Pokémon Emerald 386 is basically the classic Emerald experience, but with a twist—you can catch all 386 Pokémon from the first three generations without needing to trade. No more begging friends to lend you their Game Boy for a Gengar or Alakazam.

It still has that sweet Hoenn region vibe—secret bases, contests, the Battle Frontier—but now you’ll actually run into wild Larvitars or Beldums instead of just staring at them in the Pokédex. The difficulty’s a bit ramped up too, so don’t expect to steamroll everything with just your starter.

If you’ve played the original, it’s familiar but juiced up. If you haven’t, it’s a solid way to dive into one of the best GBA Pokémon games without missing out on the full roster. Either way, it’s a good time with way less frustration than the original’s trade-locked mons.