Pokemon Ruby Version review (Game Boy Advance)

Though Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire are mostly similar to old Pokémon games, they do have some new features. For instance, though the majority of Pokémon battles are one-on-one affairs, there's the occasional opportunity to engage in tag-team bouts, with four different Pokémon duking it out simultaneously. These are quite fun and allow for some interesting strategies, and unfortunately they aren't nearly common enough. If you want to take a break from all the Pokémon thrashing, you can now put your prized critters through a series of best-in-show events, where they'll appeal to the crowd using their various moves. This is a pretty good new feature, and while there isn't much point to it, since it isn't part of the story and it doesn't yield much of a reward, it's still something to pass the time. Also, to better prepare your Pokémon for their pageants, you can feed them special treats made from mixing berries together in a blender. Blending these Pokéblocks involves a rhythm-based minigame that's playable with up to four human players, though you'll meet non-player characters willing to work the blender with you, too. What's more, you can build and furnish your very own secret fort. And gamble in a fully loaded casino. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire are rather open-ended, and they include a lot of hidden and optional stuff for those who like to get the most out of their games.

One thing Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire don't offer is much of a challenge. It's fine that these games are primarily designed for younger audiences--the cute graphics and the dialogue laced with scientific factoids are well suited for kids. But just because they're young doesn't mean kids flat-out suck at games, and yet Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire are pretty much a cakewalk from start to finish. The intricate rock-paper-scissors combat system gets undermined early on as your very first Pokémon keeps gaining experience levels, becoming much stronger than any of its foes. You'll be able to crush most rival Pokémon literally with a single blow. And even though you'll keep catching new types of Pokémon, you won't necessarily feel compelled to actually use them in battle, since your main Pokémon will be so much more powerful. It's really too bad that the relative experience levels of the battling Pokémon is ultimately the biggest factor in a battle's outcome, and that it's so easy to muscle your way through either Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire. Nevertheless, since the games do have a lot of extras and are filled with new places to explore, they're still quite enjoyable.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire look great, and that's a big part of the appeal. The hundreds of different Pokémon are colorful and imaginative, and they often have funny, memorable, and even descriptive names. A brief profile is available for each Pokémon in the game, and they're all represented both by the full-size versions you'll see in battle and smaller, animated versions you'll see in your Pokémon collection. The rest of the game's graphics look just like those of a 16-bit role-playing game, and are clear and effective. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire have upbeat, fairly catchy soundtracks that are well suited to the theme of the games, and many of their other audio elements, such as the sound effects used during battle, also fit. Each Pokémon also makes a unique sound, though these are tinny and nondescript, for the most part.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire may be too easy, but they're still great games that can last you a good long time. There's definitely enough value in the single-player portion of the game alone, and if you really do want a challenge, you can always pit your overpowered Pokémon squad against a friend's using a link cable. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire aren't a big departure from their predecessors, but they definitely look better and have lots of new Pokémon to catch, so Pokémon fans will be in for exactly what they want. Meanwhile, any GBA owner who's never played a Pokémon game before now has the perfect opportunity to see what this unusual and likeable series is all about.