Pokémon Emerald Version is a 2004 role-playing video game created by Game Freak and released by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It was first available in Japan in 2004 and later released in other countries in 2005. It is the fifth game in the series, following Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, as well as Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and is the last game in the third generation of the Pokémon video game series.
The game plays similarly to earlier games in the series. Players guide a Pokémon trainer from a top-down view. The main goal is to explore the Hoenn Region and defeat eight Pokémon Gyms to challenge the Elite Four and the Hoenn League Champion. A secondary story involves stopping two groups trying to use a legendary Pokémon's power for their own goals. The game includes Pokémon from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, as well as some Pokémon from Pokémon Gold and Silver that were not in Ruby and Sapphire.
Pokémon Emerald received mostly positive reviews when it was released. Players praised the addition of the Battle Frontier and improvements to story elements from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Emerald is similar to Ruby and Sapphire. Most of the game is played from a top-down view, where players can move their characters in four directions and interact with other characters on the map. Players can find wild Pokémon by walking through grass, surfing on their Pokémon, exploring caves, and other activities. They can also battle other trainers' Pokémon. During these battles, the game changes to a battle screen. On this screen, players and their Pokémon appear on the front-left side, while opponents are shown on the back-right side. Each participant's Pokémon and trainer stats are displayed on the sides of the screen. These stats include the Pokémon's level, the number of Pokémon each trainer has (from one to six), the Pokémon's health, and any conditions like poison, paralysis, burn, or confusion. Trainers start by sending out the first Pokémon in their group, and turns are determined by the speed of the Pokémon. Players can choose from four options: Fight, Bag, Switch, or Run. Each Pokémon can learn up to four moves, which have different effects, uses, and types, such as Grass or Psychic. When a Pokémon's health reaches 0, it faints, and the trainer must switch to another Pokémon. If a trainer runs out of Pokémon, the battle ends. When a player's Pokémon wins a battle, it gains experience. Enough experience allows the Pokémon to level up, improving its attack, defense, special attack, special defense, health, and speed. It may also learn new moves or evolve.
Some battles allow for two-on-two fights. Certain moves help support teammates, while others can attack multiple Pokémon. Unlike Ruby and Sapphire, where players fought two specific trainers, Emerald lets players battle two trainers at the same time, usually in a two-on-two format. Every Pokémon has an ability that can help during battles, such as abilities that make a Pokémon stronger when it is close to fainting. Players can catch wild Pokémon using items called Poké Balls. The chance of success increases when the wild Pokémon is weaker. Players can battle and trade with others using any third-generation Pokémon games, including Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, and LeafGreen, by connecting their Game Boy Advance systems. This can be done using a Game Boy Advance Link Cable or the wireless adapter included with FireRed and LeafGreen. The game is also compatible with Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, allowing players to trade for Pokémon not normally found in Emerald.
In addition to battles, players can enter Pokémon Contests where their Pokémon compete in five categories: "Cool," "Beauty," "Cute," "Smart," and "Tough." Early in the game, players receive a device called the PokéNav, which lets them view the world map, check their Pokémon's contest stats, and make or receive phone calls with trainers they have met. This replaces a feature called "Trainer's Eyes," which allowed players to track trainers and see when they were ready to battle. It also lets players re-battle Gym Leaders, a feature not available in earlier games. Emerald includes new features, such as battle animations and an area called the Battle Frontier, which expands on the Battle Tower from previous games. A character players meet multiple times will grant access to the Battle Frontier after defeating the Pokémon League Champion. The Battle Frontier includes the Battle Tower and six new areas. Completing these areas earns players "Battle Points," which can be used to buy prizes for use in or out of battles. The Japanese version of the game was compatible with the Nintendo e-Reader, but this feature was removed in the English version. The game also includes a Trainer Hill area, which was compatible with the e-Reader in the Japanese version. Rare Pokémon from earlier games, such as Mew, Lugia, and Ho-Oh, can be obtained through in-game events.
Setting and story
The setting and story are mostly the same as in Ruby and Sapphire. Players can choose to play as a boy or girl, both of whom wear new outfits with a green color theme. Before leaving their hometown, players select one of three Pokémon to begin their journey.
Players must collect different Pokémon species and help them grow stronger by evolving them. They also need to complete eight gym challenges, defeat the Elite Four, and beat the Pokémon League Champion by battling their Pokémon. Along the way, players meet two rivals: May or Brendan, the child of Professor Birch, and Wally, a shy boy from Petalburg who needs help catching his first Pokémon, a Ralts. Players also meet Wallace, the Hoenn League Champion.
During their journey, players face Team Magma and Team Aqua, which were only found in Ruby and Sapphire, respectively. Team Magma wants to make more land, and Team Aqua wants to make more sea. Both teams plan to achieve their goals by calling the legendary Pokémon Groudon and Kyogre. They try to change the world by making a volcano erupt or stealing a weather-changing Pokémon.
Between visiting the seventh and eighth gyms, both teams use mystical orbs stolen from Mt. Pyre to summon their chosen legendary Pokémon. However, the Pokémon refuse to listen to either team and begin fighting, causing the world to switch between droughts and heavy rain. The player climbs a tower to summon Rayquaza, who calms the other two Pokémon.
After defeating the Elite Four and Wallace to become the new Hoenn League Champion, players can see two flying Pokémon, Latias and Latios, and access the Battle Frontier, which adds new challenges. Players can also battle Steven Stone in Meteor Falls, who uses a stronger version of his team from Ruby and Sapphire. Finally, players can find Kyogre and Groudon by talking to a scientist at the Weather Institute.
Development and promotion
Pokémon Emerald was created by Game Freak and released by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It was first announced in Coro Coro Magazine. The game works with the Nintendo e-Reader and includes 83 cards that were launched on October 7, 2004. It is the third version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and follows a pattern of third releases, such as Pokémon Yellow for Pokémon Red and Blue. The wireless adapter came with Japanese versions of the game, but it was not included in English versions.
Nintendo organized several events related to Pokémon Emerald. One event was a competition where players could compete to be called the "Pokémon Emerald Ultimate Frontier Battle Brain." The competition took place in seven regions across the United States and Canada. Fourteen finalists, two from each region, competed at the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington, for a trip for two to Pokémon Park in Nagoya, Japan. People could also enter to win a trip to watch the competition. The competition tested players' knowledge about Pokémon characters and their abilities.
Nintendo also offered a pre-order program for the game. Players who ordered the game before its release received special access to a Pokémon website, a collector’s tin holder, and a guide to the Battle Frontier. A limited edition Game Boy Advance SP was released by Nintendo. It had a silhouette of the Pokémon Rayquaza and was only available in Japan through Nintendo’s website, "Pokémon Trainer Online." This version was never sold outside Japan and was listed in the Official Nintendo Magazine as a rare Pokémon console.
At the 2005 Comic-Con International, players who brought their Game Boy Advance with a copy of Pokémon Emerald and a wireless adapter to Booth 2029 received an in-game item called the Mystic Ticket. This item allows players to try to capture the Pokémon Lugia and Ho-oh.
Reception
Pokémon Emerald received mostly positive reviews and has average scores of 76/100 and 76.65% on Metacritic and GameRankings. It won an award for excellence at the ninth annual CESA Game Awards. IGN’s Craig Harris said he was not excited about Emerald but agreed it was a solid game and the best choice for players who had not played Ruby or Sapphire before. 1UP.com’s Christian Nutt believed Emerald was the best version of Pokémon at the time but called it a repeat of earlier games. GameSpy’s Phil Theobald said it was a good game but felt similar to Ruby and Sapphire. GameSpot’s Ryan Davis noted it was a quality experience despite similarities to Ruby and Sapphire and that serious fans might like its changes. Eurogamer’s Corey Brotherson said it was a good game but lacked new features. However, he said it was better for players new to the series. Nintendo Life’s Laurie Blake reviewed Emerald later and said the Pokémon games have aged well but still feel like they did in 1996. She added that similarities to Ruby and Sapphire made it not a must-have, even though it was still good. Allgame’s Julia Reges said the game had value for younger players but older players might not be interested. She compared Nintendo’s remakes of Pokémon to Star Wars remakes.
IGN’s Audrey Drake praised Emerald for including both villain groups and called it a “marked departure” from Ruby and Sapphire. She said the ability to re-battle Gym Leaders created an “exciting challenge.” She also listed Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire as Game Boy Advance games she wanted on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. 1UP.com’s Lucas M. Thomas said he disliked having to finish the game before playing the Battle Frontier. Jeremy Parish listed Emerald as one of the best games to bring on a plane. 1UP.com’s Kat Bailey included Emerald in her list of remakes that improved on the originals. She praised the Battle Frontier and its fixes for flaws in Ruby and Sapphire.
Emerald sold 791,000 copies in its first week and 372,000 copies on its first day in Japan. It was the fourth best-selling game in Japan in 2004, selling 1.4 million copies that year. It ranked behind Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (combined), and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. In 2010, Emerald was listed at number 779 on Japan’s top 1000 best-selling games, with 7,724 copies sold that year, totaling 1,916,505 copies sold since release. It was the only Game Boy Advance game on the list. More than 146,000 people pre-ordered Emerald in the U.S. It sold 1.72 million copies worldwide by June 2005 and was the second best-selling game for the first half of that year. An IGN poll ranked Emerald as the most popular Game Boy Advance game for the 2005 holiday season, and it ranked second overall for 2005, behind Madden NFL 06. By the end of 2005, it sold 1.2 million copies in Europe and nearly 5 million worldwide. As of 2007, it had sold 6.32 million copies. In November 2005, Nintendo Power mistakenly claimed that Emerald’s sales would exceed the value of an emerald the size of Neptune. By 2021, Pokémon Emerald had sold 6.80 million copies worldwide.