And we come to the best of the 3rd generation of Pokemon's shocking 3rd game.
I had Ruby at one point, lost it, and decided it wasn't worth my time to find and complete it. Well I have various mental disorders so beating a 3rd-gen game in one of my favorite RPG series just had to be done. I opted on the superior Emerald version. Also this is the only way to get some rare 3rd-gen Pokemon on Diamond and Pearl. A small positive, but a plus nonetheless.
You aren't going to see anything new here. You, intrepid protagonist, move from forgettable town to town and beat the heck out of the gym leader to amass your collection of 8 gym badges and move on to the elite four. Oh and double battles. Those are new I guess.
I guess what is the most disheartening about this game is the complete lack of interest I have for it. It seems to be completely content to just push me towards my inevitable goal and get it over with. If it was my vote, the 3rd generation games just aren't as good as what comes before and after them. For what it's worth, I loved the 2nd-gen games the most and have my fingers crossed for a remake.
Positives to this game:
1. Tropical setting. I don't know what it is about it, but it just seems like they took location into strong thought when they made this game. It is just unfortunate that they did not do more with it. More Islands and a bigger map would have improved the game in my opinion.
2. Interesting Pokemon. In this game it seemed like they wanted to try on some new combinations for Pokemon. Some of them you just cannot get any other way. Ludicolo, for instance, is a Pokemon that just simply would not fit in any other generation. That being said, some of these type combinations are overall weaker than the base stereotypes which is also disappointing.
3. Gang warfare. The gangs have always had a hand in the Pokemon universe, but in this game they take the front and center of the narrative. One strives for land, one for water, and both end up facing the consequences of their endeavors. Cool, I just wish they had taken the time to flesh out a gripping plot for the actual story.
Negatives to this game:
1. Inferiority. There are just some Pokemon in this game that are just superior in every way to other ones. I'm not talking about legendaries here either. There are just some Pokemon that do not possess the power to defeat their enemies if they were on even footing. *cough* Salamence, Metagross *cough*
2. Difficulty. It's too short and too easy. Plain and simple. The gym leaders were more or less a joke and the elite four as well. The Hoenn region is the smallest of the versions which is odd considering that it's supposed to be the 3rd generation. Don't point towards the target audience, 2nd-gen was harder and came out years ago.
3. Replayability. Not much here folks. Beat the elite four and you're done. You DO have the option, however, to venture to a place to do battle in the tower. It's essentially been much improved over the other versions and stands out as a reason to buy this one over Ruby and Sapphire. Unfortunately, 2nd-gen offered ANOTHER REGION to explore and take on, not to mention the hardest single trainer battle of it's time.
4. The narrative and people. I did not develop a single shred of emotion for any person in this game or the story which they encompass. It plays like a blueprint for the other versions to a fault.
Scene A: walk outside town, notice professor in peril, engage Pokemon battle. Start adventure, BUT not before a battle with your dumb rival!
Scene B: move to town, defeat gym leader.
Scene C: same as scene B.
In short, if you are looking to sink your teeth into a Pokemon game, your options at this time remain the obvious Leafgreen, Firered route, (Or the originals if you can hunt them down.) Diamond and Pearl for those with the DS option, (and a good one at that.) Or just happening upon the Gold, Silver, or Crystal option if you want to understand why I like them the most. This is a good game overall, but a disappointing Pokemon game when you put it in perspective.