and are 2014 remakes of the 2002 Game Boy Advance role-playing video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, also including features from Pokémon Emerald. The games are part of the sixth generation of the Pokémon video game series and were developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. Announced in May 2014, the games were released in Japan, North America and Australia on 21 November 2014, exactly twelve years after the original release date of Ruby and Sapphire, while the European release was the following week. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire received generally positive reviews from critics. As of 30 September 2022, the games have sold 14.53 million copies worldwide. Gameplay Though Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are remakes of games from the third generation, they retain changes made in later generations, such as the type split from the fourth generation and unlimited TM usage and triple battles from the fifth generation. They also retain most of the features of Pokémon X and Y, such as Mega Evolution, Pokémon Amie, and Super Training. The games introduced new features including Primal Reversion for Groudon and Kyogre, as well as using Latios or Latias to fly around Hoenn. When flying around on Latios or Latias, players may encounter "mirage spots". These spots feature Pokémon not otherwise available in the Hoenn region, as well as numerous legendary Pokémon from previous generations. Setting and story The setting and story of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are largely the same as the original Ruby and Sapphire games. They begin as the player is seen riding in the back of a moving truck. The player character starts by moving to the Hoenn region from the Johto region with their mother, as their father Norman has been hired as the leader of the Petalburg City Gym. The player arrives with their parents at the family's new home in the village of Littleroot Town, on the southern edge of the main island. The player character begins their Pokémon Trainer journey by saving Professor Birch, the leading scientist in the Hoenn region, from a wild Pokémon, choosing either Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip to defend him. Following the defeat of the wild Pokémon, the player receives the chosen Pokémon as their starter. The player then travels around Hoenn to complete the Pokédex and battle the eight Gym Leaders of the Hoenn Pokémon League.