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Review:

13th July 2003:
Pokemon Sapphire
Pokemania is about to storm the World again... Does it have what it takes to overthrow its predecessors? Find out in our full review.
Posted by John Wasabi - Game Boy Advance - UK and Europe

Love it or loathe it, if you want to talk about Nintendo's leading accomplishment over the past several years, you have to talk about Pokemon. Pikachu and company has easily become the biggest mainstream smash for Nintendo and what has always set Pokemon apart, however, is that it has always been a solid video game. Despite all the hype and frenzy, the Pokemon games have always been excellent RPGs, even if they are targeted toward the younger gamers. Beneath the entire kiddy like exterior hides a surprisingly deep system filled with strategy and depth, not to mention hours upon hours of playtime.

With promises of over a hundred new Pokemon, improved graphics, sound, and new types of battles, Pokemaniacs have been waiting for this for a long time coming. While they do deliver on most of these promises, Pokemon Sapphire also feels like more of the same. That's not necessarily a bad thing; obviously, if it's not broke why fix it right? Pokemon Sapphire play exactly as you would expect having played an earlier incarnation but with enough variety to keep the series moving forward.

The story is a familiar one and one that fans of the series will recognize. You are a young Pokemon trainer who wants to become the champion of the Pokemon League. You must travel all over Hoenn (a new continent in the Pokemon universe) to collect the eight Gym Badges that you need to enter the Pokemon League. It must be said, however, that these Gym Leaders are much tougher than those found in the previous Pokemon games. If you don't have the right assembly of Pokemon ready when you fight them, expect to lose and spend a lot of time training others before you can progress onward. Like its predecessors, there are a group of evil-doers who come back time and time again to pester you throughout your journey and once again, your definitive ambition is to catch 'em all.

Everything about this installment is fun; in fact everything you expect from a Pokemon game is here. While you may find there is still a tendency to wander aimlessly until you find your next destination, the sheer diversity of locales and challenges that lie ahead of you throughout your journey make even being utterly lost an engaging experience. There are some new aspects and the most obvious is the inclusion of two-on-two Pokemon battles and although not frequent, they add an interesting twist to the battle engine. What's more there is now a multiplayer option for two-on-two battling, and up to four players can participate which really boosts the incentive to link up with a friend.

There are also quite a number of other activities to divert you when you're tired of the main game and a break is needed. The game center, Safari Zone, and the Pokemon Day Care center for Pokemon breeding are all here so that's good news as it breaths familiar territory. New however, are Pokemon contests and in order to participate, you must produce Pokeblocks (Pokemon food) from Berries you collect and grow throughout Hoenn. These Pokeblocks increase various stats that have no real effect on battling but can affect your Pokemon's performance in the contests and how quickly they level up. It's an interesting system that brings in variation, but if collecting berries and grooming your Pokemon doesn't particularly appeal to you, it is completely optional and not needed to finish the game.

Graphically, there are certainly some clear improvements to the visuals in Pokemon Sapphire when compared to predecessors. The character drawings are much more cartoon like, detailed and smooth when compared previous Pokemon games, and battle animations are much more involved than the simple one used in the previous games. Sound effects are alright but it can get annoying after a while with the constant growls from the different Pokemon, it should be noted that it does the trick and can be tolerated. Musically when compared to previous incarnations, it has improved. Catchy themes and in-game battle music all add to the atmosphere and are fluid and crisp throughout the adventure.

There are a whole load of new additions to Pokemon Sapphire but if you've played previous versions and don't like them, then there is nothing we can say or do to make you like this one as it is fundamentally the same in design, rules and gameplay. Those of you think Pokemon are for kids, think again, underneath its kiddy exterior lies a very challenging RPG that will last for hours. 30+ hours and that's not including catching all the Pokemon and attempting the side quests. Those of you who are Pokemon mad will absolutely love this long awaited version of the series and should get it now, for those of you who have yet to be swept by the Pokemon phenomenon it will come down to personal taste. If like me you don't care much for Pokemon but love RPG's, then you have nothing to lose as Pokemon Sapphire is a deep, challenging and rewarding game that will entertain for hours.

John Wasabi

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Review Summary:

Those of you think Pokemon are for kids, think again, underneath its kiddy exterior lies a very solid and challenging RPG that will last for hours.

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