That was back when CGC was really strict. 6/7 holos/exs subbed got 9 and 1/7 got 9.5 
Got the Magmar, Scyther, and Swampert bumped up to 9.5, though, after a bunch of resubs.
Zero pristines, even after resubs.
But yeah, Ruby has weirdly mediocre print quality. Lots of print lines and corner dots. It was much better in e-Series and in later EX sets. Even Sandstorm/Dragon are much stronger.
Although I grew up with Gen 1 & 2 and Crystal/Silver/Red were my first games which I loved, I feel like Gen 3 was the peak of Pokemon games and I got the most enjoyment out of that era
You hit the nail on the head here with the reason for inflated pricing, all that plus just the general collectible nature of anything Nintendo these days. Honestly both GCN games have aged like milk in terms of their 3d graphics, pace of gameplay, and lack of quality of life features that were the standard even in other gen 3 games like Emerald. They are an absolute slog to get through. But I’m here for it. Gen 3 is the best gaming gen for Pokemon and I’ll die on this hill.
Have to admit that I was listening to the Colosseum soundtrack on YT a few weeks ago. THAT is one thing that they definitely got right in those games. Most of the battle themes are excellent and then there are some really nice slower-paced tracks such as the shrine which I particularly like.
Both games are bizarre if you think about how somebody else outside of Nintendo was allowed the develop a major Pokemon game(s) and actually got all the battle mechanics/stats side of things spot on if nothing else. I could never see something like this being greenlit by Nintendo again.
Do you guys think they’ll ever bring the 2 GameCube games to switch on the virtual console or something like that?, been sitting on the fence about picking them both up great games loved them as a kid.
It’s always possible though Nintendo aren’t exactly hot on re-releasing Gamecube games in general and tend to have only focused on the big ones. Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker, Metroid Prime and a few others. There’s loads of their own games from that era that are just gathering dust in their back catalogue.
I know Colosseum and XD are a lot more popular these days but they weren’t regarded as series highlights before. And as far as Pokemon goes, they have yet to rerelease the likes of Firered/Leafgreen on a digital service so you would assume more popular games like those would get priority but who knows.
Lastly, you would THINK Nintendo own full rights to the two games but they were developed by Genius Sonority and not Nintendo/Game Freak. Whether this has a any bearing on whether they can actually do what they want with them, I don’t know.
I would think it would be reasonably safe to buy them but I personally don’t think XD is worth paying $200 or more for. I would investigate emulation to try before you buy. Also, people have developed hacks for the games that greatly expand them. Those might be worth checking out.
Wondering if anyone has any knowledge of the Gen 3 era competitive TCG meta. I’d love to build a couple decks to play with at home.
Was there a format that had a particularly fun meta?
Great resource for vintage meta, check it out
i will never forgive them for their disrespect to helpful metagross
this is so so sick thank you
Yep, this shocked me. I thought that it would be closer to $2,500-$3,000.
It helps that it was an incredibly strong copy. It didn’t look like most CGC 10 Gold Stars to me. I wonder how the surface looks irl.
Miku collab song for the Littleroot Town fans
I know one of you hoes snagged that mawile from me yesterday!!!
Anyway I did manage to grab these 2 on pwcc for the eseries gen 3 collection! It’s been so so much fun building these sets. What great rookie artwork all around on those first 3 sets
I do not know much about the Hoenn region and mon but I have some good memories I will say of it and share them. I know mudkip and treeco and blaziken and the hyena pokemon I don’t know the name. Also wailmer and shedinja and I also know Walrein, his ex holofoil with the silver edges and holo on the edges and the dark and cold look I get from it, it is a top 5 holo of all time. I just only recently found out about it a month or two ago.
When boomerang started re-airing the old pokemon episodes I caught it around master quest around 2011. It moved from master quest to the Hoenn region. The name itself is perfect and reminded me so much of classic pokemon I could not tell the difference. When the narrator said the name I didn’t know if it was a new region or a place in the regions I knew (Kanto/Johto, I was out of interest in pokemon since 2001) so this is 10 years later. The episodes seemed the same as the previous 5 seasons I knew and loved. It was not until one day I caught the advanced intro and realized it was the advanced era of ruby/sapphire. Even at times that may have slipped my mind watching it.
That walrein is one of the coolest ex cards I think. I love the lights in the sky. Legend maker underrated. It didn’t have enough fan favorites to get it into the top status but it’s not lacking for art!
yes I think it is suppose to be the northern lights/aurora borealis, it is not the first time they have done it. It is in golduck fossil as well, but walrein’s does it better. I love anything with the northern lights
I started with Pokemon Blue and Pokemon Gold is probably the game I played the most as a kid, but the 3rd Gen holds a really special place in my heart. I am writing this post because in my most recent Emerald run (I usually do one per year), I decided to do a thing that I always dreamed of as a child: get all the Gold symbols in the Battle Frontier.
Emerald is my second favorite video game (not only Pokemon) of all time (just missing out to HGSS by the narrowest of margins). Right now I have about 75 hours played in my most recent run, completed the Hoenn Dex and just got my second Silver symbol in the Battle Frontier. Currently grinding for my first Gold attempt in the Battle Pike.
In general I got into competitive Pokemon with Gen 3 (this is also the only Gen were I really was into it) and therefore it will always have special place in my heart, because a lot of my teenage years I spent online, battling with like-minded people. Simpler times, good times.
By playing this game more extensively this time compared to my usual playthroughs, I fell in love with so many aspects of the game again and again. It’s the only Generation where it does not matter which starter you pick, because they are all fantastic. And yes, the region has way too much water, but it still is my favorite out of all the Pokemon regions. The desert, Route 113 with all the ash, an active volcano with Mt. Chimney, the rainy routes, a city build in the trees, it’s just incredible.
Last but not least, the music: Slateport City and Fallarbor Town have my favorite themes, but in general the music is awesome and has a great vibe. I really love the 3rd Generation and look forward on dumping dozens of hours into it in the following weeks to achieve my goal in the Battle Frontier.
