Pokemonhas some very dedicated fans. One writer who bailed on the series years ago, however, is coming back forPokemon SunandMoonspecifically, and shares his reasoning.
I can remember exactly when I had given up on thePokemonseries. I had just beaten Volkner, the final gym leader in thePokemon Pearl & Diamondreleases, snuffing out the spark of most of his Electric-types with my carefully cultivated lineup of creatures. I had spent many hours of the game, as is the custom inPokemon, trudging through tall grass in search of specific additions to my ever-growing team. I made sure my ragtag bunch of anime critters were diverse, and prepared for any potential match-up. Volkner was a push over.
Why was I playing this game again? That eighth badge didn’t feel special – I’d gotten it inPokemon Red,Pokemon Gold, andPokemon Rubybefore, although in each of them it looked a little different and took different super effective move chains to obtain. I’d long since fallen out of love withPokemoncharacter design, as theaddition of shiny Pokemonfelt shoe-horned in and the beasts became increasingly absurd or abstract takes on random real world inspirations – one Pokemon, released in the games that followedPearl & Diamond, was literally garbage.
I closed the lid of my Nintendo DS. I didn’t save the game. That was the last time I’ve playedPokemonin any capacity.
Hopefully, then, after hearing about my odd break-up with Nintendo’s immensely popular creature-catching franchise, readers will forgive me for initially being apathetic about thereveal of thePokemon SunandMoonstarters and legendaries. After all, this is a series that has recently featured a condescending plant lizard, a weird clown otter, and a Fire-type pig who doesn’t even look related to flame at all until its final evolution. My hopes weren’t particularly high, as I expecteddeveloper Game Freak to come up with even worse designs this time.
Then I met Litten and Rowlet. Yeah, okay, there was a weird clown seal this time too, and that one lived up to expectation. The other two, however, captured something I just hadn’t felt in a very long time. We at Game Rant could likely write a series of articles delving even deeper intowhy Rowlet is the greatest Pokemon of all time, but I think at its core it comes down to the feeling the grassy owl and its kitten compatriot inspire in gamers.
When I look at Litten, who is obviously significantly better than Rowlet in my humble opinion, I remember the hours I spent during class in elementary school writing out comparison lists forPokemon RedandBlue. I had been promised the games for my birthday and, having already decided Bulbasaur would be my starter companion, I immediately set to work to determine which game had the cooler exclusive Pokemon. Eventually, I choseRed, and Growlithe became my favorite Pokemon of all time (for a few years, anyways).
It isn’t just the fact that Litten and Rowlet are the first starters in a long time to capture the quintessential essence of curiosity and charm that has come to define thePokemonseries, either. Nintendo and Game Freak have clearly made a conscious decision to shake things up withPokemon SunandMoon, and that decision has inexplicably made the newest games appear to be the closest toRedandBluein a long time.
For those skeptical of that claim, theJapanesePokemon SunandMooncommercialshould be mandatory viewing. Nintendo nailed it with this video, which gets across some of the basic tenants ofPokemonthat has helped mold it into a global phenomenon. The commercial touches on the way that thePokemonfranchise has transcended things like language barriers and cultural differences, uniting kids and adults alike under the simple concept of collecting adorable monsters and battling them against each other. It’s a beautiful sentiment in an industry that too often finds itself under fire for depictions of violence or indulgent behaviors.
While that might not be relevant to the gamers who grew up withPokemon RedandBlue, it’s important to young gamers now. I remember how difficult it could be to convince my parents that video games were a worthwhile purchase, and the carefully constructed “safeness” ofPokemonmade that a lot easier in my earlier years as a gamer.Pokemon SunandMoon, and the commercial as well, help make that a reality for younger fans once more.
That being said, however, the cultural niche thatPokemon SunandMoonhas found for kids isn’t the reason that I, as an adult male, have suddenly decided to give the series a second chance. While I’ve touched on how the newest entries into thePokemonseries “feel” new while evoking the nostalgia of the earlier titles, it’s also important to remember that thedetails ofPokemon SunandMoonare a breath of fresh air as well.
For too long, thePokemonseries, to me, has felt like Game Freak just reskinning the same continent while making changes to the aesthetics of each city the protagonist visits. Sure, this time a village is built entirely in trees, or a city is blanketed in snow – thefine details of eachPokemongamemight change, but they all feel pretty similar once a series has reached the agePokemonhas. The continent of Alola, however, feels like a brand new location. The palm tree and blue sky aesthetic may have already been done in the series, but it has never been the dominant visual choice, and that paired with the clothing, mannerisms, and diversity of the characters presented in the first trailer makesPokemon SunandMoonfeel like a whole new world.
The return of trainer customization is also an enticing prospect. I hated the feeling of playing a pre-made clone in a world that’s supposed to be as dynamic and colorful asPokemon, so small changes like that are more than welcome. Being able to leave my mark on the world of Alola as a 3D sprite that at least partially looks like I do makes it much more fun, and even a little frightening – even an avatar of me wouldn’t be caught dead with a Popplio, so hopefully no one produces a picture of me with one while playing.
While thePokemon leaks fromPokemon SunandMoonso far are extremely promising, I’m well aware we’re a few Bidoofs away from having an underwhelming roster as well. The thing is, though, that this is the strongest debut reveal thatPokemonhas had in over a decade, and every indication so far points to the fact that Nintendo and Game Freak have a renewed vigor and creativity both are infusing into the newestPokemongame.
While it has been about ten years since I last plodded through aPokemongame, I can genuinely say I’m excited about the next installment. That’s something I never thought I would say again, and it’s likely a sentiment Nintendo hopes will be echoed by gamers in similar situations –Pokemon SunandMoonlooks like a blend of something new with something that has been sorely missed, and I’m excited to see if that remains true once the game finally releases.
Pokemon SunandMoonwill be available exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS on June 15, 2025.
