The recently released Pokémon OmegaRuby and Pokémon AlphaSapphire for the Nintendo 3DS puts a new spin on an old classic. No, I don’t mean this simply due to them being remakes of the ever-so popular GBA games Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire. What I am refering to is the changes the games have made to the series’ most predominately enduring mechanic, ‘Fly’; as well as the introduction of its new, more interactive iteration, ‘Soar’. So sit back and let me walk you through the pros and cons of using these wonderful features on your journey.
Thank you for Flying:
Since way back when the first Pokémon games launched, players could use Fly to traverse the game’s region with relative ease and speed. Unfortunately, this was on the condition that the player had already been to the location first, had a Pokémon who knew Fly, and that the player also possessed the correct badge needed to use Fly outside of battle. Before these requirements were met, many Players had to Bike and Surf to get through the first few legs of whichever game they were playing.
Players were also restricted to only being able to travel to certain major towns, cities, the Pokémon League, and select post-game areas. From day-one this has been a standard cookie cutter process, and maintained largely unchanged throughout the bulk of the Core Games of the series.
Thankfully however, Pokémon OmegaRuby and Pokémon AlphaSapphire have finally broken the mold some. In ORAS, Players are now able to Fly to routes themselves, not just the towns and cities neat them. Players can also use the PokéNav Plus’ Map to Fly anywhere they like, right on the spot. Just tap the little map in the PokéNav Plus’ display, it brings up the town map, and from there you can click and select from a multitude of locations. If you select Slateport City on the PokéNav Plus, you can now choose to flight straight there without the fuss and hassle of exiting the PokéNav Plus, selecting your Pokémon Part menu, selecting the Pokémon who knows Fly, and then re-selecting Slateport City; monotonous, isn’t it?
However, there are still limitations that have yet to be, and likely never will be addressed. While you can fly straight to routes now, you are only capable of landing in pre-designated locations on those routes. Typically this is any available patch of land (for water routes), sign, or other notable structure within that route.
So let’s use Route 123 as an example. While browsing around on the PokéNav Plus, you see that Psychic Cameron on Route 123 is ready for a re-match. You see the option to Fly there and eagerly select it, grinning with hopes of once again facing off with the Pokéball levitating trainer. Sadly when you land, you quickly realize something is wrong and reality hits you like a ton of bricks. Instead of being taken to Psychic Cameron’s general location or even that part of Route 123, you find yourself at the Berry Master’s House in the least desirable portion of the route, where you are blocked by the ever annoying impassable cliffs edges and have no way to get to Psychic Cameron from there. So basically you still have to get to him by Flying to Mt. Pyre or Route 122 (Mt. Pyre is the better option) and then surfing and walking towards his location.
Anything Fly can do, Soar can do, but not always better:
Soar unfortunately shares many of the same weaknesses that Fly possesses. Before you can travel anywhere, you must have already been there at least once before. You will also land in the same sports Flying takes you, so in the end they more or less both get you to the same place. Soaring also locks in a Map of Hoenn, so you have no access to the PSS, PokéNav or DexNav interfaces.
Soaring can also be slow and at times tedious, even when you spam the Dash (B) Button. Fly is quick and to the point; simply select a location you wish to go to, and then presto, your loyal Pokémon takes you to it in one clean fluid motion! Whereas Soaring from the Pokémon League to Rustboro City will take a lot more time (even using the Dash trick), and if you are fighting the clock for whatever reason, Flying is your best option. I know if I have a O-Power active, Soar is not my go-to option to get somewhere quick. Another draw back is that there are risks to Soaring that Fly does not have. Nothing is more annoying than overshooting where you want to go, selecting to land where you do not want to land, or being caught in a Mid-air battle you didn't want to engage in. I've sat my 2DS down to reach over and get my drink, and next thing I know I am in a battle because a flock of birds intersected me and Latias. So you must always be diligent in knowing your surroundings and making sure you are not in the flight path of incoming flocks.
So what is Soar’s redeeming feature you might ask? Unlike with Fly, you don’t need to have a Pokémon that knows Fly in your Party. This means you get valuable retain space in both your Party and the move pool of your Pokémon. In fact if you like, you can even keep Latios/Latias in the PC or take their Mega Stones away and they will still come to your beck and call when you use the Eon Flute. I am not sure if you still need to keep the Pokémon physically on your game or not, but the fact you don’t need to carry them around all the time, or that they don't have to hold their stones is still a terrific thing. Plus you can set the Eon Flute as one of your shortcut items. So no need to go into your Item menu. I keep the Super Rod, Dowsing Machine, Mach Bike and Eon Flute as my shortcut ems at all times, it’s a real life saver!
Soar is also a fun and immersive experience. There is nothing like zooming through the skies above Hoenn. You can actually enjoy every bit of the splendor it holds; from sandy shores, deep blue seas, and lush landscapes in generals. Also with Soar you can better imagine yourself in the Pokémon World, riding on the back of a Pokémon as you both fly high into the skies. Plus if you enjoy battling, Soaring offers many opportunities with Mid-Air battles with Flying-type Pokémon and nail biting encounters with Legendry Pokémon. Be sure to have Pokéballs on hand, you're going to need them.
One thing I did find that took away from my joy is how similar Soaring is to flying in the Dragonball Budokai 3 game. It’s still fun and all, but it lacks the novelty you would expect it to have. Still, it’s a great pseudo flight simulator and a great way to pass time and use your imagination to boot.
So what’s the verdict? I find that Soar is the superior mode of transportation. Despite certain shortcomings, it is one of the greatest travel innovations of the series to date! Although Soar shares many of the fundamental aspects of its predecessor Fly, it is actually an entirely different mechanic by its own right. After all, we all know both Nintendo and Game Freak excel at selling you visually similar things while telling you they’re totally different or different enough to warrant you to part with your cash ;)
Pros:
- Frees up your Pokémon Party and your Pokémon move pools.
- No more need to have a dedicated flyer or HM slave in the party.
- Latios/Latias does not need to be physically within your party.
- Latios/Latias does not need to hold the Latiosite/Latiasite.
- New unique opportunities to catch wild Pokémon, both common and extremely rare.
- Both Fun and Entertaining.
- An immersive experience that allows your imagination to run wild.
- Doing aerial tricks and enjoying a pseudo flight simulator at the same time.
- Nothing like the Superman 64 Flight system lol ;)
Cons:
- No PSS, PokéNav or DexNav interface.
- Traveling to destinations with Soar will take longer opposed to Fly
- Accidentally engaging in Mid-Air battles can further slow down your pace.
- Overshooting and going to locations you didn't want to go to.
- A little too similar to flying in Dragonball Z Budokai 3. :/
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