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Pokemon Emerald 1up.com review

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3140036&did=1

1up-70.gif
 
I loved the Japanese version, so I can't wait until the English version. By far better than Ruby or Sapphire, and IMO, FR/LG.
 
As a Poke-idiot, can you explain to me how Emerald Green isn't the exact same freaking game for the 10th time?
 
chespace said:
As a Poke-idiot, can you explain to me how Emerald Green isn't the exact same freaking game for the 10th time?

They're cookie cutter sequels.

If you've never played a Pokemon game before, Emerald is a GREAT way to get into it.
 
lockii said:
I got a letter from Nintendo pimping this game. How do they even know my address?

Same here. I dont remember giving them my adress, must be those those stupid product registrations
 
That was a pretty fantastic review(ferricide was it?). I, like him, have never played a Poke-game beyond dorking around with Blue/Sapphire for less than an hour each. (Snap had me by the balls tho) Seems this would be a great game to really start.

How does this fit into the chronology though? Is it an expanded re-release of the original GB games? Is it a sequel to the most recent GBA renditions?
 
Brandon F said:
How does this fit into the chronology though? Is it an expanded re-release of the original GB games? Is it a sequel to the most recent GBA renditions?

It's the expansion for Ruby/Sapphire like Yellow with Red/Blue and Crystal with Silver/Gold.
 
I'd love to get this game since i haven't played a pokemon game in forever and I need something to amuse me during work, but on the other hand I could always just wait for the DS version or something, hmm...
 
chespace said:
As a Poke-idiot, can you explain to me how Emerald Green isn't the exact same freaking game for the 10th time?

THIS IS MY COMPLAINT ARGGHH

Why don't you change things and evolve things significantly, Nintendo, like you do with all your other major successful franchises!? Gah...
 
Seriously -- how different is this from the original GBA Pokemon?

I was turned off to the series on the GB after they kept making THE SAME GAME OVER AND FUCKING OVER.
 
They will come out soon.....in Japan. It will be another year before they come out here. Emerald came out in Japan last November I think
 
I'm kind of new to Pokemon, having only played the more recent games on GBA (Ruby/Sapphire & Leaf Green/Fire Red), but after tooling around with Emerald at a local Gamecrazy while waiting to special order a copy of Rez, I can really understand where the Pokeveterans are coming from.

The game is Ruby/Sapphire with a new coat of paint...the game even starts the same. I'm sure the new features will make themselves clear after while. But until Nintendo spices it up, this is the last dance for the series on my gaming schedule. The next one for DS better be online!!!!
 
chespace said:
As a Poke-idiot, can you explain to me how Emerald Green isn't the exact same freaking game for the 10th time?

A ton more end-game content, and a better mix of popular Pokemon.

If you think of them like MMORPG expansions, you're not far wrong.
 
I realize this series has historically had its home on portables -- and has always taken good advantage of the link and transfer capabilities offered therein -- but damn, I am somewhat beside myself that Nintendo hasn't had the guts or forethought to develop a full-on console version of this franchise. Kids love it. RPG fans love it (for the most part). And Cube owners need something decent to play. Seems like it'd be a no-brainer.

That said, any of y'all that haven't played a Pokemon game yet really ought to. Especially those of you that like turn-based combat or leveling up things. The process of capturing, raising, and evolving Pokemon is insidiously addictive...
 
mosaic said:
I realize this series has historically had its home on portables -- and has always taken good advantage of the link and transfer capabilities offered therein -- but damn, I am somewhat beside myself that Nintendo hasn't had the guts or forethought to develop a full-on console version of this franchise. Kids love it. RPG fans love it (for the most part). And Cube owners need something decent to play. Seems like it'd be a no-brainer.

Gamefreak has said they didn't want to.

That said, they are making a full-on console version of the franchise. Coming out for Gamecube sometime late this year or early next I'd wager. They're finally doin' it, so your wish is granted :P
 
I have only played pokemon for about a half hour but I remember really enjoying it. That was a couple of years ago. But I think I will wait for the DS version to delay the inevitible addiction.
 
Fongul said:
The game is Ruby/Sapphire with a new coat of paint...the game even starts the same.

Well, that's what it is. Emerald is basically like the "special edition" releases that some RPGs see in Japan. The storyline is remixed and extended a bit, a few new animations and battle areas have been added, and it has all the Pokemon rather than dividing them up between two games. Other than that, same game. Emerald actually sounds better than the previous remix editions in the series, which really didn't add much at all.

Pokemon is very similar to Dynasty Warriors in that it sees a lot of incremental advances through expansions and sequels, while occassionally making a bigger leap (DW5, Ru/Sa). These series have hungry fanbases that support such a strategy, so I don't see a real problem with it.
 
Is the game really gonna be in stores tommorow?? A Sunday is a weird launch date but Nintendo says May 1st! Can't wait to get mine and eat it up, I need a good PKMN after the travesty that was Fr/Lg!
 
i've never seriously played a pokémon game. if i wanted to play one, which one should it be? i was thinking i'd eventually pick up fire red or leaf green, but lindsay's just called them a "travesty" as if this is a widely held opinion. :/
 
drohne said:
i've never seriously played a pokémon game. if i wanted to play one, which one should it be? i was thinking i'd eventually pick up fire red or leaf green, but lindsay's just called them a "travesty" as if this is a widely held opinion. :/

Ha I wish my opinion was highly agreed with but it's more like 40%/60% against. -_-; Nostalgia makes fools of all.....but me.


As for what game ta go with the answer is Emerald of course! Its got the single highest amount of available PKMN in-game compared to any of the others this gen. Hoenn the biggest land yet in the series gets even bigger still with this version. Not ta mention that PKMN customization is at an all-time high here. One of the berries can cancel out EV points so if ya goofed up training you can kinda de-train.
 
drohne said:
i've never seriously played a pokémon game. if i wanted to play one, which one should it be? i was thinking i'd eventually pick up fire red or leaf green, but lindsay's just called them a "travesty" as if this is a widely held opinion. :/
As Lindsay said, you may as well start with Emerald. Also, it's best to give the game time. It seems stupidly simple at first, but there's a shitload of (great) game in there.
 
I like Ruby/Sapphire a lot and Emerald is the uberversion of that, so yeah. Go with it. The game does seem simple at first and unless you battle against another person, the difficulty is pretty low. So you have to enjoy customization and building up your stable to really enjoy Pokemon. Definitely not for everyone.

Lindsay, what didn't you like about FR/LG? I haven't played it, or the original Red/Green games, so I'm curious as to what the flaws are.
 
so there's no particular benefit to playing the original (or a remake of the original) first? i guess i'll go with emerald, then. thanks.
 
Well, remember, the mechanics of all three games are very similar.

So, logic wise, it only makes sense to go play the game that has the most features (Emerald).

Game wise, the originals do not have Steel/Dark type Pokemon (those were introduced in Gold/Silver), and Emerald (and Ruby/Sapphire) have more interesting type combos in them. In FR and LF you would never see PsychicDragons or RockGrass types etc
 
I thought Fire Red and Leaf Green were great, since they were pretty faithful to the originals. It'd be good to start with one of those AND Emerald.
 
I recently decided that I'm gonna catch all these little mother fucks once and for all. So I have Leaf Green, I think I talked a coworker into getting Fire Fed, I got Colloseum, and I'll get Emerald.

Poke-overdose? Perhaps, but Pokemon is like PSO... for whatever reason, I can revisit the same areas and whatnot multiple times and never get tired of it.
 
5{\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0e]so there's no particular benefit to playing the original (or a remake of the original) first? i guess i'll go with emerald, then. thanks.[/QUOTE]

Do pick up Emerald. It's the most recent as far as features go and it'll be the best for a beginner. I loved Red back in 1998 so I thought Fire Red would be a good update. It's pretty bare-bones. STAY AWAY.

Ruby was a pleasant surprise last year, when I thought I'd outgrown Pokemon. If Emerald's based off that, then you might enjoy it.

Crystal might be the longest game though, after beating the main game, everything from the first set of games (Red/Blue/Yellow) opens up.

Only downside is the game costs $39.99, at least from what the computers at work tell me. If you really really want the game, Best Buy would be a good start.
 
Fire Red and Leaf Green are remakes, so they're kinda supposed to be barebones... but you get the addition of things like 2 on 2 fights, the item holding option, breeding, etc.

The only problem with playing the GBC/GB games is that you can't trade the pokemon up to the GBA versions afaik.
 
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