How is this game improved over the original?

Pokemon ruby/sapphire/emerald were my favorite pokemon games and a large part of my childhood and I'm thinking about buying a New3DS Xl when I can find one cheap.

So I get that there is more pokemon and better graphics, what else? Are there new locations in the game we can access? Are more pokemon obtainable in Hoenn? Would I HAVE to own pokemon x/y to complete the pokedex? That would suck. Is the game any longer/harder? Are there people cheating using gamesharks for their pokemon online?

From what I've seen:

-great soundtrack similar to the original

-great graphics for a pokemon game

What else should I know without spoiling anything too much?

Rival is better,
More story elements
Wally is slightly better?
soaring is fun

Delta Episode is interesting.
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-More Pokemon are available in Hoenn after a major story event
-New Locations due to soaring feature such as new islands along with a new post game area
-Technically you can wonder trade and complete the pokedex, but yes you'll need to trade with x and Y to complete the pokedex, if its even possible right now(I never try so I don't know)
-The game is slightly longer, but as someone who played emerald MUCH MUCH SO MUCH FREAKING EASIER. If you use the exp share you'll destroy the entire game without trying, the gym leaders teams don't pose much of a threat.
-Pokegen exists my friend, though I don't really think any of those pokemon are really illegal just designed to have max Ivs and what not;

-More Pokemon are available in Hoenn after a major story event

Awesome, about how many more are available??

-New Locations due to soaring feature such as new islands along with a new post game area

Awesome is it like sevii islands in fire red/leaf green?

-Technically you can wonder trade and complete the pokedex, but yes you'll need to trade with x and Y to complete the pokedex, if its even possible right now(I never try so I don't know)

Hmm do you have to see the pokemon first before you can search it in the global trade station?

-The game is slightly longer, but as someone who played emerald MUCH MUCH SO MUCH FREAKING EASIER. If you use the exp share you'll destroy the entire game without trying, the gym leaders teams don't pose much of a threat.

easier?? darn

-Pokegen exists my friend, though I don't really think any of those pokemon are really illegal just designed to have max Ivs and what not;
sucks

This thread reminds me that I need to finish it...

But it does improve on the original a fair bit. I think Uran above has detailed most of these.

You can  complete the pokedex with xy and oras ! (because you do not need event pokemon)

One bad thing is that there is no battle frontier so in Oras only has one super boss ( Lets ignore the battle mansion)

how would you go about completing the dex if you only owned omega ruby? I don't care too much about event pokemon as I could probably beg someone online to trade them to me. I never cared for the batle frontier so its all good.

I don't really know, but after the event almost every single Pokemon in the game can be found using the sneaking feature. In fact, as soon as I completed the event I was collecting berries and found an eevee.

I wouldn't say its like the sevii islands, you just find an island with a couple Pokemon (only way to catch ditto). Some of them have TMs and streetpassing unlocks more islands. You can usually find some really rare Pokemon on them that aren't on mainland hoenn.

Never used the GTS but I'm pretty sure you need to see the Pokemon before you can trade for it. Wonder trading however could benefit you, when I did it in x and y and transfered a failed mareep and got a perfect IV, Natured and bred Squirtle. which is now my aura sphere using mega Blastoise.

Even without xp share on its easy. seriously, for your sake turn it off as soon as you get it. My friend played with it on and was about lv70 when he finished, in other words the elite 4 weren't even an issue. I still need to rematch them though.

The game is fun though, and the nostalgia hits you like a truck, just remember that if you played emerald, this is 10x easier. They should have given them their emerald teams. I might have lost to normal then but nope, I spammed rocksmash and won. ROCKSMASH -_-

what is wonder trading?

I'm not really sure how the new exp share works I'm out of touch with pokemon haha. my last game was pokemon white 1. They should really have a hard mode on this game >_<

I honestly would not know. I got it on day one and so far I have a level 9 treecko, level 10 litleo (traded from pokemon x) and no badges...I don't think I enjoy Pokemon games anymore.

Try to trade in GTS it is super easy to get pokemon if you use Pokémon that need trade to evolve for exemple evolve a machop and then put machoke on GTS for the pokemon you need .