It’s Alola’s take on Mega Evolutions, designed to add something to the familiar mix of battle, and I have yet to see past its novelty.
#Soluce pokemon x 3ds trial#
The reward for completing a trial is a Z-Crystal, an item which allows the Pokemon holding it to attack with an extra-strong ultimate move once per battle. After two trials, I was as fully invested in the new region as I was with my familiar quest to become the champion.
The trials are a good way to get to know the charming captains that run them and learn about the history and traditions of Alola - even on the first island, I’d heard bits and pieces about the elusive “guardian Deity” Pokemon and come to understand the trials’ purpose in the local legends surrounding them.
It’s similar enough to previous Pokemon games to avoid alienating veterans but also an inventive take on the formula that fits with and plays off of the island setting beautifully. One trial sent me on a hunt for ingredients so we could attract a local Pokemon with a traditional meal, while another involved memorizing luau-esque dances atop a volcano. Instead of taking on a series of gyms as we’ve done many times before, you embark on a variety of battles and non-combat challenges, such as scavenger hunts and quizzes, that culminate in a fight against a stronger foe. With equal attention given to roleplaying (my first obsession) and battle (my more recent interest), Sun and Moon both honor the 20-year legacy of Pokemon and improve upon it in a number of ways, making for a surprising and engaging tropical adventure that is as much about the journey as it is the destination.Īrguably the biggest and most important change in Pokemon Sun and Moon is the Island Challenge in its new setting, Alola. Like re-reading a favorite book in an unfamiliar place, Pokemon Sun and Moon combine a lot of my favorite things about Pokemon into an adventure that reminded me why I fell in love with this RPG series in the first place without simply repeating what came before.
Update: Pokemon Sun and Moon has been nominated for IGN's 2016 Game of the Year.