The release of Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon was controversial among fans of the series. While the game seems to be getting better with age, there’s no denying it was a highly ambitious. Today, we will look back on the titles and examine some incredible facts fans may have forgotten about. Whether you are a veteran player or just beginning your Pokemon journey, there is always something new to discover.
6. Ultra Warp Ride
Professor Mohn discovered Ultra Wormholes which are unstable connections from the Pokemon world to space. In Ultra Sun/Moon, players can travel through these wormholes to discover new areas in Ultra Space. Throughout these travels, players can capture Ultra Beasts and rare Pokemon not found in Alola.
The further players travel, the more chances for rarer and shiny Pokemon increase. While fans of the games know about the Warp Ride, they make US/UM a unique experience for new players. This feature adds limitless potential to the world of Pokemon and creates an unlimited amount of alternate realities.
5. New Pokemon
Fans look forward to the newest Pokemon added with every Generation of Pokemon games. Not only does it expand the Pokedex, but it allows for more designs and moves added to the evergrowing pool of Pokemon. However, once revealed, Pokemon were set in stone, so to speak. Games would ship out, and that would be it; there was no additional Pokemon added to the games.
That is until Ultra Sun/Moon added five new Pokemon in the middle of a Generation for the first time ever. The consensus around this is controversial, but it took the franchise in a new direction. Games today are always getting updates or DLC, and for the first time, fans could be excited about new Pokemon being added to the game.
4. Sequel?
Unlike Pokemon Black/White 2, Ultra Sun/Moon are not sequels. The reason Black/White 2 are considered sequels is because there were a significant amount of changes made, and it was a continuation of the story. US/UM retells the same story with some improvements in pacing or characters.
While additional features were added, some fans were upset over the changes made because they were so minimal. Despite being sold separately, the Ultra versions are more enhanced but relatively the same game, which feels more like DLC than a new experience.
3. Pokedex Size
The Pokedex reached over 1,000 Pokemon in 2022, a huge milestone for the franchise. At the time of the Ultra Sun/Moon release, just over 800 Pokemon were in the entire series, spanning back Generations. Along with the aforementioned mid-generation Pokemon, US/UM had the largest Pokedex for players to complete.
The Pokedex featured every single Pokemon from all Generations. Although players could not capture every Pokemon in-game, the Pokedex could be completed through trading. Be warned that it can take a very long time and hundreds of hours to complete, but it can be done. Regardless, the achievement alone is enough to praise and be impressed at.
2. Attention to Detail
The first Pokemon games were released in 1996 in Japan (two years later for NA and Europe). With the release of Pokemon Sun/Moon and Ultra Sun/Moon, GameFreak wanted to celebrate its 20th anniversary. But what does this mean regarding the details of the game?
It’s obvious to anyone who plays the games that Hawaii inspires the Alola region. The dev team chose Hawaii due to its blend of cultures and natural beauty, traveling there themselves for research. While creating Pokemon for the game, the staff was told to be as creative as possible, giving them more freedom. The inspiration and passion during the development can be felt while playing the game, leading to a unique experience.
1. Team Rainbow Rocket
Players who haven’t yet beaten Ultra Sun/Moon may be surprised to hear about the return of Team Rocket. The games occur in an alternate universe from Sun/Moon, and Episode RR follows in its footsteps.
During the post-game, the organization takes over the Festival Plaza to set up its base. What’s interesting about this team is that they are from an alternative reality where Team Rocket is successful in their operations. Not only does this bring back an iconic villainous team, but it also gives insight into what happens in games where players quit and never stop them.
They also give players insight into their next actions, which leads to them trying to take over the world in Pokemon GO. These simple connections are a fun way for players to seamlessly follow a story and characters from one game to the next.