POKéMON EMERALD

'''Pokémon Emerald''', released in Japan as , is a title in the ''Pokémon'' series of video games. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan on September 16 2004, in North America and Hong Kong on May 1 2005, in Australia on June 9 2005, and in Europe on October 21 2005. It features the Dragon-type Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza on the cover.^[1]
The game is an enhanced remake of ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'', adding to the third generation of Pokémon games. Like the games it was based on, the player controls a Pokémon trainer, whose general goal is to traverse around the Hoenn region and conquer a series of eight Pokémon gyms to earn eight Gym Badges, then take on the Elite Four, defeat the Pokémon League Champion and succeed him/her.
Like ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'', the game features the third generation Pokémon, but also adds some second generation Pokémon that were once limited to ''Pokémon Colosseum''. The National Pokédex is also available without trading.
The game follows the same storyline as ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'', but adds new elements such as the Battle Frontier, where the player can enter a variety of areas with different Pokémon competitions.

Contents

Story

Changes

Reception

References

External links

Story

In ''Emerald'', the protagonist moves to Littleroot Town of the Hoenn region from Johto. Upon rescuing Professor Birch from a wild Zigzagoon, he or she receives the Pokémon the player used to fight the Zigzagoon (either a Treecko, a Torchic or a Mudkip) and begins a journey. Like the previous games, the player's goal is to collect eight Gym Leader badges so he or she can challenge the Elite Four and become the Pokémon Champion. In these games, the rival is of the opposite gender and is more of a friendly helper, checking the player's progress at various times and giving items to help the player advance through the game.

The protagonist's father, Norman, is the Gym Leader of Petalburg City. The player will meet him in the city's Gym. Shortly afterwards, a young boy named Wally enters, who wants to catch his first Pokémon before he has to move away from Petalburg. The player accompanies him out into wild grass, where he catches his first Ralts. Wally is overjoyed and thanks the player. Later on, the protagonist faces him again in Mauville City, where he is seeking to challenge the Gym Leader there. After the player defeats him (or if he defeats the player), he reconsiders and decides to improve his team.
Every so often, the player runs into a man named Scott. Scott is a man looking for a strong Pokémon trainer. The player first encounters him in Petalburg City where he thinks the player might not be strong enough. After that, he starts to recognize the player's strengths and abilities.
The main antagonists that the player faces are Team Magma and Team Aqua. ''Emerald'' is different in that both teams are the villains in this game: in ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'', one team was the antagonist and the other was the protagonist, trying to stop the other team. In this game, both teams are the antagonists. Instead of one team awakening a legendary Pokémon, both teams succeed in awakening a legendary Pokémon each. Team Magma's hideout is located at the base of Mount Chimney and is also the location where they awaken the legendary Pokémon Groudon. Team Aqua's hideout is east of Lilycove City, and they awaken the legendary Pokémon Kyogre at the bottom of the sea. The two Pokémon do not obey either team and begin fighting at Sootopolis City, and the weather alternates between sunshine and rain. The player must awaken the legendary Pokémon Rayquaza at the Sky Pillar, after which Rayquaza will swoop down and force the two combatants to stop, returning Hoenn to normal.
After the player acquires the eight badges, he or she is given entry to Victory Road, a location with high-level Pokémon and experienced trainers. The Pokémon League and the Elite Four are stationed in an area north of Victory Road. Near the beginning of Victory Road, Wally catches up to the player and demands another battle. His team has improved and after the player defeats him he vows to retrain until he triumphs. After defeating the Elite Four, the player may battle him again.
Once the player defeats the Elite Four, at his/her house, Norman gives the player the S.S Ticket for the S.S Tidal. A news bulletin appears and it says a colored Pokémon is in flight through Hoenn. When the player's mother asks the player what color the Pokémon was, the player has a choice of the running legendary Pokémon (Red for Latias and Blue for Latios). A little later, the player receives a phone call from Scott whereupon the player will be allowed to enter the Battle Frontier through the S.S Tidal, where more Pokémon and more battles await.

Changes

While Emerald’s relation to ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'' is similar to that of ''Pokémon Yellow'' to ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' and ''Pokémon Crystal'' to ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', it also adds more dramatic changes and revamps than its two predecessors.
In ''Emerald'', the player will receive a National Pokédex from Professor Birch after he/she defeats the Pokémon League.^[2]
''Emerald'' introduces several changes in battling. In ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'', 2-on-2 battles were clearly marked, and those trainers would not challenge the player unless the player turned and talked to them. 2-on-2 battles are now more sporadic, with two separate trainers coming together to battle as a pair.^[3] Paired trainers will also challenge the player if the player gets too close to them as well. After the Elite Four is defeated, the Gym Leaders may also demand a 2-on-2 rematch with the player. In previous games, once a Gym Leader was defeated, he or she would not demand a rematch. Also, within battle, Pokémon sprites are animated similarly to ''Crystal'', which are usually stationary in its predecessors.
Some of the Pokémon are lower in levels and are changed, an example being the first wild Pokémon being a Zigzagoon instead of a Poochyena. The Gym Leaders also have different Pokémon at different levels.^[4]
The game includes many aesthetic changes. For instance, both Brendan and May now have green outfits with sleeves shorter than their ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'' outfits. Some routes and areas have also been redesigned with different layouts and more trainers to allow for more random 2-on-2 battles. The Match Call feature has been added to the PokéNav similar to the phone in ''Silver'', ''Gold'', and ''Crystal''.^[5]
Some Pokémon locations have been changed as well. In ''Ruby'', the player could only capture Groudon, while in ''Sapphire'', the player could only catch Kyogre. In ''Emerald'', both Legendary Pokémon can be caught in separate caverns after defeating the Elite Four. The player can also choose which running Legendary Pokémon to catch (Latios or Latias). Previously, the player could only catch Latios in ''Ruby'' and Latias in ''Sapphire''. The Safari Zone also has new areas that allow the player to catch many Pokémon that originated from the Johto region,^[6] many of which were only previously obtainable by breeding Pokémon found in ''Pokémon Colosseum''.
===Battle Frontier===
One of the most significant changes is the addition of the 'Battle Frontier', an expanded version of the Battle Tower that was present in ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire''.^[7] During the game, a man named Scott will meet the player frequently. As the player progresses through the game and wins more badges, Scott will become more impressed. After the player defeats the defending Pokémon League Champion and succeeds him, Scott will invite the player to the Battle Frontier.
The Battle Frontier is divided into seven areas, six of which are new (the seventh area being the Battle Tower). The player's trainer card is expanded to a 'Battle Frontier Pass'. When the player wins matches, he or she gains 'Battle Points', which can then be used to buy vitamins, obtain rare items, or use move tutor services. After several consecutive victories, a player will face the facility's Frontier Brain, who will award the player with a 'Frontier Symbol' (the Frontier equivalent of a badge). After first beating the Frontier Brain, the player is awarded a silver symbol, and after the second victory, the player receives the gold symbol.

Reception

''Pokémon Emerald'' has been generally well-received by both gamers and reviewers alike.^[8][9] Gamespot gave ''Emerald'' a 7.5 rating.^[10] Similarly, IGN has given ''Emerald'' an "Impressive" rating of 8.0 over a possible 10.0.^[11] ''Emerald'' has also received an aggregate rating of 77% on Game Rankings.^[12] The changes and additions in the game have been considered by many to be major ones, and the popularity of the Pokémon franchise has seen the game meet commercial success. ''Emerald'' was 2005’s second best-selling game in the United States, and went on to sell 6.32 million copies, making it the third-best selling game for the Game Boy Advance.^[13]

References

1. Bulbapedia Article on Rayquaza (Pokémon)
2. Pokémon Emerald - National Dex
3. Pokémon Emerald - Double Battles
4. Pokémon Emerald - Updated Gyms
5. Pokemon Emerald - Match Call
6. Pokemon Emerald - Safari Zone Upgrade
7. Pokemon Emerald - Battle Frontier Guide
8. IGN: Reader Reviews For: Pokemon Emerald Version
9. Pokemon Emerald Reader Reviews at Game Rankings
10. Gamespot Summary of Pokémon Emerald
11.
12. Pokemon Emerald Reviews at Game Rankings
13. AOL Games: Pokémon Emerald

External links

★ Pokémon Website

★ Game Details for ''Pokémon Emerald'' at Pokemon-Games.com (requires Adobe Flash Player)

★ Official Japanese site’s ''Pokémon Emerald'' page