Pokemon Sapphire

by Nintendo

Product Features

• Start out with just 3 Pokemon, and travel across Hoenn to earn badges in 8 different gyms
• Over 350 new Pokemon are here to battle with, collect and trade
• New battle system allows trainers to take two Pok mon into battle instead of just one at a time
• As you play you'll open up fun and exciting mini-games that advance the storyline
• You'll have to become a hero by helping Team Magma stop Team Aqua from flooding the world for control of the water Pokemon!

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000084314
• Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches ; 2.4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 17, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (317 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,306 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com

Pokémon Sapphire's updated graphics with weather effects, amazing sound, more than 200 Pokémon with over 100 new species--as well as its faithful adherence to the existing series of Pokémon games--makes for a welcome evolution in the series.

First, the game has a lot in common with Pokémon games Silver, Gold, and Crystal. For example, players can choose to be a boy or a girl trainer, an internal clock sets events at certain times, and the game's handy-dandy Pokédex helps players keep track of the many stats. You're main goal is still to beat all the Gym Trainers and become the Pokémon Master. If you've played the old games, you will be right at home. But not all is the same.

The most obvious change is in the battles themselves. Now that two Pokémon can fight on your side at the same time, you can tag-team them against an enemy by taking advantage of the strengths of your Pokémons while covering their weaknesses. For example, you can now have a water Pokémon watch your fire Pokémon's back. You can also attack more than one Pokémon at a time.

A whole new element to the game focuses on how berries are used in battle. And if you collect enough berries, you can take them to a Berry Blender and make a PokéBlock, which is a little super-charged candy that raises your Pokémon's "Condition" attributes. You can then groom your Pokémon for regional contests and compete for ribbons like "Best of Show," which will unlock additional contests. There's even strategy in how to best use your berries: pick too many and the berry tree will disappear; plant berries, though, and a tree will grow. You can also build a Secret Base in special areas of the game, which you can decorate just like you can your room.

And let us not forget that Pokémon Sapphire has a kickin' multiplayer system, too. You can trade Pokémon, and link up to four players for incredible battles. The only downside is that you can't link up with the old Game Boy Color games. --Bryan Karsh

Pros:

• You can control two Pokémon in battle
• Much needed graphic and sound facelift
• Nice multiplayer feature (requires link cable and extra game cartridge)

Cons:

• Can't trade Pokémon with Game Boy Color

Product Description

Pokemon Sapphire takes you into an immersive and more exciting new adventure as you travel and train to become a Pokemon master! You'll have to become a hero by helping Team Magma stop Team Aqua from flooding the world for control of the water Pokemon! Special features like connectivity with future GameCube games Link cable support for up to 4 players Supports e-Reader Only for Game Boy Advance

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get the Facts!, February 6, 2003

By 

Michelle Park "MaachaQ" (Seongnam, Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pokemon Sapphire (Video Game)

There are exactly 386 Pokemon, meaning there are 135 more, not 100. Of course, we don't know how to catch most of those 386 (everyone playing the Japanese games right now can only get a maximum of 200 right now). It is thought there will be another game (Gamecube or another Advance game) you will have to trade with to get all those other Pokemon. These games WILL NOT trade back with Red/Blue/Yellow/Gold/Silver/Crystal.

Some of the best new features of thse games include; a secret base which you can decorate with items collected on your journey, a popularity contest in which you can get ribbons for you pokemon to raise his fame, 2 VS 2 battles (both via link cable and with pairs of characters in the game, including a set of twin gym leaders), and the ability to plant trees to get special nuts & berries. There are at least 7 new legendary Pokemon, and while there are no new types of Pokemon in this game, the new critters have many new abilities to keep gameplay fresh.

These game may not be "all they could be" according to some people, but they are more than worthy successors to the Pokemon saga. We all eagerly await the coming of the Gamecube Stadium game...

73 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gotta catch 'em all... again!, February 18, 2003

By 

Big Daniel McFoot (NEW JERSEY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pokemon Sapphire (Video Game)

Just when you thought it was safe to own a Game Boy Advance, Nintendo announces a brand new Pokemon title.
What we have learned is that -- in addition to a hoard of one hundred new monsters being added, as per the usual -- four player GBA link cable play is being tucked in. How do four players Pokemon at the same time, you ask? Easy: two-on-two battles. With four players (and monsters) involved, the battles get that much more hectic. For that matter, just two players can choose to engage in "Double Battle". That means even with just two trainers present, you can send out two Pokemon at once to battle in a four monster free-for-all.

Beyond that, the Pokedex has been entirely disposed of. It's been replaced with the Pokemon Navigator (of course, it's known as "Pokenavi" for short.) Inside the Pokenavi's copious confines you'll find more than a simple list of Pokemon. You'll be able to see a map of the game's world, and check out what's in different towns you've visited so you can refresh your memory without trekking back there to discover it all again. In a section of the Navi dubbed "Trainer Eye", you'll be able to review your win and loss record, and the inclinations your Pokemon display during battle. You'll be able to check strategies and schedule rematches with other characters.

It seems like Team Rocket finally hung up their hats, because this time you'll be battling two syndicates of Pokemon mischief: Team Magma and Team Aqua. Team Magma will trouble players of Ruby, while Sapphire fans will have to contend with Aqua. The stories of the two games are more or less the same, otherwise, though.

With the addition of new modes, new monsters, and all-new game interface options, it sounds like more than a little care is being put into Ruby and Sapphire to assure fans of an extremely enhanced Pokemon experience.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pokemon Sapphire is a nice piece of work, January 31, 2003

By 

Amanda (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pokemon Sapphire (Video Game)

I have been playing the Japanese version of Sapphire for about 20+ hours now, and I believe I might be able to shed some light on what to expect.

Overview: The game starts out with the ability to choose between a boy and a girl character. Like previous games, you may choose the name of your character HOWEVER you can not choose the name of your rival. After taking care of some basic things, you head out to become a Pokemon master. The same aspects of the previous games once again apply, and of course, Team Rocket(in the form of Team Aqua) will once again try to stop you. The game is very easy to follow and manipulate, so even the youngest fan won't have a hard time becoming a Pokemon master.

Graphics: Unlike Crystal, the Pokemon are no longer given an "intro" animation. While this does reduce battle time significantly in the long term, it might be a dissapointment for many younger players. However, the animation for attacks and item usage has been greatly improved. Certain attacks, like "attract" are now given a greater spotlight and have become long-term status effects. This new addition, along with many other new TMs, will greatly delight even the oldest Pokefan.

Music: The music is rather cheesy. This newest release does feature variations of the battle themes that most G/S/C fans are accustomed to, but the variations aren't incredibly good.

Pokedex: Yes, the Pokedex has once again gone a major upgrade and it will not be a dissapointment. The most interesting feature is that your Pokemon will now be shown relative to your character, giving the player a better idea of how large each Pokemon is.

New Pokemon: If you expect the new release to have lots of cutesy Pokemon, you will be in for a let-down. 186 of the "old" Pokemon are not availble in either Sapphire or Ruby, and as you can not trade with the earlier versions of the game, completing your Pokedex will be impossible until further versions are released. The nice thing is that, until Milo Town(3rd town), you won't encounter any of the old Pokemon. This means that you can not longer rely on familiar faces like Mareep and instead you'll have to adapt to new Pokemon like Jigumaguma. There are 5 Pokemon featured in this game that can not be caught in Ruby; Habunake, Hassboh, Latias, Kyogre and Runatoon. Both Latias & Kyogre are "legendary" Pokemon.

Overall, despite the music and the inability to trade Pokemon with previous versions, this is a great game that will keep anyone busy for hours on end. Sapphire is definetely worth the [price].