JobanGrayskull
Since: Dec, 2011
02/12/2014 00:00:00
I have never been able to get into the base Gen III games. I loved Fire Red, but R/S/E...even after years and multiple tries, I just can't ever slog my way to the end.
KrisiChiki
Since: Dec, 2013
06/22/2014 00:00:00
Aww, I didn't mind all the surfing at all..especially exploring around with Dive. I think it's really a matter of opinion.
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Generation III review
Gen III, disregarding the Gen I remakes, includes Ruby and Sapphire, and later Emerald.
Setting: The Hoenn region, which is half terrain and half water, has a nature theme.
Story: You fight against Team Magma (Ruby) or Team Aqua (Sapphire); both are fought in Emerald. The former wants to increase landmass for terrestrial life with Groudon while the latter seeks to expand the seas for aquatic life with Kyogre. It's unique from Team Rocket, but both are quite myopic about the side-effects of their goals, especially Aqua.
Pokémon: Gen III introuduced 135 new Pokémon. Notice that the designs have become more detailed (some would say "complicated") as Ken Sugimori, while designing all the Mons of the first 2 Gens, developed a design team starting here. Competitively, they're generally better than what Gen II added, but not many aside from the legendaries (who started receiving a portrayal as deities as opposed to forces of nature like in the earlier Gens) remain top threats in the metagame, and this is when some of the more notable Joke Character Junk Rares debuted (ex. Luvdisc).
Verdict: Gen III is probably the most neglected Gen, with the decline of "Pokemania" driving many fans to turn to Yugioh or simply drop the series. The lack of 2/3 of the first 251 Pokémon, along with Hoenn's isolation from Kanto and Johto and the lack of backwards connectivity with any previous games, didn't help matters. These games were actually much better than people think, having the first visually pleasing region, a slew of new Pokémon worth more to try than Gen II's, and the Battle Frontier in Emerald to give people a taste of competitive battling. However, there are several negatives. Aside from the aforementioned isolation from the first 2 Gens, Hoenn had WAY too much surfing, leaving you spending several hours seeing monotonous blue, the same Mons in the wild and on trainers' teams, and nothing to hear but surfing music. There also weren't quite so many new mechanics as in Gen II. Despite these complaints, Gen III is still a great addition to the series and I pity those who simply skipped it.
8/10
Don't miss my Gen IV review!