Pokemon Alpha Sapphire is a Role-playing (RPG) game developed by GAME FREAK Inc. and published by Nintendo in 2014 for the 3DS.

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Overall 9.3    Graphics 9.8    Sound 9.8    Addictive 9.3    Story 8.8    Depth 9.8    Difficulty 6.3


Nope, this game doesn't have Too Much Water   IgorBird122

Time for another review by The IB, so here it is. This game is on Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, this game is a remake of the Generation III game Pokemon Sapphire that was released in 2002 (in Japan) and 2003 (in North America, Europe, and Australia). This game as well with Pokemon Omega Ruby was released on November 21st, 2014, this game had brought us back to the Hoenn region that we all hope that one day we will return to (we all are familiar with “Hoenn Confirmed” quote), but when this game was announced this has really exited a number of Pokemon fans in playing in Hoenn once again, and not just playing the Hoenn region, but playing the hoenn region in a 3D format, because in both Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, it brings those 3D graphics we all are familiar with in the last games (which are X & Y), so with all that said, I will go ahead and describe each and every section of the review.

 

Graphics..

For the graphics, although not a whole lot has changed from Pokemon X / Y, but in a way, the graphics in Alpha Sapphire (and Omega Ruby) has got a little bit for quality than we have seen, like looking between X / Y and Alpha Sapphire / Omega Ruby, it looks like that AS / OR is like a tad more sharper than before, but not really a whole lot though. As for the 3D graphics, although this is the 2nd batch of Pokemon games released under the 3D format, I feel like seeing Hoenn in a 3D world is truly amazing, and some of the cities in Hoenn are amazing, even in 2002/2003, and you add 3D to those cities makes it a whole lot newer element and setting to the series. This also is the first remake of a past game that has got a newer 3D graphics. And two, after making X / Y, Nintendo / Game Freak seen on how much more they can improve on their 3D technology, so that’s why graphic wise, it’s a really fantastic job.

I like a few cities in the game, like take for an example, in Mauville City, in the games in 2002/2003, it might look like an ordinary Pokemon city, but when Pokemon Alpha Sapphire / Omega Ruby came along, it make it look like it’s a big shopping mall with shopping areas and the Mauville City gym, and a lot of other interesting things as well. Plus also other cities also had an interesting change into the 3D format. For the Graphics in Alpha Sapphire (and Omega Ruby), I will give this a perfect 10 out of 10, just really like on how the 3D format brings in the well known Hoenn region.

 

Sound/Music..

For the sound effects, nothing much has in fact changed from X / Y, but if you aren’t familiar and/or just haven’t played X / Y, I’ll go ahead and describe the sound effects in OR / AS, the sound effects are a whole lot more in high def, like we would expect in the 8th generation, even on a handheld, after hearing all these effects like the cries, the move sounds, and any other sounds I haven’t mentioned on here, they sound a whole lot more clearer than ever before.

Ok, onto the music, I think personally, the music is the one that really takes the cake with this one, Game Freak has taken all the soundtrack we know in the original 2002/2003 games (Ruby / Sapphire) and give it a more of a HD sound, which means a whole lot more clearer music, and personally, I think Hoenn’s music is the best in the whole series and trust me, I have played all 6 regions in the whole series, and Hoenn really stands out for the music and the setting. For the sound effects and the music, I will give it a 9 out of 10, personally, the sound effects did kinda kept it at 9 out of 10, but the music is the in this section that really dominated, that tells you, who doesn’t like video game music

 

Addiction Level..

Just like I said in my Pokemon Y review I made a few months ago, this is the biggest thing what makes a Pokemon game successful, it’s on how addicting these games are, when you play Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, you won’t stop playing, you have all the things you remember doing in the games back in 2002/2003, plus you also got features from future Pokemon games from that point on, especially from X / Y, which adds a whole lot more in the addiction level for the Pokemon games. Not just the way the Pokemon games all, but all the new things added in OR / AS, and a lot of them are a first in the series, like capturing all the past Legendaries, and a bunch of other interesting things added in OR / AS, most of these other things I mention here, I will descried in the Depth section below.

For the Addiction Level in this game, like every Pokemon game, I will give this a perfect 10 out of 10, and especially being in Hoenn, it will be really hard to set the 3DS down, because so much to do in Hoenn, even after you enter the Hall of Fame.

 

The Storyline..

Although the storyline isn’t different than in the 2002/2003 games, but the difference between generation III and the other generations in the whole Pokemon series, it depends on what game you’re playing is depending on how the storyline will go. Since this is on Alpha Sapphire, I will focus on the Alpha Sapphire side of the Hoenn remake. You have just moved to the Hoenn region from Johto region, and you start in Littleroot Town and as soon you get your things unpacked, the Professor who in this region is named Professor Birch, he’s being chased by a Poochyena and he gives you a favor by choosing one of 3 Pokemon (Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip) and battle the Poochyena, and Birch get’s you started once you defeat the Poochyena, and you’ll be on your way to collect those 8 badges and then head off to the Pokemon League to defeat the Elite Four and the Champion. But on your way to getting your 8 badges, your adventure is interrupted by Team Aqua and their goal is to make the whole world nothing but the sea by awaking up the legendary Kyogre and flodding the whole Hoenn region, but then soon, their plans are stopped by you.

Then once you enter the Hall of Fame, you will be entering the Delta Episode, which brings a new element in the series where you’ll be with Zinnia by battling here a couple times and you travel with her to the Sky Pillar to summon Rayquaza and as soon as you capture Rayquaza, you’ll as asteroid hurling towage the Hoenn region, and you ride Rayquaza to that asteroid, and you end up destroying to find out it has a Pokemon in it, thus Deoxys, and you try to capture the legendary Deoxy as well. Once you get that all completed, the Delta Episode ends, but there is still a whole lot more to do though. With how much interesting the storyline has, I defiantly have to give this a perfect 10 out of 10, I think personally the Delta Episode really boosted up the storyline a whole lot, and also the great Hoenn storyline, that’s why this is a perfect score.

 

Depth..

This is what really makes a Pokemon game very unique, the amount of things to do in the games, like you have 719 Pokemon to choose from, so you can have a whole lot of different ways for your team and that’s why in Pokemon, there is a saying that there is no 2 teams the same, even on how hard you try to copy another person’s team, they all will be different. With more Mega Evolutions introduced in OR / AS, this adds the factor a whole lot more on what team you like to have with you. Also, I have not mentioned this in my Y review, but with all the storage on the PC and the Pokemon Bank app on the 3DS, storing your Pokemon might end up getting all 719 pokemon. Not just the amount of Pokemon is a factor in the depth in the game, but it’s also on some of the things you want to do prior and after the Hall of Fame. Plus also,  for the first time ever in the series, you can summon Latias or Latios (depending on what game you own) by using an Eon Flute, and by doing this, you can be able to fly to your destination, and you can do fly tricks, encounter other flying Pokemon, and a punch of other interesting things, personally others replaced fly for this, but others still use fly if they are in a hurry, personally, it depends for me, half of the time, I use Fly and the other half, I use the Eon Flute Also to bring up, the minigames that were in X / Y has made a return in OR / AS, if you aren’t familiar with the feature in X / Y, I’ll tell you each of them. You got a game called “Polemon Amie” which you can be able to interact with your Pokemon and also feed it Poke Puffs, play minigames with your pokemon, by doing a lot of this, this will get your Pokemon more attractive to you and it will have a major effect on how you battle others. The other minigame is the Super Training, where you can be able to raise your Pokemon stats a whole lot more without having to battle others to get your stats higher. The only disadvantage I have is unlike X / Y, you can’t really buy outfits, but personally, this isn’t really a big dead though.

All and all, I do have to give this a perfect 10 out of 10, even despite not able to customize your player. This in what really makes a Pokemon really famous, it’s so much to do in the series, and how much can change, like I said with the addiction level, the amount of stuff to do, it is really hard to stop playing this game, that’s why it’s got a perfect score.

 

 

Difficulty / Gameplay..

Ok, as for the difficulty, it is a pretty decent difficulty setting, it’s not too hard and not too easy, and during your trip from start to becoming the champ, the challenge gets tougher and tougher, but that’s the way video games are, they are meant to be tougher the farther you go, it gives you that accomplishment you need to make a great game. Sure, unlike when I played X / Y where I haven’t played a Pokemon game in 10 years, in OR / AS, I was fully aware of the difficulty of the games, although this is my first time playing in Hoenn, so really a new region for me, so getting the hang of playing the Hoenn region, it took a bit of time to get used to, but after playing X / Y, I got the hang of the game really quick, and from that point on, it was pretty easy for me, I even manage to battle all the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and the Champion in one go. For the Elite and Champion, like in past game, if you lose once, you have to start over again, but it will be worth it because your pokemon will gain more experience and get stronger.

As for the gameplay itself, it has a lot more improvements than you seen in X /Y, including for the first time ever, you can sneak in any directing by lightly moving the circle pad in the direction you want to travel, and plus unlike in X / Y, when you move the circle pad, you can freely walk in any direction, but if you like to keep things straight, you can simply use the d-pad below the circle pad on the 3DS. Also, like every game from Generation IV and on, you can be able to select your moves you want to use and access all the features like the new DevNav with the touch screen, which really uses the touch screen a whole lot in this game, which is a basic need for a 3DS system. For the Difficulty and the Gameplay, I have to say that this section deserves a 7 out of 10. If you’re familiar with the Pokemon series, then this is pretty easy for you to play, although at some parts, it can be a challenge even for experienced players.

 

Overall..

Overall, this game happens to be my new favorite game in the series (sorry Pokemon X / Y), even know I said in my Y review that Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire will be better with all the content, although I haven’t really played Ruby and Sapphire in 2002-2003 because I never got the games because I was young and then I had my 10-year leave from the series in 2004, but fast forward 10 years, I finally get to play in the Hoenn region. I think that this is the best region up to date to my opinion, and you add the 3D effects and the HD sounds and music, this has made this game to be one of the great games in the entire series. Also on how addicting the series is and how much detail is in the game, this also adds in the greatness in this game. So, personally, this is a really great game to try out yourself, no matter if you’re a serous Pokemon fan or wanted to start the series and want to choose this game.

I will give this a 7.8 out of 10 (Nice try IGN, your stupid 7.8 won’t brainwash me), I give this game a 9.5 out of 10, a little more than I gave Pokemon X / Y, mostly because come on, it’s Hoenn, who doesn't like the Hoenn region.

      Review Rating: 4.5/5     Submitted: 01-01-15     Updated: 01-05-15     Review Replies: 2


Alpha Sapphire review!   greenluigi

  Graphics 10   Sound 10   Addictive 7   Story 6   Depth 10   Difficulty 3
      Review Rating: 4/5     Submitted: 05-28-15     Updated: 05-29-15     Review Replies: 11


Pokemon AS Review   zanderlex
Let's face it, this was a long time coming. I'm a huge fan of Pokemon and I had this game for more than 8 months now so it was only a matter of time before I reviewed it. Just because I had the game for so long doesn't mean that I played it though, and I only recently was able to really get into it. However after playing it for like an hour I immediately regretted having waited so long to get into it. The original Pokemon Sapphire was already an amazing game, with generation 3 being my 2nd most favorite of all the generations, but this version added so much more to it as a way to make it tons better. Let's not forget about all of the 20th anniversary events that are going on right now, which adds even more to the game and gives more of a reason to keep playing the game throughout the whole year. The point is, Nintendo took an already great game, and then was able to make it so much better, making it amazingly fun, even for someone like me who doesn't play Pokemon as much as I used to. GRAPHICS 10/10 The graphics are amazing, in so many ways. The way that a pokemon game looks keeps getting so much better with each new installment and the capabilities of the 3DS was able to make the generation 6 games look even better. Everything looks so good, especially the animations for the moves, which are my favorite when it comes to the graphics. You have basic attacks with simple animations and then you have some big moves with animations that look incredible and accurately describe what the move would look like. For example, I really like the move Dragon Pulse because it looks like an intense colorful bolt of lightning, and a good chunk of moves look just as good. The moves aren't the only parts of the game that look great, everything else does as well. All of the characters, the pokemon, and the environment have all had a tremendous amount of detail put into them to make sure that they all look the best that they can. Of course, there are other games out there that have better graphics, but the improvement and advancement that all of the pokemon games have gone through is incredibly and make the games so much better looking. Overall, I think that the game looks great and for a grade, this aspect gets a perfect 10 out of 10. SOUND 10/10 Like the graphics, the sounds of the game are all just amazing, both the regular sounds as well as the music. By the random noises of the game, I mean things like pokemon cries and battle sounds among other things, which there are so many of. The regular sounds are still cool and all, but the music is where the money is. For the most part, pokemon music is amazing, whether it's the battle music, legendary music, or even random city music. The music for the generation 3 games were already pretty sweet, but the remake makes the music even better and more fun to listen to. When it comes to pokemon game music, you may mostly think of the "iconic" music, like the music that plays during pokemon and trainer battles, when you battle gym leaders, the elite four, red, etc. However sometimes the random music may be the best and that's what I think is the case with this game. My 2 most favorite songs in all of Alpha Sapphire are the ones for Slateport City and the desert area of Route 111. As far as I know, you can't tell that they are Pokemon songs just from hearing them, but they are really good songs anyway. The entire soundtrack has so many different songs, probably about 100 of them for the various cities, routes, battles, and actions, and I'm sure that there will be a few other underused tracks that you may find to like. A pokemon game wouldn't be the same without the iconic music, and all in all the music and sounds work together perfectly to provide you with the perfect experience. For an overall grade, Sound is going to get another perfect 10 out of 10. ADDICTIVENESS 10/10 Since when is a pokemon game not addicting? If the plan wasn't for it to be addicting, then Nintendo would have stopped cranking out these games many years ago. First off, you have the normal aspects of Pokemon games, which basically transferred over from the original generation 3 game. You get to catch and train hundreds of pokemon, battle all sorts of PC's and real people, and you get to explore a massive and crazy region. Even if you are just a small fan of RPG's, then you should still be able to find a game such as pokemon at least mildly addicting. But we don't just stop there, this game has a whole plethora of new features that make the game so much more fun. Just think of it, what would the point be in just re selling the original Sapphire? Nintendo HAD to make it more addicting than it already was in order to make people buy it. Let's go over some of the biggest aspects of the game. First off we have Mega Evolution, which is still a pretty new concept but not only does it allow us to become so much more powerful, but it also gives us a roster of sick new pokemon designs. Next we have Secret Bases, and even though those aren't new, they still give us another way to battle, make new friends, and decorate. One other cool feature is Pokemon Amie and Super Training, which again aren't new but they offer us a bunch of fun mini games within the main game to keep us occupied for a long time. Beyond those aspects, there are many others that offer a whole other experience to how you play. Take Wonder Trading for example. I once spent 3 or 4 hours in a row wonder trading, without doing anything else at all, and that was because I was having a lot of fun doing it, and didn't even need to play the main game tow waste away a few hours. This game has so many different things to do, and at least a few of them will be more than enough to keep you addicted for an extended period of time. For that, I think that it's really addicting, you won't be able to put the game down until long after you have beaten it, and my grade for addictiveness is going to be yet another perfect 10 out of 10. STORY 9/10 The story starts off like any other pokemon game and it starts off exactly like the original Sapphire game. You start by moving into your new home and saving the professor from a pokemon attack, which is where you get your first pokemon. The entire game is just a montage of catching and training pokemon and battling random trainers and gyms so you can eventually battle the elite four and become the champion. There's a bunch of various side stories like in any pokemon game whether it's the long series of conflict with Team Aqua, the story revolving around Mega Evolution and legendaries, or just random events. The story is the exact same as what it was like more than a decade ago aside for a few tweaks here and there, but the story was fine back then and it still is now. I do feel that some of the changes may have made some aspects of the story a bit shorter or too easy, but for the most part, I think the story is a lot of fun to watch unfold and its not too hard to get into, especially if you loved the original game. As for a grade, I feel that the story was really well crafted and deserves a 9 out of 10. DEPTH 9/10 I had already brought this up a bit in each of the last two sections, but the game has a lot of depth. First off, just look at the sheer number of Pokemon that you can obtain in the game either from catching or from training. When the original game came out, if you thought that game had a lot of Pokemon, then I can only imagine how someone new would respond to the number of Pokemon that's in this game. Beyond the pokemon, you have the number of people that you can battle, which can be just as intense as the number of Pokemon. You have a ton of regular trainers, gym leaders and the elite four, and even places that are specifically made for battling. When it comes to the regular trainers, pretty much every route has a handful of them for you to battle and a good chunk of them can be battled over and over again, so you never have to look for a battle, there will always be one around you somewhere. Then on top of that you have a giant map for you to explore, with dozens of routes, cities, rivers, caves, and more for you to search through, some of which can only be accessed once you passed a certain point of the game so there will be a lot of backtracking. What else is there when it comes to depth? A lot More, you have the mini games I mentioned earlier and a whole online experience that allows you to trade and battle with millions of other players around the world as well,as build and decorate various secret bases. The only downside that I see to the depth is that some aspects go by too quickly like I mentioned earlier. Yes, the game will still take you dozens of hours to fully beat, but some things will be left undone unless you go back and do them on your own. Overall, I think the game has a ton to offer and my grace for depth is going to be another 9 out of 10. DIFFICULTY 3 I think the game is pretty easy, especially because of how the new experience share works. Up until Gen 5, the exp share had to be held by the pokemon that you wanted to give the experience to. What this meant was that after a battle, the pokemon who was in the battle and the pokemon who was holding the exp share were the only ones to get exp. That changed in gen 6 and now all the pokemon in your party get exp after each battle so it's so much easier to grind levels now. If you get to the point where you can't beat a certain gym leader or boss or whatever, all you need to do is go back to a random patch of grass and keep battling until your pokemon grow a few levels and then you will be able to battle again. That's all there is to it, there's no real way to get stuck in a game like pokemon because all you need to do is train and then nothing can stop you. However, you will have to be pretty patient, but other than that the game is pretty easy and the difficulty is going to get a 3 for a grade. OVERALL 9.6/10 It's a pokemon game, so you either love it or you hate it, there's,no being on the fence when it comes to a game such as this one. If you are already a fan of the franchise, then I'm pretty positive that this game will blow you away and if it doesn't, all that means is that you already played it before and that it had already blew you away. Let's also not forget that it's a remake of a game that was already very popular and that gamers were pretty much asking for this for years before it was even announced, so the game had a lot of expectation and yes, the game did meet them and pass them as well in my opinion. Overall it was a remake of on of the best games and was a lot of fun, so for a grade, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire is going to get a 9.6 out of 10.
  Graphics 10   Sound 10   Addictive 10   Story 9   Depth 9   Difficulty 3
      Review Rating: 4/5     Submitted: 04-13-16     Updated: 05-28-16     Review Replies: 6

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