The Unhinged Wonder of Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon

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  • Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
  • Let's return to the Alola region for a retrospective of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and review their impact on the mainline Pokémon games.
    I stream here sometimes:
    / aokcraig
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    #Pokemon #ultrasunultramoon #alola

КОМЕНТАРІ • 72

  • @aokcraig
    @aokcraig  14 днів тому +3

    💬 Join our BRAND NEW Discord Server! 👾
    👉 discord.gg/bDnncDFUd4

    • @tjdragneel5002
      @tjdragneel5002 14 днів тому +1

      Yo great vid on the ultra games. Though I was curious on your thoughts when it came to the post game and a certain rainbow rocket

    • @nirgunawish
      @nirgunawish 4 дні тому

      i hate these videos that are literally just a recap especially when you can't even be bothered to offer any actual commentary

  • @vianabdullah2837
    @vianabdullah2837 14 днів тому +61

    Probably my favourite games in the series alongside Black and White 2. They essentially addressed all of the issues people had with Gen 6 in this one. It's one of the more challenging games in the series, the story is probably the best in a Pokemon game and there's quite a few things to do in the post-game.
    Long tutorials and lots of dialogue, don't really bother me since they're just a thing I expect in JRPGs, I enjoy each area having its own fleshed out scenario. Plus, it contributes building up some of the characters like Lillie and Kukui.

    • @lestervalentin5418
      @lestervalentin5418 13 днів тому +6

      fellow b2w2 and usum enjoyer here. absolutely love these entries so much that gen 7 became the first gen where i bought both versions of both games. too bad about b2w2 tho as theyre hella expensive now so i only managed to get black and b2 since i only played them via r4 back then

    • @nullpoint3346
      @nullpoint3346 9 днів тому +1

      This is my rule for text in games, regardless of genre:
      If it is mandatory, then it is in the way and must be kept to a minimum.
      If it is optional, then it is not a problem and _can_ be expanded upon, but should be kept short and sweet.
      Nobody wants to play a four hour tutorial more than once (even once is too much), but lore heads are willing to spend _years_ combing over every line of text and analyzing every last polygon if you care enough to engage them.

  • @Shinntoku
    @Shinntoku 14 днів тому +36

    As a dialogue enjoyer, I love the gen 7 games. I just replayed USUM recently and had an absolute blast with the story and characters. My biggest story complaint is that imo Lusamine and Lillie's arc is wayyyyy better in SM, Lillie's determination feels so earned

    • @juandiegotorres9632
      @juandiegotorres9632 10 днів тому +1

      Agree with you on Lillie.

    • @victorvicg
      @victorvicg 5 днів тому

      How is different the story?

    • @Shinntoku
      @Shinntoku 5 днів тому +2

      @@victorvicg a lot of the broad strokes are the same(you visit the islands and do the trials in the same order) but a lot of the character details are stronger in SM. In USUM Lillie doesn't have nearly as strong motivations for getting out from under Lusamine's shadow because Lusamine hasn't been controlling and abusive the way she was in SM. Their whole family dynamic is wonky, and it also affects Guzma and Lusamine since her manipulating him lacks the kick of using him to replace her own children while being the first older adult to really take him seriously and validate his strength. The Ultra Recon stuff is all very cool, but I've always been of the opinion that it could have been DLC rather than another pair of full price games

  • @lasercraft32
    @lasercraft32 13 днів тому +13

    You know its crazy how little people talk about these games nowadays... It was such a major departure from the usual Pokemon formula (well, you know, not THAT major, but still), and there is some INSANE lore going on with the Ultra Beasts that just screams "give me my own Legends spin-off game."

  • @shinymk6562
    @shinymk6562 14 днів тому +24

    These games are so interesting because if you read the dialogue of the characters, its so different to the SM story. SM is about lIllie and her family, while USUM is about Necrozma, its just less obvious from the gameplay and only from the text.

  • @astralizer99
    @astralizer99 14 днів тому +9

    These games and Pokémon Sun were the first ever main line games I played so for me it got me into the franchise and because of them being my first games I enjoyed them for what they were without the internet's views and didn't mind the dialogue. Thankfully instead of putting me off the games they made me want to play them more.

  • @Katelizaj
    @Katelizaj 10 днів тому +5

    “Help! The Ultra Beasts are killing everyone!!” Us: 0u0

  • @martijnklaassen3536
    @martijnklaassen3536 12 днів тому +5

    My childhood team:
    1. Chandelure 🔥👻
    2. Walrein 💧❄️
    3. Gardevoir 🦋👁
    4. Gigalith 🏜
    5. Galvantula 🪳⚡️
    6. Reshiram 🐉🔥
    (Me and my friends had a 1 legendary rule)

  • @Extinct-Lizard
    @Extinct-Lizard 13 днів тому +3

    I personally really like the dialogue in usum just because I’m a lore fanatic

  • @AdeptCharon
    @AdeptCharon 8 днів тому +2

    Re: protagonist moves to new region
    Think the devs see some (if not most) Pokémon adventures as a vacation setting (specifically with Hoenn I know we had Masuda state that Kyushu was where his family went for summer vacations and that that was the vibe he was going for).
    It's also no coincidence that basically every real-world inspiration used for a region featured so far is a popular Japanese tourist destination.

  • @theitscolleen
    @theitscolleen 14 днів тому +6

    i giggled when you said that you used your z power against mimikyu's disguise because that is something i would 100% do!!! great video, Craig! I love hearing your POV about this game series... I need to try it out myself! If you ever need a video idea, you should should shiny hunt using the ultraworm holes

  • @Alessio-z6x
    @Alessio-z6x 14 днів тому +8

    I assure you, they have tons of replay value. I have over 300 hrs for Ultra Sun and an additional 70 for Pokémon moon.

    • @nullpoint3346
      @nullpoint3346 9 днів тому

      If we cut the cutscenes, the time drops considerably.

    • @RealSkello
      @RealSkello 5 днів тому

      @@Alessio-z6x Over 400 for me on just my childhood save not including SR hunting and I never really did SOS lol

  • @owenmattes7619
    @owenmattes7619 14 днів тому +7

    These are my favorite games in the series! I love them he dialogue, it makes me feel immersed in the story, kind of like I’m playing a movie. I play through these games once a year usually, and each time i have an amazing time. I never understood the hate, people asked for a more immersive story and that’s what they got. It’s also the most difficult pair of games in the series, yet people still find a way to complain about

  • @hondaaccord1399
    @hondaaccord1399 14 днів тому +4

    My favorite generation 🥰 I think back to the late nights I stayed up, how hyped I was to watch the anime for it, playing and replaying and trying to complete the Pokedex to the max I could (when the Pokedex felt like a challenge and not just 10 trades and leveling some mons up)
    I love these games❤

  • @SEIJITV
    @SEIJITV 14 днів тому +4

    I loved the Ultra games. Never played the og Sun and Moon so I never got the hate on them. The music, characters, story, and challenges presented are just amazing in these games.

    • @incomments2864
      @incomments2864 14 днів тому

      @@SEIJITV the OG have Lilith’s goodbye end which was really sad back then, before ultra sun and moon came out a year later and didn’t have her leave lol

    • @SEIJITV
      @SEIJITV 14 днів тому

      @incomments2864 imo, her Ultra ending was fine and it made more sense for Gladion to leave since he was all about getting stronger.
      From a narrative sense, if you went into the games without knowing like I did, it didn't make that big of a difference.

  • @thechisel_
    @thechisel_ 10 днів тому +2

    I always liked Z-Moves, but in the pandemic I saw a video from the first Aquaman movie's premiere carpet event (?), and something clicked for me.
    Jason Momoa and other people from Hawaii did a dance called "Haka", a Maori tradition to greet visitants and enemies with the purpose of intimidation.
    The way Game Freak combined tradicional dances of polynesian cultures with a tokusatsu styled finisher attack is so great to me. In my opinion, it is the only gimmick that fits with the region it is in.

  • @UBHunterRonny
    @UBHunterRonny 14 днів тому +4

    Gameplay wise I think USUM are one of the best games. Replaying it now too

  • @yukiizura
    @yukiizura 14 днів тому +4

    1:01 Yeah it's just a casual thing. I mean, how many men call their friends "bro"?
    I only ever played the originals, so it was cool to find out that Molayne replaces Hala as one of the Elite 4! Still disappointed about Kahili, she really does feel like she just. comes out of nowhere.
    I fully agree that there is WAY too much text, and way too many interruptions in Gen 7. It's actually painful at points, I JUST want to play the game. And it's just really frustrating because Gens 1, 2, 4, and 5 all have equal amounts of heavy lore, but don't drag you through it. They drip feed it to you, and place it in areas where players who want it will find it, and players who don't (or who are returning) can ignore it. Gen 7's insistence that I have to care about every individual strand of lore in Alola, means that I actually care less and don't retain anywhere near as much info about it as I do from other regions. It's part of the larger issue in the post-XY world, where it's almost like Gamefreak doesn't trust new players to engage with the game, and so FORCE them to. It's the giant thing holding the generation back, if it was just more reasonable on the dialogue front, these games would be remembered as among the best in the franchise.
    I actually agree that Alola's Dex is weak. I've grown to appreciate it more over time, but my first playthrough of Moon? Without even realising, my entire team (minus Decidueye) ended up being pre-Gen 7 Pokémon; shouldn't complain too much since this DID allow for Gigalith to become my favourite Pokémon of all time. I will say, Alola has my favourite regional forms so far though.
    Team Skull... I will save my fanboying for their dedicated video, but wow are they my favourite "evil" team. Guzma, Plumeria, and the grunts will always have my heart.
    Great video as always!

  • @WyattStone-lx5wc
    @WyattStone-lx5wc 6 днів тому

    Slight detail in the story I love is when necrozma takes over the legendary. It instantly opens wormholes around the region. We actually get to see the world in danger besides a sky change like in D/P/P and R/S. And we get to see the side legendaries do something important in the story and how they add to the lore

  • @thomoclock
    @thomoclock 14 днів тому +4

    13:33 I think this is the other way around. Ultra Sun and Moon makes her a non-villain. In Sun and Moon, she actually is one. I really enjoyed Ultra Sun and Moon and mostly prefer it to the originals, but Sun and Moon overall has the better story because of what they did (didn't do) with Lusamine in the Ultra games.

  • @mimiquoi7380
    @mimiquoi7380 14 днів тому +4

    Personnally I really prefer the story of base Sun and Moon.
    The Ultra games make Lilie's developpement really less good. She had really good scenes in Sun and Moon who are just erased in this games and her ending with her travelling into Kanto (who I really loved) is also erased. And it's a shame because it was some of those scenes that make her character one of the best written character of Pokemon for me 😢
    And Lusamine treatment in the Ultra game is weird. They wanted to redeem her but they keep some story element of her madness of base Sun and Moon into the game. Exemple : She still freeze pokemon and nobody care about it in the end ? 🤨 For me Lusamine was really a great villain and they took that away from us..
    In the end, yes the Ultra games are maybe more complete in term of content.. But the story was really disapointing for me. (But yeah the Ultra Necrozma fight was still really good)

    • @thepokemonqueen
      @thepokemonqueen 14 днів тому +5

      I totally agree, the ultra games really defanged lusamine by removing the nihilego fusion scene and wiped an important chunk of Lillie's character growth with it. I prefer the ultra games mechanically, but story-wise the base games are better imo (I did love the rainbow rocket section though)

    • @mimiquoi7380
      @mimiquoi7380 14 днів тому

      ​@@thepokemonqueen exactly !

    • @thomoclock
      @thomoclock 14 днів тому +4

      Exactly this. Whenever someone asks which Gen 7 game they should play, it's really such a hard choice because on the whole Ultra is so much better with all the little extra content they added. QoL additions, better UI, sidequests... But on the flip side, the story suffers because of the changes they made with Lusamine and Lillie. I wish they just didn't touch that aspect.

  • @juandiegotorres9632
    @juandiegotorres9632 10 днів тому +1

    The thing is what you've said mostly applies to the original SM. I like what they did with Hau, but i dont like what they did with Lillie. She basically solved her issue about the years of neglect with an off screen conversation with Lusamine while in the original she gave her a stern talking to, losing the shy demeanor and giving it to her straight. I think what let me down the most was the fact that it wasn't a sequel, Gladion wasn't head of Aether Corporation and the Ultra Recon Squad wasn't a dedicated villain team.

  • @noahthecrazy1632
    @noahthecrazy1632 13 днів тому +2

    This is the only region where every ace trainer and above have fully EV’ed pokemon and WILL sweep your whole team and ruin nuzlockes

  • @treyc9590
    @treyc9590 12 днів тому +1

    Alola is an interesting region for me because it took time to grow on me. I replayed Ultra Sun this year and found myself living it wah more than I had before.

  • @mysticdigital5936
    @mysticdigital5936 14 днів тому +3

    I always liked Gen 7 a lot. The dialogue/slow down is definitely the biggest issue. I can understand the ride Pokemon being random is weird, but it's way better to use Pokemon rsther than just a *surf* board. But there should have been a Bike too. Overall though, the games are just a great fresh take, Alola is such a fleshed out region and I love the Johto influences mirroring real life Japanese cultural influence on Hawaii too.
    The Ultra games are weird because I feel like they're *mostly* better than Sun and Moon but they also jsut changed enough things that I feel they stand on their own. SM is very much Lillie and Lusamine's story, but USUM always felt more like *Hau* and Necrozma's story to me. Beyond that the different Totems and trials do mix things up. But I think USUM has a better postgame.
    UltraMoon is the last mainline game I played. Dexit and the quality drop of Gen 8 and 9 just lets me save money honestly. I recently went back to playing UltraMoon to complete the dex so I can shiny hunt and it's nice to hear the music again, see the crusty but very pretty visuals. Hoping Legends ZA or Gen 10 show effort, content, and actual care.

  • @typhoonboom
    @typhoonboom 8 днів тому +1

    these were my first pokemon games i bought as close to the launch date as i could at the time, thanks for making me feel old by mentioning these games are almost a decade old. btw, i'd love to see a team skull video and a feature length video about these games. also i've been getting you on my recommended for a while now, but haven't subscribed yet. this video deserves to chance that fact

  • @itsyaboigabe8334
    @itsyaboigabe8334 7 днів тому

    This being my first generation really made me appreciate how good I had it. I have put countless hours into these games and I hope we get another pokemon game like it

  • @jamiek8123
    @jamiek8123 14 днів тому +2

    a middle stage lover? nah you're good man, I also like some of the middle stages, Torracat included

    • @nullpoint3346
      @nullpoint3346 9 днів тому

      Braixen is the best middle stage, and it saddens me that nothing else can truly compare to this adorable fox mage.
      Well, nothing official anyway.

  • @Aoikitty
    @Aoikitty 13 днів тому

    I love Pokémon sun & moon, both the original and the ultra versions. The S&M hype season is what got me into Pokémon. Hell I, a 12 y/o at the time, saved up for and bought a 3DS for it with my own money. So these games hold a really special place in my heart. I love the story, I love the characters, I loved the totem battles, I love the Pokémon they added & I absolutely ADORE the Ultra Beast’s.

  • @Sush
    @Sush 14 днів тому +2

    Man I need to watch this. Hopefully I don't forget.

    • @Sush
      @Sush 9 днів тому

      watching it five days later!

  • @historicflame972
    @historicflame972 7 днів тому

    I just wish this had taken place a few years later like B2W2, would've made a lot more sense from a character standpoint, Lusamine's actions and role would make more sense without it feeling like she was awkwardly brushed aside to make way for Necrozma, still being addled by the affects of Nihilego's toxins, seeking a way to make up for her actions but still lacking restrains and inhibition. Also they could cut out the Pokemon freezing from the first game since it really has no place in this one, could've given them more freedom to actually do something with the Ultra Recon Squad too

  • @juandiegotorres9632
    @juandiegotorres9632 11 днів тому

    There's only 2 instances of protags being from a foreign region (Brendan/May from gen 3 being from Johto and Elio/Sina from gen 7 bring from Kanto)

  • @otakueve117
    @otakueve117 8 днів тому +1

    I never did finish playing ultra sun, I should probably restart and play it again after I play more of pokemon violet

  • @painpokebeys
    @painpokebeys 14 днів тому +1

    Probably my favorite games, purely because they were some of my first

  • @Alessio-z6x
    @Alessio-z6x 14 днів тому +1

    Still my favorite Pokémon game, although I'm going to play through black soon.

  • @akiraanzawa1615
    @akiraanzawa1615 14 днів тому +3

    Ultra Sun is FAR superior to X&Y and Sun&Moon. The only game to beat it in terms of creaetivity and gameplay is Scarlet Violet.

  • @MoeChiller
    @MoeChiller 8 днів тому

    USUM belongs to my Top 3 Pokemon Editions. It's one of the liveliest Games.
    However Incineroar is my Favourite Pokemon of all time. So I'm gonna take you on anytime XD.

  • @Blastosie_Offical
    @Blastosie_Offical 14 днів тому

    "B-but there's no jellyfish monster! Bad game!"

  • @rosettaaraara6633
    @rosettaaraara6633 5 днів тому

    Gen 7 is definitely my favourite games along with Gen 4 and Gen 5

  • @Azira_Amane
    @Azira_Amane 14 днів тому +1

    I was not prepared for the Bewear hate 😂😂😂😂

  • @finalGambitShedinja
    @finalGambitShedinja 11 днів тому

    these games have a lot of problems, but the art direction and general presentation of gen 7 have always been my favorite

  • @halfdeadinthegrave
    @halfdeadinthegrave 14 днів тому

    pokemon moon was my first game and i got it when i was 11. i didnt look at the adventure log, so i didnt know how to save the game or that i couldnt save during dialogue, so i ended up losing the first part of my very first pokemon game bc my ds died lol. i dont care for the ultra games as much as the originals but that might just be some bias showing. playing older gens has been really fun for me, even though im so used to plowing through every battle that when i dont, i get stuck. this happened with whitney in gold, norman in emerald, fantina in platinum, and iris in black 2. i think, since i didnt have to grind at all in moon (or ultra moon, or shield, or arceus, or violet), it seems weird to have to in the older games, and i have a slight distaste for it. thats probably why i get stuck so much lmao

  • @michaelm9211
    @michaelm9211 12 днів тому

    Honestly very good Pokemon games. I had a lot of friends skip it because they did not like regular sun and moon.

  • @jermainespeid4934
    @jermainespeid4934 14 днів тому

    Pokémon Ultra Sun and ultra Moon are like black and white 2 but different

  • @WyattStone-lx5wc
    @WyattStone-lx5wc 6 днів тому

    Ultra sun my first game and is by far my favorite. It makes me so mad to see how hated it is.

  • @DeltaZinnia
    @DeltaZinnia 14 днів тому

    the first Sun/Moon games had a much better story

  • @minethecrafty9111
    @minethecrafty9111 14 днів тому +1

    0:56 the hottest professor 🥴

    • @owenmattes7619
      @owenmattes7619 14 днів тому +2

      No bc the 3DS professors were pretty much just thirst traps (and I’m not complaining)

  • @Tristan_Shuler
    @Tristan_Shuler 13 днів тому

    Yea I hate how Lillie is the main character and the PC is kinda just there.

  • @RealSkello
    @RealSkello 5 днів тому

    My first game was sun and I think USUM maintain being my favorites. Unfortunately I hate sos shiny hunting so I don’t play it much

  • @kyurei4478
    @kyurei4478 3 дні тому

    I completed both versions (Moon and Ultra-Moon) and I still find Team Skull as uninteresting and pathetic as the first time. The way they constantly belittle themselves just wasn't funny at all and felt like a waste of time. These guys were the only team without ambitions or goals at the time. They're a failed attempt of Team Rocket pretty much and they started the trend of unimportant bad guys. I just ignored them to focus on the Aether research team, a more interesting twisted evil team.

  • @AmityvilleFan
    @AmityvilleFan 11 днів тому

    I suggest after the first playthrough skip all the dialogue as much as you can. Focus on soloing through the whole thing with 1 pokemon. It's a great battling game. Teaches a lot for a beginner at least. Plenty of replay-value in it.
    Only 2 things narrow it down: special attackers are very samey experience, and anythng that is voulnerable to dark damage will be a chore. This still leaves 50-70 pokemon to play through. And I mean fully evolved forms.

  • @lametrain9667
    @lametrain9667 12 днів тому

    This is by no means an insult directed at you but I’ve never noticed how “pedantic” the overall Pokémon community is about how USUM shook up the formula.
    My only expectation for a Pokémon game is that you’ll explore a region while catching and battling Pokémon. The difference between Gyms and Island Challenges never bothered me because of this. The game is still about catching and battling Pokémon at the end of the day.

  • @Tristan_Shuler
    @Tristan_Shuler 13 днів тому

    Too much dialogue 7.8/10

  • @killgronia5815
    @killgronia5815 6 днів тому

    A lt hre