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This game is a real nostalgia blast, but it’s not the same old game by a long shot.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, as one could probably guess, are remakes of the GameBoy Advance games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, released over a decade ago.

Obviously, a number of changes have been made to the Pokémon formula since then. If Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were the last Pokémon games you played, you might be surprised at all of the changes, despite the familiar setting.

Barring obvious changes like better (and full 3D!) graphics, more Pokémon (there are over 300 new ones), we’ve listed some of the key differences so you have an idea of what to expect.

Changes since Generation IV (Diamond/Pearl/etc.)¶

All Pokémon moves are individually categorised as either Physical or Special moves - the former runs off Attack and targets the foe’s Defence, while the latter runs off Special Attack and is reduced by the foe’s Special Defence.

Prior to this generation, moves were Physical or Special depending on the type; for example, all Fire-type moves were Special-oriented. This meant if a Fire-type Pokémon (such as Flareon) had high Attack, but low Special Attack, it was kind of screwed when it came to Fire moves.

But now Flareon can learn Physical-based Fire moves, such as Fire Fang to take advantage of its high Attack. This change helps to diversify the moves you want to teach your Pokémon, as you can have Physical or Special-based movesets for all types.

Changes since Generation V (Black/White/etc.)¶

Ruby and Sapphire added Double Battles, which proved quite popular, becoming the standard battle format in the official Pokémon VGCs (Video Game Championships). Black and White add to this mix, by introducing Triple and Rotation Battles .

These battle types are discussed in detail in the Pokémon Battles section, but as you can probably imagine, adding a third Pokémon in battle will lead to new strategies and complications, while being able to rotate your Pokémon at any time will induce many mind-games.

Additionally, many Pokémon now have a third, rarer (and often, but not always superior) Ability, dubbed a “ Hidden Ability “. The methods to obtain such an Ability vary; in this game, you can find these Abilities rarely when sneaking up on Pokémon.

Changes since Generation VI (X/Y)¶

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Mega Pokémon breathe fresh life into familiar faces.

Thought Charizard was the final evolution for Charmander? Think again! By holding onto a Charizardite Mega Stone, Charizard can evolve into a stronger form mid-battle - Mega Charizard, via the power of Mega Evolution ! Dozens of other Pokémon can Mega Evolve too.

Hands up if you ever wanted to stroke a Pokémon? Don’t be shy! Thanks to the magic of Pokémon-Amie , you can play with your Pokémon (any of the 719!) on the bottom screen - petting them, feeding them or just making funny faces. It’s mainly for fun, but that’s what games are for, right?

Actually, Pokémon-Amie is the only way to evolve Eevee into Sylveon, one of the new Fairy-type Pokémon. Fairy-types are super-effective against Dragon, Fighting and Dark-types and immune to Dragon moves, making them a perfect counter for the increasing threatening Dragons.