<s>
and	O
are	O
2017	O
role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
developed	O
by	O
Game	O
Freak	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
The	O
Pokémon	O
Company	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Part	O
of	O
the	O
seventh	O
generation	O
of	O
the	O
Pokémon	O
video	O
game	O
series	O
,	O
the	O
games	O
are	O
enhanced	O
versions	O
of	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Pokémon	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
,	O
which	O
released	O
the	O
previous	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
the	O
final	O
mainline	O
Pokémon	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
family	O
of	O
systems	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
series	O
migrating	O
over	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
the	O
next	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
previous	O
installments	O
,	O
the	O
games	O
follow	O
the	O
journey	O
of	O
a	O
young	O
Pokémon	O
trainer	O
,	O
taking	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
Alola	B-Application
region	O
—	O
based	O
on	O
Hawaii	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2018	O
,	O
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
over	O
eight	O
million	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
are	O
role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
with	O
adventure	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Alola	B-Application
region	O
,	O
the	O
mechanics	O
and	O
graphics	O
remain	O
largely	O
the	O
same	O
as	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
primary	O
differences	O
being	O
its	O
modified	O
storyline	O
now	O
including	O
the	O
Ultra	O
Recon	O
Squad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
introduce	O
new	O
Ultra	O
Beasts	O
:	O
Stakataka	O
,	O
Blacephalon	O
,	O
Poipole	O
and	O
its	O
evolution	O
,	O
Naganadel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
new	O
forms	O
for	O
the	O
legendary	O
Pokémon	O
Necrozma	O
,	O
dubbed	O
"	O
Dusk	O
Mane	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Dawn	O
Wings	O
"	O
forms	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
achieved	O
by	O
absorbing	O
the	O
legendary	O
Pokémon	O
Solgaleo	O
and	O
Lunala	O
,	O
respectively	O
;	O
it	O
is	O
conceptually	O
similar	O
to	O
Black	O
and	O
White	O
Kyurem	O
from	O
Black	B-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
White	B-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Lusamine	O
's	O
mutated	O
form	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Sun	O
and	O
Moon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
now	O
travel	O
around	O
the	O
Alola	B-Application
region	O
to	O
collect	O
Totem	O
Stickers	O
,	O
which	O
allow	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
receive	O
a	O
Totem-sized	O
variant	O
of	O
a	O
Pokémon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
new	O
activities	O
have	O
been	O
added	O
:	O
Mantine	O
Surf	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
surf	O
across	O
the	O
region	O
's	O
seas	O
—	O
it	O
also	O
serves	O
as	O
an	O
alternate	O
way	O
of	O
earning	O
Battle	O
Points	O
;	O
Alola	B-Application
Photo	O
Club	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
take	O
pictures	O
of	O
their	O
player	O
character	O
with	O
Pokémon	O
in	O
various	O
poses	O
;	O
and	O
Ultra	O
Warp	O
Ride	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
travel	O
through	O
varying	O
Ultra	O
Wormholes	O
and	O
encounter	O
the	O
original	O
seven	O
Ultra	O
Beasts	O
in	O
their	O
own	O
worlds	O
—	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
finding	O
legendary	O
Pokémon	O
from	O
every	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
up	O
to	O
that	O
point	O
,	O
up	O
to	O
three	O
times	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
increased	O
chance	O
for	O
shiny	O
Pokémon	O
to	O
appear	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
Sun	O
and	O
Moon	O
,	O
the	O
games	O
are	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Alola	B-Application
region	O
which	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
Hawaii	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
antagonist	O
group	O
,	O
Team	O
Rainbow	O
Rocket	O
,	O
is	O
featured	O
in	O
a	O
post-game	O
story	O
and	O
includes	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
antagonist	O
group	O
leaders	O
featured	O
throughout	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
ranging	O
from	O
Giovanni	O
from	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Red	I-Application
,	O
Blue	O
and	O
Yellow	O
to	O
Lysandre	O
from	O
Pokémon	B-Application
X	I-Application
and	I-Application
Y	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
Sun	O
and	O
Moon	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
is	O
Elio	O
or	O
Selene	O
,	O
who	O
moving	O
to	O
Melemele	O
Island	O
in	O
Alola	B-Application
with	O
their	O
mother	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
their	O
travels	O
in	O
Alola	B-Application
following	O
the	O
region	O
's	O
traditional	O
island	O
challenges	O
,	O
they	O
complete	O
trials	O
which	O
involve	O
battles	O
with	O
powerful	O
Pokémon	O
known	O
as	O
Totem	O
Pokémon	O
,	O
and	O
encounter	O
numerous	O
groups	O
—	O
a	O
villainous	O
one	O
known	O
as	O
Team	O
Skull	O
,	O
led	O
by	O
a	O
man	O
named	O
Guzma	O
;	O
a	O
more	O
charitable	O
one	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Aether	O
Foundation	O
,	O
led	O
by	O
a	O
woman	O
named	O
Lusamine	O
;	O
and	O
another	O
called	O
the	O
Ultra	O
Recon	O
Squad	O
,	O
who	O
came	O
from	O
a	O
different	O
dimension	O
,	O
the	O
Ultra	O
Megalopolis	O
,	O
where	O
Necrozma	O
has	O
stolen	O
its	O
light	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
revolves	O
around	O
multiple	O
legendary	O
Pokémon	O
:	O
a	O
Cosmog	O
,	O
nicknamed	O
Nebby	O
,	O
who	O
eventually	O
evolves	O
into	O
a	O
Solgaleo	O
in	O
Ultra	O
Sun	O
,	O
or	O
Lunala	O
in	O
Ultra	O
Moon	O
;	O
and	O
Necrozma	O
,	O
who	O
attempts	O
to	O
seize	O
the	O
light	O
from	O
Alola	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Necrozma	O
then	O
absorbs	O
the	O
legendary	O
Pokémon	O
,	O
gaining	O
its	O
Dusk	O
Mane	O
or	O
Dawn	O
Wings	O
form	O
in	O
the	O
respective	O
version	O
,	O
and	O
unleashes	O
the	O
Ultra	O
Beasts	O
upon	O
Alola	B-Application
before	O
fighting	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
defeats	O
it	O
once	O
more	O
,	O
bringing	O
light	O
back	O
to	O
Alola	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
completing	O
these	O
trials	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
proceeds	O
to	O
battle	O
a	O
newly	O
established	O
Elite	O
Four	O
and	O
later	O
defeats	O
Hau	O
to	O
become	O
Alola	B-Application
's	O
first	O
true	O
Pokémon	O
League	O
Champion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battling	O
through	O
villainous	O
team	O
leaders	O
from	O
the	O
past	O
games	O
—	O
Maxie	O
and	O
Archie	O
from	O
Ruby	O
,	O
Sapphire	O
,	O
and	O
Emerald	B-Device
;	O
Cyrus	O
from	O
Diamond	O
,	O
Pearl	O
,	O
and	O
Platinum	B-Device
,	O
Lysandre	O
from	O
X	O
and	O
Y	O
,	O
and	O
Ghetsis	O
from	O
Black	O
,	O
White	O
,	O
Black	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
and	O
White	B-Application
2	I-Application
—	O
the	O
player	O
finally	O
encounters	O
Giovanni	O
,	O
who	O
leads	O
Team	O
Rainbow	O
Rocket	O
and	O
has	O
a	O
Mewtwo	O
at	O
his	O
disposal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shigeru	O
Ohmori	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
producers	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
were	O
worked	O
on	O
by	O
younger	O
staff	O
members	O
while	O
veterans	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
upcoming	O
Pokémon	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
although	O
some	O
more	O
experienced	O
members	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Shigeki	O
Morimoto	O
were	O
assigned	O
to	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
stated	O
that	O
Game	O
Freak	O
was	O
treating	O
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
as	O
the	O
"	O
culmination	O
of	O
our	O
work	O
with	O
the	O
3DS	B-Operating_System
system	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
team	O
of	O
80	O
was	O
approximately	O
half	O
that	O
of	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
despite	O
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
having	O
a	O
script	O
twice	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
Sun	O
and	O
Moon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
separate	O
interview	O
,	O
Ohmori	O
also	O
described	O
an	O
idea	O
to	O
develop	O
the	O
Ultra	O
installments	O
formed	O
late	O
during	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Sun	O
and	O
Moon	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
titles	O
intended	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
momentum	O
gained	O
by	O
the	O
Pokémon	O
series	O
following	O
the	O
massively	O
successful	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
mobile	O
game	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Go	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
post-game	O
,	O
the	O
games	O
include	O
a	O
tribute	O
to	O
former	O
Nintendo	O
CEO	O
Satoru	O
Iwata	O
,	O
mentioning	O
his	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Gold	I-Application
and	I-Application
Silver	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
were	O
revealed	O
in	O
a	O
Pokémon	O
Direct	O
on	O
6	O
June	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initial	O
clerical	O
errors	O
in	O
the	O
Pokémon	O
website	O
showed	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
 '	O
release	O
date	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
were	O
"	O
TBA	O
"	O
,	O
although	O
The	O
Pokémon	O
Company	O
later	O
clarified	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
were	O
exclusive	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Less	O
than	O
a	O
week	O
before	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
mobile	O
game	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Go	I-Application
released	O
an	O
update	O
which	O
enabled	O
its	O
players	O
to	O
customize	O
their	O
in-game	O
avatars	O
in	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
player	O
characters	O
from	O
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
,	O
marking	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
the	O
app	O
had	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
promote	O
a	O
main	O
series	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
release	O
,	O
both	O
games	O
were	O
among	O
the	O
most	O
highly	O
anticipated	O
titles	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
in	O
2017	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Nielsen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
reviewers	O
made	O
similar	O
points	O
,	O
with	O
Kallie	O
Plagge	O
at	O
GameSpot	O
noting	O
that	O
despite	O
similarities	O
with	O
Sun	O
and	O
Moon	O
,	O
"	O
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
make	O
enough	O
changes	O
to	O
stand	O
apart	O
as	O
the	O
definitive	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
seventh	O
generation	O
games	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
two	O
games	O
sold	O
1.2	O
million	O
physical	O
copies	O
—	O
excluding	O
digital	O
copies	O
purchased	O
from	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
eShop	I-Application
—	O
within	O
the	O
first	O
three	O
days	O
on	O
sale	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sales	O
from	O
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
pushed	O
the	O
cumulative	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
franchise	O
to	O
exceed	O
the	O
300	B-Application
million	I-Application
copies	I-Application
sold	I-Application
milestone	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
,	O
Ultra	B-Application
Sun	I-Application
and	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
were	O
their	O
seventh-best	O
selling	O
video	O
games	O
in	O
2017	O
—	O
however	O
,	O
they	O
drop	O
to	O
25th	O
for	O
Ultra	O
Sun	O
and	O
28th	O
for	O
Ultra	O
Moon	O
if	O
other	O
video	O
game-related	O
products	O
and	O
console	O
variations	O
are	O
accounted	O
for	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
the	O
games	O
have	O
sold	O
9.12	O
million	O
copies	O
,	O
ranking	O
them	O
as	O
the	O
ninth	B-Device
–	I-Device
best	I-Device
selling	I-Device
Nintendo	I-Device
3DS	I-Device
titles	I-Device
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
