The resurgence of Pokemon starts here. The first of the Game Freak phenomena to appear on GBA, Ruby, along with Sapphire sees you assume the role of the new kid in town. Your family has moved to Littleroot, and one of the first things you are asked to do in the game is go say hello to Birch, the Pokemon Professor. He's the one who'll lend you your first Pokemon, and he's also the one who's always on hand to help out with advice on how to catch and raise them. However, if you've played any of the previous Pokemon games, you'll know exactly what you have to do. Collect, catch, battle and raise Pokemon; nothing has changed that much regarding gameplay. Why try to fix what ain't broken?
Your aim is to catch as many Pokemon as possible and fill up your Pokedex. Another goal to achieve is the improvement of your skills as a Trainer. Battling against other Trainers and their Pokemon helps, and there are Pokemon Gyms too, where the Trainers are tougher than average.
There are two kinds of battles. One is for fighting against wild Pokemon and the other is for battling against trainers. When a battle starts, the Pokemon on the left side of your Party Pokemon will appear first. If you win the battle, each Pokemon that participated in the battle will receive a share of the Experience points. However, if all your Pokemon faint, you will lose the battle, you will be returned to the last Pokemon Centre you used, and you will lose half of your money.
You'll encounter Wild Pokemon when you pass through caves and long grass. More often than not, they will attack. When they do, you can use a Poke Ball to catch them. If you make eye contact with a Trainer - or walk in front of one - they will challenge you to a battle, and you have to fight them. Turning the other cheek is not an option. The battle continues until the winner is decided. If you're successful, the prize money is yours. Some Trainers will even have the audacity to challenge you to a 2-on-2 battle - exciting stuff. Various types of Pokemon have different advantages - and disadvantages - against other types. For example, water-type moves have the greatest effect on fire-type Pokemon. You can use these astrological-style qualities to come up with a more effective battle strategy.
There's also a Cruft's-style Pokemon Show in which you groom your little monster in the hope of winning a ribbon. It's all quite bonkers, but in that inimitable Nintendo fashion, you simply have to keep playing to see what the game tosses up next. With the facility to link between the Ruby and Sapphire incarnations, and the number of new Pokemon on offer between the two titles, Nintendo can look forward to a few more million sales.
| Publisher: |
Nintendo |
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Platform: |
GBA |
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Category: |
RPG |
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| Players: |
1-4 |
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Release Date: |
25 Jul 2003 |
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PEGI Rating: |
 |
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