I've divulged my thoughts regarding Pokemon in the past, though to keep it short, like many young videogamers of the time, the series holds a special place in my heart. The years of playing the games on my GameBoy, and eventually on my DS, were easily some of the best memories of my childhood... in fact, perhaps the most defining game of my elementary-school years was the original Pokemon Sapphire. The years I spent playing that game are ones that I won't easily forget, and those memories aren't ones that I would trade for the world.
The Changing Face of the Franchise
Pokemon has changed a lot since that 2003 release, though, and I've managed to keep up for the most part. X and Y most recently brought the largest change to the series since Diamond and Pearl did several years earlier. Beyond the regular gotta catch 'em all mantra - online connectivity, various changes to the battle system, a new Pokemon typing, and other features have changed up the formula enough that - although Alpha Sapphire still resembles its predecessor - it contains enough changes to be an experience all its own.
I don't think I need to explain exactly what Pokemon is - I'm certain that everyone knows what the game is at its core - but some context is in order here. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are in and of themselves new games, but they are also remakes of previous titles in the franchise that (at the time) managed to split the fanbase fairly hard. For one thing, Ruby and Sapphire (the original titles) were the first Pokemon games to not feature backward compatibility with the prior games. Beyond that, the games were the first titles (barring Crystal) to not run on the original GameBoy - instead taking advantage of the then-new GameBoy Advance.
All of that is a fancy way of stating that when they were initially released, Ruby and Sapphire caused their fair share of splintering within the community. Although nowadays they are seen the same as any other game in the franchise, the fact that they had essentially "rebooted" the franchise meant that, at the time, overall thoughts regarding the instalments were... "varied", to say the least. Indeed, even without that fact, the games were a large change for the franchise - as much of what individuals had come to expect from the series was changed.
I suppose it is appropriate, then, that Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have led to a shattering of expectations regarding the series.
Additional Changes
Pokemon ORAS, as I'm going to be calling them, are the third set of remakes for the main series, a tradition that started the year after the original Ruby and Sapphire launched. Each time that GameFreak has remade prior titles they have taken special care to include new content to make the games feel fresh - FireRed and LeafGreen included an entirely new region via the use of the Sevii Islands. In contrast, HeartGold and SoulSilver included several new routes, as well as much of the content from the then-definitive Platinum and the older Crystal.
ORAS leans more towards the latter than the former, with a few key differences. I don't intend to spoil the post-game content for anyone who has yet to procure the game, but to simplify it - don't expect any of the Emerald exclusive content while you are playing. The majority of the new content this time around has to do with story-related text logs and the advertised Delta Episode. You do find Mirage Spots to capture a great number of legendaries, but for the most part, the post-game can be compared to that of X and Y.
As for the other aspects of the game, there is a renewed focus on the narrative this time around. The story itself remains, for the most part, unchanged, but the overall execution is much improved. Beyond that, there is a great deal of exposition waiting to be found in the games - both hidden and otherwise.
This actually mimics a similar change that occurred with the original Ruby and Sapphire with regard to hidden text and the like, but these changes are much more substantial! Normally you wouldn't expect anyone to recommend a Pokemon game for the story, let alone the lore - but the strides made in this department show that the series has become more focused on this aspect of the titles than before.
The visuals also see a slight upgrade from that of X and Y, with a greater emphasis on the various colors within the environment; and as for the gameplay itself, it remains, for the most part, the same as X and Y's, though a few major changes help set the games apart from those titles. Dexnav in particular - the new mechanic that allows you to sneak up on Pokemon in the wild in the effort to find stronger ones - works astonishingly well to make the games feel fresh, despite the obvious similarities to the original titles.
Contests and Secret Bases
Contests make a return alongside Secret Bases; but of the two, Secret Bases sees the biggest updates in regards to mechanics; merging the Capture-The-Flag aspect of Diamond and Pearl's underground with the already solid inclusion in the original Ruby and Sapphire.
The ability to create your own pseudo-gym allows you to recruit other players from the various Secret Bases that you may have encountered, as well as battle the gyms that others have created... although in practice, this doesn't work as well as some may like in regards to balance. Thankfully you can share your Secret Bases online with a QR code, meaning that users who wish to set up Secret Base Pokemon Leagues, or something of the sort, don't have to work too hard to get these leagues set up. It's a great feature and definitely unexpected!
Soaring is another neat addition, though its only unique purpose seems to be giving players access to the various Mirage Spots after the main story is completed, especially since one of the mechanics' main strengths - flying to routes directly - is copied by the older fly mechanic. It's useful for reasons other than for catching legendary Pokemon, of course, but besides the novelty, there isn't much left to talk about besides the absolutely wonderful background music while soaring. I felt the need to mention it in this review, but the actual changes it makes to the formula are minimal, albeit enjoyable nonetheless.
Contests see an update compared to before, but as for the contests themselves, they remain nearly identical to the ones present within the original titles. With regards to training for these contests, however... much of the grind has been left out. The PokeBlock creation has been completely streamlined - and although I undoubtedly miss the PokeBlock minigame from the GameBoy Advance titles, I can't deny that the change is for the best. The lack of WiFi contests is one of the bigger missteps the game has made, but the worst I can say regarding these contests is that they are accurate to their portrayal in the original games.
Pokemon Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire - The Verdict
That last point really drives home what the game is at its worst, forgiving some slight lapses in immersion brought forth by the new engine. Although I certainly would have liked more from the game, in nearly all of its attempts, it manages to at least match what the original GBA titles had offered.
Much like the previous remakes, it separates itself from the rest of the games in the series and has allowed the developers to truly experiment. It's not perfect - it's not even my favorite remake - but it is one of the most distinguished Pokemon games that I have played in years.
People will be talking about this one for a long time to come, and I don't blame them. It's got plenty of content and the substance to match it; every mechanic not related to X and Y's story is present. Pokemon Amie, Super Training - beyond all else, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire are the definitive Pokemon games on the 3DS to date.
TechRaptor reviewed Pokemon Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire on 3DS with a copy purchased by the reviewer. It is also available on iOS, macOS, and Windows. This review was originally published on 05-08-2014. While care has been taken to update the piece to reflect our modern style guidelines, some of the information may be out of date. We've left pieces like this as they were to reflect the original authors' opinions, and for historical context.
Review Summary
Pros
- An excellent new way to play some classic Pokemon