Pokémon Gamma Emerald is the ultimate Gen 3 sequel and it's playable this weekend
After months and months of waiting, Pokémon fans will finally be able to play the ultimate version of Pokémon Emerald.
The Gen III games are widely regarded as some of the best the franchise has to offer, though there’s a case to be made for Gen IV’s Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum as well.
However, even those official releases don’t hold a candle to one of the best fan-made creations we’ve seen in years: Pokémon Gamma Emerald.
If that name rings a few bells, it’s because it’s one of the most highly anticipated Pokémon ROMhacks ever released, and this weekend you’ll finally get to play it for yourself.
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While a demo was made available some time ago, its creator, UndreamedPanic, has confirmed August 15 marks the official early-access launch, and we couldn’t be more excited.
What’s included in Pokémon Gamma Emerald and how to play it yourself
Pokémon Gamma Emerald tells a new story on a mysterious island situated between Hoenn and Sinnoh.
With Pokémon featured from both Gen III and Gen IV, it feels like an amalgamation of the series’ very best. You’ll even encounter some Legendary ‘mon.
What gamers are going to appreciate most, however, are the HD-2D visuals. Pokémon fans have been begging Game Freak to adopt this style for the official games, but with the future of the franchise based on the Nintendo Switch 2, with Pokémon Winds and Waves being the next entries, it seems like we’re stuck in the realm of 3D.
This makes Pokémon Gamma Emerald a glimpse at what could have been, which makes it all the more special in our humble opinion. If official Pokémon remasters/remakes looked like this, we’d be living in a much different timeline.
As for how you can play it for yourself, you’ll of course need a legally obtained ROM of Pokémon Emerald, not one you’ve downloaded online.
If you’ve still got your physical copy from the Game Boy Advance days, you should consider yourself quite lucky, as they cost a fortune on the second-hand market nowadays.
All you’ll need to do once you’ve got your ROM is combine it with Pokémon Gamma Emerald, which will go live on its official website August 15.
Are we getting official Pokémon Gen 3 ports for the Nintendo Switch this year?
While Pokémon Gamma Emerald’s long-awaited launch is very exciting, rumour has it the official games are getting Nintendo Switch ports later this year.
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen received similar ports in February earlier this year and instantly became top-sellers on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
It’s now being said that Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald will be the next games coming to the platform, once again as standalone purchases rather than Nintendo Switch Online additions.
Take that news with a pinch of salt, of course, but given how well FireRed and LeafGreen sold, it was only a matter of time before the other games got the same treatment.
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