The Superior Hoenn Game: Emerald or ORAS?

[Erureido]

Throughout Pokemon's history, remakes were generally held in high esteem. Fans believe FireRed/LeafGreen and HeartGold/SoulSilver are both vastly superior games compared to the originals they were designed from, so it seems OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire would follow suit with this treatment, right?

Well, not exactly. It seems that OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire got mixed receptions amongst the fans. In fact, one of the most heated debate topics amongst Pokemon fans these days is which was the better Hoenn game:

• Emerald, the third version of the original Ruby/Sapphire games that brought about various changes that improved on the first set of gen 3 games
• ORAS, the remakes to the original Ruby/Sapphire games that did not incorporate most of Emerald's elements but did incorporate the new gameplay elements of generation 4 and even some new elements to Hoenn lore.

ORAS tends to get criticism amongst fans for not including the changes that Emerald brought, while some believe ORAS are the better games because they have elements of modern Pokemon gameplay such as new moves, physical/special split, Mega Evolutions, easy ways to IV breed, etc.

With such a controversial topic, I want to ask everyone here: which game do you think provided the superior Hoenn experience: Emerald or ORAS?

My answer would go to ORAS for several reasons:

• It improved on RSE's plot in several major ways
  • Wally went from one of the blandest and most forgettable rivals in the series to one of the most memorable. Seeing the facial expressions really helped in understanding his character. You also gain a much better sense of how he develops as a trainer, and it really shows with the Victory Road battle.
  • Maxie and Archie's reasons for summoning the legendaries are better explained here than in the original games. Now, we know Maxie wants to expand the landmass so that humanity can have more access to resources and thus promote more innovation, while Archie wants to expand the sea because it has been polluted for a long while so he wants to restore the ocean for the sake of the sea creatures.
  • The Magma and Aqua Admins now have a personality to each of them. In the original games, they had zero personality, where their dialogue was simplified down to, "We serve Team Magma/Aqua," and that was it.
  • Steven Stone has a more active role in the plot
  • The reason Team Magma/Aqua raid the Weather Institute is now explained.
• Steven Stone was the champion again, and that was great. He's a far better character and much more of a challenge than Wallace was.
• It has all of the improved battle mechanics such as the physical/special split, plenty of new moves/abilities, the PSS system, Megas, IV Breeding, etc.
• Secret Bases could now be shared online, and the new ways they could be implemented made for some fun and useful options (like the Blissey Farm that was useful for leveling up Pokemon)
• Despite the lack of Battle Frontier, I think there was more to do in the post-game due to the Delta Episode, the Battle Resort, all of the non-Hoenn Pokedex-Pokemon you could after beating the elite four, and the massive number of legendaries you can catch.
• PokeNav was vastly improved. Its Pokemon finder was particularly a pretty good feature.
• 3D graphics made Hoenn feel more alive.

The only issues I had with ORAS when compared to Emerald is that the Gym Leaders couldn't be rematched and didn't use their Emerald teams (which removed the challenging aspects to some of them like Tate and Lisa), and the lack of the Battle Frontier.

 

[Guybrush20X6]

ORAS is the better game(s) on most counts but the hack job of just pasting the Battle Masion in at the end and the nonsensical reasons they gave for it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

 

[Aurane]

They were both my least favorite Pokemon games of all the generations. That being said- ORAS has an internet connection so I can fight other users across the globe and it introduced Mega Lopunny, who I had fun with at the time.

Ironically, just for the fact its multiplayer game is more farspread is my only reason. I would never play ORAS again. I hated its meta and the storyline.

But... It did have a cute rival in its defense. Even if he turned into a Touhou.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Gen 3 is the first gen that feels outdated without also feeling nostalgic. (To me)

I don't think I owned emerald, but I played Ruby/ Sapphire and ORAS.

At least ORAS has cool megas. Mega Sceptile and Mega Swampert are both cool.

Also if they skipped gen 3 and made gen 4 and had a Mega Empoleon and Mega Torterra... Might've been better