Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Versions: Difference between revisions

{{Redirect|Ruby and Sapphire|the {{pkmn|Trading Card Game|Pokémon Trading Card Game}} expansion|EX Ruby & Sapphire (TCG)}}

{{Infobox game |colorscheme=ruby|bordercolorscheme=sapphire

|name=<span style="color:#FFF">Pokémon Ruby Version</span>

*[[Pokémon Contest]]s let you groom your Pokémon to be the Best of Show!

*Stunning Game Boy Advance graphics display the world of Pokémon with more detail than ever!

==Features==

Ruby and Sapphire introduced a brand new Elite Four syndicate, which is found in Ever Grande City. The Elite Trainers are [[Sidney]] ({{t|Dark}}), [[Phoebe]] ({{t|Ghost}}), [[Glacia]] ({{t|Ice}}), and [[Drake]] ({{t|Dragon}}); the Champion is [[Steven Stone|Steven]], who uses {{type|Steel}} Pokémon.

Like {{game|Gold and Silver|s|Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions}} before them, Ruby and Sapphire introduced many new Pokémon. With 135 additions, the total is 386 in these games. However, Ruby and Sapphire are incompatible with previous games, due to the lack of communications between [[Game Boy]] and [[Game Boy Color]] games with [[Game Boy Advance]] games.

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More specialized [[Poké Ball]]s were introduced in these games. The {{ball|Premier}} is a commemorative Poké Ball, a {{ball|Repeat}} makes it easier to catch Pokémon that the player has already caught before, the {{ball|Timer}} makes catching Pokémon easier the more turns have passed in the battle, the {{ball|Nest}} makes lower-leveled Pokémon easier to catch, while the {{ball|Net}} makes Water and Bug Pokémon easier to catch. The {{ball|Dive}} has a high catch-rate with sea-dwelling Pokémon, and the {{ball|Luxury}} makes the captured Pokémon more comfortable and friendly to its Trainer much more quickly. These balls are sold at various [[Poké Mart]]s throughout Hoenn.

Ruby and Sapphire introduced a number of features to the Pokémon video game franchise, many of which set a new standard for every game in the series that followed. Ruby and Sapphire expanded the [[Pokémon Storage System]] by adding a much more user-friendly graphical interface. The games also introduced individualized menu sprites for every Pokémon species. [[Weather]] may be found on the field in some areas, which will activate that weather at the beginning of battle. A new type of weather, {{weather|hail}}, has also been added.

{{main|Ability}}

Ruby and Sapphire introduced Abilities for each Pokémon, such as non Flying-type Pokémon being {{a|Levitate|immune to Ground-type attacks}}, or a Pokémon's [[Same-type attack bonus|STAB]] attacks being {{a|Blaze|boosted when}} {{a|Torrent|their HP}} {{a|Overgrow|is low}}, even the ability to absorb certain attacks and {{a|Volt Absorb|recover HP}} or {{a|Flash Fire|boost a stat}}. The introduction of Abilities added new depths of strategy to the battle system.

{{main|Nature}}

Ruby and Sapphire also introduced Natures for Pokémon. Natures shift the stats (excluding HP) of Pokémon by subtracting 10% in one stat, and adding that 10% to another. For example, a Modest Nature means 10% will be subtracted from the {{stat|Attack}} stat of a Pokémon, and 10% will be added to the {{stat|Special Attack}} stat. This mechanic allowed for levels of customization not previously seen.

{{main|Double Battle}}

Ruby and Sapphire are the games that introduced Double Battles. These types of battles are heavier on strategy than usual because each Trainer battles using two Pokémon at a time, so the Abilities and moves of all Pokémon on the field have to be considered.

The {{EV}} and {{IV}} systems were refined in Ruby and Sapphire, the maximum IV a stat could have was boosted from 15 to 31, and a Pokémon's gender was no longer determined by the IV of its attack stat, which made it possible to have female Pokémon with maximum attack IVs, something that hadn't been possible before. The EV system is altered from the former stat experience system, with all Pokémon giving 1, 2, or 3 effort points in one or more of the six stats after their defeat in battle, with a cap of 255 per stat and 510 overall. A Pokémon with 510 EVs will be awarded with the {{DL|List of Ribbons in the games|Effort Ribbon}} if it is shown to a girl in Slateport City.

{{main|Pokémon Contest}}

Ruby and Sapphire were the first in the series to offer a secondary means of interacting with Pokémon, in the form of Pokémon Contests. In Contests the goal is to show off the skills of a Pokémon in the various categories ({{OBP|Beauty|condition}}, {{OBP|Cool|condition}}, {{OBP|Cute|condition}}, {{OBP|Smart|condition}} and {{OBP|Tough|condition}}). After winning a Contest in a certain category the player and Pokémon advance to the next {{OBP|rank|Contest}} in that category (Normal, Super, Hyper, and Master). This also brought about the first confectionery goods that could be made by the player and fed to their Pokémon, [[Pokéblock]]s.

{{main|Ribbon}}

These games were also the first to offer Ribbons to the player's Pokémon for achieving various goals, or to commemorate special events in the game, including winning in Pokémon Contests, beating the Champion, and maxing out the EVs of a Pokémon.

==Reception==

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==Awards==

==Internal battery life==

Clock-based events in these games as well as {{game|Emerald}} are controlled by a CR1616 lithium battery in the game cartridge. When starting up a file, players may receive a notification that the internal battery has run dry, and that clock-based events will no longer occur. This does not affect the save file or progress in the game, only events that happen in real-time, such as berry growth or the [[Shoal Cave]] tides.