Pokémon Alpha Sapphire - Nintendo 3DS

As an avid fan of Pokemon and remembering fondly of the original Ruby and Sapphire versions, I was fairly excited about the remakes. Let me just say, I was not disappointed. Of course the graphics are gorgeous and all the sprites remade, but the real difference is the game play. There is much more interaction between the player and other characters, such as Brendan/May and Steven which is different from the originals, but still feels natural. There is also bonus content, even at the end of the game, and the communication system between players is easy to use and figure out. In some areas the music sounds completely new (or its just flat out a brand new area) but in others its the old music remade and with more trumpets blaring. Its all of the originals remade into something still refreshing and new but extremely nostalgic. I should also mention however that there is NO character customization which is a little sad considering how great it was in X and Y. Besides that however, theres not much else that is a big downfall. I wasnt unsatisfied with this game, and I highly recommend it whether youre an old player debating on the remake, a new player without an idea about Hoenn, or just a parent trying to figure out what their kid wants for their birthday.

Talk about a blast from the past! I have played Pokemon since the first games came out. Red was my first game and every generation gets better and better. Ruby and Sapphire were my favorites back when they came out, then Emerald came out and that became my favorite, since it had new features and some other things I liked. I had read about these back in July of this year, and it made me get a 3DS on the same day they were released! Although it took me like 3 days of nonstop playing to defeat the E4, they seem a lot better than the originals. I did not play X or Y, or Black/White 2 so I was missing a lot of the new things that changed. The Delta episode in this game was amazing. I have only played Omega Ruby, but will play this soon. So if Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald were enjoyable for you, you will like this a lot better!

A wonderful blast from the past. The music, the familiar pokemon, the gameplay is just amazing. A good gift for anyone wanting to play Hoenn but do not have RSE or a gameboy.

First things first. If you get the reference in the review headline, kudos! :) Alright, down to business. Many people who are considering this game are long-time Pokemon fans who have played the original Ruby, Sapphire and/or Emerald. Many consider the Hoenn region to be the best of all of the regions to date. If this is how you feel, you wont be let down by this game. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire rebuild the entirety of the Hoenn region in spectacular 3D. Every route is nearly identical. Some routes and areas have new paths or areas tacked on to give them a fresh, remastered feel. Nintendo left no stone unturned in this remastered Hoenn region. SUPER-SECRET BASES The secret bases of the original game make their return with WiFi features! Its great fun to decorate your base in a manner that makes it quite difficult (but NOT impossible) to take your flag. :) POKEMON Nothing new to see here! Thats probably a relief. Im sure many long-time fans of the original R/S/E wouldnt like to see new Pokemon from later generations added to the wild Pokemon roster. :) You can find wild Pokemon from other generations after defeating the Elite 4, but not during your normal pre-Elite 4 playthrough. POKENAV PLUS The PokeNav Plus is a great upgrade to the original PokeNav. You still receive the Player Search System (or PSS) for online functions, Super Training and Pokemon Amie. Other new features are added, such as the DexNav which allows you to search for and chain specific Pokemon similarly to the PokeRadar. The AreaNav is essentially the town map, but on the lower screen! It can show you where you have berries ready to harvest, the Trainers Eyes app is there, and you can locate Super-Secret Bases with it, as well! EXPLORING The Hoenn region was probably the first region to really include any in-depth exploration opportunities. All the same opportunities exist, with a few extra thrown in! Some routes have new areas or paths tacked on, and there are entirely new secret areas added for Super-Secret Bases! ;) EXPERIENCE Overall, I have more than 80 hours pumped into this game (I only play when my girlfriend does) and still have not gone to the Elite 4. There is just that much to do in the game. The DexNav has taken up the majority of my time, though. But be careful with the DexNav and Exp. Share! As a result of my abuse of the DexNav and always-on Exp. Share (you can turn it off), my entire team is over leveled by upwards of 25! My Sceptile is almost level 70 and I still dont have the Sootopolis badge. CONCLUSION If you like Pokemon, this should be a no-brainer. If you liked the original Ruby, Sapphire and/or Emerald, this should be a no-brainer. What are you waiting for? Grab yourself a copy today!

I specifically chose this listing over others the product image did not show the UAE symbol on amazon. It was more expensive than the other listings I saw but I was willing to pay more for the official one. It was completely wrong, there are three different region codes represented in this product. Ive compared the cartridge with my other games very closely and it does seem to be legitimate, but Im still kind of upset the box is clearly not the original box. Im not opposed to used games but please just tell me up front so I know what Im buying.

As a person whos played since Gen 1 and has played every gen since then, I will right out say that I wasnt a fan of Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald when it first came out. Whether its the regions Pokemon, the bombastic music that starts to grate on the nerves after a while, or the fact that each and every route between towns is ridiculously empty and kinda lacking in fun content, I dont know. I just know that I didnt like the original games and if you didnt like them either, then no. This is not the game for you. It will feel like a chore to complete and I will say this now as a person who has stalled on the seventh gym not because its difficult, but because the game stopped being fun. That said, its a very faithful remake and people who were fans of the original will be thrilled with it. Its got everything you loved about Hoenn with X and Ys updated graphics/mechanics, which can give those people a huge nostalgia trip while they get to see their favorite Pokemon and gyms in living color. HOWEVER, a lot of the gameplay issues from R/S/E are still there. You dont have a Berry Farm and have to go around collecting berries from routes every day. You still have to go to Mauville to switch between the Acro and Mach bikes. And theres still a lot of water and around 7 HMs to lug around, making the need for one to maybe TWO HM slaves a necessity. Fortunately, you CAN fly to different routes and locations that arent cities or towns now, which is something that hasnt been possible in any game prior to this. As for the Safari Zone, pickings are slim if youve already filled up your PokeBank with everything you could ever need or want. The selection of Pokemon in the wild is narrow in general compared to the selection in X and Y, but if newcomers and veterans find this tedious, then the WonderTrade feature is accessible as soon as you help Wally catch his Ralts. SuperTraining and Pokemon Amie are also back, which can only be advantageous, but nothing has changed there either. Those who were hoping for new Amie mini-games may find themselves disappointed. The breeding center is still there, so shiny hunters and competitive battlers, you can still import all your X and Y Pokemon over and get back to work, but Id suggest breeding in X and Y before transferring them over just because the breeding center route isnt very comfortable for riding back and forth on your bike. You also dont have the circle in Lumiose City to do half the work for you, so keep this in mind. Mega Stone enthusiasts however, REJOICE. While a lot of stones are (presumably) in the post-game, you can still acquire many of the news ones during the main story and all the old stones from X and Y are in the game for you to find. Trading between ORAS and X/Y is possible as well, so your main concern should be beating the game in a way thats comfortable for YOU. However, you may find yourself missing some of the liberties that have come along post-Generation 3.

Cartridge was not in good condition but worked fine

The original Sapphire is my third favorite Pokemon game in the franchise behind Gold in first and Red in second. And this updated version makes it even better! With better graphics. The updated moves/types. Even the new Mega Evolutions implemented in this. This game was outstanding. Plus theres even a story after the main story but I wont go into that because of spoilers but it was fantastic. What a great game to get ready and prepare the wait for Pokemon Sun and Moon!

This is just a really enjoyable game, and a fantastic remake. It has all the nostalgia you could ask for while still looking great in 3D. Its still very similar to the original games but puts cool twists, and the new features are so much fun, especially the PokeNav Plus and the Super Secret Bases. I love that this game allows you to collect every single Pokemon in the National Pokedex within a single generation of games. While the middle of the game lulls a bit, the beginning and towards the end are so immersive i couldnt put the game down for weeks.

This review is useful for both Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire as both are practically the same game, with only slight version differences. The version differences are explained in this article: [...] This is a must have game for any Pokemon fan. I have played every generation of Pokemon game (only main series titles) and I have to say this is the best experience so far. All of the best things that you remember are present, with updates added for smoother play. This modern take on the original Ruby and Sapphire is refreshingly nostalgic, with the addition of new game elements, making the entire experience feel new. This is not meant to be a full review ( here is a link for a full review: http://kotaku.com/pokemon-omega-ruby-and-alpha-sapphire-the-kotaku-revie-1659957634 ), but I will touch on some things. - The game is much more cinematic due to 3d Before in Ruby in Sapphire (though then they were a major improvement to graphics), much was left to the imagination. In ORAS, you see things from angles you havent seen before and animations are much better. This leads you to feel much more immersed in the story. - A much better map, utilizing spotpass Before it was a chore to check on your berries. With this new map you can see when your berries are ready to be collected anywhere in the world. It will even tell you what berries you were growing. The same thing is true for trainers. This time around trainers eye is much more user friendly, letting you know exactly when and where a trainer is ready. The best thing, you can fly directly to them. No more flying to just pokemon centers. Now you can fly directly to berry and trainer locations. Bases too! You can tell if the base features that can only be used once per day are ready and can fly directly to bases. However, if you are just wandering around, the map will still pop up a berry/base/trainer notification letting you know something is ready. Super useful tool while playing. With spotpass, if you pass a friend, their base information will automatically update in your game, allowing you to find their base in your world. In addition, if you are connected to the internet, you have many options to interact with players around the world. -Super training and affection You can now super train your pokemon. In addition to giving pokemon calcium and protein (and other stat boosting items) you can actually select what base stats you wish to improve on any given pokemon. You can also grow closer with your pokemon by playing games, feeding them, and petting them. Super training can lead to seriously strong pokemon, and affectionate pokemon will dodge attacks and even negate status affecting moves. -Experience sharing Remember when you move your experience share item around your party to boost to the level of your pokemon, always preventing them from holding that one good item. NO MORE. Experience share is now a key item that you can turn on and off, allowing all pokemon in your party to experience (no pun intended) the benefits without giving up an item slot. -Seamless inclusion of mega evolution Not much more needs to be said, now you can mega evolve many 3rd generation pokemon. The already strong starters become seriously mean. -SO MUCH TO DO This is not an understatement. After one of the best story lines imo, and the pokemon league, there is still so much to do. After you finish the pokemon league, an after story called the delta episode appears. But, even before that, you unlock one of the coolest features in the game. Using either Mega Latios or Latias you can soar around all of Hoenn. This is a beautiful game, but this part has to be the most beautiful feature to date in all of Pokemon. This is the realization of the childhood imagination of what it actually would like like soaring the sky on the back of a Pokemon. With this ability you can catch (between the two versions) every single legendary that has ever been in a Pokemon game. The amount of exploration you can do is immense, making this easily one of the largest games (as far as content) yet. -You will not be bored if you played Ruby and Sapphire and Emerald before I was personally worried that this would effectively be replaying a game generation I have already put hundreds of hours into. Not the case. Though the main story is the same, you remember the similarities with a smile instead of a bored gaze. The modern improvements are really that, improvements. When you play you will recall many oh i wish...., because many of those wishes have frustration-solving improvements in ORAS. This was a remake made for players to recall the things they felt playing those games (personally my favorite, with johto and kento a close second and third of course), not simply to regurgitate material. Final thoughts: This is good. Very good. Hard to imagine good. This is so much more than any pokemon game before, which such a pleasant air of familiarity. If you ever played the original games, or played RSE, or are just completely new to the world of Pokemon, ORAS is for you. All the pleasant nostalgia with modern amenities that make it smoother, more enjoyable, and better than ever before. Definite buy. Should I buy both versions? While you need both versions to get all of the pokemon (there are time where you need two specific legendaries, one available in OR and one in AS just to unlock another legendary on your map), the ability of internet play gives you access to players around the world. The best case would be for you to get one version, and a friend to get another. There is so much content in one version alone (and the two are so similar), the other version would only a slave for getting all the pokemon. I doubt you would invest another proper play through. Since you can connect with many players for trading, I would recommend you only purchase one of the two versions.