#game-review #finishedgame2023 # Pokemon Sapphire  [Console:: Gameboy Advance] [Status:: Beaten] [Approximate Start Date:: 2023-07-16] [Finish Date:: 2023-08-14] [Clear Time:: 23h 48m] [Total Play Time:: 24h] [nReplays:: 0] ## [Rating:: 80] Just because [[Pokemon Emerald]] is better doesn't mean Ruby and Sapphire are bad. They're quite fun all things considered. Probably the best duology with a third game in the series. # Playthrough Notes - Playing this for the gaming discussion club, because I have already played [[Pokemon Emerald]] and [[Pokemon Omega Ruby]]. - My Pards (mons I've used for long enough to be party members for at least some part of the game), and their silly nicknames because [[Giving my characters funny names is one way I'm being able to stay engaged while playing games]] applies here. - Sceptile (Sen8r Stix) - Pronounced "Senator Sticks" - Shedinja (HurtGohmer) - Slaking (Bread) - Tentacruel (Please?) - Camerupt (SoccerGame) - Altaria (Curly MnMs) - Benched / Boxed Members - Beautifly (Vermouth) - Ninjask (BurtGohmer) # My Thoughts - [[Hoenn Does a Really Good Job at Making its Spaces and Biomes Feel Distinct and Justified and still feel Fantastical]] - [[Media in Generation 3 of Pokemon is very Frutiger Aero]] - [[Generation 3 of Pokemon Games all have plots involving Climate Disasters]] - [[Places in Hoenn carry a Pro-Environmentalist Message]] - [[Secret Bases in Hoenn are an example of Humans existing in nature without outright destroying it, and a microcosm of the Hoenn Region's themes]] - [[Finding Shiny Pokémon Randomly is Proof that Rare Events CAN Happen if You Let Them Happen Passively]] ## Despite this being a 'Casual' Playthrough, I still am getting really invested in mechanics I did do some soft resets for a Treecko either a good speed IV and decent nature, got a lax nature and potentially upper valued IVs in all but hp. I don't think this was ultimately necessary for a casual playthrough, but given that I want to actually USE Treecko, it would be nice to have one that isn't impeding itself. It's also interesting to consider that Zigzagoons give 1 Speed EV, so in theory I could subtly EV train my Treecko if I wanted to. It was in that moment of thinking about this that I realized that's a little much. Erin hasn't done any of this consideration at all, and I don't think anyone else has either. ## The Shedinja Test is a new way to play the game with a high-risk high-reward style I've never used Shedinja in a main playthrough of Ruby Sapphire or Emerald, and I am curious to see how Wonder Guard is manageable through this game. Wonder Guard as an ability negates any non-Super Effective attacks, meaning that Shedinja outright wins fights just by existing if the opponent does not have a Dark, Flying, Fire, Ghost, or Rock type move. It's not applicable for every fight in the game, but MANY important fights will carry a single move of that type just so that Shedinja doesn't instantly win. I resorted to using Shedinja because of the way that Steel type Pokemon were impeding my playthrough. As of arriving to Mauville, I didn't have any raised party members that could handle Steel Types of Poison types (a role that would be handled by Numel later), so Shedinja exists as a way to shut those types of attacks down. ## General Thoughts - may is cute - She got all flustered when i came into her room. Stammerring and being all embarrassed when she forgot something. She likes ussssss - This is a real departure from the previous two rivals, Blue and Silver, who are kind of jackasses to us. - the catching tutorial with wally doesn't feel like a tutorial at all, which is neat. It's actually pretty nearly integrated into the story, even if it isn't optional. I appreciate that it's used with wally. - Ruby and Sapphire are clearly designed to feel like remixes on the first two generations of Pokemon games: - you have a dad who is integral to the plot of the games - your rival is competitive but not a jerk - the first time you see a non-Hoenn Pokemon is when you get to Rustboro city and not sooner. - Dewford is honestly kinda comfy. - Emerald is just a lot harder than Ruby and Sapphire. There are more double battles, more trainers, the gym leaders have more Pokemon, it definitely feels like the more definitive version. - route 110 under the cycling road has a disgusting encounter rate. - Putting Steel type Pokemon in the 3rd gym when the only options to really manage them if you pick Treecko being Makuhita or Geodude is brutal - That said, I am now employing the Shedinja test, where Shedinja sits there and minds its own business. - The feebas tiles aren't all; the tiles on that route, only a subset of them - https://www.reddit.com/r/ProfessorOak/comments/bwitoa/feebas_tiles_to_fish_into_rubysapphire/ - The issues I have with ORAS are issues that I have with Ruby and Sapphire - I thought that we actually fought people in Meteor Falls, but I guess that's only in Emerald. - Go say hi to your mom after you beat your dad. She's right on the way! The game rewards you for remembering family. - Found a Shiny Spheal in Shoal Cave, named it HOMAR, led to the note - [[Finding Shiny Pokémon Randomly is Proof that Rare Events CAN Happen if You Let Them Happen Passively]] - I definitely beat Liza and Tate significantly underlevelled and I still won pretty handily. I'll have to do more fights at sea to make sure I'm not TOO underlevelled. # Favorite Moments / Memories *This section may be in the form of a bulleted list or written paragraph. Mainly for recording favorite events.* - "Wah I got sand in my runners! Now they're all gritty!" # What were you doing when not playing this? *Can we tie the time you did this playthrough to any real-world events?* # Relevant Links *Links to associated media.*