With the revolutional jump from 2nd from 3rd generation, pokemon saphire was totally addictive, and of course, fun.
I'm talking about 3rd to 4th generation skips, but more precisly Pokemon Sapphire. It made me play to an outstanding time of 100:05. The first few gym leaders you'll breeze through, until Norman, and than it gets harder from there. When it is easy, it keeps you entertained by incredible story line. When the going gets hard, you train and it actually gives you the role play of bonding with you're pokemon, that's what my time was spent on, training. One of the things you will find in any 3rd generation game is time well spent training, even after elite four.
Now, Pokemon Sapphire didn't have alot to do after the elite four unlike Pokemon Fire red and Emerald. I would sujest you leave things open and don't catch alot of Pokemon except for battling ones because than you'll have more to do. I would also leave things like the trick masters house and other optional but fun places like meteor falls until beating the elite four.
With minimum flaws and awsome features, awsome pokemon and awsome story line, Pokemon Sapphire will have people using there dual gameboy slot again, while all those fourth gen. players with DSi's will be wondering about ditching it and playing with there gamboy.