Today marks the 20th anniversary of Pokémon Emerald, the fifth and final instalment of the Generation 3 main series. On this day, two decades ago, the game was released for the Game Boy Advance, and still remains one of Game Freak's most beloved Pokémon titles and a standout title in the franchise’s history.
Over the years, countless fans have played and replayed Pokémon Emerald, contributing to its steadily growing fanbase, and I can proudly say I was one of them. In fact, Pokémon Emerald was my foray into the world of Pokémon games. Vivid are the days when my uncle returned from the U.S. with a Game Boy Advance and a Pokémon Emerald cartridge for me, just as I was about to start middle school.
The moment I booted up the game, I was filled with excitement. Setting foot in Littleroot Town, moving my character around, the experience could only be called cloud nine. That was the beginning of countless hours spent levelling up Pokémon, exploring the Hoenn region, and taking on the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Champion — until I was utterly exhausted.
And me being an avid player even today should tell you enough about the longevity and continued purpose of the game. The series is known to emphasise on its replay value, but Pokémon Emerald really pushes the bounds of replayability. And FYI, Swampert/Marshtomp/Mudkip is still the best evolution line.
On a different note, the Pokémon designs from Generation 3 are some of my favourites, second only to Generation 1. Each Pokémon felt unique and fresh, and the expanded Pokédex allowed players to catch all three legendary Pokémon: Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre.
But if there was one, singular feature that, to this day, remains my favourite, it is undoubtedly the Battle Frontier. It serves exactly the purpose you would think: hosting battles. In terms of facilities, this location boasted a battle arena, battle dome, battle factory, battle palace, battle pike, battle pyramid, and battle tower. Quite the mouthful of battle stuff, if I do say so myself.
One of the highlights is that every location had its own distinctive features and gimmicks, allowing you to explore different areas without the concept becoming stale or repetitive. This design encouraged you to keep catching and training Pokémon even after finishing the main storyline, as there was always something new to discover or experiment with. This added a fresh dimension of post-game challenges and significantly boosted replayability.
If you’re thinking of diving into a Pokémon game for the first time ever, Pokémon Emerald is always a great starting point. And for those who have already played it, why not give it another go? After all, this 20th anniversary might be the perfect excuse to relive the glorious adventure.
Fatin is a hardcore manga connoisseur whose personality was stolen by his cat. Ask Bingus to give it back at [email protected]
