Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
First third-generation Pokémon games, introducing double battles and abilities.
Pokémon Ruby Version and Pokémon Sapphire Version are role-playing games released in 2002, created by Game Freak and jointly published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. They mark the beginning of the third generation of the main Pokémon series, often called the "advanced generation." For the first time since The Pokémon Company was founded in 1998, it co-published the games internationally, ending Nintendo's long run as the sole publisher of the franchise worldwide. Japan saw the initial release in late 2002, with other regions following in 2003. A third version, Pokémon Emerald, came out two years later in each region. Remakes titled Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire launched for the Nintendo 3DS globally in November 2014, exactly twelve years after the original release date—except in Europe, where they arrived a week later.
The core gameplay remains largely similar to earlier titles. Players control the main character from an overhead, third-person view, with controls that closely mirror those of previous games. The primary goals are to capture every Pokémon species and defeat the Elite Four along with the Pokémon League Champion. As in prior installments, a key subplot involves stopping a criminal organization trying to take over the region. New additions include double battles, Pokémon abilities, Pokémon Contests, and 135 new Pokémon. Thanks to the Game Boy Advance's improved hardware, up to four players can connect simultaneously, doubling the previous limit of two. The games also link to an e-Reader or other third-generation Pokémon titles.
Ruby and Sapphire received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the new features and Pokémon designs. However, opinions were split on the gameplay and graphics, and many complaints centered on how little the core gameplay had changed from earlier generations. Commercially, they sold over 16.22 million copies, making them the best-selling Game Boy Advance games. Still, this was less than previous generations: Red and Blue sold nearly 31 million units worldwide, and Gold and Silver moved over 23.10 million units.
**Gameplay**
The basic mechanics of Ruby and Sapphire are largely unchanged from their predecessors. Like all handheld Pokémon games, the perspective is third-person and overhead, with three main screens: a field map for navigating the character, a battle screen,
- Developer
- Game Freak
- Publisher
- The Pokémon Company and Nintendo
- Platform
- Game Boy Advance
- Release (Japan)
- Late 2002
- Release (International)
- 2003
- Genre
- Role-playing video game
- Sales
- Over 16.22 million copies
Lore & Background
The gameplay is mostly unchanged from the previous games; the player controls the main character from an overhead perspective, and the controls are largely the same. New features include double battles, Pokémon abilities, Pokémon Contests, and 135 new Pokémon. Owing to the increased capabilities of the Game Boy Advance, four players may be connected at a time instead of the previous limit of two. The games can be connected to an e-Reader or other third-generation Pokémon games. Ruby and Sapphire have limited e-Reader support, including Battle-e Cards and the Eon Ticket card. They are also able to connect to the GameCube games Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, and Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire.
Reader's Guide
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were a commercial success, becoming the best-selling game for the Game Boy Advance with over 16.22 million copies sold, though they sold less than previous generations. They received mostly positive reviews, with praise given to new features and Pokémon designs, but critics were divided on gameplay and graphics, with most complaints focusing on gameplay not changing much from previous generations. The games introduced the Hoenn region, based on the Japanese island of Kyushu but rotated 90°. A third version, Pokémon Emerald, was released two years later. Remakes titled Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were released for the Nintendo 3DS worldwide in November 2014, exactly twelve years to the date of the original release, except in Europe where it released a week later.
Did You Know?
- Ruby and Sapphire are the first Pokémon games co-published by The Pokémon Company.
- They introduced double battles, in which each side uses two Pokémon at once.
- The games cannot link with Pokémon games of previous generations due to technical differences in link cables.
- A special e-Reader card called the Eon Ticket allows the player to reach Southern Island and face Latios or Latias.
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