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I wasn't to excited when I heard that Pokemon was headed too the GBA. I wasn't thrilled with the release of Gold/Silver, but I absolutely adored my Red version (my clock has 150+ hours on it!) When I decided too give Ruby a go, I decided I would not compare it to Red/Blue. Mostly because I thought it could never stand up. Well, I was wrong. Sapphire/Ruby is, in my eyes, the real sequel too Red/Blue.
Gameplay: If you are new to the Pokemon series, here's a rundown of what it's all about. You are a trainer. A trainer's ''destiny'' is to become a Pokemon Master. In order to do this, you will have to travel the world, collecting rare and powerful monsters, and training them. Then, once you figure that your monsters are strong enough, you can take on the gym leaders. The gym leaders are in certain towns. They are the most powerful trainers. Once you defeat them, you get a badge to prove it. And basically, after beating all the gym leaders, you become a Pokemon Master!
But what if you already have experience in the Pokemon world? What new and interesting things lie inside this game? What differentiates it from the rest of the series? Well, there is plenty of new features in this game. The most entertaining (at least for me) of the new stuff would have too be all of the new Pokemon. Just like the older versions, you'll spend hours and hours, days and days, and even months search for each and every monster. I really can't think of a much more rewarding experience then when I completed my Pokedex in Pokemon Red. I had caught all 151 Pokemon (including Mew, with GameShark), and, in my opinion, it was an amazing experience. I'm sure you'll have the same feelings for this game once your Pokedex starts to expand with rare Pokemon! Gotta catch 'em all!
Another major addition would be the two-on-two pokemon battles. It's not that great, really, but it adds some flavor to the repetitive battles. Pokemon veterans will appreciate this feature.
Visuals: Wow. Looking back at the, quite frankly, hideous graphics of the original Red/Blue version, makes you truly appreciate the work that Nintendo has put into this title. The work is colorful and bright, they are done perfectly. The special effects are an added bonus. When your character walks in specific places, a line of foot prints trail behind him/her. When you stand next to a pond or lake, you see your reflection in the water. It doesn't get any better than this, people!
Sound: The music in this game is superb. I've always been a tremendous fan of the Pokemon music. Each game had an amazing soundtrack, and Ruby/Sapphire sticks to it's roots in this department. You'll definitely be humming the battle theme after you put this game down, and that's a sign of a great soundtrack. Not to mention the great town/city themes. Its all good here. Buy yourself a good pair of headphones, or at least play where you can be alone. This music deserves to be listened to and enjoyed.
Story: Seeing as I can't read much Kanji, I haven't much clue of what is going on. But, I'm guessing it won't be much different from the other games in the series. No marks added or deducted here, but you can expect an interesting story to go along with this game. Nothing revolutionary, but interesting nonetheless.
Fun Factor: For me, this is one of the most fun games I've played on the GBA (although, there are some games that just cannot be beat). The real fun in this game is rounding up each and every monster in the game (a feat that I have yet to complete, for... obvious reasons). Personally, I suggest not using a guide or any cheats of any kind. Half the fun (for me) was discovering the ''nests'', if you will, of the specific types of Pokemon in the world. You'll spend hours locating each of the little buggers.
Also, If you've got a friend with the game, two player mode is back with a vengeance. I've yet to try it out, but the two player mode in Red/Blue was awesome fun. See how your party of monsters compares with your buddy.
You can also trade your Pokemon with a friend that has the game. This is an important factor that you would need to take into consideration if you want to collect each monster. You see, different kinds of Pokemon live in the different version of the game. If you have, say, Ruby version, there is a few specific types of Pokemon that a friend with Sapphire could never get unless he traded with you (or anyone else with Ruby). And vice versa. Trading with your chums is key to completing your Pokedex. Not to mention, its very fun to trade with friends!
Replay: I know one thing. I would never, EVER try and beat Red again. As I stated earlier, I had clocked 150+ hours on that version of the game alone. I would not want to try that again. And its the same thing with this version. But that's not exactly a bad thing. The amazing amount of stuff to do, not to mention the amount of monsters to collect, will keep you busy for months and months. Gamers looking for a long lasting GBA game, look no further!
Recommendations: Did you like any other of the Pokemon games for the Game Boy? Then, get this! If not, at least give it a try. I'm sure you'll get hooked onto it. Don't dismiss it because you think its a children's game.
I'm giving this game a 10/10, and believe me, it earns each and every point.
Gameplay: If you are new to the Pokemon series, here's a rundown of what it's all about. You are a trainer. A trainer's ''destiny'' is to become a Pokemon Master. In order to do this, you will have to travel the world, collecting rare and powerful monsters, and training them. Then, once you figure that your monsters are strong enough, you can take on the gym leaders. The gym leaders are in certain towns. They are the most powerful trainers. Once you defeat them, you get a badge to prove it. And basically, after beating all the gym leaders, you become a Pokemon Master!
But what if you already have experience in the Pokemon world? What new and interesting things lie inside this game? What differentiates it from the rest of the series? Well, there is plenty of new features in this game. The most entertaining (at least for me) of the new stuff would have too be all of the new Pokemon. Just like the older versions, you'll spend hours and hours, days and days, and even months search for each and every monster. I really can't think of a much more rewarding experience then when I completed my Pokedex in Pokemon Red. I had caught all 151 Pokemon (including Mew, with GameShark), and, in my opinion, it was an amazing experience. I'm sure you'll have the same feelings for this game once your Pokedex starts to expand with rare Pokemon! Gotta catch 'em all!
Another major addition would be the two-on-two pokemon battles. It's not that great, really, but it adds some flavor to the repetitive battles. Pokemon veterans will appreciate this feature.
Visuals: Wow. Looking back at the, quite frankly, hideous graphics of the original Red/Blue version, makes you truly appreciate the work that Nintendo has put into this title. The work is colorful and bright, they are done perfectly. The special effects are an added bonus. When your character walks in specific places, a line of foot prints trail behind him/her. When you stand next to a pond or lake, you see your reflection in the water. It doesn't get any better than this, people!
Sound: The music in this game is superb. I've always been a tremendous fan of the Pokemon music. Each game had an amazing soundtrack, and Ruby/Sapphire sticks to it's roots in this department. You'll definitely be humming the battle theme after you put this game down, and that's a sign of a great soundtrack. Not to mention the great town/city themes. Its all good here. Buy yourself a good pair of headphones, or at least play where you can be alone. This music deserves to be listened to and enjoyed.
Story: Seeing as I can't read much Kanji, I haven't much clue of what is going on. But, I'm guessing it won't be much different from the other games in the series. No marks added or deducted here, but you can expect an interesting story to go along with this game. Nothing revolutionary, but interesting nonetheless.
Fun Factor: For me, this is one of the most fun games I've played on the GBA (although, there are some games that just cannot be beat). The real fun in this game is rounding up each and every monster in the game (a feat that I have yet to complete, for... obvious reasons). Personally, I suggest not using a guide or any cheats of any kind. Half the fun (for me) was discovering the ''nests'', if you will, of the specific types of Pokemon in the world. You'll spend hours locating each of the little buggers.
Also, If you've got a friend with the game, two player mode is back with a vengeance. I've yet to try it out, but the two player mode in Red/Blue was awesome fun. See how your party of monsters compares with your buddy.
You can also trade your Pokemon with a friend that has the game. This is an important factor that you would need to take into consideration if you want to collect each monster. You see, different kinds of Pokemon live in the different version of the game. If you have, say, Ruby version, there is a few specific types of Pokemon that a friend with Sapphire could never get unless he traded with you (or anyone else with Ruby). And vice versa. Trading with your chums is key to completing your Pokedex. Not to mention, its very fun to trade with friends!
Replay: I know one thing. I would never, EVER try and beat Red again. As I stated earlier, I had clocked 150+ hours on that version of the game alone. I would not want to try that again. And its the same thing with this version. But that's not exactly a bad thing. The amazing amount of stuff to do, not to mention the amount of monsters to collect, will keep you busy for months and months. Gamers looking for a long lasting GBA game, look no further!
Recommendations: Did you like any other of the Pokemon games for the Game Boy? Then, get this! If not, at least give it a try. I'm sure you'll get hooked onto it. Don't dismiss it because you think its a children's game.
I'm giving this game a 10/10, and believe me, it earns each and every point.
