4.5/5 ★ – Sharff's review of Pokémon Emerald.

Gen 3 is a game that I’ve always had a soft spot for and I think thats because I’ve played it so much. I played Ruby on my phone when I was younger, Omega Ruby when I eventually got a 3ds, and I’d try Emerald a few times. But just like all the other pokemon games, I always got stuck shortly after the intro. However I can genuinely say that I was missing out because of that. Its funny, I think I figured out why I was constantly getting stuck before, its because this game lowkey kind of hard. Maybe I just didn’t choose to collect the right types at the right times, maybe its because I chose a fire starter in a water region, but regardless, for some reason I struggled with the gyms the most this time around, however I don’t think thats a bad thing. Having to level up other pokemon or needing to get new ones to hold a candle to the fights made creating a team even more rewarding than it did in fire red. I did find myself grinding sometimes but it didn’t feel like filler, more like I was preparing for a battle… if that makes any sense. I enjoyed it however, I wouldn’t suggest this one as someone’s first or even second game. Maybe the remakes are better about it but as far as the original goes, I think you should go in a different direction. That being said, battles feel intense, you NEED to rely on your teams in this game more. Work on them more, place more faith in them. Gen 2 began this trend but this game reassures it with how it handles battles. As an SMT fan, I enjoyed it and I can’t wait to see what Gen 4 has in store for its difficulty. Vibes and art style is the best I’ve seen so far. I really love Ho-en. Something so cozy and adventurous about this world. There is quite a bit of water in the ladder portion of this but honestly I don’t really mind it. It gives this place character, Ho-en is a very nature oriented region with the towns adapting to the dramatic environmental conditions. I really liked how it felt like us as the player had to play around that, the water being a main factor of it. The only real downside of the environment is that its water biased so the best starter is undoubtedly the water type one, but I didn’t play with one my first time and I really enjoyed myself. Doesn’t matter too much in that case. The pokemon in this game were my favorite. I’m not totally sure why but I think its just how creative they were while also feeling consistent. Taking Slacking, one of the most if not THE most powerful pokemon in the game. He shows in the normal type gym (my favorite) and is an absolute beast in battle. Seeing him in battle made me go “woah, I need that one”. I got it and he was incredibly powerful, but the catch to that power is that he only acts every other turn. Why? Because he doesn’t wanna put in that much effort. I’m sure all pokemon fans know of this guy but its an amazing idea. Theres so much character in his gameplay and in his moveset that takes him from a generic idea to a fascinating one. This is what a good pokemon looks like and hes one of my favorites because of it. Not every pokemon in the game has that level of detail going on within the gameplay, but I feel that vibe is carried throughout. All the gym leaders have pokemon with a level of character and charisma unique to this game. All of this and the even pacing, the game not being too long, and a satisfying post game, makes it my favorite pokemon adventure so far. Team (after steven) Blaziken, Raichu, Waillord, Flygon, Slacking, Rayquaza (I know legendaries during super bosses are cheesy, I’ve learned my lesson)