| Game Ratings |
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| POKéMON ADVANCE |
| Let me start by saying that I am 18 years old and I play Pokémon. I don't care what anyone says. Feel free to email me about it at [email protected]. Ahem. Pokemon hits it's third run, with Ruby and Sapphire. It features graphics that put RBY(version 1) and GSC(version 2) to shame, along with about 150 or so new Pokemon. You can do all sorts of random things, such as RUN! You also get to pick from two bikes, with an option to switch if you so desire; you need each one for different things. |
| Sound: |
| The sound in this game is awesome. Some of the old sounds from the other two games are still there, like menu noises and stuff. The Pokémon noises, in the case of the old ones, are not quite as good. This is because of the change of format, I think. This makes the new monsters sound good. But the old ones sound kinda scratchy. The music rocks. Just plug in some headphones and set the sound to stereo, and you're all set. From towns, the wild encounters, to gym leaders, to Team Magma/Aqua (I have Ruby, brother has Sapphire), the music rules. You'll find yourself tapping your toes along with it. You know the music is done well when I notice it. Sound effects are low-key, but they suit their situations nicely. |
| Rating: 8/10 |
| Graphics: |
| This game's graphics are 32 bit. Which towers over the originals' 8-bit, of course. The monsters all are in full color. No, they don't move, but they look nice. Mode 7 graphics are used often, in attack animations and stuff. The animations themselves are all very reminiscent of the older games, but with much graphical soupuppiness. Lots of area-based effects abound. There's rain, sand storms and falling ash in this game. Each type of terrain has its own battle screen. Every Poké has its own sprite and animation, as opposed to the semi-type based sprites in earlier games.The color is bright and shiny, and the art style is very reminiscent of the Anime, which could be good or bad. It is all nice and detailed, and bright enough to not always require a light,But they lose 1/2 a point for not animating the battles fully. Otherwise, a perfect score. |
| Rating: 9.5/10 |
| Gameplay: |
| The standard Pokémon system of play is intact. You have up to six monsters. You catch more monsters, each with strengths and weaknesses. No types have been added. But there are changes. Each monster has an Attribute that affects the game in some way. For instance, some Oddish(the little plant bulbs) have an attribute called "Chlorophyll" which raises speed in bright sunlight.The new 2-on-2 battle system rocks. But some Pokémon have disappeared altogether. Which means that instead of the total of 386 monsters, you have about 202 or so. Who cares, except for those who had a fave that got Mew-ized. To them I offer my sympathy. And a chance to find new Pokémon to favor. There are things to distract you from the main focus of the game. In addition to an actual story, there are mini-games galore. One, the Contest, lets you put your Pokémon in a show, where they use their moves to appeal to the audience.The Pokégear and day and night have all been removed. It is replaced by the return of the Safari Zone and the introduction of a new gadget called the Pokénav. It has a severely revamped map that allows zooming in and also tells you what's in the general region, and a function called Trainers' Eyes which profiles the trainers you fight, and shows you which of them wants a rematch; the trainers almost always want to battle again, training their monsters to balance the playing field. The game is a class act; it's a shame some people won't play it because of the omissions rather that wanting to play it for it's new stuff, and the tried-and-true system of the game. Even after nearly a decade, these games still shine compared to other sad wanna-be's who shall remain nameless. |
| Overall: 9/10 |
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| Rating: 10/10 |
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