Ruby and Sapphire redirects here. For thePokémon Trading Card Game expansion, seeEX Ruby & Sapphire (TCG).

Pokémon Ruby Version ポケットモンスタールビー
American box art of Pokémon Ruby Version,featuringGroudon
Pokémon Sapphire Version ポケットモンスターサファイア
American box art of Pokémon Sapphire Version,featuringKyogre
Basic info
Platform:	Game Boy Advance
Category:	RPG
Players:	up to 4
Connectivity:	Game Link Cable,e-Reader
Developer:	Game Freak
Publisher:	Nintendo
Part of:	Generation IIIcore series
Ratings
CERO:	Not applicable[note 1]
ESRB:	E
ACB:	G8+
OFLC:	G8+
PEGI:	3+
GRAC:	Not applicable
GSRR:	N/A
Release dates
Japan:	November 21, 2002[1]
North America:	March 19, 2003[2]
Australia:	April 3, 2003[3]
Europe:	July 25, 2003[4]
South Korea:	Unreleased
Hong Kong:	N/A
Taiwan:	N/A
Websites
Japanese:	Pokémon.co.jp Nintendo.co.jp
English:	Pokémon.com Nintendo.co.uk (Ruby) Nintendo.co.uk (Sapphire)
Japanese boxart Japanese box art of Pocket Monsters Ruby Japanese box art of Pocket Monsters Sapphire

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Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

Pokémon Ruby Version (Japanese:ポケットモンスタールビーPocket Monsters Ruby) andPokémon Sapphire Version (Japanese:ポケットモンスターサファイアPocket Monsters Sapphire) are the first pairedcore series ofGeneration III games that are set in theHoennregion. They were released in Japan on November 21, 2002, in North America on March 19, 2003, in Australia on April 3, 2003 and in Europe on July 25, 2003.

The then recently foundedThe Pokémon Company originally announced the games as the single-versionPokémon Game Boy Advance (Japanese:ポケットモンスター ゲームボーイアドバンス版Pocket Monsters Game Boy Advance Edition) or simplyPokémon GBA (Japanese:ポケモンＧＢＡPokémon GBA) alongside thee-Reader on March 7, 2001, with a tentative release date of 2002.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]} PresidentTsunekazu Ishihara revealed the company's lack of optimism towards the future of Pokémon during this announcement andJunichi Masuda, former veteran employee ofGame Freak anddirector of the games, has expressed the hardships posed by their development in post-release interviews.^[12][13] The aforementioned tentative title would be used alongside the final titles duringPokémon Festa 2002.^[14][15]

On March 15, 2003, thePokémon Center New York held a party at which players could purchase Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. The games were not sold in stores across North America until March 19, 2003.^[16]

Like all paired games beforehand, Ruby and Sapphire were followed by a third version,Pokémon Emerald, two years later, and together they became the best-sellingGame Boy Advance games of all time.Remakes of the games, in the form ofPokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, were releasedthree generations later for theNintendo 3DS in November 2014 worldwide.

Plot

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Theplayer starts their journey inLittleroot Town, where the family has just moved from theJohto region after the player's father,Norman, became the leader of thePetalburg Gym. The story starts off with the player riding in themoving truck, which arrives in Littleroot. After exiting the truck, the player's mother explains that they have just arrived at their new home; they then enter the house together, and there areMachoke movers carrying boxes. The player's mother suggests that the player introduce themselves toProfessor Birch, a friend of Norman's.

Upon arriving at Birch's house, his wife greets the player, and upstairs the player meetsBrendan orMay (whichever is the opposite gender as the player), the child of Professor Birch who will become one of the player'srivals. After the introduction, Brendan or May soon leaves to join Birch, who is out in the field. The player then finds Birch onRoute 101, where he is being chased by aPoochyena. Birch asks the player to take aPoké Ball out of his bag, which is lying on the ground; the player then chooses betweenTreecko,Mudkip, andTorchic as theirfirst partner Pokémon. After choosing, a battle immediately begins with the wild Poochyena. After rescuing Birch, he lets the player keep the chosen Pokémon as thanks for saving him. He then tells the player to meet up with his kid onRoute 103 for pointers on how to be a Trainer.

Once the player finds Brendan or May on Route 103, they have their firstbattle, after which they return to Birch's lab, where the player receives aPokédex and somePoké Balls. Outside of the lab, the player's mother gives them theRunning Shoes. Once the player arrives in Petalburg City, they meet with their father at the Gym, where he tells them that he is happy to learn that they have become a Trainer like him. During the conversation, a local boy namedWally enters the Gym and asks Norman to help him catch a Pokémon. Norman loans Wally aZigzagoon and a Poké Ball. He then asks the player to go along and help Wally with his task. OnRoute 102, Wally catches aRalts, and the Trainers then return to the Gym, where Wally gives his thanks before being called home by his mother. Norman then encourages the player to travelHoenn and challenge the region'sGym Leaders:Roxanne,Brawly,Wattson,Flannery,Norman,Winona,Tate and Liza, andWallace.

The player then travels throughRoute 104 andPetalburg Woods; just before the exit from the woods, the player encounters the nefariousTeam Magma^R orTeam Aqua^S. After battling, the grunt reveals that their team is after something inRustboro City.

At theRustboro Gym, the player battles Roxanne and earns theStone Badge; afterwards, the player runs into the Devon Researcher from Petalburg Woods. He tells the player that he has been robbed by Team Magma^R/Team Aqua^S and that the player must get theDevon Goods back from the evil team. The player then heads out ontoRoute 116 and discovers an old man namedMr. Briney who tells them that the villainous team has also taken hisWingullPeeko hostage and gone into theRusturf Tunnel. The player confronts the grunt inside the tunnel and retrieves the Devon Goods, as well as rescuing Peeko.

Once the Devon Goods are returned, the researcher asks the player to deliver them to the shipyard inSlateport City. The player then meetsMr. Stone, the president of theDevon Corporation, who asks that the player stop byDewford Town and deliver a letter to his sonSteven; as thanks for the player's earlier work, Mr. Stone gives the player aPokéNav. Outside, the player meets Brendan or May, who explains that Mr. Briney had formerly been a sailor. The player then heads back through the Petalburg Woods to Mr. Briney's house, where he gives the player a ride downRoute 105 to Dewford Town. Just north of Dewford onRoute 106 is theGranite Cave where Steven is exploring. The player obtainsHM05 (Flash) at the entrance, but it will not work without theDewford Gym's Badge. After earning theKnuckle Badge from Brawly, the player can now use Flash to find Steven in the Granite Cave and deliver the letter. Steven rewards the player withTM47 (Steel Wing) and tells the player that they could potentially become the Pokémon League Champion.

After leaving Dewford Town, Mr. Briney takes the player acrossRoute 107 andRoute 108 toRoute 109, just south of Slateport City. When the player arrives in Slateport, there is a noticeable crowd of Team Magma^R/Team Aqua^S grunts blocking the entrance to theOceanic Museum. When the player tries to drop off the Devon Goods atStern's Shipyard, they learn thatCaptain Stern is in the Oceanic Museum. Once the player finds Captain Stern, they are confronted by two villainous grunts, and after defeating them, the villainous team's leaderMaxie^R/Archie^S appears and tells the player of their plans before warning not to get in the way again.

After giving the Devon Goods to Captain Stern, the player leaves Slateport City and travelsRoute 110; after encountering and battling Brendan or May, the player arrives inMauville City. Outside of theMauville Gym, the player finds Wally and his uncle; Wally challenges the player to a battle to prove to his uncle that he is ready for the Gym. After the battle, Wally's uncle invites the player to visitVerdanturf Town sometime. Once theDynamo Badge has been earned from Wattson, the player heads to Verdanturf Town and usesRock Smash to clear the previously blocked Rusturf Tunnel, earningHM04 (Strength) as a reward. Next, the player returns to Mauville and travels throughRoute 111 andRoute 112 to theFiery Path, on the other side of which the player continues throughRoute 113 toFallarbor Town.

Inside the Fallarbor Pokémon Center, the player meetsLanette, who invites them to her house onRoute 114. At the end of Route 114 isMeteor Falls, where the player finds Team Magma^R/Team Aqua^S, who have stolen a valuableMeteorite fromProfessor Cozmo. Suddenly, the scene is interrupted by the appearance of the opposite-version's team, which causes the thieves to retreat toMt. Chimney with the stolen meteorite. At the top of Mt. Chimney, Team Magma and Team Aqua can be found fighting; after fighting the male admin of the primary evil team (Tabitha in Ruby,Matt in Sapphire), the player finds the leader of the team using the meteorite in a strange machine. The leader then battles the player.

Taking the southern path that was blocked by the battling teams, the player exits Mt. Chimney and reachesLavaridge Town, home of theLavaridge Gym. After receiving theHeat Badge from Flannery, the player then meets Brendan or May, who gives them theGo-Goggles and suggests that they challenge their father at the Petalburg Gym. After getting theBalance Badge from Norman, the player visits Wally's father, who gives the playerHM03 (Surf).

As the player then travels throughRoute 118 (just east of Mauville City), they encounter Steven once again. Afterwards, the player continues throughRoute 119, reaching theWeather Institute, which is being attacked by the evil team in search of theweather Pokémon that the institute has created. After battling the grunts and facing off with the female admin (Courtney in Ruby,Shelly in Sapphire), the player saves the institute and is given the PokémonCastform as a reward. Shortly after leaving the Institute, Brendan or May appears, battles the player, and gives awayHM02 (Fly) upon defeat.

The player arrives inFortree City but cannot challenge the Gym because something invisible is blocking the entrance. OnRoute 120, the player once again meets Steven, and he gives the player theDevon Scope, which allows them to enter the Gym by revealing the invisible thing to be the PokémonKecleon. After the player defeats Winona and receives theFeather Badge, the quest continues throughRoute 120 andRoute 121 toLilycove City. OnRoute 121, there are some grunts from the evil team discussing their plan to go toMt. Pyre, and upon arriving in Lilycove, the player finds it crawling with more grunts. Outside of theLilycove Department Store, the player battles Brendan or May for the last time, who upon defeat announces their intention to return to Littleroot.

After the battle, the player heads to Mt. Pyre to drive off the evil team. At the summit of Mt. Pyre, the player finds the leader of the team, who has taken theBlue Orb^R/Red Orb^S and proclaims that the young Trainer has arrived too late to stop him; the team then heads for Slateport City. The old couple that watch over the orbs beseech the player to stop the evil team, and they give the player the stolen orb's counterpart. Upon returning to Slateport, the player finds that Capt. Stern has discovered an undersea cavern onRoute 128. The evil team then suddenly appears and takes over the captain's research submarine. The leader of the evil team once again taunts the player, and he mentions that the team's hideout is in Lilycove City. Once the player fights their way through to the center of the hideout, finding theMaster Ball along the way, they encounter the male admin who battles the player to stall until the leader takes off in the submarine.

The player must then travelRoute 124 toMossdeep City. Steven's house is at the northwestern edge of the city, and here the player receivesHM08 (Dive). Next, the player challenges Tate and Liza of theMossdeep Gym to earn theMind Badge. Heading toRoute 128 and using Dive, the player finds theSeafloor Cavern, where the evil team has gone. In the deepest reaches of the cavern, the player has a showdown with the team leader, who then uses the Orb to awaken the sleepingGroudon^R/Kyogre^S there. After being awakened, the ancient Pokémon vanishes, and the weather all over Hoenn goes out of control. Just then, the leader of the opposite team appears, and the leader of the primary evil team finds that he is unable to control the Pokémon. The two bosses then team up to try to stop the rampage.

After the bosses leave, Steven appears and tells the player to head toSootopolis City, to which Groudon/Kyogre has gone. Heading toRoute 126 and using Dive again, the player finds the entrance to Sootopolis City. Inside the city, the player finds Steven, who introduces them to his friend Wallace, the Sootopolis Gym Leader, who is also entrusted with the duty of protecting theCave of Origin. Upon seeing the Orb that the player possesses, Wallace grants them entrance to the cave, where the rampaging ancient Pokémon is waiting. After capturing or defeating the Pokémon, the weather returns to normal.

Afterwards, Steven is found waiting outside of theSootopolis Gym to thank the player on his and Wallace's behalf before the player faces the final Gym challenge. After defeating the Gym and leaving with theRain Badge in tow, the player now has all eight Badges, and they head downRoute 128 toEver Grande City, whereVictory Road and the Elite Four await. Wally battles the player one last time before they exit the cavern.

TheElite Four are the strongest Trainers in the region, and they can only be battled by challengers who have all eight Badges of Hoenn. They areSidney, who specializes inDark-type Pokémon;Phoebe, who specializes inGhost-type Pokémon;Glacia, who specializes inIce-type Pokémon; andDrake, who specializes inDragon-type Pokémon. After defeating the Elite Four, the player must then battle thePokémon League Champion, Steven.

After the battle, Professor Birch and Brendan or May arrive to congratulate the player. Birch examines the player's Pokédex, the player is registered in the Hall of Fame, and the credits roll.

After the credits, the player is returned to Littleroot Town. Downstairs,Norman gives the player theS.S. Ticket to take theS.S. Tidal over to theBattle Tower. The player also now has the ability to encounterRayquaza at theSky Pillar and findLatios^R/Latias^Sroaming around Hoenn.

Blurb

Immerse yourself in the beautiful region of Hoenn, a place of masterful heroes and mysterious teams, of friendship and battles. As the new kid in town, you set off your journey as a Pokémon Trainer. Who knows what wonders and dangers await you? Now it's time to grab your gear and head out on your own...

• Over 200 Pokémon appear with over 100 newly discovered species—you'll have to link up and trade with a friend who has Sapphire^R/Ruby^S Version to catch them all!
• 2-on-2 battles—use two of your Pokémon in battle at the same time!
• Engage in intensemulti battles with up to four friends!
• Pokémon Contests 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

Gyms

There are eight Pokémon Gyms in Hoenn, each with their own type affiliation. The Gym Leaders areRoxanne (Rock),Brawly (Fighting),Wattson (Electric),Flannery (Fire),Norman (Normal),Winona (Flying),Tate and Liza (Psychic), andWallace (Water).

Elite Four

Ruby and Sapphire introduced a brand new Elite Four syndicate, which is found in Ever Grande City. The Elite Trainers areSidney (Dark),Phoebe (Ghost),Glacia (Ice), andDrake (Dragon); the Champion isSteven, who usesSteel-type Pokémon.

Pokémon

LikePokémon 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 betweenGame Boy andGame Boy Color games withGame Boy Advance games.

Version-exclusive Pokémon

Regardless of version, players must trade in order to complete their Pokédex. Latios (Sapphire event only), Latias (Ruby event only), Jirachi and Deoxys are the onlyGeneration III Pokémon in Ruby and Sapphire that must be acquired through external means, such as attending a Nintendo sponsored event or using a cheating device. Other Pokémon, such asBulbasaur, are not featured in theHoenn Pokédex, and must be traded from aGeneration III game in which they are found.

Ruby 0273 Seedot Grass 0274 Nuzleaf Grass Dark 0275 Shiftry Grass Dark 0303 Mawile Steel 0335 Zangoose Normal 0338 Solrock Rock Psychic 0381 Latios Dragon Psychic 0383 Groudon Ground

Sapphire 0270 Lotad Water Grass 0271 Lombre Water Grass 0272 Ludicolo Water Grass 0302 Sableye Dark Ghost 0336 Seviper Poison 0337 Lunatone Rock Psychic 0380 Latias Dragon Psychic 0382 Kyogre Water

• Mixing records withPokémon Emerald whilst their respectiveswarms are occurring allowsSeedot andNuzleaf to appear in Ruby and Sapphire viaswarming. This requires interaction with another game, so their evolutionary line is still considered version exclusive.
• While only one ofLatios orLatias roam the region in each game, the other one can be found onSouthern Island with theEon Ticket.

PokéNav

ThePokéNav is received shortly after the beginning of the game from Mr. Stone. It has several functions which are used throughout the game. The PokéNav displays a map of Hoenn, the Condition of the player's Pokémon, and also has the feature Trainer's Eyes, which keeps data on various Trainers and alerts the player when the Trainers want rematches. The PokéNav also displays the Ribbons that a Pokémon has earned.

New Poké Balls

More specializedPoké Balls were introduced in these games. ThePremier Ball is a commemorative Poké Ball, aRepeat Ball makes it easier to catch Pokémon that the player has already caught before, theTimer Ball makes catching Pokémon easier the more turns have passed in the battle, theNest Ball makes lower-leveled Pokémon easier to catch, while theNet Ball makes Water and Bug Pokémon easier to catch. TheDive Ball has a high catch-rate with sea-dwelling Pokémon, and theLuxury Ball makes the captured Pokémon more comfortable and friendly to its Trainer much more quickly. These balls are sold at variousPoké Marts throughout Hoenn.

New features

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 thePokémon 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,hail, has also been added.

Abilities

Main article:Ability

Ruby and Sapphire introduced Abilities for each Pokémon, such as non Flying-type Pokémon beingimmune to Ground-type attacks, or a Pokémon'sSTAB attacks beingboosted whentheir HPis low, even the ability to absorb certain attacks andrecover HP orboost a stat. The introduction of Abilities added new depths of strategy to the battle system.

Natures

Main article: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 theAttack stat of a Pokémon, and 10% will be added to theSpecial Attack stat. This mechanic allowed for levels of customization not previously seen.

Double Battles

Main article:Double Battle

Ruby and Sapphire introduced Double Battles. These types of battles are heavier on strategy than Single Battles 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.

Stat changes

TheEV andIV 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 theEffort Ribbon if it is shown to a girl in Slateport City.

Pokémon Contests

Main article: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 these competitions, the goal is to show off the skills of a Pokémon before ajudge in the variouscategories (Beauty,Cool,Cute,Smart andTough). After winning a Pokémon Contest in a certain category the player and Pokémon advance to the nextrank 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,Pokéblocks.

Ribbons

Main article: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.

Connectivity

Game Link Cable

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Language restrictions on Contests, Berry Blending, Colosseum, XD, Box, and the Berry Program Update (if any)

In the Pokémon Cable Club, located on 2F of everyPokémon Center, the player cantrade, battle, andmix records with Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire,Emerald,Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen viaGame Link Cable. There are no language restrictions on trading and battling. However, Japanese Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire cannot mix records with non-Japanese games, and non-Japanese Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire cannot mix records with Japanese games; non-Japanese games can mix records with each other regardless of language, however.

The player can use theBerry Blender to makePokéblocks with up to three other players of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, orEmerald via Game Link cable. The player can also participate in a LinkPokémon Contest with three other players of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald via Game Link cable.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire can receive data fromPokémon Battle e cards via theMystery Events feature by connecting them to ane-Reader via a Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable. e cards were used to send data about Trainer battles (conducted inMossdeep City or theBattle Tower), exclusiveBerries, theEon Ticket,decorations, and the Berry Program Update. The e-Reader (and its cards) was only released in Japanese and English, and the e-Reader can only send data to games of the same language as the card, so this feature is only available to the Japanese and English versions of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.

TheGameCube gamesPokémon Colosseum andPokémon XD: Gale of Darkness can communicate with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire via a Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Game Link cable. Pokémon Colosseum and XD can use the Trade Center in thePhenac City Pokémon Center to trade with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire; the Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire game must be saved in aPokémon Center. The trade is conducted entirely within the GameCube game's user interface.

The GameCube gamePokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire can communicate with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire via Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Game Link cable. If the player of the Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire has obtained theirPokédex, Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire can deposit Pokémon from that game in its ownPokémon Storage System and withdraw those Pokémon to the game that deposited them. If a Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire game has 100 Pokémon registered as owned, Pokémon deposited into Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire from other games can be withdrawn to that Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire game.

Additionally, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire can receiveevent Pokémon distributions. While several distributions were conducted astrades, some distributions were one-way gifts. To receive a non-trade distribution, the player of Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire must have an empty space in their party; the received Pokémon will simply be placed in this empty slot. These distributions can only be received by games of the same language as thedistribution device. ThePokémon Colosseum Bonus Disc and the PAL region (Europe and Australia) version of the GameCube gamePokémon Channel can send gift Pokémon in the same way.

Dual-slot mode

In theGeneration IV core series games,dual-slot mode can be used to permanently migrate Pokémon from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire to that game viaPal Park; once sent to a Generation IV game, the Pokémon can never return to a Generation III game. Additionally, if a Generation IV game is played in aNintendo DS system which has a Generation III core series game in theGame Boy Advance slot, thewild Pokémon that can be encountered in the Generation IV game will change slightly due to thedongle method.

IfPokémon Dash is played on a Nintendo DS system which has a Generation III core series game in the Game Boy Advance slot, it is possible to make custom cups based on the party of the Generation III game. The Japanese, European, and American versions of Pokémon Dash can communicate with Generation III games regardless of the game's language; however, the Korean version of Pokémon Dash can only communicate with Japanese Generation III game cartridges.

Berry Program Update

Main article:Berry glitch → Fixing the glitch

In early versions of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, a glitch known as theBerry glitch can prevent time-based events from occurring, such as the growth ofBerries. A patch was developed to fix this issue in the games, but due to the lack of internet connectivity at the time, the patch was distributed via other games and special events, among other methods.

A patch could be sent by the following games:

• Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
• Pokémon Emerald
• Pokémon Colosseum
  • Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Disc
• Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
• Pokémon Channel (PAL region versions)
• Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire (non-Japanese versions)
• Interactive Multi Game Demo Disc 14 and 16

A special event distribution of aShinyZigzagoon holding aLiechi Berry was held that applied the patch at the same time as the distribution. Like other non-trade distributions, the player had to have an empty space in their party to receive the Zigzagoon; the Zigzagoon could be received regardless of whether the patch had already been applied. Units running this software were available at special events in countries including Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

In Japan, a set ofe-Reader cards were released which applied the patch.

Additionally, until August 2012, players could mail their Pokémon Ruby or Sapphire game toNintendo, who would apply the patch and return the cartridge.

Localization changes

• In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the ledge in southwestern section of Victory Road B1F was made one tile shorter in non-English European versions of the game, making that part of the floor two-way instead of one-way.

Localization changes shared by Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald

• In Japanese, the map seen on the wall of some buildings is said to be aTown Map of theHoenn region. However, the name "Town Map" is not seen in English, as this is simply called a "Hoenn region map".
  • In theGeneration VI remakes, the map at the wall is once more called a Town Map, this time both in Japanese and English.
• InSidney'sroom at the Pokémon League, the lights at the background flash quickly in the Japanese version. These lights slowly turn on and off in the localized versions.
• Several glitches were fixed in the international releases.
• The VU Meter in thePokédex was altered depending on which international version was being played.
• Pokémon Battle-e Trainer cards request screen was changed in international releases.
• Some of the Trainer sprites are different in Japanese and international versions.

Hex Maniac sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald (JP)	Hex Maniac sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald	FemalePsychic sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald (JP)	Female Psychic sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald
MaleCooltrainer sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald(JP)	Male Cooltrainer sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald	Sailor sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald (JP)	Sailor sprite from Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald

Localization changes shared by Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire

• In Japanese, a boy says: 「くうきが うまーい！」which could mean that the air is either good or tasty. In English, it was more specifically translated as"The air is tasty here!"
  • He says that the air is "fragrant" in French ("L’air embaume ici!"), "properly pure" in Italian ("Qui si respira un’aria proprio pulita!"), "fresh" in German ("Die Luft hier ist wunderbar frisch."^RSE;"Die Luft hier ist so frisch!"^ORAS), "very clean" in Spanish ("¡El aire de aquí está limpísimo!"), or "refreshing" in Korean (공기가 마시쪄^ORAS).

Reception

Both games were well received, getting perfect ratings fromGamePro and Cinescape.^[17]IGN rated the games an "Amazing" 9.5/10 and commented that they were a "wonderful GBA follow-up to the immense Game Boy blockbuster."^[18] However, some reviews criticized the repetitive nature of the games, withEurogamer commenting that "apart from the occasional tense battle with a Gym Leader and the more sophisticated opponents later on in the game, the constant fighting and collecting mechanic gets very tired, very fast."^[19] Gaming magazineFamitsu gave them a score of 36 out of 40. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire hold a rating of 84.21%^[20] and 84.03%,^[21] respectively, onGameRankings.

Sales

Ruby and Sapphire were the second and third bestselling games of 2003 in the US, with Pokémon Ruby selling more.^[22] In the fiscal year of their release, they sold 6.6 million units.^[23] As of March 31, 2013, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire have sold 16.22 million copies worldwide.^[24]

Japanese sales

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire sold 1,093,299 units on their first week on the Japanese market, being 543,962 from Pokémon Ruby and 549,337 from Pokémon Sapphire, with asell-through of 89.79% and 90.11% respectively. By December 31, 2006, the end of their 215th week, they had sold 5,160,765 copies, being 2,550,021 from Pokémon Ruby and 2,610,744 from Pokémon Sapphire.

Criticism

As with all Pokémon games, Ruby and Sapphire have a fair number of glitches. One of these is the infamousBerry glitch, which made most time based events, such as Berry growing, impossible after the game had been owned for a year, or played for over 100 hours. This glitch is able to be corrected, however, by downloading the Berry patch from either thePokémon Colosseumbonus disc, orFireRed, LeafGreen, andEmerald.

Awards

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire got the 10th spot on IGN's top 25 Game Boy Advance games of all time.^[25]

Staff

Main article:Staff of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

Music

Main article:Pokémon Ruby & Pokémon Sapphire: Super Music Collection

The soundtrack contains all of the background music from the games, composed byJunichi Masuda,Gō Ichinose, andMorikazu Aoki. However, the soundtrack does not includethe remastered music fromPokémon Gold, Silver, andCrystal or the other unused music, all of which are present in the games' internal data.

Version history

Japanese

English

French, Italian, German, and Spanish

Development cycle

Main article:Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire beta

Internal battery life

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

Clock-based events in these games as well asPokémon 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 theShoal Cave tides.

Even after replacing the battery, symptoms may persist in existing save files. This is because as soon as the battery runs dry, the timestamp associated with real-time events (that had been increasing steadily since the file was created) reverts to its initial value. This means that if the game was played for 5 years before the battery ran dry, it would take 5 years with a new battery for the new timestamp to catch up to the old value and for time to "progress" once more.Furlock's Forest details this issue and possible solutions.

Starting a new save file after the battery is replaced will fix the problem because all events will be triggered relative to a new timestamp.

It should be noted that the same symptoms, but lacking the notification about the internal battery, may be caused by theBerry glitch.

Gallery

Logos

• 
  English Ruby logo
• 
  English Sapphire logo
• 
  Japanese Ruby logo
• 
  Japanese Sapphire logo

Title screens

• 
  English Ruby title screen
• 
  English Sapphire title screen
• 
  Japanese Ruby title screen
• 
  Japanese Sapphire title screen

Trivia

• Ruby and Sapphire are the first games where theElite Four have a unique theme instead of the standardGym Leader music.
• Along withPokémon Emerald and the remakesPokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, these are the onlyPokémon games to feature both parents for the main character.
• Along withPokémon Emerald, these are the only Pokémon games that feature a clock that do not have a day/night system.
• Along with the remakes, these are the only games to have version-exclusivevillainous teams.
• These are the firstcore series games where the name of therival cannot be chosen by the player.
• These are the first Pokémon games released for theGame Boy Advance.
• These are the first games where it was not possible to catch all non-Mythical Pokémon by trading from other games at the time of release. The Pokémon outside theHoenn Pokédex later became available once otherGeneration III games were released as well.
  • The term "National Pokédex" was introduced in these games, after it was known as the "Old Pokédex" in theprevious generation. However, at the time of the release of Ruby and Sapphire, it was not possible to activate or complete the National Pokédex since it would require trading with some laterGeneration III games.
• These are the highest selling games on the platform they were released on, a distinction claimed only by these Pokémon games.
• These games introduce the most Pokémon of all games where the new Pokémon do not make up the entirety of the regional Pokédex.
• These games were released in Japan on the third anniversary of the Japanese release ofPokémon Gold and Silver.
• A special promotional coin featuringGroudon andKyogre was available with American preorders of Ruby and Sapphire, respectively.
• These are the lastcore series games withoutitem sprites as seen in the player'sBag. However, these games introduced the large sprites for theBerries in the "Check Tag" feature (which remained available in Generations III and IV).
  • All the items from Ruby and Sapphire later had their sprites introduced inPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, except thee-Reader exclusive Berries (Drash Berry,Eggant Berry,Nutpea Berry, etc.). Some of these items (such as theAcro Bike,Mach Bike,Contest Pass,Go-Goggles,Eon Ticket, etc.) are not legitimately found in FireRed and LeafGreen, so their sprites remained unseen in normal gameplay until they were reused inPokémon Emerald.
• Due to the font used in the international versions, the marker for when a move is selected for usage in the battle screen differs from that of the Japanese version. Whereas the Japanese version uses an arrow to indicate the current selected move, like all later releases of theGeneration III games would use, the international versions of Ruby and Sapphire utilize a red rectangle with the same purpose.
• Theintros of Ruby and Sapphire differ slightly: Ruby featuresBrendan orMay, depending on the gender chosen, riding a bike near forest and mountains, whenLatios appears (and afterwards shows them battling against aSharpedo and aDuskull), while Sapphire has instead Brendan or May (again, dependent on the gender chosen) riding a bike near an ocean, withLatias appearing (and then, similarly to Ruby, they are shown engaged in a battle).
• These are the last core series Pokémon games to be able to interact with core series Pokémon games exclusively throughwired communication.
• Pre-release American boxart for these games depicted the version name below the mascotPokémon with the same font used in theGeneration I andII games, with the "Gotta catch 'em all!" slogan present below the Pokémon logo. This was dropped for the final boxart, which features the version names directly below the Pokémon logo and in a different font, dropping the slogan entirely.

In other languages

Notes

References

Related articles

• Ruby and Sapphire walkthrough

This game-related article is part ofProject Games, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on thePokémon games.

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• Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
• Game Boy Advance games