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Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

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Pokémon Omega Ruby[a] and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire[b] are 2014 remakes of the 2002 Game Boy Advance role-playing video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, also including features from Pokémon Emerald. The games are part of the sixth generation of the Pokémon video game series,[1] developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. Announced in May 2014, the games were released in Japan, North America and Australia on 21 November 2014, exactly twelve years after the original release date of Ruby and Sapphire, while the European release was the following week.[2]

  • Pokémon Omega Ruby
  • Pokémon Alpha Sapphire
North American box art for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, depicting the legendary Pokémon Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre respectively
Developer(s)Game Freak
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Shigeru Ohmori
Producer(s)
Designer(s)
  • Masafumi Saito
  • Kazumasa Iwao
  • Masafumi Nukita
  • Suguru Nakatsui
Artist(s)
Writer(s)
  • Masafumi Nukita
Composer(s)
  • Shota Kageyama
  • Minako Adachi
  • Hideaki Kuroda
  • Hitomi Sato
SeriesPokémon
Platform(s)Nintendo 3DS
Release
  • WW: 21 November 2014
  • EU: 28 November 2014
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire received generally positive reviews from critics. As of 31 March 2023, a combined total of 14.57 million copies have been sold worldwide, ranking them as the fourth-best-selling Nintendo 3DS titles of all time.[3]

Gameplay

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See also: Gameplay of Pokémon and Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire § Gameplay

Though Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are remakes of games from the third generation, they retain changes made in later generations, such as the type split from the fourth generation and unlimited TM usage and triple battles from the fifth generation. They also retain gameplay features introduced in Pokémon X and Y, such as Mega Evolution, Pokémon Amie, Super Training and the Player Search System. The games introduced a unique mechanic for Kyogre and Groudon dubbed "Primal Reversion", akin to the broader Mega Evolution feature.[4] The games also let players ride Latios or Latias to "soar" above Hoenn to travel, with some in-game areas being exclusively accessible through this feature.[5]

Setting and story

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See also: Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire § Plot

The setting and story of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are largely the same as the original Ruby and Sapphire games. They begin as the player is seen riding in the back of a moving truck. The player character starts by moving to the Hoenn region from the Johto region with their mother, as their father Norman has been hired as the leader of the Petalburg City Gym. The player arrives with their parents at the family's new home in the village of Littleroot Town, on the southern edge of the main island. The player character begins their Pokémon Trainer journey by saving Professor Birch, the leading professor in the Hoenn region, from a wild Poochyena, choosing either Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip to defend him. Following the defeat of the wild Pokémon, the player receives the chosen Pokémon as their starter. The player then travels around Hoenn to complete the Pokédex and battle the eight Gym Leaders of the Hoenn Region.

Along the way, the player character encounters the antagonist group Team Magma in Omega Ruby or Team Aqua in Alpha Sapphire who wish to use the power of the legendary Pokémon, Primal Groudon in Omega Ruby, and Primal Kyogre in Alpha Sapphire, to change the world to suit their desires. Team Magma wants to use Groudon to dry up the oceans and expand the landmass, thereby allowing humanity to progress further. Meanwhile, Team Aqua wishes to summon Kyogre to flood the lands and revert the world to a prehistoric state, which will allow Pokémon to live more freely. However, unlike in the original games, depending on the game version, Archie and Maxie will actually use the correct orb, leading to their Primal Reversions. With the help of Hoenn Pokémon League Champion Steven Stone, and the Gym Leader Wallace, the player defeats their respective team and then either captures or defeats the legendary Pokémon to prevent a global drought / heavy rainfall and thus ensuring the teams' mutual reformation. The player then advances on to the Hoenn Pokémon League, challenging the Elite Four and then the Pokémon Champion, Steven, to become the new Hoenn Pokémon League Champion. The player also has the option of participating in the various Pokémon Contests throughout Hoenn, using their Pokémon to put on a performance for an audience and judges. Aside from the gameplay, 21 new Mega Evolutions were added since Pokémon X and Y, as well as "primal reversions" for Groudon and Kyogre, which function similarly.

A new side quest is featured in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, called the "Delta Episode".[6] The player must work with the new character, Zinnia, as well as Steven Stone and Professor Cozmo, to find a way to stop a meteor from crashing into the planet. This also requires capturing the legendary Pokémon Rayquaza in order to stop the meteor that holds the mythical Pokémon Deoxys.

Release

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Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were released in Japan, North America and Australia on 21 November 2014, exactly twelve years after the original release date of Ruby and Sapphire, while the European release was the following week.[2] They are the third remake pairs in the franchise following Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver for the Nintendo DS in 2009. As with Pokémon X and Y, the games include all official translations, unlike previous generations where games contained only certain languages depending on the region or country they were originally distributed.[7][8]

Reception

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Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire received generally positive reviews from critics.[9][10] GameSpot's Peter Brown praised the 3D visuals and the super training mechanic, but believed the game failed to fully resolve general issues in the game formula.[18] IGN's Kallie Plagge also praised the game's 3D reinvention of Hoenn and online functionality. Plagge was, however, critical of the over-abundance of HMs needed to play the game as well as the perceived imbalance favoring Water-type Pokémon and the reliance on water-based routes. She remarked that while the Dive feature was novel in the original release, it had since become tedious.[19]

At the 2014 Game Awards it was nominated for Best Remaster, but lost out to Grand Theft Auto V.[20][21]

Sales

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The games sold 3,040,000 copies in their first three days of sale. Of the total sales, 1,534,593 copies were sold in Japan, the rest were sold in North America and Australia.[22] Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire had the biggest launch in the series history in the United Kingdom, beating the previous record held by Pokémon Black and White.[23] By the end of 2014, the games had sold 2.4 million copies in Japan.[24] As of 31 March 2023, a combined total of 14.57 million copies have been sold worldwide, ranking them as the fourth-best-selling Nintendo 3DS titles of all time.[25]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: ポケットモンスター オメガルビー, Hepburn: Poketto Monsutā Omega Rubī, "Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby"
  2. ^ Japanese: ポケットモンスター アルファサファイア, Hepburn: Poketto Monsutā Arufa Safaia, "Pocket Monsters: Alpha Sapphire"

References

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  1. ^ "Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire". Pokemon.com. Nintendo/The Pokémon Company. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b Scullion, Chris (7 May 2014). "Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire remakes coming to 3DS". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  3. ^ "IR Information : Financial Data - Top Selling Title Sales Units - Nintendo 3DS Software". Nintendo Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  4. ^ McElroy, Griffin (19 November 2014). "Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Review: Fresh Paint". Polygon. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  5. ^ Phillips, Tom (14 October 2014). "Pokémon Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire let you fly freely around Hoenn". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  6. ^ "The Delta Episode: A New Story Brewing in Hoenn!". Pokemon (official US website). Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  7. ^ "『Pokémon Omega Ruby』及『Pokémon Alpha Sapphire』(日文版) 新資訊介紹". Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd. (Taiwan). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  8. ^ "『Pokémon Omega Ruby』及『Pokémon Alpha Sapphire』(日文版) 新資訊介紹". Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Pokemon Omega Ruby for 3DS Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Pokemon Alpha Sapphire for 3DS Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  11. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (21 November 2014). "Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Review". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 23 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  12. ^ Brown, Peter. "Pokemon Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby Review - GameSpot". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  13. ^ Plagge, Kallie (18 November 2014). "Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire review: A real gem". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  15. ^ "Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  16. ^ McElroy, Griffin (19 November 2014). "Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Review: Fresh Paint". Vox Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 21 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  17. ^ Whittaker, Matt (25 November 2014). "Review: Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  18. ^ Peter Brown (18 November 2014). "Pokemon Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby Review - GameSpot". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  19. ^ "Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby Review". IGN. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  20. ^ Sarkar, Samit (21 November 2014). "Here are the nominees for The Game Awards 2014". Polygon. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  21. ^ Kain, Erik. "All The Winners Of The 2014 Game Awards". Forbes. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  22. ^ Phillips, Tom (26 November 2014). "Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire sell 3m copies in three days". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  23. ^ Phillips, Tom (1 December 2014). "Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire UK's biggest Pokémon launch ever". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  24. ^ Phillips, Tom (7 January 2015). "Japan's console market at lowest point for 24 years". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  25. ^ "Top Selling Software Sales Units - Nintendo 3DS Software". Nintendo. 31 March 2020. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
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