Pokémon Ruby on the GBA still holds up—you start off in Littleroot Town, picking between Torchic, Mudkip, or Treecko (I always go for the fire chicken, no regrets). The Hoenn region feels huge when you first step outside, with all these weird new Pokémon lurking in tall grass—Wingulls dive-bombing you, Zigzagoons being annoyingly common. The battles are snappy, and the water routes? Yeah, you’ll get sick of Tentacools real fast.

Professor Birch is your guide this time instead of Oak, but it’s the same deal: fill the Pokédex, take down gym leaders, and somehow end up tangled in Team Aqua’s messy plans. The secret bases are a nice touch—find a spot, decorate it, and pretend you’re not just hoarding Nuggets in a hole in the wall. If you’ve got a GBA or an emulator lying around, it’s a solid way to kill time between Max Repel runs.