I got my copy of Pokemon Ultra Sun at Christmas, and as soon as I started, despite already being in this same region only a year ago, I immediately felt that same sense of awe at just how far Pokemon has come over 21 years. The differences are immediately noticeable, graphical changes are very impressive, from the overworld visuals to the battle UI, it's all a really cool, sometimes subtle change. The majority of the Trials are now completely different, but speaking of Trials, Mina's Trial was one of my favorites as it harkens back to the Gym System of old. The game felt a little more difficult this time around, I mean I tend to deliberately challenge myself, but this time it did feel tougher. I love the Ultra Recon Squad....specifically Dulse. Team Skull didn't get much of a change, as I expected, but the Aether Foundation felt really lackluster however. The lack of a Mother Beast Lusamine just wasn't right, and the new Lusamine downright sucks. You really can't defend a twisted mother leaves her kids for a Pokemon from another dimension turns into cutesie happy "Let's save Alola" anti-hero. That aside, this the only problem I have with the games. The playing with overworld Pokemon feature is a lot of fun and I'm still trying to find them all. The Charjabug is my favorite. I don't use O Powers except for Catch to get Beast Ball Pokemon, but I imagine they are useful. The climax was great, I enjoyed the idea of Necrozma basically going rogue, even to the point where you cannot catch him until later. Mane Of Twilight was a straightforward battle, but Ultra Necrozma? Ugh... 4 attempts and I managed to defeat him. Pokemon League wasn't too different, but I enjoyed the Champion Hau Battle. Overall, this game, although definitely nowhere near perfect, is a very enjoyable Pokemon game. Far better than Pokemon X and Y / Pokemon OrAs. People's stupid and unrealistic expectations ruined the games' early reputation, calling it $10 DLC when we knew actually nothing about it, expecting a second region, and the worst, expecting the Battle Frontier. Regardless, the games sold well so people were clearly wrong.
Some things that brought me down on the new game.
-They absolutely did nothing with ultra megalopolis.SO MUCH pontenial.
-Move tutor one on each island(like wtf?)
-I still hate festiva plaza,pss so much better for me at least.
Things I liked.
-Ultra wormhole
-Mantine Surfing(Yeah i like it but gets too repetitive)
-Rainbow rocket episode
I Don't remember anything else
Jan 7, 2018, 03:11 PM (This post was last modified: Jan 7, 2018, 04:48 PM by IrisNephertiri.)
I agree; I think the game was enjoyable and naturally, being a core Pokemon game, it has the potential for several hours of entertainment. It was the first Pokemon game that I bought entirely with my own hard-earned money. While I enjoyed the game and recommend it even more so for those who haven't played Sun, I found myself a bit disappointed. I think what cements its biggest weaknesses is its timing.
Critiques: 1. It was released following Pokemon Sun
- Pokemon Ultra Sun is clearly just as exciting if not more exciting than Pokemon Sun; the new plot climax and ability to surf through ultra space alone add a lot to the game. Meantime surf is also a fun and easy way to earn BP, and the abundant move tutors make competitive play and breeding easier.
- However, aside from a handful of new Pokemon in different areas, new mini-games, and dialogue changes, the first half of the game is largely the same as Pokemon Sun. Since I have already completed Sun and I am a long-time Pokemon fan, this made playing through heavy tutorials and cutscenes to get to the new material a bit tedious and redundant at times.
2. It was released amidst announcements of a new game for the Switch
- Given that a new, more advanced game for the Switch is on its way and was announced around the same time, Ultra Sun was probably at a disadvantage for hype long before its release.
3. It has an abundance of untapped potential that would have easily made it stand out
- This is probably my biggest critique. Ultra Sun focuses more heavily on ultra space than its predecessor and introduces the Ultramegalopolis. It fills in plot holes that players got a taste of by allowing them to not only see ultra space, but return to it freely and see a variety of dimensions.
- Even with that, it still felt like the plot was abruptly cutoff. Although the Ultramegalopolis was such an important part of the plot, a signifiacant focus in advertisement, and the only place totally exclusive to Ultra Sun/Moon, it ends up essentially being a dark empty hallway, even after the player saves it. I outline some of my ideas below that could have helped it reach its potential.
4. It is the last core game for the 3DS
- Given the reasons above (Minor changes from Sun, disadvantage for hype, lack of untapped potential) and the success of past game sequels (Emerald, Platinum, Black 2) it's not surprising that Ultra Sun/Moon left more players disappointed than usual, especially since in order to continue with the core series they will have to dish out at least $200-$300 more for a Switch if they don't have one already.
----- Ideas for Ultramegalopolis: (Critique 3, Pt. 2)
1. Make the light return in the post-game and add in a few NPCs for continuity rather than just dialogue saying they are celebrating indoors
(- The lack of continuity for this plot point felt how I imagine it would feel to get Rayquaza to calm Kyogre and Groudon during the climax in
Emerald and then never getting to return to Sootopolis again to see that it's back to normal; the continuity (seeing the before and after of ending
a catastrophe) make it feel more real and ultimately more memorable)
2. Remove the road blocks and make it slightly bigger, so it feels a bit more like a bustling city, as the name suggests
3. Add a small shop and/or Pokemon Center with ultra space items like beast balls
4. Add a patch of grass with native ultra beasts, even just poipole
5. Instead of putting the Battle Agency in festival plaza, which is naturally outshined by Emerald and Platinum since it has been done before, put it in the Ultramegalopolis and let players battle with rental ultra beasts
Other general ultra space ideas: (Would be interesting, but not necessary for a good plot)
1. Make it possible to interact with the characters alluded to be lost in ultra space (by the bottled letters), maybe even take them back to Alola with you
Given time, budget, staff, and space limits, implementing all of these ideas likely was not possible, and that is understandable. But, even just number one and/or two would have made the story feel more complete. Since RR episode is a one time thing and 1-3 hours tops, I think the concepts above would have been a great substitute for it. The lack of development of key plot points made the game feel more rushed, and capitalizing on the unique features it offers rather than things that have already been done more elaborately in other games would have turned it from good to truly phenomenal in my opinion.
(Jan 7, 2018, 03:11 PM)IrisNephertiri Wrote: I agree; I think the game was enjoyable and naturally, being a core Pokemon game, it has the potential for several hours of entertainment. It was the first Pokemon game that I bought entirely with my own hard-earned money. While I enjoyed the game and recommend it even more so for those who haven't played Sun, I found myself a bit disappointed. I think what cements its biggest weaknesses is its timing.
Critiques: 1. It was released following Pokemon Sun
- Pokemon Ultra Sun is clearly just as exciting if not more exciting than Pokemon Sun; the new plot climax and ability to surf through ultra space alone add a lot to the game. Meantime surf is also a fun and easy way to earn BP, and the abundant move tutors make competitive play and breeding easier.
- However, aside from a handful of new Pokemon in different areas, new mini-games, and dialogue changes, the first half of the game is largely the same as Pokemon Sun. Since I have already completed Sun and I am a long-time Pokemon fan, this made playing through heavy tutorials and cutscenes to get to the new material a bit tedious and redundant at times.
2. It was released amidst announcements of a new game for the Switch
- Given that a new, more advanced game for the Switch is on its way and was announced around the same time, Ultra Sun was probably at a disadvantage for hype long before its release.
3. It has an abundance of untapped potential that would have easily made it stand out
- This is probably my biggest critique. Ultra Sun focuses more heavily on ultra space than its predecessor and introduces the Ultramegalopolis. It fills in plot holes that players got a taste of by allowing them to not only see ultra space, but return to it freely and see a variety of dimensions.
- Even with that, it still felt like the plot was abruptly cutoff. Although the Ultramegalopolis was such an important part of the plot, a signifiacant focus in advertisement, and the only place totally exclusive to Ultra Sun/Moon, it ends up essentially being a dark empty hallway, even after the player saves it. I outline some of my ideas below that could have helped it reach its potential.
4. It is the last core game for the 3DS
- Given the reasons above (Minor changes from Sun, disadvantage for hype, lack of untapped potential) and the success of past game sequels (Emerald, Platinum, Black 2) it's not surprising that Ultra Sun/Moon left more players disappointed than usual, especially since in order to continue with the core series they will have to dish out at least $200-$300 more for a Switch if they don't have one already.
----- Ideas for Ultramegalopolis: (Critique 3, Pt. 2)
1. Make the light return in the post-game and add in a few NPCs for continuity rather than just dialogue saying they are celebrating indoors
(- The lack of continuity for this plot point felt how I imagine it would feel to get Rayquaza to calm Kyogre and Groudon during the climax in
Emerald and then never getting to return to Sootopolis again to see that it's back to normal; the continuity (seeing the before and after of ending
a catastrophe) make it feel more real and ultimately more memorable)
2. Remove the road blocks and make it slightly bigger, so it feels a bit more like a bustling city, as the name suggests
3. Add a small shop and/or Pokemon Center with ultra space items like beast balls
4. Add a patch of grass with native ultra beasts, even just poipole
5. Instead of putting the Battle Agency in festival plaza, which is naturally outshined by Emerald and Platinum since it has been done before, put it in the Ultramegalopolis and let players battle with rental ultra beasts
Other general ultra space ideas: (Would be interesting, but not necessary for a good plot)
1. Make it possible to interact with the characters alluded to be lost in ultra space (by the bottled letters), maybe even take them back to Alola with you
Given time, budget, staff, and space limits, implementing all of these ideas likely was not possible, and that is understandable. But, even just number one and/or two would have made the story feel more complete. Since RR episode is a one time thing and 1-3 hours tops, I think the concepts above would have been a great substitute for it. The lack of development of key plot points made the game feel more rushed, and capitalizing on the unique features it offers rather than things that have already been done more elaborately in other games would have turned it from good to truly phenomenal in my opinion.
This is honestly one of the best critiques of the game I've seen yet, personally I didn't mind the cutscenes too much, but UM could have been expanded for sure
Jan 8, 2018, 05:26 AM (This post was last modified: Jan 8, 2018, 05:30 AM by gkh1997.)
In overall, Ultra Sun and Moon is disappointing as a third game. I gave it 4/10. Here are my opinions:
Goods:
1) Some Pokemons are no longer shiny-locked, such as Ultra Beasts. Every legendaries in XY are shiny-locked. Which means, you need to catch the event in XY to obtain shiny Xerneas and Yveltal.
2) All Mega Stones sold in Battle Tree. In Sun and Moon, only about half of the Mega Stones are sold in Battle Tree shop. And half of the stones are obtained through event codes. Some people might miss out Mega Stones and are unable to get those stones.
3) More items are no longer once-per-game, such as Lucky Eggs. In Sun and Moon, a lot of people accidentally traded away their Lucky Eggs in the GTS. This is currently a meme in GameFAQs Trading Forum. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Lucky Eggs can be found on Blisseys, but still very low chance. In Gen VI, Leftovers are also once-per-game items.
4) Gold Bottle Caps are easier to obtain in Ultra Sun and Moon. You can easily obtain them in Battle Tree once you reached 50 streak. This means Hyper Training easier.
5) Slightly different plot, such using Mantine Surf to travel between islands, and including Ultra Recon Squad.
6) Some Ultra Beasts are unlimited. This means that you don't need to replay the whole game just to obtain an Ultra Beast of different stats, nature, etc. Hopefully, they will make this for other legendaries in future generation Pokemon games so that we don't have to replay the whole game.
7) Pacing is slightly better. It is not as rush as Sun and Moon near the end because a new trial is added into Poni Island and Mount Lanakila is improved. The last trial is probably my favourite (I dislike the long dialogues though).
8) New formes are well done. Necrozma formes and Dusk Form Lycanroc are decent.
Bad:
1) Rainbow Rocket episode is not a memorable villainous faction as compared to other post-games in other games. I meant that after you beat the Team Rainbow Rocket, you cannot battle with them again, such as using Giovanni, Archie, Maxie in Battle Tree. In ORAS, you can have Archie/Maxie as your Battle Maison Multi Battle partner. In Battle Tree, you can only use Team Skull members, and Lillie (she is trash) as your Multi partner.
2) Too much cutscenes. The whole Smogon Orange Islands community has been ranting on this issue since XY. But much worse than XY. The tutorial is too long, including the cutscenes, it takes about 40 minutes to reach the first Pokemon Centre. The whole Smogon always complained "why not add a button to skip the cutscenes/tutorials? Fire Emblem has done that". The biggest problem with cutscenes is the replay value.
3) New Pokemons are more legendaries, and I know a lot of people likes to defend USUM, stating that it is the only game that released new Pokemons in the middle of a generation. Here is my rebuttal. Most of them are disappointing. Stakataka made the whole Smogon riot during the release of the typing. ANOTHER ROCK/STEEL. Let's see, Aggron, Probopass, Bastiodon. And all of them has a major problem that prevents them from becoming a defensive wall. 2 4x weaknesses. So basically a Ultra Beast version of Bastiodon in summary. Why not Rock/Psychic (since both Solrock and Lunatone is trash)? Blacephelon is not as bad as Stakataka but still very disappointing. When it is first released in datamine thread. Everyone's first reaction is "ctrl"+"F"+"Focus Blast", then "Oh ****, this is Tyranitar's food", so yeah. Nagadanel is the only Pokemon that this is decent. Zerora looks like Fighting-Type and has a lot of Fighting moves, why is it not a "Electric/Fighting type? And no new non-legendary Pokemons.
4) Some legendaries are still shiny-locked. Let's see, Zygarde, Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma. That is still a lot. Hopefully, it will be released in an online event distribution, like Shiny Xerneas and Yveltal in XY, not region-locked in Japan like 90% of the events.
5) Some event Pokemons are still region-locked. This has been an issue since BW? In earlier generations, most events are not region-locked.
6) Not all Pokemons found in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, such as Nidoran, this means that some people has to subscribed to Pokebank just to get those Pokemons to Gen VII. Fortunately, there are trading forums to cope with this issue.
7) Battle Agency is very disappointing. Look at the number of Grade 0s in Battle Agency.
8) Most new areas are disappointing, Ultra Megapolis has a lot of wasted potential. The tunnel after the volcano has no purpose in the game (other than passing it). Some caves are forgotten after you obtained the items.
9) Game-exclusives. Mallow is not available for Battle Tree in Ultra Sun and Kiawe is not available for Battle Tree in Ultra Moon. Game-exclusive Pokemons can be solved by trading but not trainers.
10) Roto-powers are random, as compared to Gen VI, when you can choose the O-Powers you want.
It is disappointing, so many wasted potential. Why not add a Battle Frontier like Emerald, Platinum or another sequel with many new routes and tunnels like BW2. We only get a few small caves in USUM. The only improvement I have seen is Mount Lanakila.
