Pokemon Ruby

First, the game has a lot in common with Pokémon games Silver, Gold, and Crystal. For example, players can choose to be a boy or a girl trainer, an internal clock sets events at certain times, and you're the game's handy-dandy Pokédex helps players keep track of the many stats. You're main goal is still to beat all the Gym Trainers and become the Pokémon Master. If you've played the old games, you will be right at home. But not all is the same.

The most obvious change is in the battles themselves. Now that two Pokémon can fight on your side at the same time, you can tag-team them against an enemy by taking advantage of the strengths of your Pokémons while covering their weaknesses. For example, you can now have a water Pokémon watch your fire Pokémon's back. You can also attack more than one Pokémon at a time.

A whole new element to the game focuses on how berries are used in battle. And if you collect enough berries, you can take them to a Berry Blender and make a PokéBlock, which is a little super-charged candy that raises your Pokémon's "Condition" attributes. You can then groom your Pokémon for regional contests and compete for ribbons like "Best of Show," which will unlock additional contests. There's even strategy in how to best use your berries: pick too many and the berry tree will disappear; plant berries, though, and a tree will grow. You can also build a Secret Base in special areas of the game, which you can decorate just like you can your room.

And let us not forget that Pokémon Ruby has a kickin' multiplayer system, too. You can trade Pokémon, and link up to four players for incredible battles. The only downside is that you can't link up with the old Game Boy Color games. --Bryan Karsh

Pros:

• You can control two Pokémon in battle
• Much needed graphic and sound facelift
• Nice multiplayer feature (requires link cable and extra game cartridge)

• Can't trade Pokémon with Game Boy Color

New Trainers:
You can't have new Pokemon without new trainers, and each game offers up a never-before-seen pair. Gamers can test Landon and Terra in Ruby and Sean and Marina in Sapphire.

Two-on-Two Battles:
The intense - and tougher - new battle schemes in both Ruby and Sapphire will satisfy even the most hard-core battlers. Now you can battle two characters against your friend's two characters, or link up and battle three friends with each player managing one Pokemon at a time.

Here's some tips:
1.Early in the game, catch a few Zigzagoon! Their special ability can get you a lot of great free items.
2.Make sure to replant berries to keep your berrie supply growing.

I hope this information helps you in your quest to be a Pokemon Master.


Pokemon Ruby Mega Review   February 26, 2003
Michael (Clarksville, TN USA)
23 out of 23 found this review helpful

This is about my 6th review and each review told different things about this game. What I am doing now is putting all the information from those reviews and putting them in this mega review. All of this information has been confirmed and is true.
Okay Pokemon Ruby came out to the public in Japan on 11.21.02 also with its brother Pokemon Sapphire. The game was ranked as the No.1 game in Japan the first week it came out and stayed at the top for about a month and a half. The American realease date for Pokemon Ruby is 3.17.03 and there is a rumor that Nintendo changed the release date to 3.19.03 but I don't think that it is true. It will feature 135 new Pokemon to catch and train ( don't ask me why they picked 135 other than 100 or 150 ). It will also feature a totally new battle system that enables you to use 2 Pokemon in battle instead of just 1 against an opponents 2 Pokemon. With the use of a Gameboy Advance Link Cable you are able to link with 3 friends and battle in teams. This means that you and a friend team up to battle against 2 other friends with each player managing 1 Pokemon each. The new battle system is what enables this. And instead of just 1 gamesave slot, now there is 3 slots so now you can start 1 game with Treecko the grass starter Pokemon, 1 game with Torchic the fire starter Pokemon, and 1 game with Mudkip the water starter Pokemon while you journey through the land of Houen which is the new land you have to explore. Team Rocket was getting old so Nintendo replaced them with Team Magma who are after all of the legendary fire Pokemon ( Team Aqua in Pokemon Sapphire who are after all of the legendary water Pokemon ). You can make your own fort where you are able to feed, play, and hang with your Pokemon. The point of the game is to catch, train, and battle with your Pokemon to try to win gym badges and defeat the Elite 4 and the Champion. There are also some new trainers, Landon and Terra
( Sean and Marina in Pokemon Sapphire ). That's all I know but here are a few tips. 1.Early in the game, catch a few Zigzagoon! Their special ability can get you a lot of free items. 2.Make sure you replant berries to keep your berry supply growing. I hope you can use this information or I wrote this all for nothing. See ya!


Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire   March 4, 2003
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

Pokémon is coming to the GBA with more battle-options and of course more pokémon.
You start in Littleroot Town, where you'll get a pokémon from professor Birch.

You can choose from

-Treecko, gecko grass-type pokémon.
-Torchic, fire-type pokémon.
-Mudkip, water-type pokemon.

With your pokémon-friend at your side, you will be traveling through Hoenn, earning badges and catching all 386 pokemon!

However the graphics don't seem that much improved from the previous GBC titles, the world Hoenn itself is much and much bigger.

I played this game, and had even more fun than with Golden Sun!
(For those of you who can compare Golden Sun with another GBA-game!)

Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire is going to be a real hit, and pokemon-fans are going to love every minute of the game!


Gotta catch 'em all... again!   February 18, 2003
Big Daniel McFoot (NEW JERSEY)
28 out of 30 found this review helpful

Just when you thought it was safe to own a Game Boy Advance, Nintendo announces a brand new Pokemon title.

What we have learned is that -- in addition to a hoard of one hundred new monsters being added, as per the usual -- four player GBA link cable play is being tucked in. How do four players Pokemon at the same time, you ask? Easy: two-on-two battles. With four players (and monsters) involved, the battles get that much more hectic. For that matter, just two players can choose to engage in "Double Battle". That means even with just two trainers present, you can send out two Pokemon at once to battle in a four monster free-for-all.

Beyond that, the Pokedex has been entirely disposed of. It's been replaced with the Pokemon Navigator (of course, it's known as "Pokenavi" for short.) Inside the Pokenavi's copious confines you'll find more than a simple list of Pokemon. You'll be able to see a map of the game's world, and check out what's in different towns you've visited so you can refresh your memory without trekking back there to discover it all again. In a section of the Navi dubbed "Trainer Eye", you'll be able to review your win and loss record, and the inclinations your Pokemon display during battle. You'll be able to check strategies and schedule rematches with other characters.

It seems like Team Rocket finally hung up their hats, because this time you'll be battling two syndicates of Pokemon mischief: Team Magma and Team Aqua. Team Magma will trouble players of Ruby, while Sapphire fans will have to contend with Aqua. The stories of the two games are more or less the same, otherwise, though.

With the addition of new modes, new monsters, and all-new game interface options, it sounds like more than a little care is being put into Ruby and Sapphire to assure fans of an extremely enhanced Pokemon experience.


What are we waiting for? Treasure or Junk?   January 11, 2003
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

Okay, I heard about this in September 2002 but there was little info. I've been checking up on many sites and it just seems to get better. It arrived in Japan November 21, 2002 and Ruby and Sapphire already got the best selling of the year in only a little over a month. The Pokedex should be really good and the graphics are much better from the screen shots that I have seen and the newer info has been very awesome. You can battle with two Pokemon at once or even team up with your friend. The main part of the game is to either beat team Magma or Team Aqua apart from being a Pokemon Master. Team Magma is after all the legendary Fire types and Team Aqua is after all the legendary Water types and it's up to you to stop them. You can make your own fort and trade with others. Apparantly Kanto and Johto are non-exsistant in this game. But there will be 386 Pokemon from what I heard. So literally I can't wait. We must be waiting for a treasure, surely not junk.

Pokemon is for all ages, not just for kids. You need to beable read well for this game and figuring out battle strategies isn't exactly for small kids to figure out easily. Education is also provided through this, when I played for the first time when I was 11 I didn't know that water conducted electricity, this game taught me that. So if you're here to diss the game you'll have to live through my Hydro Pump attack. Pokemon isn't stupid and maybe you should actually try it before you judge it.

GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL! POKEMON!