Pokemon Sun and Moon director gives insight on new features

Pokemon Sun and Moon celebrates the 20^th anniversary of the beloved franchise. And with the inclusion of new features, new locations and new Pokemon to catch, it promises to be a very unique experience indeed.

NintendoEverything shares a recent interview with director Shigeru Ohmori and producer Junichi Masuda regarding the newest entries in the Pokemon franchise. The interview mostly discusses their view on the features the seventh generation has to offer, including Poke Ride, the Island Challenge, Alola forms, among other things.

Slated for a November 2016 release date, the new Pokemon games would be set on Alola, which, according to Ohmori, was inspired by Hawaii, composing of several islands. The region introduces new Pokemon, among these are the "Alola forms", which are re-imaginings of several generation one Pokemon.

These Pokemon would have a different typing from its original counterpart (Meowth, for example, would change from a Normal-type to a Dark-type), along with aesthetic changes (different color schemes and minor detail changes) to make the forms unique. According to the interview, they imagined that some Pokemon may have adapted and evolved differently to the island region, and gave birth to the said forms.

According to IGN , another change made Ohmori, the new director of the series, was the shift from traditional gym battles to the new "Island Challenge Trails".  Each island will have its own set of challenges, and is not just about Pokemon battles. Some challenges include out of the box tasks, like puzzles.

At the end of each trail, the player will face a "Totem" Pokemon, which is usually a larger version of a specific Pokemon, which is stronger than the regular one, and may call on allies to fight with them. After all the challenges in a specific island, they will be led to the Grand Trail, where they will face the kahuna of the island. Defeating the Kahuna will complete the island's trails, and will allow the player to proceed to the next island.

As Generation Six gave us Mega Evolutions, Generation Seven now gives us "Z Moves". These are one-shot power moves that certain Pokemon can use. Like the Mega Evolutions, several items are needed for use.

A player must have the Z-Ring and a Z- Crystal, to be given to the corresponding Pokemon. The Pokemon must also know the move for use. On a side note, Ohmori confirmed that Mega Evolutions will be available after finishing the main story.

Sun and Moon will also introduce Poke Rides, Pokemon meant for travelling. This was made to reflect the life in the region, where people, Pokemon and nature work together, according to Ohmori.  Players will also be given a new type of Pokedex, called the "Rotom Pokedex".

As the name suggests, it is a Pokedex inhabited by the Pokemon Rotom. Aside from recording the Pokemon encountered and captured, it also gives advice based on conversations with NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) and shows map information. It was meant to attract those who like playing on their smartphones and those who like watching Youtube Videos.

With everything that is being teased about the new games, the hype is building up quite well. And as expectations are being set, time will tell if Pokemon Sun and Moon can deliver.