Nice box art.
This is a game that Jeff and I picked up through the form of emulators and ROMs. We originally started this game because we thought we could trade over the internet, but that didn't work out so well, so we just played the game individually. Which was ok, but Pokemon is better when you play it with other people, right? That's what the trading and battles come in.
We both went about the same pace and completed the basic game (which means beating the Elite four - or in this case, 5). So it's time to talk about it.
There are lots of people who have played this already, so I'm sorry if you HAVE played this and read the same things that you already know, but for all of you who were too lazy to pick up a Pokemon game, this is what it is.
In this specific generation of Pokemon, the 3rd generation, there were 3 games made: Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald (which was kind of like a different game, but still in the 3rd generation). So being that there are 3 separate versions, each game is going to have something different to offer. In the case of Pokemon Ruby, there were Ruby-exclusive Pokemon, including the one on the cover, Groudon. The storyline makes Team Magma the bad guys and Team Aqua the good guys, while in Pokemon Sapphire, Team Aqua is evil and Team Magma is good. This also changed up your strategy a bit. If you happened to be playing Ruby, like we did, you might have gone with Mudkip as a starter Pokemon because Team Magma sometimes uses fire-type Pokemon, as their name implies.
This game is RPG based, which means you take turns, but I feel like it should have its own genre. So because your power is based on your level, which is based on your experience (EXP), then you're probably going to have to do something called "grinding".
Ok, how do I explain grinding...alright it's like this: you want your Pokemon to be on par with all the other Pokemon you fight, or even higher, so you repeatedly fight the same enemies over and over to slowly build up your EXP to gain levels. In Pokemon, grinding isn't that time consuming, as opposed to other RPG games. It's also kind of necessary if you don't want to be given a hard time by other Pokemon trainers or wild Pokemon. Especially the gym leaders. Gym leaders are assholes. They always heal up their Pokemon at the most inconvenient times.
Another big part in RPGs is items. But unlike traditional RPG games, Pokemon does not base their item selection around equips (the equipment worn or held by party members to boost stats). Instead, this item selection is mostly based around health. In every Pokemart, you will find things like potions, status heal, and revives. There are some stat boosting items, like xATTACK, but for the most part, items are more suited for endurance in battles.
And of course you can't have Pokemon without one of the most important items in the game: the Pokeball. The basic Pokeball allows you to capture weakened, wild Pokemon and treat them as your slaves. So whip them up into shape and make them fight. Hahaha...animal violence. Why's this game rated E again?
In addition to your basic Pokeball, you also get a wide selection of other Pokeballs suited for whatever situation you're in. Great balls and Ultra balls are more powerful versions of Pokeballs and can also be found in older versions of Pokemon, but Ruby also has other types of Pokeballs. Some are more effective against certain types of Pokemon. For example, the Net Ball is effective against water-types and bug-types. Pretty sweet. The best Pokeball is the Master Ball: a Pokeball so effective, it has a 100% chance of catching anything at full health. But there's only one in the game. Unless you use cheats. WE LUV GAMESHARK
Alright it's time for opinions. Starting with me, Matt. I think I've played Ruby at least twice all the way through, but both times I used a guide book. I can never play Pokemon without them. Ruby was the first Pokemon game I actually beat and it was actually very satisfying to play. You can't go half assed into the game though. If you don't buckle the fuck down and get your game on you'll probably be quitting midway because of all the bombardment the game rains down on you. So you better be prepared.
The game is considerably lengthy, but not as long as I was expecting. If you really get serious, you can probably beat the Elite 4 in 10 or less hours of gameplay. But if you do that, you'll be missing all the little extras. Like catching the rare Pokemon that nobody cares about. Also if you rush, your Pokemon will probably be as weak as Magikarps. So take the time to grind. You'll be throbbing with power.
The game wasn't hard, but it sometimes made you think. And I kind of like that. In other games like Zelda, you'd be thinking so hard that you black out from sheer frustration. Then you'd wake up and run to a computer for an internet walkthrough. With Pokemon Ruby, secrets could be found, even without a guide. It might take you about 4 additional hours to uncover everything there is in the game, but that's why it's good. There's so much to do in Ruby, you don't have to stick to the game's flow. You can go off and do your own thing. You can go catch Pokemon, you can grind, you can go to Safari Zone, heck - you can even gamble at the casino if you wanted to. It gives you a lot of free range to do what you want most of the time.
Going back to the difficulty, the difficulty of the game was greatly reduced from other Pokemon games, from what I can tell. I remember playing Pokemon Fire Red, the GBA remake of Pokemon Red. Gary, your rival in Fire Red, starts off like you, with a level 5 starter Pokemon. About 3 minutes later, your Pokemon is around level 8 or 9. He comes up to you and demands a battle from you...with his level 16 starter. Now what kind of fucking sense does that make? Gary hax, ok? But your rival in Ruby is kind of like your new friend, and not an enemy-like character. So it seems like he or she (depending on the gender YOU pick) is going easy on you. But it could be my imagination.
The last thing I have to say about Pokemon is don't play it alone. I mean, it IS satisfying to beat the game by yourself, but the real challenge is training your Pokemon to become strong to beat your friends in battles. Battling against the AI is no fun, especially since they're dumb as Slippy in Starfox.
Actually, I lied. One more thing to say. If you're going to play this game, if you haven't already, avoid playing it on an emulator. When you play Pokemon Ruby on an emulator, all clock based events are dead. Which means that things that should happen according to real time don't happen. For example, if you used a GBA version of Ruby and planted seeds, the next day you'd play it, you'd see a new tree. If you used an emulator and did the same thing, it's like time is frozen and the seed never sprouts. If you don't care about that kind of stuff go ahead and use an emulator and a ROM, otherwise, use a real GBA or borrow one.
Gameplay: 8/10
Controls: 10/10
Difficulty: 5/10
Graphics: 8/10
Music/Sound: 9/10
Overall: 8.5/10
So here's Jeff to give his opinion on Pokemon Ruby:
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Okay, I've played Ruby when it first came out in like the early 2000's and kept going back to it a couple of times, probably around 5-7 times. Each time I've been able to push through it, and found motivation to continue playing. That is, until I've beaten the Elite Four. After that, I didn't really find much I could continue with, what I wished for in this game didn't come true (being able to go back to the previous worlds) and I basically gave up.
To me, the graphics are refreshing and new, quite flashy along with slight changes in the gameplay that distinguish it from previous generations. These changes were positive and I'd say this game was a good upgrade.
What keeps me going on these games is pretty much nostalgia and the inner fan of Pokemon in me. Going back through the generations of Pokemon gives me a rush.
The pokemon of the game, the new generation of them, I'd say are pretty good in terms of creativity, but this is where I feel is the downfall of new ideas for the world of Pokemon.
What I have to say about this game is that, please stop making new ones, it's getting harder to keep up and to run through the same concepts of gaming over and over again. It's comparable to the numerous "Dynasty Warriors" games. Aside from that, this game was a fun game, though I am only able to run through it once each time I pick it back up.
Graphics: 7.5
Music/Sound: 6
Controls: 10 (Can't go wrong with that)
Gameplay: 7.5
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