Pokemon Sun & Moon - Special Demo Version
Let me start off by saying, I love the main series of Pokemon games. They have often brought me back to gaming when I had moved away from it for a while - and yet, what I actually mean is that I love most of the main series Pokemon games.
The DS offerings didn't really do it for me - but so far the 3DS generation has blown me away, so naturally I was awaiting the email to tell me that the special demo version of Sun & Moon was finally available to download with great anticipation.
Well, it arrived, I've been playing it and the verdict is... well actually I'm not sure.
You start off the 'game' having just moved to Alola, a region clearly inspired by Hawaii. While your mum deals with some paperwork you go for a wander with a new found friend and are introduced to a surfer-professor type who tells you he has a trial for you. However, first you must dispense of two of this games antagonists - Team Skull.
Unlike your typical Pokemon game Grunts, Team Skull are painfully wigger-like. They seem to be wannabe gangster rappers - even greeting you with: "Were you flew here, or were you grew here?".
Once these are dealt with, you can move onto your trial. You head up a hill and through a sectioned off area to meet Professor Boardshorts in a cave - where he informs you that your trial will be to take pictures of certain Pokemon.
Suddenly the game had my attention. A Pokemon snap clone inside Sun & Moon?
Nope. Not even close. You are alerted to were the Pokemon may be (which by the way is incredibly easy and tedious) and then you have a mostly-useless camera to snap which never get to see. The camera shutter startles the Pokemon and it attacks you.
Combat is what you'd expect but with new animations and tips for what moves to use. There's also new modes like being able to call an "ally" and new Mega-Evolutions (of sorts).
Once you've beaten a "Totem" form of one of the Pokemon, your Greninja "Mega Evolves" (I don't know what else to call it) into "Ash Greninja". Professor Cooldude also gives you a "Z Ring and Crystal" to allow Pokemon to pumped up with "Z Power". At first I thought this was meant to be a reference to the fact that there was never a third instalment to the X/Y series but in battle it felt more akin to the "Break Evolution" from the Trading Card Game.
Overall I think I liked the demo but there were thinks that bugged me.
The camera never felt right, it was awkward to walk around town. Also, I'm not sure I liked my character. He had a weird walk cycle and his facial expression never moved from a creepy smile. I know these are small things they added to the extra-cheesey nature of everything.
There is more to do after the trial but you'd be forgiven for missing it as the trailer plays out and the demo seems to end.
You head back up the hill - or to be strictly accurate, a man takes you up the hill... again - and jump on the back of a Taurus for the rest of your demo adventure.
