heh, I suppose you're wondering why I'm writing a review for a game 6
years old. i know there are bigger and better things that have come and
gone since the release of the advance generation Pokemon from half a
decade ago, but hey, sometimes it's good to admire some of the sucesses
of the past.
With Pokemon Sapphire being one of, or the most sold game for the GBA, along with its Ruby
counterpart, this follow-up from the Jhoto region replaced its
predecessor admirably, with improved graphics and sound, but still
keeping the same cries and sounds that have become the tradition of the
Pokemon universe, while at the same time, introducing over 100 more of
those animal-like creatures for you to snag and battle with, and an
engaging story. it also had pre-setting for linking with future games
of the series, opening up its diversity for further time to come.
Unfortunately, as is with most games, it had its shortcomings, which
held it back from further greatness. firstly, not all of the Pokemon
from the earlier generations were present in the game for capture,
disappointing some of its fans, who would have to wait on further
releases for them to get ahold of the older critters. to make matters
worse, Pokemon from the older generation could not be imported to the
advance generation, which was another shortcoming. to a lesser extent,
after completing the main storyline, there was a sense of boredom that
could set in rapidly after completing the Hoenn Pokedex, which unless
through finding alternate forms of entertainment in the game, diverted
people away from playing it, until the introduction of the newer games,
which allowed the unlocking of a national Pokedex, which would contain
all of the Pokes from the previous generations, allowing for another
burst of collecting through trading.
Despite its shortcomings and age, this game has stood up well
throughout the life of the GBA, and despite the presence of sequels
such as emerald version, this game still remains one of the best games
for the Game Boy Advance to date.
