No need to dally, let’s jump right into the reviews!

Rating: 8/10

Details: The Gen 3 games, which included Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, were not particularly groundbreaking, at least when compared to Gen 2, but they did have some solid features. One of the most notable features was the map. The Hoenn region has the biggest single-region map of any of the games up to this point, with a wide variety of cool locations like a sprawling desert and

lots

of water routes. They even added the ability to dive underwater! The other major feature that is noteworthy is the character of the villainous teams and their leaders. The goals of the two villainous teams are far more dramatic and large scale than that of Team Rocket in the first two games, a trend which continues throughout the rest of the generations. In addition, the team leaders, especially Archie, are given way more personality than previous Pokémon villains. There were a number of good Pokémon added in Gen 3, but only some designs really stuck out to me. The games are not overly difficult, but still present a decent challenge. There are remakes for these games for the 3DS and they’re pretty good, but they also are less difficult, so I’d still probably recommend the old GBA games, and in particular, Emerald.  

Rating: 9/10

Details: Gen 4 takes place in the Sinnoh region and if legends and myths are your thing, this is the game for you. The generation includes Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum and is the first Gen to be on the DS. This game included very few new features as far as gameplay goes, but it is one of the best, well-rounded Pokémon games there is. The game features a pretty good story, the best part of which is the history and depth they give to the region and world of Pokémon in general. This region gives a creation myth and hints at the long past between humans and Pokémon. The villains in the story are pretty good, with a fairly epic final showdown. The map is great, with a lot of good locations and towns. There were some amazing Pokémon added in this generation (like my favorite of all time, Lucario), but there were also some less well-designed Pokémon. The game is fairly challenging, particularly when you reach the end of the game. This Gen has THE best Champion of any region and it is a most satisfying conclusion to the main game. There’s not much post-game but there is a whole slew of legendaries to catch. All in all, Gen 4 probably has the best gameplay of any of the games.

Next time, we’ll cover Gen 5 and Gen 6!

Written by: Preston Smith (aka DJ Eleos)