Pokémon Sun and Moon Reviews

Pokémon Sun and Moon is ranked in the 96th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10
Nov 15, 2016

Pokémon Sun & Moon are undeniably a superior evolution to previous Pokémon games overall. It’s a little too much to handle for the 3DS at times, and steps away from certain innovative features, but the fact that the series has changed itself some much 20 years after its debut is as refreshing as sipping the water from a freshly opened coconut. If you can avoid any spoilers, difficult as that may be, Pokémon Sun & Moon eclipse all expectations.

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Ollie Barder
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 28, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon is a wonderful investment of time and I can happily recommend it to anyone that owns a 3DS, regardless of whether you want to catch all the Pokémon or not.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2016

Pokemon Sol and Luna are the best possible way that Nintendo had to celebrate the 20th birthday of the series.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Nov 29, 2016

Pokemon Sun and Moon are a fantastic new addition to the storied franchise. They make improvements in a ton of key areas, shaping the experience so that it is more fun, less frustrating, and just overall more enjoyable. The new mechanics, such as Z-Moves, range from good to great, but the lack of some older features might annoy a few players. There are alternatives though, so this is still a top notch entry, even for longtime fans. New players shouldn't even wonder, they should just go buy this game today.

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Nov 15, 2016

Hoping to change things up, Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon offer one of the most radical departures from the series' longstanding formula. Fortunately, the gamble has paid off.

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90 / 100
Nov 22, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon are the most refreshing and exciting updates to the Pokémon franchise to date. Having found an impressive balance between old and new, providing both nostalgia and innovation, Pokémon Sun and Moon are a must-play for any Pokémon fan. With depth which is surprising and not obvious early on, a new path to becoming the best, and entirely new ways of getting around, there are plenty of reasons to explore the Alola Region.

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90 / 100
Nov 15, 2016

Pokémon Moon is a wonderful experience and will satisfy both new and old players alike.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 21, 2016

Pokemon Sun and Moon are solid entries into the Pokemon series.  While there are a couple of things to nitpick here and there, as any Pokemon game will have, the difficulty is easy enough for new players to get into the series, while more experienced players might find things a bit too easy at times.  The trials are also a nice change from the standard gyms and no longer needing specific Pokemon for HMs was a welcome addition.  Pokemon fans should definitely enjoy the seventh generation.

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Nov 28, 2016

Sun and Moon may just be another iteration of the Pokemon formula, but it's the best we've seen so far. So many subtle quality-of-life changes, as well as tweaks to old features and helpful new features add up to make Pokemon's final hurrah on the 3DS one to remember. Just don't go expecting anything fantastic out of the story...

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Dave Aubrey
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Dec 6, 2016

Whether you're an old Pokémon fan or a brand new one, there's loads to love about Sun and Moon. These might just be the very best mainline Pokémon games ever.

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9 / 10
Nov 30, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon are the best Pokémon games since Gold and Silver. Game Freak has built a solid ground for the future.

Review in Swedish | Read full review

Drew Leachman
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 23, 2016

Any RPG fan and Pokémon player will have a pretty fun time exploring the Aloha Region, and the improvements to the quality of life make it a fun, simple, and pretty enjoyable Pokémon experience that can easily last players a good 30 hours

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Ray Carsillo
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2016

A couple technical issues aside, Sun/Moon might be the best Pokémon game yet. It freshens up a formula some of us PokéManics might not have realized was growing stale until now. Trials and Grand Trials provide variations on familiar gameplay, and the removal of HMs and telling players how effective their moves are rejuvenates battling.

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Daily Dot
Top Critic
Nov 15, 2016

As the latest entries in a series that has been accused of growing tired, Sun and Moon comprise a complete Pokémon package that welcomes change but still provides the same thrills fans have come to love.

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4.5 / 5.0
Nov 16, 2016

After primarily sticking to more or less the same formula in previous games, Pokemon Sun and Moon shakes up things in a big way with a new look and a plethora of different mechanics that spice up the franchise. From a console-style presentation to some quality-of-life improvements that streamline gameplay in a good way, Sun and Moon truly feel like next-generation Pokemon games that takes the series to the next level. If this is an example of the approach to expect with the merging of Nintendo’s home console and handheld divisions, then I’m looking forward to what the company does with the upcoming Switch.

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Nov 21, 2016

Pokémon Sun And Moon feel like the freshest new iterations of the series in a long time. They're not complete reinventions, but they do finally fix a number of problems that have plagued the franchise since its inception.

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Nov 23, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Moon prove that with steady innovation an old dog can certainly learn new tricks. The developers should be applauded for being consistently brave in making changes to the series that appease both newcomers and series veterans alike.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

The soul of what makes Pokemon fun and exciting is thankfully still intact, Sun and Moon just give it a new sense of style.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2016

Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are both fantastic additions to the series’ 20th anniversary. With an inspired new generation of Pokémon and a ton of variation, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are the freshest take on a tried-and-true series. However, just like a vacation, most changes are ones I hope are temporary — I’ll be happy to return to the formula again next year.

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9 / 10
Nov 15, 2016

Vibrant, energetic and fun in the best possible way, this is the best Pokemon game in quite a while.

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