Generation 3

Timespan: November 21st 2002 - September 27th 2006
Number of new Pokémon: 135
Number of new Moves: 104
Region: Hoenn

Three years after Pokémon Gold & Silver were released, Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire came on the scene. The games were the first on the Game Boy Advance and following buildup in the anime and movies, acted as a soft reboot for the series. Having cut off connectivity from the previous games, Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire provided a fresh start on the series. Adding a massive 135 Pokémon to the series, it changed things up with the addition of Double Battles, Abilities, Natures and so much more.

Pokémon | Main Games | Side Games | Spin-off Games | Anime | Trading Card Game |

Main Series Games

Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire
Release Dates:
Japan: November 21st 2002
North America: March 17th 2003
Europe: July 25th 2003

Console: Game Boy Advance

Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire were the first Generation III Pokémon games. As a soft reboot, it introduced a massive amount of new Pokémon as you played as a new trainer who just moved to the Hoenn region. Your task as usual was to defeat the 8 gyms and become the champion, but along the way you had to deal with Team Aqua or Team Magma, depending on your game, who wanted to awaken the Legendary Pokémon and use them to fulfil their goal. It added a myriad of new mechanics to the series which have become standard to the day.

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Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
Release Dates:
Japan: January 29th 2004
North America: September 9th 2004
Europe: October 1st 2004

Console: Game Boy Advance

Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen were the first remakes of Pokémon games. To make up for the lack of connectivity and missing 184 Pokémon, the original Pokémon Red & Green were remade for the GameBoy Advance. Once again you played through Kanto, defeating Team Rocket, but the games also introduced a new mini-region, the Sevii Islands, which added more to the lore. The games were shipped with a Wireless Adapter, allowing for wireless battles & trades.

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Pokémon Emerald
Release Dates:
Japan: September 16th 2004
North America: May 1st 2005
Europe: October 21st 2005

Console: Game Boy Advance

Pokémon Emerald was the enhanced version of Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire. This game took Ruby & Sapphire and combined the stories, allowing for you to face off against both Team Magma and Team Aqua, both of whom are intent on awakening Legendary Pokémon. This brings it to a head with the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza appearing. This game introduced the Battle Frontier, a group of facilities that put a new spin on battles.

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Side Series Games

Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire
Release Dates:
Japan: May 30th 2003
North America: July 11th 2004
Europe: August 2004

Console: Nintendo Gamecube

Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire is a storage utility akin to that seen in Pokémon Stadium games. Using this, you could store up to 1,500 Pokémon onto one Nintendo Gamecube Memory Card save file at any one time from your Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire games. As you progressed, it would unlock more special event Pokémon for you, up to a Surfing Pichu.

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Pokémon Colosseum
Release Dates:
Japan: November 21st 2003
North America: March 22nd 2004
Europe: May 14th 2004

Console: Nintendo Gamecube

Dropping the Battle Simulator aspects of Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Colosseum changes its course and went for a full story based RPG. This game had you play as a character called Wes, formerly a Team Snagem member, who stole a Snag Machine which is used to capture other trainer's Pokémon. As many Pokémon are starting to become "Shadow Pokémon", the game tasked you with capturing all 48. These could then be sent to the main games. It also had several Colosseums of trainers to face through in modes akin to Pokémon Stadium

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Pokémon XD: Gales of Darkness
Release Dates:
Japan: August 4th 2005
North America: October 3rd 2005
Europe: November 18th 2005

Console: Nintendo Gamecube

Pokémon XD: Gales of Darkness is a sequel to Pokémon Colosseum and has you return to the Orre Region as a new trainer, once again liberating Shadow Pokémon from various trainers. Like before it has Colosseums to face through but also the unique modes of Battle CDs and Battle Bingo. It also had multiplayer features as well as the first appearances in-game of some Generation IV Pokémon

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Spin-off Games

Pokémon Channel
Release Dates:
Japan: July 18th 2003
North America: December 1st 2003
Europe: April 2nd 2003

Console: Nintendo Gamecube

Pokémon Channel was the spiritual successor to Hey You, Pikachu. In this game, you once again looked after a Pikachu, going out on adventures with it, but the meat of the game was the ability to watch TV with Pikachu. The channels included various quizzes, anime and shop to decorate your room. In Europe, it gave you a Jirachi to your main series games.

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Pokémon Dash
Release Dates:
Japan: December 2nd 2004
North America: March 14th 2005
Europe: March 11th 2005

Console: Nintendo DS

Pokémon Dash was the first Nintendo DS game released for Pokémon and had you control Pikachu to race through various courses by using the touch screen to navigate. The courses involved going up on balloons and crossing various terrain to hit markers. If you had a GameBoy Advance main series Pokémon game plugged into your console, then you could also race on courses based on your Pokémon team.

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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team
Release Dates:
Japan: November 17th 2005
North America: September 18th 2006
Europe: November 10th 2006

Console: Game Boy Advance (Red), Nintendo DS (Blue)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team were the first Mystery Dungeon games. This game had two versions, one on the GameBoy Advance and one on the Nintendo DS each with different Pokémon within. This game had you play as a human who had turned into the Pokémon and tasked you with going through dungeons, recruiting Pokémon and trying to find out why you changed into a Pokémon

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Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
Release Dates:
Japan: August 1st 2003
North America: August 25th 2003
Europe: November 13th 2003

Console: GameBoy Advance

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire was the successor to the original Pokémon Pinball and featured similar mechanics. You went through the Ruby and Sapphire tables, once again to capture all the Pokémon in the Hoenn Pokédex. This is done by collecting items and hitting spots in order to activate the capture.

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Pokémon Ranger
Release Dates:
Japan: March 23rd 2006
North America: October 30th 2006
Europe: April 13th 2007

Console: Nintendo DS

Pokémon Ranger was the first Pokémon Ranger game and had you play as a Ranger and go through the Fiore region, using the Capture Styler on the Nintendo DS touch screen to temporarily control Pokémon to help you face obstacles an capture other Pokémon in order to stop the plans of the evil Go-Rock Squad

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Pokémon Trozei
Release Dates:
Japan: October 20th 2005
North America: March 6th 2006
Europe: May 5th 2006

Console: Nintendo DS

Pokémon Trozei was a puzzle game where you had to match multiple of the same Pokémon by shifting rows and columns across the table. In the game, you played as Lucy Fleetfoot as she tried to stop the Phobos Batallion from capturing all the Pokémon by finding them and defeating them in various puzzles.

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Pokémon Anime

Pokémon Advanced

Advance Generation:
On his way to Hoenn, Pikachu becomes ill, which causes Ash to meet up with May, a new Pokémon Trainer who eventually decided to partake in Pokémon Contests. Soon joined by May's Brother, Max & a return from Brock, Ash & May travel around Hoenn in the hope of winning the 8 Badges & 5 Ribbons required to enter the Hoenn League & Grand Festival. May, with her partners of Combusken, Skitty, Beautifly, Bulbasaur & Munchlax, faces her first set of trials with multiple Pokémon contests and the Grand Festival eventually coming in the Top 8 of the Grand Festival. Ash, With his new Partners of Grovyle, Swellow, Torkoal, Corphish & Glalie, Ash faces one of the greatest challenges with his Gym Battles and his 4th Pokémon League Tournement, eventually coming in the top 8.

Pokémon Battle Frontier

The Battle Frontier:
After their travels through Hoenn, Ash, May, Brock & Max decide to travel around the region of Kanto again after Ash receives an invitation from Scott to partake in the Battle Frontier Challenge. Leaving Glalie & Torkoal at Oaks and reuniting with his old Partner Phanpy, Ash is intent on defeating the 7 Frontier Brains and earning the symbols. May, with her partners Combusken, Munchlax, Squirtle & Eevee on the otherhand, still reeling from her loss in the Grand Festival of Hoenn, decides to partake in the Pokémon Contests in Kanto, again meeting with her rivals Harley & Drew. Will Ash defeat the Brains & Will May win the Kanto Grand Festival?

Pokémon Trading Card Game

The Trading Card Game added some new mechanics within the third generation. In it, it added special Pokémon-ex cards which are more powerful but give 2 Prize Cards when defeated.

Set Name Number of Cards Logo
EX Ruby and Sapphire 109
EX Sandstorm 100
EX Dragon 100
EX Team Magma VS Team Aqua 97
EX Hidden Legends 102
EX FireRed and Leaf Green 116
EX Team Rocket Returns 111
EX Deoxys 109
EX Emerald 107
EX Unseen Forces 145
EX Delta Species 114
EX Legend Maker 93
EX Holon Phantoms 111
EX Crystal Guardians 100
EX Dragon Frontiers 101
EX Power Keepers 108