A long time ago the Pokemon series had launched. At the beginning it was treated as a kiddy game but with the evolution of the series gamers just can’t say that anymore. I would not be surprised to see an adult play Pokemon Sapphire/Ruby while riding the New York City Metro. Well, what could it be that makes the game so interesting? Well, there are really many factors that would make up the answer.

Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire offers a whole new world to explore and lots of new Pokemon to catch and train. You will have to get approximately 200 Pokemon (100 are all new), but to “catch ‘em all” you will need to link up with another Game Boy Advance with the opposite version of the one you own. The 2 versions are almost equal, well except for the cover shot and a small variation of the storyline. If we forget about Team Aqua and Team Magma we could say there is no difference at all. After all its all about catching the Pokemon, and getting to beat the Elite Four, which is the ultimate goal of the game. Everything else maybe considered as secondary objectives but they are very important throughout the game. If you don’t complete a secondary objective, most likely you won’t get a HM which is essential to reach some parts of the game and complete the main objective. Thanks to all the side add-ons to the main goal you could double or even triple the time you spend playing the game. So instead of taking 30 hours of your time (that’s what it usually takes) you could spend more than 50 hours completing everything you have to do!

Even though Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire is an excellent addition to the GBA game library I’m afraid that the gameplay is almost identical to past Pokemon games. It’s true that there has been a great add-on to the game, which is the two Pokemon battles; however I miss some old features from Silver and Gold. I bet all of you Pokemon fans remember that in those two games you could get a phonebook and call people, even battle trainers that you have already battled (after they improve). Well, this feature is unfortunately gone. Also something that many of you would miss is the multiple worlds feature. This was very nice and added a lot of fun to the game. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire have only one world, and this seems to ruin the wishes of a lot of fans that expected to see more than 2. Also Nintendo made a big mistake by not allowing link-up with past Pokemon versions; this is for sure something fans will really miss. Among some other notable additions we will find the berry blender, which makes you some kind of energy bars for your Pokemon. You can mix berries together and inclusive you can do it when linking up with your friends. You also have the option to participate in Pokemon Contests. Here you will show the abilities your Pokemon has, either by being cool, cute, though, smart, among others.

As I said before, Pokemon Sapphire/Ruby are basically the same in gameplay as past releases, but for those new to the game, I will go over what you do in the game. Pokemon is not only a Role Playing Game but it’s also a huge adventure that takes place right in your hands. It’s an RPG because what you will do most of the time is train your Pokemon. This is turn based and your goal of course is to gain levels and learn new moves, and make your Pokemon the ultimate one. Pokemon are based in real life animals and each has its type (ex. Grass, Earth, Fire). You will need to know which Pokemon type is strong against another type to succeed. For this you will need a party of strong Pokemon and not just one. While you train your Pokemon and earn badges by beating leaders you will also have a side story going on and many other tasks that people ask you to complete. Unlike some RPGs, Pokemon’s story is very easy to understand, so youngsters just like adults will enjoy it.

One of the most notable improvements in the game are the graphics of course. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire have a notable improvement from past Pokemon games. While playing the game you will be amazed by footprints on the sand, your reflection in water, and other effects. Also the detail of the graphics has increased notably since last versions, however to notice this you must have played one of the old versions. It seems Nintendo made good use of the GBA engine; there is just nothing I could think of that could be improved in this aspect. The sound effects are very nicely done and the music while playing the game is different depending on the place you are. Thanks to the variety of soundtracks playing you won’t be annoyed unless you haven’t slept well.

If there will be a new Pokemon game in the future, let’s hope Nintendo tries to change it a little. Let’s hope they can squeeze in more features in a smaller cartridge. Even if they don’t, I’m sure the game will be quite popular, it’s just Pokemon, you got to catch ‘em all, and own ‘em all.