Pokemon Emerald Version

"Let's get some things straight about this."

First, I want to say something: it's absurd that so many reviewers are content to slap low grades onto the Yellow, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald versions just because they're remakes, not because of the quality of the games themselves (and as far as I can see, just about every Pokemon game is fine in regards to the latter). They also tend to confuse quality with whether they think a fan of the series should invest in this next version. Yes, I'm sure a lot of you would rather have a brand-new Pokemon world to romp around in, but one must be objective when reviewing games to be taken seriously.

This marks the 20th Pokemon game I have purchased (for those keeping count, that rules out Box, Channel, the second TCG game for GBC [released only in Japan], the Japanese Blue version, and Dash). It goes without saying that I love these games, even though I can't say the same for the cards and the anime. And while the Ruby/Sapphire generation has handed us what I think is the ugliest and most bizarre batch of Pokemon yet (that goes for you too, Deoxys), there's still a lot to love, such as the venerable breeding feature and the Pokemon Contests which have nothing to do with actual fighting.

The Emerald version takes things a few steps further and winds up being a bit more polished and (dare I say it?) better than its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire. Aside from the new range of Pokemon encounters, which is to be expected, there are plotline changes and new activities to fiddle around in. First, Emerald takes a cue from the Crystal version and outfits all of the Pokemon with little animations at the start of each battle. Some are rather unique, while others tend to follow little "trends" in animation such as bouncing back and forth a bit or tilting their bodies up and down. It's not 3D and a lot of it is simple sprite manipulation, but it doesn't look like cheap Mode 7-style stretching, zooming and rotation that a programmer could just throw together in a few minutes.

The Trainer's Eyes feature from Ruby and Sapphire has been completely done away with. In its place is a little "Match Call" option that resembles the cell-phone feature of the Pokegear from Gold, Silver and Crystal in that trainers will randomly call you about stuff they're doing at the moment (trivial things like battling or trying to catch a Pokemon) or sometimes an actual plot element. In a sense, it's a lot like the Trainer's Eyes, but you can refight more trainers as well as Gym Leaders. I really prefer the Vs. Seeker from FireRed/LeafGreen for its broader capabilities, but it's better than nothing.

Team Aqua and Team Magma are now no longer your specific enemies or friends - both teams take on both roles. I realize that a third Team would make things a little too complicated, but I'm glad that Nintendo decided upon having some kind of ambiguity with them - the squad you somewhat agreed with at one point will be your opponent at another time.

Pokemon Contests, berry blending and Pokeblocks still exist in the game, but you won't be able to get into them early on as you did in Ruby and Sapphire. They've been pushed ahead in favor of... Battle Tents. In some towns, there are little buildings in which you can partake in unique types of battles. First, there's one in which you let your Pokemon fight uncontrolled and learn how stable each one is. Another grades you and your opponent on tenacity, accuracy, and health if neither is knocked out after three turns. A third gives you rental Pokemon and lets you swap out for one of your previous opponent's Pokemon before the next match. You'll have fun with these.

But I'm most satisfied with the Battle Frontier, a sprawling zone of various battle types and environments including the Battle Tent modes listed above and things like a tournament setting. It's really pleasant, and I applaud the addition.

Aside from these and other features, the game is essentially the same as Ruby and Sapphire. Graphics are effective but rather simple and could stand some improvement. How about some more detailed environment backgrounds in battle scenes? That'd be much more engaging! Music and sound are still the same MIDI-type tunes and effects that you either loved or hated before; they're good but not absolutely wonderful. This game also uses a different text typeface from Ruby and Sapphire, which had one of the worst fonts in a Pokemon video game since Pokemon TCG on the Game Boy Color. It's a bit wider, too - similar to the nicely designed FireRed/LeafGrean font, but not as small. Support for the Wireless Adapter is in here too; it's just a shame that Ruby and Sapphire weren't even rereleased to support this option.

I'm very pleased with this purchase, but I realize that it's not something everyone will enjoy as much. Fans addicted to novelty may want to borrow it or try it in the store before buying it. Meanwhile, non-fans will probably find this as good a time as any to get into the series, although I'd suggest FireRed or LeafGreen if you really want to start simple.

But all in all, I highly recommend it in spite of this game's many detractors.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/08/05