Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire added 135 new Pokémon.
The two Game Boy Advance role-playing games were the first installments of Pokémon’s third generation. Their new species belonged to the Hoenn region, a setting inspired by Japan’s Kyushu island and region. The games’ version mascots were Groudon for Ruby and Kyogre for Sapphire.
Ruby and Sapphire also introduced abilities, double battles, Pokémon Contests, and a larger multiplayer capacity. Up to four players could share information at once, an increase from the two-player limit associated with earlier games. These additions made the third generation more than a simple roster expansion.
The games were released in Japan on 21 November 2002 and internationally during 2003. They were followed by Pokémon Emerald, an enhanced third version. Remakes titled Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were released for Nintendo 3DS in 2014.