The latest in Nintendo and developer Game Freak's updated remakes of classic Pokemon games comes out next week, and in moving to the 3DS Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire should represent one of the most detailed overhauls in the series' history. From top-down retro sprites on the GameBoy Advance in 2002, to fully 3D polygon world in 2014, this is more reinvention than re-release.
This is a larger, more detailed world than the series has ever seen, says Joystiq, giving the game a 4.5 star rating. Thanks to a swath of subtle improvements, exploring the Hoenn Region is more satisfying and rewarding than it's ever been...The core mechanics of Pokemon remain immensely addictive, and Game Freak's latest coat of polish only enhances an already captivating adventure.
A must-buy for any Poké-fan, declares Nintendo Life in a 9/10 review which not only calls the Omega and Alpha an improvement over their retro originals, but over last year's Pokemon X and Y as well. These titles should be considered as games that belong alongside X & Y, rather than successors, it says. They've successfully surpassed X & Y, however, by building on the tremendous features available on the 3DS and pushing new ideas.
It's a 9/10 from Destructoid too. This entry feels like a true next-gen title, reads the review, with all the charm of the Pokémon franchise and just the right amount of features and complexities to have players journeying through Hoenn for years to come.
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are both out for Nintendo 3DS and 2DS on 28 November.