Bigger, Better, Bolder… But not entirely an exclusive Experience!
Pokémon Emerald plays the same role as Pokémon Yellow played for Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue or more prominently, one that Pokémon Crystal played during the second generation when it made enhancements in Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver. Tuning up Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, Emerald has added a lot in the series. For instance it included Crystal like character animation during the fights, or a more variety of sound effects (like the ones you hear when you’re in a cave, a dungeon or a forest).
True that it is made out of ‘recycled parts’, it stands up from the others in the GEM series because it includes the Kanto Battle Frontier, Magma’s Hideout, Marine Cave, Terra Cave, Desert Underpass, Mirage Tower, Studio Cave and many more. Plus the game sways from the original Ruby and Sapphire series when team Magma and Aqua butt in. From that point the game experience is totally a different thing.
The land of Hoenn in this third adventure is also pretty much shook-up. With relocated buildings and some totally new ones, Hoenn may deliver a whole new experience. New location for all the Contest Halls: Lilycove City is where you’ll get your Contest Pass and now, is the ONLY place for Berry Blending. Battle Tents appear in Slateport City, Verdanturf Town & Fallarbor Town, where trainers or their Pokémon have to compete in various challenges.
The Story kicks off with us getting our first Pokémon and is pretty much the same until you get the Magma Symbol. Magma’s Hideout is located on the Jagged Pass on the base of Mt. Chimney, where Magma’s Leader Maxie is trying to wake Groudon up, on which he succeeds. Next Archie wakes up Kyogre in the Underwater Caverns, and as the legend says, both of them head to Sootopolis City and start to battle each other. But thankfully with the help of former Gym Leader Wallace, we get Rayquaza who interferes in time and stops the battle and also saves the world from being destroyed.
But the story is not the only big change; there is a lot difference in the locations where wild Pokémon are found in Emerald. Plus Emerald has the ability to mix records with Ruby and Sapphire and share the Eon Ticket which can be used on the Slateport Shipyard or at the Lilycove Harbor, to go to Southern Island to get a shot at catching a Lati (short for Latios/Latias). But you don’t only get one Lati this time. You get a choice of picking one color. If you pick red you get Latias, and if you pick Blue you get Latios in the wild (mostly near Route 121), and the other one on Southern Island. Plus you can download a lot of other stuff using the mystery gift function, like, the Old Sea Chart to go to Faraway Island and catch Mew (that’s right, MEW), or use the Aura or the Mystic ticket to get to Navel Rock or Birth Island to catch Lugia, Ho-oh, and Deoxys.
Other Special Pokémon include the Unown, Sudowoodo (the only Sudowoodo in the 3rd generation), Smeargle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, & Totodile. There are also two new sections in the Safari Zone which open up after you defeat the elite four and have a lot of exotic Pokémon including rare Johto ones . In total Emerald has about 202 Pokémon from the Hoenn Dex and additional 60 Pokémon obtainable after getting the National Dex from professor Birch. The Regis (Regirock/ Regice /Registeel) also present a great challenge in catching. Groudon can be caught in the Terra Cave, Kyogre in the Marine Cave, and Rayquaza on the top of the Sky Pillar.
Other Exclusive features include the highly enhanced Breeding System, with the ability to pass on nature and more. The new secondary (Out of battle) effects of Pokémon Abilities. The Union room on the second floor of the Pokémon center for wireless adapter, Special in-game TV Events, New gym leaders and gym Pokémon, Updated Elite Four and the ability to fight the former champion, Double Battles, Enhanced EV training with the ability to subtract EVs from Pokémon.
The Match Call feature in the PokéNav much like the phone feature in the METAL games allows you to re-battle trainers numerous times, and with every rematch your opponent gets, he grows stronger. And this Match Call feature also applies on the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four. New Move Tutors have been added this time in Hoenn and in the Battle Frontier and the Trainer Hill. This game also includes the Altering cave but its feature is still a mystery to me, because I have never found anything there but Zubats.
The only upset in the game is that a major part of the game has more or less the same storyline as Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire with little tweaks. You will get your first hint in the beginning when you will see Professor Birch being attacked by a Zigzagoon instead of the regular Poocheyna. And on rare occasions you will find the game experience highly repetitive especially at the Battle Frontier.
And the list doesn’t stop there; Pokémon Emerald has a lot of stuff new in it to keep the fans of the franchise busy until the next generation games are out. But Pokémon Emerald may very well be the last Pokémon RPG on the Nintendo GameBoy Advance platform, since Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl are scheduled to release on the Nintendo Dual Screen this year, but until then enjoy your self with the last edition on the GBA.