While my favorite Pokémon games have always been Fire Emblem and Hearts & Gold, I have a lot of affection for most of the titles released during the franchise's 2D era for the Gameboy Advance and the original Nintendo DS: Ruby & Sapphire, Diamond & Pearl, Black & White, etc., to name a few, are perfect examples of the creative potential that Pokémon's premise possessed from the very beginning, the gotta catch 'em all philosophy.
However, while I haven't dedicated as much time to it as I have to the aforementioned examples, I don't think there's a more perfect example of the virtues of this game series than Pokémon Emerald, an "enhanced" version of Ruby & Sapphire that took its same structure and added a few new elements to freshen up the experience, thus becoming the definitive way to visit the Hoenn region, starring the brilliant Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza.
The point is that, amidst the nostalgia, I thought it would be interesting to revisit this game, taking the opportunity to share a bit about my experiences throughout this adventure and analyzing how it's aged, especially when compared to more recent titles like Legends: Arceus or Sword and Shield.
What I like about Emerald is that I feel it represents the Pokémon formula in its purest form, and that, beyond nostalgia, it boasts a ton of narrative and gameplay value, good designs, a pleasant atmosphere, and a surprisingly challenging difficulty curve.
My playstyle has always been surprisingly conservative; although I'm interested in its more strategic and competitive aspects, I tend to focus on catching the Pokémon I like and taking them to a relatively advanced level that allows me to advance in the story without having to worry too much. Emerald adapts very well to this and allows me to comfortably portion out my games, without having to spend many hours in front of the screen to progress. This time, I decided to start the game with Torchic as the starter. While I usually prefer Water-type Pokémon, I feel like Fire-types are rare in Hoenn, so this will be an important addition to my team later on.
I was surprised by how long it took the game to get us to the first gym in Ferrica City. I logged almost two hours of play and barely managed to face the first leader (and yes, his NosePass absolutely destroyed me). I'm taking things slowly and want to enjoy every moment.
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