Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire are the Nintendo 3DS remakes of Ruby and Sapphire (Game Boy Advance, 2002). Released on 28 November 2014 in Europe, they take players back to Hoenn with the additions of the sixth generation: new Mega Evolutions, the Primal Reversion of Groudon and Kyogre, the DexNav, Soaring on the back of Latios or Latias, and the Delta Episode, a brand-new sequel centred on Rayquaza and Deoxys.
Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire?
In Omega Ruby, you face Team Magma, who want to awaken Groudon to expand the land; in Alpha Sapphire, Team Aqua tries to free Kyogre to enlarge the seas. Your Soaring mount also changes (Latios in Omega Ruby, Latias in Alpha Sapphire), as do a handful of wild Pokémon. The rest of the adventure is identical; our fact sheet details the differences.
Playing them today
Both games exist only on Nintendo 3DS and 2DS, as a cartridge or as a downloadable version bought before the 3DS eShop closed in March 2023. Captured Pokémon can move on to Pokémon HOME, and therefore to the Switch games, via Pokémon Bank, whose closure is announced for 26 February 2027: now is the time to transfer your teams.
