Pokemon Omega Ruby Preview | Pokemon Alpha Sapphire Preview

 

The 3rd Generation of Pokemon saw its debut on the Game Boy Advance in 2003 with Ruby and Sapphire. With the new generation in tow, much of the Pokemania that persisted throughout the early generations subsided as the initial target audience was getting older and less interested in Pokemon. Of course, Pokemon is still one of the leading franchises in the world, with Pokemon X and Y being the fastest selling titles in Game Freak’s history. But at the time, Game Freak needed to be concerned with a new target audience. There are many hints in Ruby and Sapphire which led to the argument that these titles took place at the same time as Red and Blue, such as the matching colors of the versions, the postgame of the Generation 1 remakes, and even the lack of backwards compatibility. Generation 3 saw the series move forward in the direction that Pokemon is in today. It’s the favorite generation of many Pokemon players.

 

Upon seeing the map of the Hoenn region for the first time, I was amazed at the level of detail put into it. Players that have experienced the first two games are used to the black and white rural/city setting. The Hoenn region is exotic, with deserts, volcanoes, jungles, and a vast ocean. The starters themselves were exotic, and there was never a strict pattern of what kinds of Pokemon you could run into in the wild.

 

The player characters had great designs which were praised for their uniqueness, though it’s now clear that Brendan was wearing a hat. Individuals that played the game would usually role play as Team Aqua or Team Magma on the playgrounds and after school. I remember it vividly. Generation 3 also introduced something that appears to now be a trope in the Pokemon franchise: ideology. Team Magma wants to expand the land for humans, while Team Aqua wants to expand the sea for Pokemon. No matter which side you choose, both of their goals have major flaws that include the legendary Pokemon Groudon and Kyogre.

The Re-Imagining of Ruby and Sapphire: A Look Back – A Pokemon Omega Ruby Preview

Generation 3 puts more emphasis on you, and how exemplary of a trainer you are. Who’s the individual that ensured the Devon Goods were retrieved after being stolen? You. Who delivered the Devon Goods to Slateport and a letter to Steven? You. Who stopped the eruption/decay of Mt. Chimney? You. All while foiling Team Aqua and Team Magama’s plans, you learn of their ideologies. This is more true for Emerald than Ruby and Sapphire, since one of them will actually be on your side in Pokemon ORAS (Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire) instead of both teams against you. And throughout the whole experience, it’s you who quells the anger of Groudon or Kyogre.

 

 

A heftier emphasis was put on legendary Pokemon in Ruby and Sapphire as well. In Red and Blue, there was only Mewtwo and the three birds. Gold and Silver added a more detailed background mythology, but the level of involvement was still up to the player, much like the journals in the Pokemon Mansion.

 

Ruby and Sapphire saw the dawn of competitive Pokemon with the introduction of Abilities, Natures, and IVs (Individual Values)moving from 15 to 31. However, it wouldn’t be until Diamond and Pearl when move types would become more diverse.

 

Pokemon ORAS wants to bring back the games of 2003. Rumors – actual rumors – of a Hoenn remake started last year as it was the 10th anniversary of those games. There was a small internet flame war between those who were skeptical for a remake since one wasn’t necessary, and those who loved the Ruby and Sapphire arguing that Game Freak follows a pattern of remaking games from two previous generations. The reason we have FireRed/LeafGreen and HeartGold/Soulsilver is because of the lack of backwards compatibility required to complete the Pokedex.

 

Pokemon Alpha Sapphire Preview – Looking Back to Look Forward

Ruby and Sapphire can still provide Pokemon through Pal Park to a DS, then link transfer to Black and White, and then transfer them to the Poke Bank which came out in North America earlier this year. It is a roundabout method, but it still works. But that is pointless as all Hoenn Pokemon are available in later generations. There was also a fear that Game Freak would remake previous titles in such a pattern and that would be detrimental to the progress of the franchise. This was the argument presented by skeptics such as myself.

 

And yet, the game is coming to fruition like the hopefuls wished it to, and even the skeptics are happy about it. It’s a generation late, so the pattern is broken. The beautiful thing about nostalgia is that audiences always want to see a reimaging of it. For better or worse, a re-imagining when announced, is always welcome. The Pokemon community is fair in its assessments of remakes not found in movie and television fanbases. This can be said for most video games. We want to experience our journeys once more, while letting a new target audience experience it for the first time.

 

There isn’t much to say about ORAS aesthetic. It feels like Hoenn, and now Game Freak can re-imagine the exotic world in new ways, such as the screenshot showing a flight of Beautiflies passing the main player characters. Using X and Y’s engine, we see Hoenn on the 3D plane. What is different, then? Definitely the Pokemon that can ascend to a higher form. Mega Blaziken was a special distribution event for Pokemon X and Y. It only makes sense for Mega Sceptile and Mega Swampert to exist. The story, while most likely the same, will present legendary Pokemon in a new light. The Primal Reversion of Groudon and Kyogre presents new questions for the franchise. Do other legendary Pokemon down the road have some kind of Primal Form, existing thousands of years before humans? What happened to these Pokemon to lose their most powerful forms. Slumber? It has to be more than that.

 

Personally, the greatest boon to the story is Steven Stone and his involvement with Mega Evolution and the Primal Reversion. In the initial games, Steven simply collected rocks and provided the player some background of the Red and Blue Orbs on top of Mt. Pyre. But now, there’s a whole new emphasis on stones never seen before in the Pokemon franchise, including ones introduced after Emerald and before X and Y.

 

While there is no confirmation on character customization yet, players should be happy to know that Secret Bases make a return (announced on July 9th) with heavier emphasis on connectivity. There’s fun things to do, and new ways to battle. There appears to be a feature where you can become your own Gym Leader, which heightens the battle experience. I can’t help but wonder if I can create my own badge, or if I have to stick to a specific type. Speaking of Gyms, all of them are getting a redesign as well as the Gym Leaders themselves (loving Roxanne’s new design).

 

For better or worse, the beautiful land of Hoenn with its vast diversity of territory, ocean, and mythology is being re-imagined. The cries of the individuals that wished for a remake, and the skeptics that most likely hoped as well, have been answered. The experience of rescuing Professor Birch and receiving your first Pokemon, all the way to climbing the stairs of Ever Grande is one we can all enjoy.