A New Minigame: Mantine Surf
Scattered across Alolas beaches are opportunities to check out this new minigame. Mantine Surf is what it sounds like: Trainers can grab onto a Mantine and surf the waves. Doing special tricks will grant you additional points toward your overall score, as will avoiding other Pokémon hanging out in the waters. Prizes are then awarded based on that score these are typically Battle Points, which can be traded for further rewards.
Your mileage may vary on this one Im not a huge fan of the controls in particullar. But surfing is still a decent pasttime for anyone looking to get more out of their adventure.
The Changes Are Good But The Good Stuff Hasnt Changed
Much like Sun and Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon take players to the tropical Alola region. And much like Sun and Moon, both games feature a quartet of islands where trainers must prove their Pokémon mastery through a gauntlet of special trials. These have some slight tweaks, but for the most part, the trials and their bosses are the same.
One major difference with this mission-based part of the games is the island trials feel even more like padding compared to the bigger story. Sun and Moon told the most linear and original narrative to date in the Pokémon series, and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon refine it. Bopping around Alola to complete challenges is just one part of the storyline the real star is Lillie, a shy, aspiring Pokémon trainer who ropes the player into some serious and supernatural business.
Lillies coming-of-age story remains the strongest part of the games, and this years upgrade refines it. The latter part of Ultra Sun and Moon allows us to see Lillie truly come into her own, staying by the player as they learn more about, and venture into, Alolas bizarre connection with parallel universes. Its a satisfying change from the original telling of this story, where things stopped short before we got to see Lillie really bloom.
Ultra
A New Online Mode: Battle Agency
In the online multiplayer hub, the Festival Plaza, players will find an additional battle ground among its returning offerings. This is called the Battle Agency, where players can rent Pokémon to try fighting with a new kind of team. These Pokémon are a combination of the Battle Agencys supply and trainers also checking out the Festival Plaza. Its kind of reminiscent of Pokémon Stadiums rent-a-Pokémon feature, which was a cool way to test out the battle readiness of certain Pokémon youre on the fence about.
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Is It Any Good
Both of these games are undeniably fun — better, even, than the two upon which they’re based. Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon‘s tweaked story elements are engaging, helping players get into the thick of things a bit quicker while introducing some surprises that create a meaningfully different experience. And kids who love to collect Pokémon will undoubtedly have a blast trying to track down the new and powerful monsters lurking around Alola. There’s also plenty of fresh busywork for players who enjoy the Animal Crossing-style elements of Pokémon games, plus new places to explore and new challenges to overcome. If you didn’t play 2016’s vanilla versions, you’ll be in for an especially fun time. The big question, though, is whether or not these games are worth revisiting for those who played the originals. Is there enough new here to justify purchasing and playing what, underneath all the enhancements, is essentially the same core game a second time?
Does Ultra Sun Have The Same Story
While Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon follow the same story as the previous games set in Alola, there is a lot more available here and on the whole the game is generally improved with it. Considering how good Sun and Moon were, these new Ultra versions improve upon those games noticeably.
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Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon’s Variant
Both Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon contain the exact same creatures that could be found in the standard 3DS versions of the games. There are more creatures than the previous entries this time around, however: both games contain 14 separate creatures that can only be found in that specific title. Here’s the list of each creature exclusive to Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon:
Pokemon Exclusive To Ultra Sun:
Alolan Vulpix
Pokemon Sun And Pokemon Moon New Features
Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon were the third main Pokemon games to be released on the Nintendo 3DS. Before them, there were Pokemon X and Y in 2013 and Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in 2014. Pokemon Sun and Moon feature four islands for players to travel through and explore. Introduced in these games are many new features and even changes to the original Pokemon formula such as replacing Gyms with the new Island Challenge.
Pokemon Sun and Moon have also added the Rotom Pokedex, a talkative Pokedex with more functionality than ever before. It also provides the player with a map that shows the player’s location, points of interest, and will often recommend destinations based on the conversations players have with NPCs. The games also introduce new Pokemon forms such as the Ash-Greninja form, as well as region-variant Alolan Forms. Some Pokemon have an alternative Alolan form that completely changes their look and typing, such as Sandshrew, Vulpix, Meowth, and Marowak, to name a few.
One major addition to the Pokemon series is the introduction of Ultra Beasts. These pseudo-legendary extradimensional Pokemon originate from Ultra Space. They appear throughout the story, and eventually, the player can capture them after becoming champion. Once the player became a Pokemon League Champion, they can take part in champion defenses, where trainers the player met along their journey will randomly come and attempt to dethrone the player.
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Which Pokemon Version Should Players Pick
Pokemon would release games as either remakes or in new regions for a while, but in later generations, they started to deliver sequels.
That first happened with Black 2 and White 2. Following those were sequels to Sun and Moon: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon saw an alternate story compared to the first games but still acted as sequels in a sense.
Just like every other set of games, these two games had newer features. They were not remakes. They also had a variety of differences, forcing fans to dive in and choose which one they liked best in order to purchase.
A Story All About Necrozma
Of course, this all ties into the biggest theme of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moons new story – Necrozma. This new Ultra Beast is stealing the show for the new pair of games, and even takes over the Legendaries from Sun and Moon – Lunala and Solgaleo.
Necrozma has come to control and absorb Lunala or Solgaleos body itself, explains Iwao. By doing so its taken on new powers and new abilities, and it can now use these unique moves of Solgaleo and Lunala, which are Moongeist Beam and Sunsteel Strike. It also gains the ability to learn some new moves of its own by absorbing the powers of Solgaleo and Lunala, so theyll feel quite different to the Solgaleo and Lunala that players know from Sun and Moon.
Watch our review for Pokémon Sun and Moon
But dont worry, there are some familiarities too for those who have already sunk hundreds of hours into Sun and Moon. Youll see some returning characters from Sun and Moon, including Hau and Lillie, but youll see a whole new side of them as you progress through the story of this game, says Ohmori.
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What Parents Need To Know
Parents need to know that Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon are tweaked versions of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Players take control of a customizable young Pokémon trainer who travels across the region of Alola collecting monsters to train and putting them in battle against other monsters. Combat involves a variety of melee and magical attacks, with flashes and sound effects accompanying hits. Pokémon never die, but instead faint and then recuperate. The simple story contains themes of friendship and personal growth, mostly displayed by kind and helpful non-player characters who are part of the story. Combat eventually grows to become challenging, but a gradual learning curve lets rookies get a good feel for how everything works before the game gets too hard.
Video: Its Lana Vs Guzma In Pokmon The Series Sun & Moonultra Legends
The Pokémon Company has unveiled an official clip of the episode in which Lana battles against Guzma in Pokémon the Series: Sun & MoonUltra Legends. You can check it out in the embedded video below:
Lana vs. Guzma | Pokémon the Series: Sun & MoonUltra Legends | Official Clip
A tense match begins between Lana and Guzma in the next heated battle of the Alola Pokémon League. Who will emerge victorious from the standoff? Dont miss this matchs finale in the new episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & MoonUltra Legends on DisneyXD.
A tense match begins between Lana and Guzma in the next heated battle of the Alola Pokémon League.
Who will emerge victorious from the standoff? Dont miss this matchs finale in the new episode of #PokemonTheSeries: Sun & MoonUltra Legends on .#WatchPokemon
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A Legendary Pokmon Gets More Spotlight
Necrozma was a more subdued presence in Sun and Moon, but the legendary Pokémon plays a larger role in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Expanding Necrozmas role has interesting ramifications for the story, which was always the best part of the seventh-gen games anyway. It features in a climactic fight for trainers toward the end of the games storyline, and it even appears in a handful of new forms. Legendary monsters Solgaleo and Lunala even fuse with Necrozma and gain new looks and abilities in the process.
Pokmon Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon Review
- Algeo Rosario, Web Editor
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
Developer:
Price:
$39.99
A year has passed since the release of Pokémon Sun and Moon, which introduced the 7th generation of the Pokémon franchise taking place in the Hawaii-based region of Alola. After much success, Game Freak has released Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon for the Nintendo 3DS as an expansion of its predecessor. But how do Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon stack up against their original titles?
Small-kine changes
Players should not expect the same story as Sun and Moon, as these versions take place in an alternate universe. Those who have played the previous titles will notice the small differences. The non-playable characters are charming and there are many side stories that give more personality to the people of Alola. The new story provides a different experience and a new Alolan adventure.
The graphics remain the same and the battle music has changed. The user interface during battles has altered, laying out a more sleek and colorful look that fits the Alola region. Pokémon are now interactive in the overworld, but they do not do much beyond playing peek-a-boo. The Alola region has new places to explore, including areas like the Pikachu Valley and additional beaches. These small new details are nice but add little to the main story.
Ultra Recon Squad Phyco and Soliera the Ultra Sun exclusive characters.
Surfing the new features
New but not improved
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How To Choose Between Pokemon Ultra Sun And Pokemon Ultra Moon
Choosing between Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon is as simple as choosing between two different sets of exclusive creatures.
Every time a new generation of Pokemon is unleashed upon the public, gamers are given a choice between two largely-similar games, and this is still true for the series’ most recent releases, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. These games present players with the same base roster of creatures as the original Sun and Moon titles, so aside from a few variant-exclusive creatures and the fact that the games are on 12-hour separated day and night cycles, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are essentially identical. Choosing between them, then, is a matter of choosing between two different lists of available pocket monsters: both games have both normal and Legendary Pokemon that aren’t available in the other version, and we’ve got lists of the different exclusive creatures featured below.
Are Pokemon Ultra Sun And Moon Worth It
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are incredibly fun games, but its questionable if theyre worth spending any money on. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are definitely beautiful offer a more comprehensive story line than the previous game and, once the player gets to the point where things start changing, everything feels worth it.
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Talk To Your Kids About
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Families can talk about . With no shortage of Pokémon-themed products available, how do you choose the best to spend your money on?
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Talk about the psychology of collecting. Why does it feel good to collect things, and why do the types of things we choose to collect matter?
- ESRB rating: E for Mild Cartoon Violence
- : April 5, 2021
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All-ages RPG shows benefits of teamwork.
age 8+
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Cute town sim about friendship and spending virtual money.
age 8+
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Buddy up with fantasy creatures in fun RPG spin-off.
age 12+
The Same Ol Time Difference
Just as Sun and Moon did, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon operate on unique day-night cycles. When its daytime in the real world, its nighttime in Ultra Moon. Ultra Sun will mirror your actual surroundings, on the other hand. This makes a difference for certain timing-based evolutions, but its also good to know if you play a lot during the night and would like to see your Pokémon in the sunlight once in a while, for example.
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Some Brand New Gameplay Features
But its not all about new Pokémon and a fresh storyline – Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are also introducing a couple more new gameplay features, alongside Ultra Warp Ride that is.
Firstly, youve got the Mantine Surf feature, which takes the traditional surf feature and turns it into a sport. Youll be able to compete for high scores by doing tricks as well as letting Mantine help you get from one island to another.
Weve also got the Alolan Photo club, which is where you can take photos of Pokémon youre adventuring with, adds Ohmori. You can turn those photos into decorations that you can share with other players in the Festival Plaza. It definitely sounds a lot more involved than the restricted PokéFinder of Sun and Moon, which is limited to specific areas and doesnt actually let you do anything with the photos that you do take.
There are also new Z-Moves to discover. These special moves first appeared in the original Sun and Moon, but were limited to the Pokémon that you had unique Z-Ring stones for, including Pikachu and the trio of starter Pokémon in the game – Popplio, Rowlet and Litten.
The new forms of Necrozma that you see on the , those two new forms as well as the base fusion form of Solgaleo and Lunala, they all have new Z-Moves that they can use, explains Iwao. Then there is a new special Z-Move for Kommo-o and the newly added Dusk form of Lycanroc.
An Expanded Postgame And Fighting Familiar Villains
Its not just a menacing Pokémon who returns. The leaders of every enemy organization from prior Pokémon games appear in the new pair of games, forming a supergroup called Team Rainbow Rocket. Why it took this long to do this is beyond me, but its arguably one of the most rad throwbacks for nostalgic fans in these upgraded versions. Players wont encounter them after theyve defeated the Elite Four, at which point Team Rainbow Rocket plays a major role in the postgame.
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Pokemon Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon Are Indisputably Better Than Last Years Games: Review
How much can a video game change in a year?
That’s the big question we face when it comes to Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. The latest Pokemon games for the Nintendo 3DS aren’t new. Instead, this year’s Pokemon release updates a game that arrived just a November ago, daring to improve on a super-recent formula.
It’s a gutsy move that holds up surprisingly well. Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are indisputably better than last year’s games, bettering the formulas. If you own the origina Sun and Moon, there’s reason to get these titles for the additional Pokemon and the added frills. And if you don’t? There’s no better entry point into the Pokemon universe than Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
The upgrades are a mix of subtle and obvious. To quickly recap, the Sun and Moon games take you to the the Hawaiian island of Alola, getting you outside the Pokemon gym. You’ll complete a series of trials and run into two evil groups, Team Skull and the Aether Foundation. There’s your typical basic story here, and a quest to catch them all, after a brief tutorial on the basics of Pokemon.
Pokemon Ultra Sun And Moon 3ds Differences: All The Exclusives In Each Game
We break down the major differences between the upcoming Pokemon games.
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The next pair of Pokemon games, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, have released on 3DS, marking the series’ final installments for Nintendo’s dual-screen handheld. The titles are based on last year’s Sun and Moon versions but tell an “alternate” story that revolves around the mysterious Legendary Pokemon Necrozma. While the core adventure remains the same across both versions, each game has some some distinct elements, so you may be unsure of which to pick up. We break down the biggest differences between the two versions below to help you decide which one to play. For more, you can also check out our Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon review and breakdown of the new Pokemon in Ultra Sun and Moon.
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