Hoenn Confirmed! Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Remakes Coming This November

In an unexpected turn of events (okay, we kind of knew it would eventually happen, but didn’t expect it to happen so suddenly), Nintendo has announced that two of its most popular and best-selling games of all time – Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire – are getting remakes this year!

This November will see the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, paired remakes of Ruby and Sapphire for the Nintendo 3DS. The games will feature the cutting edge 3D graphics that fans have seen in the recent installments of the series, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y.

From the official description:

“Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire are a fresh take on Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire… The new titles promise to take players through a dramatic story within a spectacular new world.”

The Greek symbols Alpha and Omega represent the “beginning” and “end” respectively. It’s also interesting to note that both version mascots of the games – Groudon and Kyogre – look strangely different, hinting at possible new ‘formes’ or maybe new Mega Evolutions. More details on the new games are scarce, but the promise of a “spectacular new world” has us Pokénerds excited!

Following the official announcement, the internet exploded into a frenzy.The hashtag  #HoennConfirmed (Hoenn is the region where the games are set) became the #1 trending topic on Twitter. It’s evident that fans are as excited as ever to revisit the games that defined their childhood.

Released way back in 2003, Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire were released to critical and commercial success. They sold over 16 million copies combined, and are the highest selling titles for the Game Boy Advance. Today’s fans have a lot of nostalgia for the Ruby/Sapphire generation, and demand for remakes has been at an all time high, especially since they were hinted at in Pokemon X and Y.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire will release worldwide November 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS family of handhelds. Are you excited? What new updates would you like to see?