Memory Lane #1: Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire turn 15 years old
After the incredible success of the Pokemon franchise on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, an anime series that had taken the world by storm, and merchandise sales that were through the roof, GameFreak was ready to release a brand new Pokemon experience on Nintendo’s latest handheld, the Game Boy Advance. These new games would take the series from 8-bit into the world of 32-bit games, offering much more color and detail and new features than any entry before.
IVs and EVs were changed and Abilities and Natures were added, radically changing the competitive scene. The Apricorns from Gold, Silver, and Crystal became something even better, as Berries were introduced, letting players plant and water their own crops which would result in hold-items that could do a wealth of things in battles. You could now also fight Pokemon in 2v2 matches, called Double Battles. There were Secret Bases you could decorate and show off to friends, and the Contest minigames, which let your Pokemon compete in a more strategic way than just battling. And finally, we of course had a whole 135 new creatures to catch and train, in a brand new region that had no ties to Kanto or Johto. This last addition was controversial at the time, as the lack of returning older Pokemon made the games feel much different from Gen 1 and 2, of which fans had grown quite accustomed to and comfortable with. Sales for Ruby and Sapphire would peak at about 16 million units sold, and while it became one of the most popular games of all time on the GBA, it would never reach the same popularity that Red and Blue (27 mil) and Gold and Silver (23 mil) did.
Hoenn was quite the unique region, with its water-laden routes that required boat travel, or vast amounts of ocean (7.8/10 too much water) that you had to traverse, and even dive through. The games’ soundtrack will forever be remembered for the blaring trumpets in its themes. It had perhaps the most obtuse puzzle in accessing a legendary Pokemon, requiring Braille in order to get past. In 2005, the third version to the games--Emerald--would release. This game refined the formula created in Ruby and Sapphire, and added in major changes, such as the beloved Battle Frontier. Eleven years later, the two games would be remade in 3D, in the form of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, which received moderate-to-positive reviews, and would eventually come close to selling the same amount of their predecessors, at 14 million units sold.
The generation of players that started their Pokemon experience with these two games have likely grown up now, fifteen years after release. There’s no doubt that Ruby and Sapphire are beloved by many, and are likely considered by many to be the peak of the series as well. So, then, what are your thoughts? Are these two games something you remember fondly, or did you skip these titles, and move on from the series? Or are you perhaps more familiar with the remakes that came later down the line? Share your thoughts and opinions below!
If you liked this article, and would like to see more of these anniversary celebrations in the future, be sure to comment as well, and mention which game you'd like to see featured in future threads!
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