Note: This is a somewhat different style of article to what I usually deliver, giving a more personal take on my experiences, or lack of.
I’m not going to lie, I was never as hyped or excited for Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire as the majority of our readers were and still are. There were several other ‘big’ games releasing around the same that I was far more excited for. Despite receiving my game on release date (November 28th here in the UK) I’ve played almost nothing of it. I picked a starter Pokémon, closed my 3DS, left it for a few days until the battery died and I’ve not gone back since; I didn’t bother saving my game either so I have lost what little progress I did make.
I can’t really say why I’ve not played it, I just don’t know. Each day since release I’ve told myself that I will make pick up the game and start my journey. It just hasn’t happened. It’s been made obvious in my past that Ruby, Sapphire and to an extent Emerald were never my favourite games; Hoenn isn’t my favourite region either, but that isn’t something that plays a part in my lack of playtime in Alpha Sapphire.
Thinking back to when X & Y released last year, it’s difficult to remember if I felt excited in the same manner as when Platinum or Black 2 arrived on my doorstep, maybe it’s a problem with Pokémon games as a whole? Who knows? It seems it could be something that isn’t just restricted to me either; discussion with another staff member revealed that they haven’t actually progressed all too far into the game. “Maybe I’m too old for Pokémon”, he said.
Regardless of what the issue is, I’d like you guys to tell me why I should (or shouldn’t?) play Alpha Sapphire? We know a lot of huge are huge ambassadors of Hoenn and the original games, but that’s not reason enough for us. Give us some deep thought provoking reasons to play, show us what we’re missing out on. Tell us why Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire are great! Maybe I’ll have the game finished up by the week’s end.