Review: Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
It’s been a while since I last stepped into the world of Pokemon. In fact, I think my last review was back in 2018, shortly after the Virtual Console release of Pokemon Silver/Gold. Today I’m going to talk about the third generation of Pokemon titles; Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire. Of course, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention the traditional third entry in this generation of games; Pokemon Emerald. So yes, that game will be covered in this review as well. Sadly, unlike the previous Pokemon games I’ve reviewed thus far, there is no official digital release of Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald. This means that for this review, I had to dust off my trusty GBA and play them the old fashioned way.
One important note before we get started: This review will assume that you are already familiar with the first and second generation of Pokemon games. If not, I urge you to read my reviews for those titles before continuing. You can find them here: Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow and Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal.
Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire were released in 2003 for the Gameboy Advance. They continue the tradition of keeping the Pokemon games exclusive to handheld Nintendo devices and taking advantage of everything the next generation of hardware has to offer. Two years after Ruby and Sapphire, a third “special edition” title was made available, Pokemon Emerald.
As is the case with the previous generations, the third “special edition” game is very similar to the other two games that preceded it. The biggest differences have to do with the roster of available pokemon, the pokemon used by some opponents, some minor cosmetic differences, and some balancing issues. While I did indeed dabble with all three titles for this review, Pokemon Emerald is the game I chose to play from start to finish.
If you played the games from the previous Pokemon generations, then you already know exactly what you’re in for with this these new titles. Even the storyline is similar. In these games, you play as an up-and-coming Pokemon Trainer. Your goal is capture as many pokemon as possible, (in order to complete the pokemon research journal, AKA The Pokedex), and do battle with the region’s various Gym Leaders so that you can claim the title of Pokemon Master. Along the way, the player will learn about the region in which they live, how pokemon affect daily life, and encounter both friendly folks and members from a hostile group of Pokemon Trainers; Team Magma or Team Aqua (depending on which game you are playing). (*note: Pokemon Emerald players will actually encounter characters from both teams).
All of the core gameplay concepts from the previous titles are present here: RPG elements, collecting pokemon (regular and shiny), breeding pokemon, evolving pokemon, doing battle with other trainers, and trading pokemon with other players. Some new gameplay elements introduced in this game include two-on-two battles, and the ability to grow various fruits and berries to feed your pokemon. When it comes to trading with other players, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire require a physical link cable in order to connect the two player’s Game Boy Advance handhelds together.. However, Pokemon Emerald offers the ability to use a wireless connection. This form of wireless connectivity is actually a carryover from the GBA remake of Pokemon Red and Blue – two games that I have not yet discussed because they were published after the release of Ruby and Sapphire (but before the release of Emerald) – expect a review on those games sometime in the near future. It’s also important to note that Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald can also be connected to two Pokemon titles for the Gamecube and pokemon from those games can also be transferred into them as well. Finally, these games can also take advantage of Nintendo’s e-Reader hardware – giving the player access to exclusive battles and locations. However, the e-Reader was never a big success in the US, and as a result, a majority of players never experienced this extra content.
Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, let’s talk about the game itself. The first thing I noticed about these titles was how amazing they looked. The GBA’s graphics and colors really make these games shine. The GBA hardware captures the intended cartoon elements of the Pokeman art perfectly. It is an absolute pleasure to look at. The same can be said about the audio. I never had any complaints about the first and second gen games, when it came to sound or visuals. But once you’ve experienced Pokemon on the GBA, it would be hard to go back. The new graphics and sounds are just so much richer and they really suit the sprit of the game.
Graphics and sound aside, everything about Pokemon just seems a little better this time around. There’s plenty of pokemon from the previous games to be seen here. But as expected, there’s also a slew of new pokemon added to the roster. These new monsters are very well designed. This is true for both their physical looks and their abilities. In the same mindset, even the layout of the overworld and the various dungeons just seem to sport a better design this time around. The design team behind these games was on fire!
The storyline is interesting and collectable nature of game is addictive. All of this means that I lost myself in these games. Before I knew it, I was close to 100 hours in, and still wanted to keep playing. This is the sign of an excellent game.
If you’re just getting into the world of Pokemon, the games of Generation III would be an excellent place to start. To me, they capture all of the magic from the early days of the series but they also look amazing while doing it. This is early Pokemon at its finest.
I am quite aware that Ruby and Sapphire were ultimately remade for the 3DS. But I still hold out hope that Nintendo may make these original version of the Generation III titles available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers once the Switch 2 is released. There’s just something about these original GBA graphics that make me feel comfy and smile. If you do decide to give these old games a try, I do recommend that you consider Pokemon Emerald if you plan to have a solely single-player experience. However, if you have a friend who wants to play along with you, either flavor from the original release will do just as well.
Version Reviewed: GBA
Difficulty: Easy – I found these titles to be noticeably easier than the previous generations. As is always the case with these games, the biggest challenge comes in the form of optional goals. “Catching them all” will require many hours of patience and even having friends or family to trade with.
Multiplayer: Trading, Battles
Story: As always, the storyline in these games are cute and simplistic. Admittedly childlike at times, but still enjoyable regardless of age.
Originality: In terms of originality, the base games lean very heavily on their predecessors. Still, there’s plenty here in terms of QoL improvements and the leap in visuals with this generation is nothing short of astounding.
Soundtrack: For the first time in the Pokemon series, the soundtrack is more than just beeps and blips. The music in these games maintain their cute/childlike qualities, but they sound noticeably richer.
Fun: If you loved the first two generations of Pokemon games, you’re going to go completely nuts for Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald. Everything that you love about the old games is represented here, only it’s done even better.
Graphics: I can’t stress enough how incredible these games look when compared to the titles that came before. The GBA really proved to be a fantastic host for the Pokemon series. The graphics are sharp and colorful. This really makes the world of Pokemon shine like never before.
Playcontrol: Overall no problems here. Being a turn-based RPG, there’s not much in terms of playcontrol to worry about. Everything feels and works as you’d expect.
Downloadable Content: N/A
Mature Content: N/A
Value: Pokemon games often sell at a premium price. The secondhand market is even more expensive as many titles are out print. Original versions of Ruby/Sapphire with can often fetch $80-$100 for used copies. But collectors need to beware, counterfeits are rampant online. At these prices, it’s hard to recommend the GBA version of the games knowing that there’s enhanced remakes for the 3DS that are more readily available and cheaper.
Overall score (1-100): 100 – Once again, I have no choice but to give these games a perfect score. Even though the formula has barely changed since Generation I, the refinements and excellent gameplay make this third generation of Pokemon games absolutely phenomenal. Pokemon Gen III is a stellar gaming experience.
Original System: GBA
Available today on: Currently unavailable – (Updated as of Spring 2025)
Best Experience: GBA – (Updated as of Spring 2025)
Other Reviews In This Series:
Red/Blue/Yellow (FireRed/LeafGreen) – Gold/Silver/Crystal (HeartGold/SoulSilver) – Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald (OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire) – Diamond/Pearl/Platinum (BrilliantDiamond/ShiningPearl) – Black/White – Black 2/White 2 – X/Y – Sun/Moon – Sword/Shield – Scarlet/Violet
Let’s Go Pikachu/Evee – Legends: Arceus – Legends: Z-A
