Pokémon Sun/Moon on 3DS, new Alola region inspired by Hawaii. Island trials replace Gyms, Z-Moves and Alola Pokémon. Richer storytelling than ever. One of the best Pokémon games.
Your verdict
Category
RPG4 players7+
Description
A young trainer arrives in Alola, an archipelago inspired by Hawaii, and discovers the Trials replacing classic gyms in the Moon version. Published by The Pokémon Company, released in Europe in November 2016. 80 new Alolan Pokémon, devastating Z-Moves, new Alolan Forms. Translated version including Chinese and Korean.
Pokemon Moon review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
The creatures from elsewhere break every rule of the bestiary. Where the series has always drawn stylised animals, these are translucent, jointed like insects or machines, with unstable proportions and cold neon colours, and their appearances come with distortions on screen. That alien vocabulary, saved for a handful of encounters, becomes all the more striking for it.
With the tropical accents of Alola, the music trades the classic fanfares for sunny rhythms, ukuleles and warm choirs. The themes, luminous and inventive, embrace the island gentleness and the fire of the battles. This sonic renewal, daring and sunlit, won over a whole generation of trainers.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Discovering a tropical region where trials replace gyms and new forms await sets up the familiar collection loop, refreshed by an exotic setting. Completing the Pokédex and refining your team renew the urge to press on. The narrative interruptions slow things down, but this quest to catch and raise keeps a formidable hook.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Arriving in Alola, an archipelago inspired by Hawaii, opens an adventure paced by Trials and Captain challenges rather than gyms. The generous main quest, catching hundreds of Pokémon and a hearty endgame hold you for long hours. That refresh of the formula, paired with endless collecting, founds a lifespan dear to trainers.
The NTSC release of Pokemon Moon also bundles the Chinese and Korean builds, a sign of unified international strategy for Gen VII. Collector focus on first pressings and on Pokemon Moon bundles with steelbook or Lunala figurines, a segment driven by limited GameStop pre-orders. The standalone cartridge stays accessible.
Better with friends
A tropical adventure that modernizes trainer encounters through a virtual plaza where you trade, challenge and help out in a few taps. The competition shows in snappy battles, sometimes up to four in festive melees, while mutual aid shines in swapping a coveted regional creature. Filling out your collection invites you to forge bonds, and every impromptu duel leaves a mark on the group's memory.
A questionable morality
The whole universe rests on a routine you never question while playing: you catch wild creatures, lock them inside little balls, then send them to fight in your place so you can become the best. Sold as a grand tale of friendship, the adventure mostly comes down to collecting living beings and making them brawl, which raises a smile in hindsight.
Is Pokemon Moon still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2016 on 3DS, Game Freak's project deeply renews the series by setting it in Alola, an archipelago inspired by Hawaii, and abandoning the traditional gyms in favour of island trials and dominant Pokemon. The regional forms, which reinvent known creatures, and the Z Moves, unique spectacular attacks, refresh the turn based strategy. The warmer writing and the careful staging carry an endearing adventure. The pace slowed by many dialogues divides. An excellent turning point of the series, recommended for fans of capture RPGs and for those curious about a refreshing setting.
