Pokemon Ruby Version

Published by Nintendo
Developed by Nintendo
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Released - Out Now
Price : £34.99

One of the biggest phenomenons in gaming history has just begun its re-emergence. The Pokemon series of games have been an astounding success for Nintendo and not just for the sheer number of games sold. Whenever a Pokemon game is released the number of sales for the Game Boy console has gone through the roof. It's just been announced that in the US over 45% of all consoles sold this year have been Game Boy Advance SP's. That is simply an incredible amount and the explanation for these astronomical sales can be given in one word, Pokemon.

The sales of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire have been stunning in both Japan and the US and in both countries the games' releases have triggered a desperate demand for Game Boy Advance/SP consoles, but why? Well for a moment ignore the TV series, films and Trading card games and look at the games for what they really are. Pokemon games are essentially RPG games (and excellent ones at that). You carry a party of up to six Pokemon and attempt to defeat all the gym leaders in order to access the Pokemon Masters. The games have virtually unlimited gameplay especially if you want to 'catch 'em all' and the added twist of needing to trade with a friend who owns a different version to you has made collecting Pokemon a social event, something that few games could lay claim to. The games are not just for children either. Few games have the complexity and need for tactics that Pokemon games have. You need to use the right Pokemon to succeed and striking a balance with your party of Pokemon is essential.

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are the first two Pokemon games to arrive on the Game Boy Advance. Each game has around 200 Pokemon, some are exclusive to Ruby and some to Sapphire so you'll need to trade between the two if you're aiming to catch everyone. 100 of these Pokemon are newly discovered species. Initially you'll be given the choice of Torchic (Fire), Mudkip (Water) and Treecko (Grass). Whichever one you pick will determine how the game initially plays. Treecko appears a wiser choice at the beginning of the game but Mudkip and Torchic can develop into far stronger Pokemon later in the game.

Pokemon Ruby (and Sapphire) are set in the region of Hoenn. The game begins with you being greeted by Professor Birch. You get to enter your name and, as with Pokemon Crystal, you can elect to play as either a boy or a girl. In no time at all you're arriving at your new home, based in Littleroot, in the back of a removal van. On entering your new house, your mother asks you to go to your room and set the time on the clock that your dad bought you. Some Pokemon can only be caught at certain times of the day so entering the correct time is important (although there is no longer a visual difference between night and day like in Pokemon Gold & Silver). It's not long before you come across the Professor, who is just outside of the town. He's being chased by a Poochvena. In order to help him you'll have to grab a Pokemon out of his bag, which lies on the ground, and battle the Poochvena. Whichever Pokemon you choose (Treecko, Mudkip, or Torchic) you'll keep so choose carefully. From here on in your Pokemon adventure begins in earnest and it will keep you busy for many months to come.

As with all Pokemon games you'll need to battle your Pokemon to gain experience and develop them to the higher levels. Catching Pokemon is a vital part of the game and once more you'll need to venture in the grass areas (and later on in the water), armed with your Pokeballs, in order to do so. For me this is where Pokemon elevates itself above other console RPGs. You don't have the hassle of trillions of random battles like you do in the Final Fantasy games or in games like Golden Sun. Whilst some trainers have to be battled, if you don't want to battle wild Pokemon you simply keep out of the grass. Although you need to battle to increase the abilities of your Pokemon, you can control when those battles happen and for me that prevents a whole load of irritation.

Whilst basically the gameplay has remained the same as earlier versions there are plenty of new features. There are a range of competitions you can enter your Pokemon into. You can participate in two-on-two battles, although to be fair there are not many of these battles. You can now link-up with 3 other players to battle which should make for a great deal of fun. You can use the berries you pick to make Pokeblocks which can be used to enhance the condition of your Pokemon. Like Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal you can breed Pokemon and collect berries that help your Pokemon. In Ruby and Sapphire though, you have to grow your own berries so when you take some remember to plant some more otherwise there won't be any when you return later in the game.

Graphically the game is leaps and bounds above the Game Boy Pokemon games. Everything looks so much more detailed and colourful. It's probably fair to say that it doesn't push the GBA in anyway and the game is not as aesthetically pleasing as Golden Sun but it's still a big improvement. The battle screens and animations look much better even though the same layout has been retained. There are so many nice touches in the game that you can't fail to be impressed. Poke centres have escalators that carry you upstairs to the battle arenas, the Pokemon Navigator lets you zoom in on towns you visited and shows you what each of the buildings in each town are and the Pokedex looks much more impressive.

As with all Pokemon games (and GBA games for that matter too), Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are 100% deaf gamer friendly. All information is given in text and you'll need a button press to move the text along in dialogues so you have all the time in the world to read the information. The manual (or Trainer's Guide as it is known) is also excellent and will answer most, if not all the questions you may have early on in the game.

What more can you say? Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are the best reasons you could have for owning a Game Boy Advance SP. It's not possible to describe all that's good about these games in this review. Suffice to say that the games are definitely worth buying the console for and if you're lucky enough to have a Gamecube and a Game Boy Player then you'll be able to play the game on your TV, which is added bonus. I only wish that more of the original Pokemon where in the game though. The new Pokemon are good but they aren't as memorable as the original 151 Pokemon. Still this doesn't affect the gameplay, which is superb and just as time consuming as ever. Without a doubt they are the best games on the Game Boy Advance/SP.

Overall Game Rating: 9.6/10
The best game you can buy for your GBA (or GBA SP). Pokemon returns in stunning fashion and could well be the best game, on any platform, this year.

Deaf Gamers comment:
No problems at all as Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire are completely deaf gamer friendly.