By Lexxi Swanson
Pokemon Alpha Sapphire by Nintendo is another great game that I’ve had fun playing. Though, this game is only playable on the Nintendo 3DS. There is another version similar to Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, called Pokemon Omega Ruby that I haven’t played myself. For you readers who don’t normally play Pokemon games, the controls are slightly basic but are explained at the beginning of the game. The plot usually has you playing as a hero or heroine training these creatures (Pokemon) to get stronger and fight other Pokemon. The character also has to face off against some villain or evil organization as they go along the plot line.
There are also small side adventures for a player to go on. In Alpha Sapphire, the player can have their Pokemon participate in something similar to a talent show. There are several reasons why I, a Pokemon game master , love this game. One of the main reasons being is that it brought back a new and changed version of other Pokemon games that I was too young to play when they came out. The base plot of Alpha Sapphire does come from a game (Pokemon Sapphire) that came out back in 2002 on the GameBoy system by Nintendo.
The base plot was brought back and changed to fit new features that were added after 2002. Parts that were brought back were also changed, but still kept the same basic functions. The second reason why I like this game is the number of ways you can get friends involved. As in previous games, you can battle friends’ Pokemon and trade Pokemon using wireless functions. In Alpha Sapphire there is another way to play with friends called Secret Bases. These bases are places in trees, bushes, and caves where there is space similar to a room. In these spaces you can place items such as TV replicas and stuffed animals. Plus, you can have your friends as Secret Base pals. These pals can battle you daily, and even help by doing various things. Another reason why is because of the characters you meet in the game. There are villains and, of course, people that help you along the way.
One of my favorite characters of this game would have to be an adorable and innocent boy named Wally. He’s a sweet and shy guy, who you (the main character) help in several ways. Wally respects you greatly as a friend and role model. The one tear jerker about Wally is that he has this disease which weakens his physical abilities. The exact disease hasn’t been named in game play. One of the other things I like about Alpha Sapphire is slightly weird. In most other versions of Pokemon games the character you play as doesn’t have a father. The character always has a mother, but the father never shows up and is rarely mentioned at all. It’s just cool to me that your father has a slight importance in the plot of this game, and he does show pride in being there for you most of the time.
Now for my rating of the game. I would have to give it 4.5 out of 5 stars, being that it is overall a good game. The only reason that I deducted is that the after game does get boring pretty quickly. More so if you’re the type to rush through a game instead of being through (This isn’t an insult, I can be that type of person at times). I, personally, have left it alone for a month or two then came back to it to wrap up smaller parts such as rare item collection. I would suggest this game to those fantasy lovers out there. Most of Alpha Sapphire is based off of these creatures that don’t exist in real life and other made up stuff. If you’re more the type for puzzle and strategy games, this may also be for you.
Part of the game is how you fight against other creatures, which does take quite a bit of strategical thinking. Battling in Pokemon games has never been about pure power or one specific tactic. The strategic part in a series like this is being prepared for almost anything that could be thrown at you and then being able to bounce back after a hard blow. As said previously this game are only for the Nintendo 3DS. I wouldn’t suggest buying the Nintendo 3DS exclusively for Alpha Sapphire. The reason being is that it can be a fairly short game. I personally beat it in about 3 weeks, just because I was taking my time. Though, a friend of mine blew through Alpha Sapphire in almost a week and a half. This game (without tax) costs $33.59 at Walmart and Best Buy and $39.99 at Toys r Us and Gamestop.
