Back in ’03, there was nothing I liked better than relaxing on a hot summer’s day inside while playing Pokemon Ruby. After obsessively having played Silver, Crystal, Yellow, and Red, this game was up to my tolerant 8-year-old gaming standards.

Before I knew the Internet existed, I remember seeing this commercial for Ruby and Sapphire and being more excited than I had ever been for anything in my life. Wow 100 more new Pokemon! I could barely believe what I was hearing. The day I got the game (with commemorative Groudon coin), I was so intent on playing that I shut myself off from the world and entered the Hoenn region for hours on end.

For years this game entertained me to no end. When I would beat it to shreds, I would simply start over. When I used all the starters, I would instead use one of the Pokemon from the first few routes as my starters. My Seedot starter team was pretty hard to beat. Ruby had amazing replay value. To this day I still play emulators and find myself vastly entertained even though I know very well what lies in store for me in the game.

About a year later, Nintendo made a very interesting move. They were going to remake the first generation games (Red/Green) for the third generation format on Gameboy Advance. Being such a huge fan of the franchise, I had to get my hands on this game as soon as possible. Luckily, I was visiting my grandparents in Manhattan during the exact time that there was an early release at the Rockefeller Center Pokemon Center. That day we stood in the scorching summer sun in a line of hundreds of people of all ages. The NY Pokemon Center was the coolest building I had and will ever see. After I got Leaf Green, I shut myself off just like I had with Ruby before it.

The strange thing is, I knew exactly how this game was going to pan out. I had played the first generation games dozens of times, yet I was still entranced by the improved graphics and slightly tweaked storyline. What kind of spell does Nintendo have us under?

In 2014, Nintendo is making a very similar move with my beloved third generation games as they revamp them with six generation format capabilities. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire hit stores in late November and should sell millions. Some information has leaked thus far and I am looking forward to the coming months to see what new content may be in store for us this time around.

Here are 7 things to look forward to in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire:

1. New Mega Evolutions

Swampert, Sceptile, and Sabeleye have already been leaked and people wager that both Mightyena and Sharpedo may get them too. It seems several third generation Pokemon may get exciting new Mega evolution boosts, but I wouldn’t put it out of GameFreak’s wheelhouse to give some more Pokemon that appear in the game new megas. It is their own little way to tweak and improve old Pokemon designs in an exciting and effective way. It also just makes some of them look beyond awesome.

2. Pokemon Contests

This feature from the third generation showed that there was much more to Pokemon than battling. It wasn’t a part of the main storyline, but it was a fun mini-competition that had a relatively high degree of difficulty. I had a lot of fun winning contests all over Hoenn back in the day and I wonder what 3D capabilities will do to change the contests from a visual standpoint.

3. 2D to 3D changes

As great as they may have been, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire were constricted to the small capabilities of the GBA in comparison to the 3DS today. Leaks have shown how great the Hoenn region will look in a style similar to Pokemon X and Y. Look for your mind to be blown when this game comes out, as the scenes come to life and pop from their once flat surface.

4. New Gym Puzzles

We may be in store for some gym modifications. The third generation brought some great gym puzzles that made getting to the leader quite rewarding. Fortree and Sootopolis City were favorites of mine as I wracked my young brain trying to figure them out. I wonder if they will keep similar ideas and morph it to 3D or start anew.

5. Elite Four

Back in the third generation, the Elite Four format was exactly the game as the first and second generation. You walk into the room and fight the people. The room is a slightly different design and color to the the type of the trainer you were facing. In the 5th and 6th generation, the buildup to fighting the Elite Four trainers was epic. The 3D was well utilized and showed the physical capabilities of the 3DS properly. Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia, Drake, and Steven will look fantastic without a doubt.

6. Post Game

In terms of the 3rd generation, Emerald brought it when it came to post Elite Four Champion gameplay. Look for ORAS to bring this type of play along and perhaps even the whole Battle Frontier.

7. Underwater

I am very curious to see what the underwater environments will look like on the 3DS. Diving was one of my favorite features in RSE because it showed the true natural environment that the ocean-heavy Hoenn region had to offer. It was pretty simplified back then so I imagine it will look pretty damn cool if modernized.