer | 8.5/10 (Moon)[61] |
GameSpot | 8/10[62] |
GameZone | 9.5/10[63] |
IGN | 9/10[64] |
Nintendo Life | [65] |
Nintendo World Report | 8/10 (Moon)[66] |
Polygon | 8.5/10[67] |
USgamer | 4.5/5[68] |
Critical response
[edit]Pokémon Sun and Moon received a score of 87/100 on Metacritic based on 84 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[57][58] This placed Sun and Moon as the 5th and 6th highest-rated 3DS games in 2016, and the 19th and 20th on the console of all time.[69][70] The move from the gym system received widespread praise from critics, some of whom saw the change as a major step towards future developments of the franchise.[59][66]
Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the pair a 38/40 rating.[60] Writing for video game review site IGN, Kallie Plagge gave the games a 9/10, and said that they "switch up the formula to create an engaging adventure that improves on its predecessors", in addition to praising the streamlined battle interface and other mechanics.[64] Many critics praised the story as one of the best in the franchise. Alex Donaldson of VG247 remarked that the story drew him in deeper, saying "I remain more engaged in this story than in any other Pokémon tale yet".[71] Alex Olney of Nintendo Life said that "the plot in Sun & Moon is the deepest and most ambitious Game Freak has dared attempt", he also called them the best Pokémon games ever produced, commenting that Alola's design felt natural and organic, praising Game Freak for successfully balancing additional mechanics without alienating existing fans.[65] Chris Tapsell of Eurogamer said the games were "the best generation in more than a decade". They earned an "essential" ranking from the site.[72]
On the other hand, Tapsell also remarked that the first few hours of the games included too many tutorials and protected gameplay.[72] Jeremy Parish of USGamer assessed that "Z-Moves feel underwhelming" taking "way too long" despite being the most engaging campaign the series has offered in a long time,[68] while Polygon's Allegra Frank criticized their linear gameplay and lack of content beyond the primary storyline although the games had "the most memorable Pokémon journey in years".[67]
Sales
[edit]According to Nintendo of America, Sun and Moon were the fastest-selling titles in Nintendo's history at the time.[73] As of 31 March 2023[update], Sun and Moon have sold 16.30 million copies, ranking them as the third-best-selling Nintendo 3DS titles behind both Mario Kart 7 and Pokémon X and Y.[74] During a GameStop Q3 earnings conference call, Pokémon Sun and Moon were said to have had the most pre-orders for any video game in the last five years.[75] It is GameStop's best-selling game of 2016, outselling Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.[76] On its first day of release, Pokémon Sun and Moon shipped 10 million units worldwide.[77] The games sold over 1.9 million copies in Japan in its first three days on the market and are Nintendo's biggest game launch of all time in Europe, with the United Kingdom and France launches selling 368,000 and 450,000 copies respectively within a week out of the continent's 1.5 million sales.[78][79][80] The European sales rose past the 2 million mark within the following week.[81] In North America, the games sold over 3.7 million units in less than two weeks after initial release,[82] climbing to 4.5 million by mid-January.[83][84]
Awards
[edit]Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Golden Joystick Awards | Handheld/Mobile Game of the Year | Won |
20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Handheld Game of the Year | Won[85] | |
British Academy Game Awards | Mobile | Nominated | |
British Academy Children's Awards | Game | Nominated |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Japanese: ポケットモンスター サン, Hepburn: Poketto Monsutā San, "Pocket Monsters: Sun"
- ^ Japanese: ポケットモンスター ムーン, Hepburn: Poketto Monsutā Mūn, "Pocket Monsters: Moon"
- ^ Nebby evolves into Solgaleo at the Altar of the Sunne in Sun; in Moon it evolves into Lunala at the Altar of the Moone
- ^ Ultra Beasts featured are Buzzwole and Kartana in Sun, with Pheromosa and Celesteela in Moon
- ^ Japanese: ニンテンドー3DS ポケモン サン・ムーン スーパーミュージック・コンプリート, Hepburn: Nintendō 3 Dī Esu Pokémon San · Mūn Sūpā Myūjikku Konpūrito
- ^ Japanese: ポケットモンスター ウルトラサン, Hepburn: Poketto Monsutā Urutora San, "Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun"
- ^ Japanese: ポケットモンスター ウルトラムーン, Hepburn: Poketto Monsutā Urutora Mūn, "Pocket Monsters: Ultra Moon"
References
[edit]- ^ a b Alexander, Julia (14 June 2016). "Pokémon Moon and Sun: Everything we know". Polygon. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ Minotti, Mike (17 November 2016). "Pokémon Sun and Moon make a good first impression with their formula-shaking tweaks". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ "Pokémon Black Version Instruction Booklet" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ "Pokemon Sun & Moon guide: version differences, plus where to find & catch exclusive Pokemon". VG247. 22 November 2016. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ Garcia, Edwin (25 October 2016). "POKÉMON SUN and MOON's Subtle Changes Are Super Effective (Preview)". Nerdist. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ Prell, Sam (4 October 2016). "Finally, the evolved forms of Pokemon Sun & Moon's Rowlet, Popplio, and Litten are here". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Legendary Pokémon unveiled for Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon". Nintendo. 2 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ Calvin, Alex (26 February 2016). "Pokémon targets China with Sun and Moon". MCV UK. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ Hern, Alex (2 August 2016). "Pokémon introduces Alola forms – including a 36-foot Exeggutor". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ "'Pokémon Sun and Moon' Pokédex: How many new Pokémon are in Gen 7?". Mic. 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ Phillips, Tom (3 June 2016). "Pokémon Sun and Moon's new Pokédex is a Pokémon". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ "Z-moves and Alolan Pokémon variants announced for Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ Frank, Allegra (19 October 2016). "Pokémon Sun and Moon are changing one of the series' most frustrating mechanics". Polygon. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (6 September 2016). "Pokémon Sun and Moon will let you take pictures Pokémon Snap-style". The Verge. Archived from the original on 6 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ Skrebels, Joe (6 September 2016). "New Pokemon Sun and Moon Details - New Pokemon, Ultra Beasts and a Pokemon Snap Style Feature Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on 6 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "The Differences between Pokémon Sun and Moon on Pokémon Sun and Moon.com". The Pokémon Company. Archived from the original on 2 April 2017.
- ^ a b "Pokemon Sun/Moon: New Creatures Revealed, Bank Feature Delayed". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ a b Barder, Ollie (5 October 2016). "'Pokémon Sun And Moon' Is Getting A Demo This October". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Red And Blue Return In Pokémon Sun And Moon's Battle Tree - Nintendo Insider". Nintendo Insider. 27 October 2016. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ "Pokémon Sun & Moon's Festival Plaza Is A Very Giving Place". Siliconera. 21 November 2016. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ Carden, Dennis (3 January 2017). "The fourth Pokemon Sun and Moon Global Mission is already a resounding success". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon". The Pokémon Company. Archived from the original on 28 February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ^ "Pokémon Bank on Pokémon Sun and Moon.com". Archived from the original on 3 April 2017.
- ^ Macy, Seth (24 January 2017). "Pokemon Bank Now Compatible With Sun and Moon". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ Fahey, Mike (18 November 2016). "Toy Time Plays With Pokémon Sun And Moon's Z-Ring". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ Skrebels, Joe (10 May 2016). "Pokemon Sun and Moon: First Gameplay, New Starters, Region Revealed". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 May 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- ^ "Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon - Demonstration - Nintendo E3 2016". YouTube. Nintendo. 14 June 2016. 33m 25s. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016.
- ^ Barder, Ollie. "Team Skull And More Pokémon Join 'Pokémon Sun And Moon'". Forbes. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "'Pokémon Sun And Moon': New Pokémon And Ultra Beasts Revealed In Latest Trailer". 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- ^ "'Pokémon Sun And Moon' New Trailer: New Pokémon Null, Jangmo-o, Alolan Raticate, UB-01 Revealed; Time Difference, Aether Foundation Announced". International Business Times. 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- ^ Frank, Allegra (8 September 2016). "Professor Oak's not in Pokémon Sun and Moon, but his chilled-out cousin is". Polygon. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Peckham, Matt (29 October 2016). "Why the New Pokémon are Called 'Sun and Moon'". Time. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Learn all about Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon in our in-depth interview". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ Bailey, Kat (19 October 2016). "Interview: First-time Pokémon Director Shigeru Ohmori Opens Up About Sun and Moon". USgamer. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (25 October 2016). "The Creators of Pokémon Explain Why Sun and Moon Has Ridiculous Monster Designs". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ a b Hillard, Kyle (19 October 2016). "Burning Questions For Pokémon Sun & Moon". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ Skrebels, Joe (19 October 2017). "Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will be the last Pokémon RPGs for the 3DS". IGN. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ Haywald, Justin (19 October 2016). "Pokemon Sun/Moon Devs on Legendaries, Pokemon Go, and the Origin of Pikachu". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (19 October 2017). "How Pokémon Go helped shape the upcoming Ultra Sun and Moon on Nintendo 3DS". The Verge. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ Rossignol, Derrick (1 December 2016). "The POKÉMON SUN and MOON Soundtrack Is Now Available on iTunes". Nerdist. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ "ニンテンドー3DS ポケモン サン・ムーン スーパーミュージック・コンプリート" (in Japanese). Over-Lap. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ Porter, Matt (25 February 2016). "The Next Pokemon Games Could Be Called Sun And Moon". IGN. Archived from the original on 27 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ Macy, Seth G. (26 February 2016). "Pokemon Sun and Moon Officially Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Viscardi, James (26 February 2016). "Nintendo Announces Pokemon Sun And Moon For 20th Anniversary". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ^ "Look for tomorrow". Junichi Masuda. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ Whitehead, Thomas (8 August 2016). "A Pokémon Sun And Moon Manga Series Is Coming To CoroCoro Comics". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ Etherington, Darrell (September 2016). "Sun and Moon's early purchase bonus is a pre-Snorlax Pokémon". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ Barder, Ollie (8 September 2016). "'Pokémon Sun And Moon' Shows Off Its Legendary Pokémon In Latest Trailer". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- ^ Dornbush, Jonathon (13 September 2016). "Pokemon Sun and Moon New Nintendo 3DS XL Special Edition Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ Harp, Justin (28 October 2016). "Pokémon Sun and Moon demo racks up a record-breaking 3.5 million downloads". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ^ Frank, Allegra (27 October 2016). "Pokémon Sun and Moon are Nintendo's biggest pre-orders ever". Polygon. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ^ "Tops of 2016: Video Games". nielsen.com. Nielsen. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (16 November 2016). "Players Who Pirated Pokemon Sun and Moon Say Nintendo is Banning them". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (6 June 2017). "Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon Only Announced For 3DS Later This Year [Update]". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ Humphries, Matthew (19 October 2017). "Ultra Sun and Moon Are the Last 3DS Pokemon Games". PCMag UK. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ "Alola Region | Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon". pokemon-sunmoon.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Pokemon Sun for 3DS Reviews — Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Pokemon Moon for 3DS Reviews — Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ a b Devore, Jordan (11 November 2016). "Review: Pokemon Sun". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017.
- ^ a b Romano, Sal (15 November 2016). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1459". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ Hilliard, Kyle (15 November 2016). "Pokemon Moon: Destination Vacation". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ Justin, Haywald (18 November 2016). "Pokémon Sun/Moon Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ Splechta, Mike (16 November 2016). "Pokemon Sun & Moon is a proper evolution". Game Zone. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017.
- ^ a b Plagge, Kalle (15 November 2016). "Pokemon Sun and Moon review". IGN. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016.
- ^ a b Olney, Alex (15 November 2016). "Review: Pokémon Sun and Moon (3DS)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
- ^ a b Koopman, Dan (15 November 2016). "Pokemon Moon (3DS) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ a b Frank, Allegra (15 November 2016). "Pokemon Sun and Moon Review". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 24 June 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ a b Parish, Jeremy (18 November 2016). "Aloha, Alola". USgamer. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "The Best Video Games of 2016". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "All Nintendo 3DS Video Game Releases". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 28 November 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Donaldson, Alex (23 November 2016). "Pokemon Sun & Moon review: the best Pokemon game in years". VG247. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ a b Tapsell, Chris (23 November 2016). "Pokémon Sun and Moon review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Nintendo of America [@NintendoAmerica] (30 November 2016). "It's official: #PokemonSunMoon are the fastest-selling games in Nintendo history in the Americas! Which version are…" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 January 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Top Selling Title Sales Units". Nintendo. 31 December 2019. Archived from the original on 31 October 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ "Pokemon Sun & Moon "Most Pre-Ordered Game In 5 Years", Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare Underpreformed Says Gamestop". thisgengaming.com. 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (22 November 2016). "GameStop Sales Hurting, as New Call of Duty Underperforms; Pokemon Sun/Moon Biggest of 2016". Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ "Pokémon Sun and Moon break Nintendo 3DS record with 10 million copies shipped - GamesBeat". VentureBeat. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Kerr, Chris (22 November 2016). "Pokemon Sun and Moon first week sales top 1.9 million in Japan". Gamasutra. UBM TechWeb. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ Phillips, Tom (28 November 2016). "Pokémon Sun and Moon are Nintendo's biggest UK launch of all time". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ Casey (4 December 2016). "Pokémon Sun & Moon Sell Over 425,000 Copies In First Week In France, Set New Record". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 5 December 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
- ^ Forde, Matthew (8 December 2016). "Pokémon Sun & Moon Sales Pass 2 Million in Europe". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ "Pokémon Sun/Moon Games Sell 3.7 Million Copies in 1st 2 Weeks in N. America". Anime News Network. 1 December 2016. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany (30 November 2016). "Pokemon Sun and Moon sold 3.7 million units in North America in less than two weeks". VG247. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Macy, Seth (19 January 2017). "Pokemon Sun And Moon Pass Huge Sales Milestone". IGN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Pokémon Sun and Moon". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
External links
[edit]- 2016 video games
- Game Freak games
- Japanese role-playing video games
- Multiplayer and single-player video games
- Nintendo 3DS eShop games
- Nintendo 3DS games
- Nintendo 3DS-only games
- Nintendo Network games
- Pokémon video games
- Role-playing video games
- Video game sequels
- Video games adapted into comics
- Video games developed in Japan
- Video games with gender-selectable protagonists
- Fiction about wormholes
- Video games scored by Go Ichinose
- Video games scored by Junichi Masuda
- Video games set in Hawaii
- Video games set on fictional islands
- Video games with cel-shaded animation
- Video games with customizable avatars
- Creatures (company) games