Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Alolan Pokémon seen in ‘Sun’ and ‘Moon’ are coming to ‘Pokémon Go’

Gabe Gurwin
By
Alola Forms and Z-Moves Revealed for Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon!

Pokémon Sun and Moon were strange games for a variety of reasons, including the removal of traditional gyms in favor of special challenges, but the biggest change was the addition of “Alolan forms” for classic monsters. These alternate forms won’t be limited to the 3DS much longer, however, as they’re coming to Pokémon Go in a new update.

Recommended Videos

“Whether your forecast calls for rain or shine, we’re celebrating all around the world by introducing some special Pokémon from the tropical Alola region to Pokémon Go,” developer Niantic said in a post on the game’s website. “Get ready for some of the Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region to appear in their Alolan forms!”

The Kanto region was the area players explored in Pokémon Red and Blue, and it contained some of the most famous characters in the series. In their Alolan forms, they’re still recognizable, but have an added “twist.” You can see a few examples in the video at the top of the page.

The evolved Pokémon Dugtrio, a staple of the series since the very beginning, was given a Fabio-like hairdo, while Sandslash and Vulpix were given new ice abilities. The most jarring change is to Exeggutor, the palm-tree Pokémon with multiple heads. It now has a neck to match its tree-like appearance, as well as dragon abilities.

The decision to focus on Kanto-region Pokémon with the latest update seems fitting, if the recent rumors we’ve heard about the latest Pokémon game for Switch are correct. Supposed leaks for “Pokémon Let’s Go! Pikachu Edition” and “Pokémon Let’s Go! Eevee Edition,” along with corresponding domain name registrations, suggest the games will focus on the original location and could contain elements from Pokémon Go. This should all be taken with a grain of salt for now, however, and if Nintendo does have something in the works, we’ll likely hear about it at E3 in June.

If you’re only interested in playing Pokémon Go, the game is still going strong, with raids adding legendary monsters for limited-time events. Despite the colossal failure that was 2017’s Pokémon Go Fest, the celebration will be held this July in Chicago. Given that connection issues experienced at last year’s event led to widespread player outrage, we’re hoping this year’s goes off without a hitch.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
NBA All-World aims to replicate Pokémon Go’s success starting today
A player walks around their neighborhood's map in NBA All-World.

Niantic launched NBA All-World, its basketball-themed, location-based mobile game, on iOS and Android today. Ahead of this release, Digital Trends attended a presentation to learn more about how the sports AR title works.
If you've played any of Niantic's games before, many elements of NBA All-World will feel quite familiar. The mobile game tracks players' location and encourages them to explore. While doing so, players will find Drop Zones that grant them new gear. Niantic says Drop Zones will often be placed near real-world counterparts, so players can find money near a bank or shoes near a shoe store. 
There will also be Player Encounters, where they can face off against current NBA athletes. Niantic tells Digital Trends that classic athletes aren't currently in the game, but feels that idea "is a good one." 

In Player Encounters, users face off against athletes in one of four minigames: 3-Point Shootout, Beat the Clock, Around the World, and First-to-Five. While they feature some impressive and realistic animation for a mobile game, Niantic says these minigames only use simple swipe controls because the studio wanted to make something that is easy to play while someone is walking around their neighborhood. If a user wins a Player Encounter, they can recruit that athlete to their team, customize them with items found at Drop Zones, and upgrade them by playing with them. Players can also challenge players they already recruited again to earn more currency. 
The title also includes "Rule the Court" neighborhood leaderboards, many of which are placed at real-world basketball courts, where players can compete for the highest score. Currently, there are no player-versus-player elements in NBA All-World, although Niantic understands players like competitive modes in their sports games and may add them in the future. In fact, many features are still in the pipeline for post-launch updates, including Niantic's trademark AR support. Early in the second quarter of 2023, Niantic plans on adding AR support to NBA All-World to enhance the loot drops from Drop Zones to make it look like they're happening in the real world.
One thing that will be in the game at launch is microtransactions, which Niantic says will be similar to the ones available in its other games and allow players to increase their athletes' stats with Offense, Defense, and Fitness boosts. 
Despite the undeniable success of Pokémon Go, Niantic has never been able to completely replicate its success with games like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite or Pikmin Bloom. However, the studio seems confident that basketball has the global mass appeal to make NBA All-World another massive hit for the company. The early footage we saw of the game does leave us optimistic for NBA All-World's prospects, but we'll ultimately have to wait and see if the game will make it past its rookie season. 
NBA All-World is available now for iOS and Android.

Read more
The best Pokémon Scarlet and Violet mods
Three shiny Pokémon by a picnic.

It's no secret that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launched in a technically messy state. Many are willing to look past the flaws in performance, graphics, and quality of life features, however, others took it upon themselves to fix or improve aspects of the game that the developers can't or won't. While modding is typically associated with PC games, it is possible to do it on your Nintendo Switch. There are limitations, and they may come with some risks, but these mods can certainly make your journey through Paldea more enjoyable. Don't expect a 4K, 60 fps enhancement here, but these are the best Pokémon Scarlet and Violet mods out there.
How to mod Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Modding on your Nintendo Switch isn't as easy as it is on PC, but as long as you follow a few simple steps, anyone can do it. The basics of it simply ask you to download the Trinity Mod Loader tool, download the mod(s) you want and add them to the tool, and then apply the mod to your Switch.

Be aware that mods can result in you getting banned by Nintendo, so it is recommended that you play offline while using them. Even then, you do so at your own risk.

Read more
Pokémon showed why it’s still unstoppable in 2022
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet protagonist holding glowing Poke Ball

Remember Temtem, the monster-taming MMO that got its 1.0 release earlier this year? Don't feel too bad if you don't.

What was once hailed as the "Pokémon killer" officially launched in September too little fanfare. Despite the initial spike in interest after its early access release, it didn't quite reach the cultural status of the game it was trying to build on. Meanwhile, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet broke records as Nintendo's fastest-selling games of all time, despite being the most heavily criticized entries in the series' history due to performance issues and glitches. Not even bad press could keep Pikachu down.

Read more