My favorite Pokemon series
This was the first game for Pokemon on the Gameboy Advance and to me, was the most fun and fast paced. The game has a lot to explore, but is not overwhelming like Pokemon Black or White versions. Having Johto and Kanto would have been nice, but to me, that would have been more like a bonus than a real requirement.
386 Pokemon to catch. Deoxys, Celebi, Mew, and Jirachi are not accessible normally. To get Deoxys, you need to get the Birth Island Pass on Emerald version or cheat. To get Celebi, you need to cheat. To get Mew, you need to visit South Island or cheat. To get Jirachi, you need the Jirachi disc for Gamecube or cheat. Since these Pokemon were all promo events, they are no longer available.
The region of Hoenn is a lot of fun and easy to find your way around. I liked the Pokemon added to this game. The whole deal with Regiice, Regirock, and Registeel was actually really cool. They are like Ancient Pokemon that you awaken and then catch. The story of Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza was really cool too. Pokemon Emerald version goes more in-depth though.
Fantastic story, great graphics, catchy music, and was overall a great nostalgia trip for me. It has been at least 9 years since I played this one in America. The Japanese brought back some memories for me. I played the English version for 188 hours and caught all 386 Pokemon. This game will also hook up to Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Heartgold, and Soulsilver through GBA Transfer system.
