A Deep Dive into the New Pokemon Sun and Moon E3 Footage

Yesterday, Nintendo revealed over 30 minutes of gameplay video for Pokemon Sun and Moon.The big news, of course, were the reveals of Yungoos and Pikipek (Nintendo also revealed Grubbin in a subsequent trailer for the game), but the gameplay presentation also showed off plenty of new features that didn’t make headlines.From new features to big questions, there was a lot to digest in the newest Pokemon footage, so we’ve done the heavy legwork and pulled out all of the biggest takeaways in one handy slideshow:

The New Pokemon

Obviously, the stars of the gameplay footage were the two new Pokemon that debuted, Yungoos and Pikipek.  Yungoos appears to be the Alola region’s Normal type rodent, an equivalent to Rattata, Sentret or Zigazigoon.  While fans were focused on its grumpy little face or its resemblance to a certain presidential candidate, Yungoos also has a very cool new ability that could be a gamechanger in competitive play.  Some Yungoos will have “Stakeout”, a new ability that allows Yungoos to deal out double damage to any Pokemon who enters the battlefield in the middle of play.  If Yungoos’s base stats aren’t horrifically useless, we could see a lot of it (or its evolved form) in competitive play next year, as it’s an easy way to stop Baton Pass or Volt Switch teams.

Pikipek is the Alola’s Region common bird and resembles a Woodpecker.  Pokemon’s official website hints that Pikipek can learn Bullet Seed, which is a pretty interesting move for a Normal/Flying type to have.  Fletchling, the Kalos region’s common bird, evolved into the Fire/Flying type Talonflame.  Could Pikipek evolve into a Grass/Flying type?

New Pokedex Features

While the Rotom Pokedex wasn’t featured at E3, Nintendo did show off some of Pokemon Sun and Moon‘s new Pokedex features.  When registering a Pokemon, the Pokedex will show empty spots to indicate future evolutions.  In some cases, the Pokedex will also show off a spot when that Pokemon has a natural pair, such as Minun and Plusle or Volbeat and Illumise.  It’s not a groundbreaking feature, but it is a cool way to help fans who don’t want to turn to the Internet to figure out how to complete their Pokedex.

New Battle Screen

Pokemon Sun and Moon also features an overhauled battle screen, which is used to command Pokemon during battle.  Most of the changes appear to be cosmetic; the buttons have been moved around a bit and given stylistic designs that are in line with the looser aesthetics of the new game.  However, there are a interesting features that were shown in the gameplay demonstration.  When battling a Pokemon that the player has already encountered, the battle screen will show which moves are effective and ineffective against it.  So, if a player is battling Litten for the second time, the game will point out that a Water Type move is super effective against the fire kitten, while a grass move won’t do much damage.  Players will also be able to easily see exactly what each move does during battle, which will be a great aid to casual fans who don’t religiously remember every single move in the game. 

The other interesting feature is that players will be able to track stat changes mid-battle.  Many moves focus on buffing or debuffing certain stats, and now a trainer can see just how much their Pokemon has been affected in battle.  The status effect screen doesn’t give an exact number (like in the online battle simulator Pokemon Showdown) but it does use arrows that give a pretty clear indicator what stats have been either pumped up or whittled away at.  It’s another feature meant to help players take stock of their Pokemon in battle, without relying on as much guesswork.

Popplio’s Fairy Type Move

During the gameplay demonstration, we saw Popplio gain a new move “Disarming Voice”.  Disarming Voice is a Fairy type move introduced in Pokemon X and Y and is typically a base move for Fairy types to learn.  In fact, almost every Fairy Type Pokemon learns “Disarming Voice”, and there’s only three non-Fairy type Pokemon who can also learn the move.  That’s not a guarantee that Popplio will eventually evolve into a Water/Fairy type Pokemon, but it’s a pretty big possible hint what Popplio will turn into. 

Dynamic Cameras

One of the cooler features I noticed in Pokemon Sun and Moon is how the camera has immensely improved in the game.  From the new and improved intro animations (when encountering a wild Pokemon, the camera actually rushes through the grass and into a clearing) to the more dynamic camera angles featured while battling, Pokemon Sun and Moon looks a lot more polished and attention grabbing than its predecessors.  Not only do the Pokemon move more in between commands, the camera also zooms around to show different angles of both the Pokemon and trainers.  This gives battles a much more dynamic and active feel to them and adds some excitement to the waiting periods.   The gameplay video also mentioned that shadows and lighting will change depending on the time of the day, adding another layer of realism to the game.

Who is Tapu Koko?

The name “Tapu Koko” was mentioned several times during Pokemon Sun and Moon‘s gameplay demonstration, although the hosts got a bit cagey when giving details.  According to the snippets of gameplay, Tapu Koko is the guardian deity of the island players start at, and the player will attend and battle at a festival held in Tapu Koko’s honor.  What’s more, it appears that players will encounter Tapu Koko early in the game, which indicates that the player was somehow “chosen” by the mysterious guardian deity. 

So what is Tapu Koko?  We’re guessing that it’s Zygarde, who will supposedly play a “unique” role in Pokemon Sun and Moon.  The biggest clue is a throwaway line of dialogue in the gameplay footage that mentions “what a curious little thing” Tapu Koko is.  If Tapu Koko is little, but powerful enough to protect an entire island, it makes sense that it’s actually Zygarde’s core form, which transforms into more powerful formes when needed. 

What Are the Bracelets?

During the gameplay presentation, one of Nintendo’s hosts called attention to the bracelets seen in artwork featuring the player avatars.  While at first glance the bracelets look like a Mega Evolution band, a closer look reveals some big differences, such as the lack of a Key Stone.  We didn’t get any answers in gameplay presentation, the fact the host pointed out the bracelets hints that Nintendo is still hiding a big gameplay feature back in Pokemon Sun and Moon.  Some have suggested we could see “Synchro-Evolution”, a new form of Mega Evolution seen in the Pokemon anime and used by series protagonist Ash Ketchum.  A recent Japanese magazine leak hinted that the new Starter Pokemon had a “secret” of some kind, and it could be connected to whatever these new bracelets are. 

The Battle Royal

The gameplay video also revealed a new multiplayer feature: the Battle Royal, a 1v1v1v1 free for all mode.  Players will have to fight and defend against three other Pokemon trainers, each of whom are looking to knock out as many Pokemon as they can.  There’s a lot of new strategies at play, ranging from making impromptu alliances to take down a stronger opponent to using speed advantages to steal a KO from other trainers.  The competitive implications of the Battle Royal are pretty significant, and it will be really fun to see if it becomes a staple at next year’s Regional competitions.