Honestly, it’s been nearly a decade since we first stepped onto the shores of Melemele Island, and the community is still arguing about whether Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were actually necessary. Some people call them "glorified DLC." Others think they’re the peak of the 3DS era.
They’re both right. Sorta.
When Game Freak dropped these sequels in 2017, just a year after the original Sun and Moon, the reaction was mixed. People were expecting a "Pokémon Stars" on the Switch. Instead, we got a refined, much harder, and significantly weirder version of the Alola region. If you haven't touched these games in a while, you've probably forgotten just how much they changed the formula, for better and for worse.
The Difficulty Spike Nobody Expected
Most modern Pokémon games are a breeze. You walk into a gym, click the super-effective move, and collect your badge. Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon didn't play that game. These titles are notorious for having some of the most brutal "boss" encounters in the entire franchise.
Remember Ultra Necrozma?
That fight is basically a rite of passage. If you didn't come prepared with a Focus Sash, a Zoroark strategy, or a very specific Toxic stall, that golden dragon probably wiped your entire team in four turns. It was a level of difficulty we hadn't seen since the Cynthia fight in Diamond and Pearl.
The Totem Pokémon got a massive buff too. In the original Sun and Moon, they were tough. In the Ultra versions, they became tactical nightmares. Totem Araquanid in the early game is a massive wall that catches players off guard because of its speed boost and the SOS partners it calls in. It’s not just about level grinding; it’s about understanding "Action Economy." You’re fighting two-on-one. If you don't take out the support Pokémon, you're toast.
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A Story That Got... Stranger?
The narrative shift is where things get controversial. The original Sun and Moon had a very tight, character-driven story focused on Lillie and her mother, Lusamine. It was about family trauma and obsession.
In the Ultra versions, that gets sidelined for the Ultra Recon Squad.
These blue-suited aliens from another dimension show up to warn you about Necrozma, the "Blinding One." While the multiverse stuff is cool, it definitely makes the plot feel a bit more cluttered. Lusamine goes from being a terrifying, nuanced antagonist to someone who is basically just "misguided" while trying to save the world.
Is it a worse story? Maybe. But the world-building is objectively deeper. You get to travel through Ultra Wormholes on the back of Solgaleo or Lunala. You visit Ultra Megalopolis—a city where all the light has been stolen. It’s dark. It’s moody. It feels more like science fiction than a game about catching pocket monsters.
The Best Feature You Probably Ignored
Can we talk about Mantine Surfing for a second?
Usually, the "mini-games" in Pokémon are pretty forgettable. (Looking at you, Pokéstar Studios). But Mantine Surfing was actually great. It wasn't just a way to get between islands; it was the most efficient way to grind for Battle Points (BP).
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In previous games, you had to spend hours in the Battle Tree or Battle Subway just to afford a Choice Scarf or a Life Orb. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, you could just do a few high-score runs on a Mantine and buy all the competitive items you needed. It respected the player's time in a way the older games didn't.
The Alola Dex and the Competitive Peak
If you’re a collector, the Ultra versions are the definitive 3DS experience. The Pokédex was expanded to over 400 entries. They added new Ultra Beasts like Blacephalon and Stakataka, and even a new evolution for Rockruff: Dusk Form Lycanroc.
But the real MVP was the Move Tutor.
Since these were the "enhanced" versions, they brought back the move tutors that were missing from the base games. This completely changed the competitive meta. Suddenly, your Alolan Marowak could learn the moves it actually needed to be viable. It made the VGC (Video Game Championships) scene during the "Sun and Moon" era incredibly diverse.
Why the "Ultra" Titles Still Hold Up in 2026
We're currently in an era where the Switch games have moved to full open-world environments with Scarlet and Violet. While the freedom of the newer games is nice, there's something to be said for the polished, "grid-adjacent" style of the 3DS.
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon represent the absolute limit of what that hardware could do. The environments are lush. The trials feel distinct from the tired Gym format. The Z-Moves—love them or hate them—added a layer of cinematic flair that Mega Evolutions lacked.
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Things the Ultra Versions Fixed:
- The Rotom Dex: Okay, he talks way too much, but the Roto-Loto powers (like catching boosts and egg-hatching speed) were life-savers.
- The Post-Game: Episode RR (Team Rainbow Rocket) is one of the coolest fanservice moments in the history of the brand. Seeing Giovanni recruit Archie, Maxie, Cyrus, N, and Lysandre was wild.
- Legendary Hunting: The Ultra Warp Ride let you catch almost every legendary Pokémon from previous generations without needing to trade.
The Verdict on the Gen 7 Leap
A lot of people skipped these because they felt burned by buying the same game twice. I get it. If you play them back-to-back, the first ten hours of the Ultra versions feel almost identical to the originals. The tutorials are still long. Professor Kukui still talks a lot.
But if you judge them as a standalone package? They are probably the most "complete" Pokémon games ever made. They have a massive Pokédex, a high difficulty ceiling, a functional post-game, and a unique tropical aesthetic that hasn't been replicated since.
If you’re planning to revisit Alola, do not settle for the original Sun or Moon. Go straight for the Ultra versions. The quality of life improvements alone—like the streamlined UI and the improved festival plaza—make it worth the upgrade.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough:
- Don't ignore the stickers: Collect the Totem Stickers scattered around Alola. They allow you to get "Totem-sized" Pokémon for your own team, which have different weights and stats that can be useful in niche competitive builds.
- Pre-plan for Necrozma: If you’re playing a "Nuzlocke" or a challenge run, keep a Pokémon with the "Sturdy" ability or a Focus Sash. You will need a guaranteed turn to land a status move like Toxic or Thunder Wave, or you will lose.
- Use the Island Scan: This feature is often forgotten but it’s the only way to get non-Alolan starters like Charmander or Greninja in the wild. Check the daily schedule online to see which Pokémon are appearing on which island.
- Farm BP early: Use Mantine Surf as soon as it becomes available. Getting a powerful held item like a Rocky Helmet or a Choice Band before the third island makes the mid-game much smoother.
- Trade with NPCs: Many of the in-game trades in Alola provide Pokémon with perfect or near-perfect IVs, which is a huge help if you aren't into the breeding grind.
Whether you're a shiny hunter using the vastly improved SOS method or a casual player just looking for a challenge, Alola still has plenty to offer. It’s the last time Pokémon felt truly "handheld" before the jump to the hybrid console, and it’s a high note to end on.