Play Pokemon Burning Ruby Online

Pokémon Burning Ruby takes everything you loved about the original Ruby and cranks it up—trainers hit harder, wild Pokémon actually put up a fight, and good luck sweeping the Elite Four with just one overleveled starter. I went in thinking it’d be a nostalgia trip, but that first gym leader wiped my team twice before I had to rethink my whole strategy.

Hoenn still feels familiar—secret bases, surfing routes that go on forever, Team Magma’s ridiculous outfits—but little changes keep surprising you. Some Pokémon got stat tweaks, movesets are smarter, and yeah, there’s at least one legendary I definitely didn’t remember being in the original. If you’ve played Ruby to death, this version makes it feel new again without losing what made it fun.

Just don’t expect to button-mash your way through. You’ll actually need type matchups and held items this time.