Pokemon Emerald Version

"Weeeee! Another Pokemon Game!!!! Is it Worth it????"

I just bought this game recently, and I have been addicted to it. This game is amazing in almost every way that a gameboy advance game can be. I have played nearly 30 hours of it, and I am not really done, per se because I still have to get all the little critters. To start off here are the individual rankings that I shall give this game.

Story- 8/10- There really isn't that much of a story behind this game besides catching all the Pokemon, defeating the gym leaders, and beating the Elite four. Then you also have to add in Team Aqua and Team Magma running around against you. It calls for a fun experice. The story is pretty much the same as Ruby/Sapphire, so not too much has changed for the story part. Th story is good enough to keep you entertained and to keep you moving along. I honestly wish there was more things to do like Ash does in the Pokemon TV show. He does so many different things that I wish this game could do everything with a lot of mini games and a bunch of side plots. It would be like the ultimate Pokemon Game. Besides, what I want, the story is still pretty good.

Game Play- 10/10- This is where the Pokemon games shine. All 12 of them that have been out there have used the same system just with added moves and everything. The gameplay requires strategy and a lot of though, otherwise you're in deep trouble. For instance, water is very strong against fire, while fire is very strong against grass. It is fairly even throughout. Now in this game, there is a built in Pokemon Stadium style after you complete your story pretty much. It is called the Battle Frontier, and it is really fun to battle there. You get so many battle options, so if you think your Pokemon are that strong, then you should take them there. This game also has all of the Pokemon available to you, although you probably will have to buy other versions to get every single pokemon available. You get to built your own little place with pillows and everything. It's a neat thing that was incorporated in Ruby and Sapphire. There are also Pokemon Beauty contests, which are fun to enter. There are just so many things that the gameplay does to make sure your money is worth it.

Sound- N/A- It is pretty much your average old everyday Pokemon sounds and music through the GBA. Although, your Pokemon do make sounds when they are in a battle and the random music that is played, and that's about it for sound. I just prefer to listen to my IPod or watch TV, while I play my GBA. I can't downgrade this game because of music.

Graphics- 8/10- Everything looks a lot better since the days of the Blue and Red version games that came out for the Gameboy a very long time ago. Everything is so interesting, and you actually know what everything looks like. It is a step up from its predessors, Ruby/Sapphire in every department. So if you're thinking about getting Ruby/Sapphire, don't because Emerald is the exact same thing, but just a lot better for almost the exact same price.

Replay Value-10/10- There are so many things to do in this game. I remember when I played my Blue version nearly 7 years ago, and I played over 200 hours and I still wasn't close to capturing all of the critters. I intend on playing this game for a while until a new blockbuster Pokemon hit comes out. I am glad that I picked this game up. Nintendo can even add more things to these games to extend the lengths of Pokemon games.

Overall-9/10- This game is the ultimate Pokemon game right now. It has a lot of great added things to and it is really fun to play. This game outshines any other Pokemon game at the moment. I have had this game for about a week and a half, and I have played 30 hours in it, so that tells you that this game is worth. Even if you're not a Pokemon fan, but you're an RPG style fan, then you might still like this game. I liked pokemon a long time ago, and just recently wanted to get a game, and this was the game I chose, and it was well worth it. I love this game.

Buy or Rent- I recommend just buying the game because once you get it, you will addicted to create your ultimate Pokemon squad. Not to mention, it is only $35 for a lot of awesome features. This is the Best Pokemon game yet.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/13/06