Pokémon Omega Ruby

Though Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are remakes of games from the third generation, they retain changes made in later generations, such as the type split from the fourth generation and unlimited TM usage and triple battles from the fifth generation. They also retain gameplay features introduced in Pokémon X and Y, such as Mega Evolution, Pokémon Amie, Super Training and the Player Search System. The games introduced a unique mechanic for Kyogre and Groudon dubbed "Primal Reversion", akin to the broader Mega Evolution feature. The games also let players ride Latios or Latias to "soar" above Hoenn to travel, with some in-game areas being exclusively accessible through this feature.

The setting and story of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are largely the same as the original Ruby and Sapphire games. It begins with the player character riding in the back of a moving truck, who is relocating to the Hoenn Region from the Johto Region with their mother, as their father Norman has been hired as the Petalburg City Gym Leader. The player arrives with their parents at the family's new home in the village of Littleroot Town, on the southern edge of the main island. The player character begins their Pokémon Trainer journey by saving Professor Birch, the leading professor in the Hoenn Region, from a wild Poochyena, choosing either Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip to defend him.

Following the defeat of the wild Pokémon, the player receives the chosen Pokémon as their Starter Pokémon. The player then travels around Hoenn to complete the Pokédex and battle the region's eight Gym Leaders.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire received generally positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the games received strong approval, being recommended by 89% of critics. GameSpot's Peter Brown praised the 3D visuals and the super training mechanic, but believed the game failed to fully resolve general issues in the game formula. IGN's Kallie Plagge also praised the game's 3D reinvention of Hoenn and online functionality.

Plagge was, however, critical of the over-abundance of HMs needed to play the game as well as the perceived imbalance favoring Water-type Pokémon and the reliance on water-based routes. She remarked that while the Dive feature was novel in the original release, it had since become tedious.