OP, of all threads, how is there not a poll with this thread? It would be nice to see which version is winning at a glance.. XD
Wow, I'm a bit stunned that Pokemon AlphaSapphire seems to be loved so much. XD The first Pokemon game that I ever owned was Pokemon Sapphire Version and "Kyogre + Drizzle Ability's heavy rain + Water Spout = delugin' and decimatin' for DAYS", so consequently, I'll definitely be selecting with Pokemon AlphaSapphire Version. :t382: Also, despite me typically being inclined towards Latios' raw power, roaming Latias' design and cry are a bit nostalgic for me. :3 :t380: Pokemon Sapphire Version's box art and cover Pokemon seemed a bit more serene and more "another path"-ish for me when I looked at it...I'm still wondering why I didn't choose FIRE!EARTH!DINOSAUR Groudon to this day. XD Additionally, Hoenn seems to have substantially more water than other Pokemon regions and involves interaction both on top of and beneath water, so a marine-based version seems more fitting. Also, in Pokemon Sapphire Version, the trumpets made me seem like I was underwater sometimes during the adventure (in particular, the use of trumpets in the Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire title screen theme and the "Battle! Team Aqua/Team Magma Leaders" battle theme make the "underwater feeling" most evident, in my eyes). As it stands, the one thing that could make me pick OmegaRuby
If I was to pick today without prior knowledge of Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire, I might've gone with Pokemon OmegaRuby because LAVA/FIRE, the boxart looks absolutely menacing and epic, and "omega" sounds cooler as a title prefix (plus Team Magma's outfits are cooler, and Magma Admin Courtney's on that team.. :P). I'm hoping that Groudon is available in Pokemon OmegaRuby, along the lines of Lugia being in Pokemon Gold/HeartGold Version where Ho-Oh is the version mascot (yes, despite the implementation contradicting what Ruby/Sapphire did originally - Ruby/Sapphire practically introduced the concept of "legendary version-exclusive version mascot Pokemon"), as I'm worried about whether I'll be able to migrate a Groudon from Pokemon Emerald via Nintendo DS Lite, and I really don't want to have to trade for one. As it stands, the one thing that could sway my position from AlphaSapphire to OmegaRuby is the presence of Blazikenite in OR or some other really compelling feature/assortment of legendary Pokemon. Pokemon Emerald seems to represent Hoenn, nicely, in my opinion, but we'll see whether Pokemon OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire can surpass that presentation.
If I had enough money, of course I would buy both versions in a heartbeat (giving more precedence/priority to AlphaSapphire), given that Hoenn is currently my favorite region (with amazing Pokemon to boot) and I know how to navigate it better than some real-world areas. XD