Summary
In 1996,Pocket Monsters Red and Greendebuted in Japan, withBluefollowing soon after. The Western market had to wait a few years, but eventually,Pokemonmade its international gaming debut, launching a phenomenon that would spawn a highly successful anime series, one of the most popular trading card games, manga adaptations, a live-action Hollywood blockbuster starring Ryan Reynolds, and all the merchandise in the world. As lucrative as the IP has been on multiple fronts,Pokemonwill always be primarily associated with Game Freak’s Nintendo RPGs. The original titles debuted toward the end of the Game Boy’s life cycle, and they were very impressive considering the limitations of that console. While the GBC releases expanded nicely on their predecessors, theGBAPokemongamestook things to another level.
Collectively known as Generation 3,Pokemonhad a fantastic run on the Game Boy Advance, delivering top-notch mainline entries along with an array of pretty good spin-offs. Unlike the Nintendo DS era, the franchise did not stretch itself too thin on the GBA, resulting in quality and reasonable quantity. Even all these years later, thebestPokemonGBA gamesare still delightful to play through.
Updated on June 17, 2025 by Mark Sammut:TheGBA Pokemon gameswill always live on, especially since they are very popular in the modding scene. This article’s intro has been updated to give a more thorough look at this generation.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Teamwasone of the firstPokemon Mystery Dungeontitlesto have been released. The game was released alongside its counterpart,Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team.However,Blue Rescue Teamis only available on the Nintendo DS whileRed Rescue Teamis solely playable on Game Boy Advance.
ThePokemon Mystery Dungeonseriesis extremely well-liked by fans, explaining its drastic critic-versus-user ranking. It was the first time players could play as a Pokemon, having answered questions to determine exactly which creature they’re most like. The story and characters that the game builds up, along with its unique dungeon-crawler mechanics make for an easily enjoyed and replayable experience that both young and old players will love.
However, the main story isextremelyshort compared to future installments of the series, and its gameplay can get extremely challenging in the post-game due to the level gap that players are left at once the main story ends. The central gameplay of taking on rescue missions and saving certain creatures from treacherous and daunting dungeons is charming and fun. It can get repetitive though, especially when players find themselves going through missions to obtain extra items and grind for levels. Dungeons are also randomized, which means runs are often based on the luck of the draw rather than strategy.
Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphireis the secondPokemon Pinballgame, the first being released for the Game Boy Color in 1999. Many players enjoyed the first game for its laid-back nature, granting them the ability to step out of the stressful battles and strategizing they would find in the mainstream games and just play some pinball. The mechanics ofPokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphireare enjoyable and easy to learn, with players catching new Pokemon by honing their pinball skills to complete challenges and capture them.
That said, the gameplay is largely identical, perhaps even easier, to that of the firstPokemon Pinball,with the inclusion of even more monsters to capture making the game more time-consuming rather than challenging. However, some fans might enjoy this aspect since the franchise is all about catching Pokemon, and the higher count of options adds a bit more variety.
Unfortunately,Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphireis quite difficult to find in this day and age, making it one of the franchise’s most obscure games. It is a shame too, as when it comes to Pinball titles, this release is among the better options.
Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreenwere remakes of the original three games,Pokemon Red, Blue & Green.The two Game Boy Advance releases were Game Freak’s first attempt at a remake of any one of thePokemongames. That said, the reception ofPokemon FireRed & LeafGreenwas rather positive, and they are arguably still the gold standard for remakes in the franchise.
The story from the original games stays mostly the same, with the advancements of these games mostly focusing on graphical updates and the option to play as a female protagonist (which was a feature that was notably absent from the original games).
All that said, for players looking to relive the Generation I experience with updated graphics and smoothed-out, easier mechanics,Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreenare the perfect experience. However, for those looking for a revamped take on the original story and monsters that many came to know and love, these games don’t really add much more story or immersive depth than what was originally implemented.
Pokemon Ruby & Sapphireare the bestPokemongames for the Game Boy Advance. They were the series' first games released for the portable system, and subsequently have become the most communally coveted and beloved.Pokemon Ruby & Sapphirehave remained some of the most loved games in the franchise, sparking their remakes,Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire,to be released for the Nintendo 3DS.
The two games are graphically enhanced compared to the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, and include a variety of new creatures, items, and characters all set in an entirely new region called “Hoenn.“Pokemon Ruby & Sapphirealso were the first games to introduce the double battle mechanic, which has become a staple in competitive battling ever since its debut. However, a few critics here and there found that the cut-and-paste formula being used to createPokemon Ruby & Sapphirewas getting a bit overused, with the same mechanics and basic storylines being used forRed, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver,andCrystal. This didn’t stop players from enjoying them though, as evidenced by their high user scores and the success of the games' 2014 remakes.
The only thing going againstRuby & Sapphirenowadays is that they can feel a bit obsolete due to the existence of the remakes andPokemon Emerald, all of which are arguably superior. However, that should not take anything away from these two GBA classics, as they were played a significant role in establishing Generation III as an all-time great era forPokemon.
Pokemon Emeraldgarnered a more mixed reception than the other mainline titles for the Game Boy Advance. Despite the love it received from the community, critics were not as fond of the third installment of the previously released games,Pokemon Ruby& Sapphire.Pokemon Emeraldis virtually the same as the previous Generation III games, with the same story and characters asRuby&Sapphire.That said, there are small differences littered throughout the game that those who have played all three versions will notice.
Pokemon Emeraldintroduced slightly animated sprites, graphical enhancements, different clothing for the two protagonists, more double battles, and the ability to catch a wider variety of creatures than what was available inPokemon Ruby&Sapphire.That and theinclusion of the Battle Frontier, which quickly became a fan favorite and was sorely missed inOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire. Even if it was not as well received as its predecessors,Emeraldis arguably the best game to pick up in this day and age, offering the most complete experience out of all the Gen III main entries. The campaign is long, relatively challenging, and features one of the most beloved rivals in the franchise’s history (May). That said, good luck finding a physical copy for a decent price in this day and age.
