I am an avid Pokemon player, and have been for almost 10 years. I have committed my memory every single one of the 802 'mons, and I have watched a good chunk of the anime and movies. However, because of my spending habits, I was not able to purchase a DS or any of the consequent games until just recently. I decided to buy Alpha Sapphire first, since I had emulated Emerald most, and have just recently finished the main storyline, and am now working to finish my Pokedex. I have decided to make a list of pros for each, emulating and DS'ing, since I have played through basically every main story game except for XY and SM. I can't really make a pros AND cons, because technically each pro is a con to the other:
Emulating:
1. Price
Emulating is completely free, and can play the games with suprising accuracy.
2. ROM Hacks/Customization
This is a huge pro for emulating. ROM hacks and fangames provide a great opportunity for people to show their love of Pokemon with their own bit of creativity, some of my favorites being Pokemon VEGA and Pokemon Sweet Version, both of which I will attach links to.
3. Hacking?
This may not be a pro, but for me I could never really trade with other people because of the limited online capabilities of the emulators, so I was always able to complete my pokedex by hacking version exclusives and trade mons.
DS'ing
1. Graphics/Gameplay
I grouped these together because...Why not? The graphics are exponentially better on 2 and 3DS', and the gameplay is made for the ds's as well. It was hard to play on ds emulators, since the bottom touch screen was usable only through clicking, and a good 3ds emulator is still yet to come out. I just think that the games were made for a DS or Gameboy, so it just suits it better.
2. Online/Player-to-Player Capabilities
One of the most iconic aspects of Pokemon is the online aspect of the games. From trading to battling, this is one of the parts of the game that will never go away, in my opinion. Unfortunetly, emulating lacks this, so after the main story emulating games becomes bland, and I had to vent my battling spirit out on Pokemon Showdown, which is not necessarily bad, but is not the same as on a DS or Gameboy.
3. Ease-of-Access
The DS's and Gameboys are made to be carried around, 'nuff said.
Altogether, each mode of gaming has it's pros and cons, but I prefer the convential way of playing, on my 2DS. That's just my opinion, and it may change in the future, but it just seems smoother, and the way it should be played. Thanks for reading!
ROM hack links:
https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=332437
https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=365959
Emulating:
1. Price
Emulating is completely free, and can play the games with suprising accuracy.
2. ROM Hacks/Customization
This is a huge pro for emulating. ROM hacks and fangames provide a great opportunity for people to show their love of Pokemon with their own bit of creativity, some of my favorites being Pokemon VEGA and Pokemon Sweet Version, both of which I will attach links to.
3. Hacking?
This may not be a pro, but for me I could never really trade with other people because of the limited online capabilities of the emulators, so I was always able to complete my pokedex by hacking version exclusives and trade mons.
DS'ing
1. Graphics/Gameplay
I grouped these together because...Why not? The graphics are exponentially better on 2 and 3DS', and the gameplay is made for the ds's as well. It was hard to play on ds emulators, since the bottom touch screen was usable only through clicking, and a good 3ds emulator is still yet to come out. I just think that the games were made for a DS or Gameboy, so it just suits it better.
2. Online/Player-to-Player Capabilities
One of the most iconic aspects of Pokemon is the online aspect of the games. From trading to battling, this is one of the parts of the game that will never go away, in my opinion. Unfortunetly, emulating lacks this, so after the main story emulating games becomes bland, and I had to vent my battling spirit out on Pokemon Showdown, which is not necessarily bad, but is not the same as on a DS or Gameboy.
3. Ease-of-Access
The DS's and Gameboys are made to be carried around, 'nuff said.
Altogether, each mode of gaming has it's pros and cons, but I prefer the convential way of playing, on my 2DS. That's just my opinion, and it may change in the future, but it just seems smoother, and the way it should be played. Thanks for reading!
ROM hack links:
https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=332437
https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=365959