4/5 ★ – MechaniChris's review of Pokémon Alpha Sapphire.

A really fun recreation of ruby and sapphire that, for some reason, never quite reaches the enjoyment I got out of Emerald. And I’m not speaking from nostalgia here because I only played Emerald for the first time like two years ago. I do think it surpasses the original versions however, and that’s really all you can ask for from these remakes (except SoulSilver/HeartGold which remain the greatest of all time). I’ve never particularly been a fan of Mega Evolution, but it’s fun to see them expand it here. I actually prefer the idea of Primal evolution and think it would be very fun to introduce primal forms for more Pokémon. Let’s see what they looked like thousands of years ago, or what they MIGHT look like thousands of years from now (I’m looking at you Scarlet/Violet with your past/future gimmick). I do sort of wish both teams were your antagonists in this as was the case in Emerald, but I suppose that defeats the purpose of having two versions. In addition, while it’s neat to see Hoenn rendered in 3D graphics, aesthetically, it just doesn’t look AS good. Both this and Pokémon X/Y feel stuck in the middle of what the graphics should look like. Not retro enough to be charming, and not good enough to be impressive. Just kinda okay. But those are really all my gripes. For the most part, this was a joy! I love Gen 3 and I loved playing in this region again. The story has been tightened up, and the Delta episode was a fun new addition that I had a great time with. Of course, the greatest improvement is the Eon flute. Holy crap, what a fun gameplay mechanic. That should be standard for all these from here on out. It’s so much better than Fly as an HM and ultimately negates the need for it. Anyway, it’s a fun game, even if it’s mostly a novelty compared to Emerald, which I still consider the definitive Gen 3 experience.