OUR RATING: 7.2 VERY GOOD About our ratings

TANGIBLES: Gameplay: 8 Visuals: 5 Audio: 6 Value: 8 Quality: 7

Why you should buy it: Not Available Why you should rent it: Not Available

UNIQUE RATING: 7.2 SUGGESTION: N/A

It's been nearly a decade since the original Pokemon Red and Blue games launched here in the United States for the original Game Boy. Since then, we've had all sorts of sequels from Gold and Silver to Ruby and Sapphire. The significance with these flagship Pokemon titles was that each game had a special third version that allowed you to do all sorts of new things. The original Red and Blue games had Pokemon Yellow where Pikachu followed the main character throughout the entire adventure. Gold and Silver had Crystal, the first game that allowed you to be in control of a female character. With Ruby and Sapphire, the third version is obviously Emerald.

Pokemon Emerald, as with its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire, has the main character move into the region of Hoenn'a colorful region filled with all sorts of new pokemon. As you explore your new home, Littleroot Town, you'll meet your rival. If you chose to be a male at the beginning of the game, your rival will be female and vice versa. You'll come across your rival numerous times throughout the game in tougher Pokemon battles in a lot of unfortunate situations, so always be prepared.

After going through the town and pulling off the essentials, you'll come across the resident Pokemon Professor, Birch, being attacked by a Poocheyena. From here, this is where your journey really begins. He'll tell you to go into his bag and grab a pok'mon to get rid of the attacking Poocheyena. Be careful though, the pokemon you decide to choose will be your official starting pokemon, and you're stuck with it. As with every flagship Pokemon game before it, you're limited to three types of pokemon; a grass type, Treecko; a water type, Mudkip; and a fire type, Torchic. The pokemon you select from here will influence your rival's starting pokemon and will always put you at a disadvantage. For example, if you chose Torchic, your rival will have a Mudkip. Seems a bit unfair, but those are the breaks. It's nothing to really worry about since Pokemon is a relatively easy game.

When playing a Pokemon game, your main character only has one big goal to accomplish'to become a Pokemon Master. In order to do this, that person must catch own every monster in existence. Now in order for a Pokemon Trainer to accomplish that excruciating feat, he or she must become an expert on Pokemon battles.

Pokemon battles are where the Pokemon games have all its girth. Without Pok'mon battles, a trainer will never catch more pokemon, become Pokemon League Champion, or even survive out in the open. The battle system consists of a traditional turn-based interface. Unlike other turn-based RPG's, your whole party doesn't fight at once. Instead the pok'mon listed on top of your list will pop out. As a pok'mon is defeated, the trainer may switch in for another pok'mon until he or she is totally wiped out of all their monsters.

Aside from just battling with other trainers, Pokemon games give you the flexibility of controlling wild pok'mon. To do this, you obviously will have to battle wild pok'mon with your own. You're restricted to the same actions as stated above, except that you shouldn't totally make it faint. Once you've depleted a good amount of hit points, you can throw a Pok' Ball to catch it. However, if you already have six Pok'mon in your party, the one captured will be sent to a PC (found in any Pokemon Center which are scattered through every town in the game).

Each Pokemon is limited to four moves. Depending on the pok'mon's type, they can learn a diverse array of abilities for battle and getting around. Pokemon enthusiasts know that it's best to equip certain pok'mon with unexpected attacks. For example, a Pikachu with Dig would definitely help it against other electric types who are a lot stronger. Aside from learning moves on their own, they can learn moves from machines, either a TM or an HM. A TM, Technical Machine, is a machine used to teach a pokemon a certain move. Once the move is taught, it cannot be used again. A HM, Hidden Machine, does the same thing, except that you can use them as many times as you want. The only catch here is that HM's are used mostly to get around places in the game, and none of them are actually deadly attacks (except for maybe surf).

Once you've built a proper team of monsters, you can challenge the gym leaders. Pokemon League Gyms will be scattered throughout eight towns in the Hoenn region, each having their own preference on what type of Pokemon they use. For example, in Lavaridge Town, you'll face Flannery'a master of the fire type. As the challenger, you're never limited to the kind of pokemon you'll be able to use, so you can go ahead and stack your team with pokemon that give you a decisive advantage. Once you defeat a gym leader, he or she will award you with a badge proving your victory. When you present eight badges at the Pokemon League HQ, you'll be permitted to enter the league, and you'll have a shot at the Elite Four. Beat them, and you'll be the Pokemon League Champion.