The official release of "Pokemon Sun and Moon" is less than a month away, and fans have been eagerly waiting for it launching. However, the game will be introducing a lot of new elements and changing many gameplay mechanics that are already staple in the Pokemon game franchise.
No More HM Moves?
In the Pokemon franchise, Hidden Moves, or HMs, were used to give players the ability to access certain areas of the game. This is advantageous for collecting a lot of special items and also to make actual progress in the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" games. However, these moves need specific Pokemon in order to be utilized, and require one of the four slots dedicated for its moves for it to be learned.
More than the practicality, some of these HMs pack a punch when used in battle. Fly and Surf, for example, have a base power of 90. However, "Pokemon Sun and Moon" may be getting rid of this nifty gameplay feature.
A demo for the upcoming "Pokemon Sun and Moon" was released on October 18. One of the biggest feature change, although easily overlooked, is the disappearance of HM abilities, such as the aforementioned Fly and Surf, as well as Cut. This led many fans to assume that the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" may be getting rid of the HM moves altogether.
Ride Pokemon
The solution for the lack of HMs in the Alola region, however, comes in the form of Poke Ride. "Pokemon Sun and Moon" will give the players the ability to call on various Pokemon for them to lend their abilities. When the player gains the ability, they can call on the Pokemon whenever they want. However, these Ride Pokemon cannot be added to the player's party
Some of the examples are Charizard who has the ability to fly, Lapras who surfs in the water, and Tauros who can run through and smash blocks. The non-inclusion of HMs in "Pokemon Sun and Moon" is yet to be confirmed. However, with the introduction of Poke Ride, it is just logical to remove the move set as it makes the system redundant.
Release Details
The "Pokemon Sun and Moon" demo is out now for Nintendo users with free account. The official game release is on November 18.