By Connor Gard

On Nov. 18, we were graced with new entries in the Pokémon series: Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, developed by Game Freak Inc.

These entries bring about a new adventure in the new region of Alola, based heavily on the islands of Hawaii.  Alongside a new region, we see nearly 80 brand-new Pokémon also added in.

With Pokémon being a long-standing series, recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, the game has gone with mostly unchanged gameplay. However, with Sun and Moon, a breath of fresh air is put into the series.  Unlike previous entries with a fairly loose plot to the story, Sun and Moon put a pretty heavy focus on the story in the game that drives your adventure until the end, in a way that is both enjoyable and fulfilling.  The games also introduce a trial-based system, as opposed to the normal gym-based system of every entry before it, giving old players a new experience, while giving the new players a fun experience to start on.

With the battling remaining mostly the same, Game Freak made a shift from the recently added Mega Evolution from Pokémon X and Y, to a focus on a new form of combat, Z- moves.  While these Z-moves are flashy, they are merely just a modifier of the basic moves your Pokémon already know, making it a bit of a let down for a piece they focused part of their marketing on.

While the main game’s story is fun and fulfilling, the post-game runs a bit dry overall.  It contains a fairly short post-story, a rehash of the usual battle for point systems and the ultimate goal of catching every Pokémon. In this post-game, however, long time players can see some of their favorite characters from past entries, and even battle against them once again.

Pokémon Sun has given me a pleasant experience overall (with Pokémon Moon being nearly identical), and has helped liven up the series for me.  Game Freak did a lot right for these new entries, and I believe it will help keep hold of their player base, both young and old, for some time to come.