German magazine N-Zone recently caught up with two of the primary developers behind Pokemon Sun/Moon: director Shigeru Ohmori and producer Junichi Masuda. Primarily, it was Ohmori who answered the questions. He commented on Poke Ride, the time difference, side quests, coming up with ideas for new Pokemon ideas, and more.

We’ve gone ahead and translated the interview in full. Head past the break for Ohmori’s comments.

N-Zone: Mr. Ohmori, why did you change so much in Generation 7 compared to Generation 6? Is there a specific reason for that?

Ohmori: Pokemon Sun and Moon was the first time I’ve taken on the role of director. For previous games, this used to be Mr. Masuda’s responsibility. It now fell to me to judge what I wanted to change and what I wanted to keep the way it is, since we both agreed that previous games had several aspects worth keeping. (Masuda nods in agreement)

Ohmori/Masuda: For the series’ 20th anniversary, there’s one thing I wanted above everything else: to deliver a fresh new gameplay experience to all players – to those who’ve been playing for 20 years and to those who will be playing a Pokemon game for the first time. One of the many ways we’re using to accomplish this is replacing gyms with trials, which is something completely new in Pokemon games.

N-Zone: Were other games, such as Yo-kai Watch, the reason for rethinking parts of the game, like introducing side quests?

Ohmori: Naturally, things change over time, such as what games are popular. We’re obviously aware of that and take it into consideration when developing a game. However, there’s no game that has directly influenced us like that. Our goal is always to create a game that is especially well received by players, so we’re thinking about things like how to attract players who like playing on their smartphones, or people who like watching YouTube videos.

N-Zone: How did you come up with the Alola forms, and why have only Pokemon from the Kanto region received Alola forms so far?

Ohmori: Since it’s the 20th anniversary of the series, we’ve wanted to surprise players who have been playing for a long time. We were thinking about that and came up with the idea to give new forms to the Pokemon those players are the most familiar with. Our inspiration for this region was Hawaii, which consists of several islands. We thought that some Pokemon might have changed and evolved differently in this kind of island region, which would surprise not only new players, but also those who have been playing for a long time.

N-Zone: Speaking of Alola forms, what role does the “Alola form” of Professor Oak play? (Ohmori & Masuda both laugh)

Ohmori: Well, he’s actually a separate character who is in the Alola region to study how Pokemon have evolved there. But yeah, you might look at him and think that he doesn’t quite fit into this region.

N-Zone: What will we waiting for us after the island challenge? Will be there a kind of Elite 4 that we have to beat?

Ohmori: Well, all we can say is that we want players to experience the game for themselves. That said, obviously the goal is to become the island challenge champion. After that, it’s up to the players how they want to keep playing and what they want to experience. We’ve prepared some cool and some funny things, so it’s not the end of the game.

N-Zone: Why were Mega Evolutions replaced with Z-Moves, especially after so many Pokemon were given the ability to Mega Evolve in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire?

Ohmori: With Z-Moves, we’ve wanted to introduce a new kind of attack to battles. We wanted to expand the number of Pokemon that were usable in battle, but we’ve also wanted to encourage players to experiment and come up with new kinds of strategies. And once the main story is over, players will get the chance to use Mega Evolutions again and combine both systems.

N-Zone: Are Poke Rides a new kind of HMs? What’s the benefit for players?

Ohmori: In the Alola region, people, Pokemon and nature work together and coexist in a relatively small space. To reflect that, we introduced this new system that essentially allows you to use smash rocks or surf with Pokemon at all times. It just fits well with the way we envisioned this world and it helps give players a feel for the way of life in this region and to enjoy it during their adventure.

N-Zone: Why did you change the way time works in the games? What were you hoping to accomplish with this?

Ohmori: The big difference between the two versions is the 12 hour time difference between Sun and Moon. This leads to different kinds of Pokemon essentially being available at the same time. It it’s daytime, you’ll find Pokemon that appear during the day in Pokemon Sun and nocturnal Pokemon in Pokemon Moon. We hope to encourage communication and trade between players that way and also to deliver various exciting experiences while they play. People should carefully consider which version to buy: “Do I buy Sun or Moon… oder maybe even both?”

N-Zone: In the same vein: why was Pokemon-Amie renamed? And will Pokemon Refresh be more than just feeding and combing Pokemon?

Ohmori: During battle, Pokemon might get dirty or wet when fighting a Water Pokemon, for example. After a battle, you can clean them or blow-dry them. Since we’ve added and changed so many aspects, we thought it would be best to give it a new name. This kind of interaction, watching your happy Pokemon, is something that we hope players will once again enjoy a lot.

N-Zone: Speaking of activities beyond the main story: we’ve seen some side quests in one of the trailers. Are these crucial to the main story since you’d otherwise be broke if you don’t do them, or are they entirely optional?

Ohmori: Well, that depends on how you play the game. Some people just want to progress quickly, to see what happens next and to strengthen their Pokemon. If you want to, you can play like that. However, other players may want to take the time to collect TMs or to buy clothes for their character. It’s actually just like in real life – if you want to buy something, you need to earn money first.

N-Zone: For the final question, let’s take about something creative: with all the new Pokemon we’re not at nearly 750 different Pokemon. Is it difficult to come up with new ideas for Pokemon?

(both smirk)

Ohmori: Yes, obviously designing new Pokemon can be difficult and can take a lot of time. There are lots of methods to come up with new creatures: some look at real animals and start their work like that. Others rethink certain aspects of the game, like the region, for example, or the specific area for which they’re creating a Pokemon. Another way is to focus on the battle system and to consider, which new type combinations might be interesting. With all these different approaches we’ve come to this point where we’ve got this diversity of Pokemon.