What the Ultra Sun and Moon Updates Actually Are
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon are revised editions of the 2016 Nintendo 3DS titles Pokémon Sun and Moon. Released in late 2017, they update the original games with new story moments, additional postgame content, changed Pokémon availability, and balance adjustments. Often labeled as ‘updates,’ they are best understood as enhanced versions that refine pacing, fix usability issues, and deepen aspects of the Alola region without replacing the core RPG loop of exploration, collection, and turn based battles.
While not a direct sequel, Ultra Sun and Moon reframe the narrative around the player’s role within the Ultra Recon Squad, offering a different perspective on the same events. These revisions remain distinct from later generation releases and serve as a bridge between the experimental Sun and Moon base games and the more structured Sword and Shield era.
Key Gameplay and Story Changes in the Updates
Adjusted Postgame and Battle Tree
The most noticeable gameplay updates appear in the postgame. The original Sun and Moon postgame was often criticized for sparse structure, while Ultra versions introduce a more defined Battle Tree with rotating lineups of powerful opponents. Capture tools, BP rewards, and rematches are better organized, giving competitive players clearer goals and more consistent challenges after becoming Champion.
New Story Content and Moments
Ultra Sun and Moon add brief narrative sequences that expand on side characters and clarify the Ultra Recon Squad’s objectives. These additions do not overhaul the main plot but provide more context around paradox Pokémon, Ultra Wormholes, and the player’s encounters with the mysterious figure known as Lillie. The tone remains playful, yet these beats reduce narrative gaps present in the original versions.
Type Changes and Balance Tweaks
Several Pokémon received type or ability updates that affect competitive viability. Notable examples include Kartana’s shift to Steel Grass, which removes its quadruple Grass weakness, and adjustments to moves like Thunder Wave and Heal Bell distribution. These changes are modest compared to full generation remakes but meaningfully influence team building and long term metagame trends.
Notable Additions and Modified Availability
Ultra Sun emphasizes Electric and Ghost themes, reflected in trial designs and Ultra Beast distributions, while Ultra Moon highlights Psychic and Fighting motifs. Certain legendary and mythical Pokémon become available earlier or through different methods, altering route accessibility and postgame planning. Below is a comparison of how availability shifts between the base titles and their Ultra counterparts.
Availability and Distribution Shifts
| Legendary or Mythical | Ultra Sun Availability | Ultra Moon Availability | Source Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solgaleo | Version Exclusive (Sun) | Event Distribution | Official Event Data |
| Lunala | Event Distribution | Version Exclusive (Moon) | Official Event Data |
| Necrozma | Postgame Story Unlock | Postgame Story Unlock | In Game Progression |
| Meltan | Shop Transfer (Sun) | Shop Transfer (Moon) | In Game Progression |
| Hoopa Confined | Event Distribution | Event Distribution | Official Event Data |
How These Updates Compare to Later Remakes
Ultra Sun and Moon are often discussed alongside Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl or Legends: Arceus, yet they occupy a different design philosophy. Unlike full remakes, which rebuild maps and systems, the Ultra revisions focus on targeted adjustments. This restrained approach preserves much of the original Sun and Moon DNA—faint footsteps, fast travel, and open-ended island traversal—while smoothing out rough edges. The result is a version that feels familiar yet noticeably refined, making it a practical entry point for new players studying the series’ transitional period.
Lasting Impact on the Series and Accessibility Today
Though later generation titles have shifted toward more linear progression and structured difficulty curves, Ultra Sun and Moon remain important for how they refined experimental ideas. They demonstrate how revisiting a region can clarify story beats, improve quality of life, and adjust competitive balance without erasing the original experience. For modern players, they offer a concise window into Alola’s peak design, with improved pacing and clearer objectives that remain relevant to understanding later evolutions of Pokémon RPGs. Their legacy persists in how subsequent updates consider pacing, distribution fairness, and player choice within a largely rigid formula.
Long term, these titles maintain value for completionists, competitive archives, and historians examining the franchise’s shift between generations. While not as mechanically deep as later handheld RPGs, Ultra Sun and Moon stand as well-executed refinements that address common criticisms of the originals while respecting the spirit of exploration that made Sun and Moon memorable.
Taken together, the Ultra revisions showcase measured improvement over base games, thoughtful adjustments to type coverage and availability, and a commitment to enhancing rather than replacing the Alola adventure. For players weighing whether to revisit or discover the region, they remain the most coherent expression of Sun and Moon’s design intent.