Here's how to restart in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Steven Rondina Published 17/05/2022

Pick the wrong starter in Pokemon Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire and want to restart the game? Well, it’s not particularly obvious how to do so, but we can help.

In earlier Pokemon generations, starting a new game was a straightforward affair. Players simply needed to boot the game and choose the “New Game” option right on the main menu. That has gone away over time as the company has opted for fancy cinematics and dramatic title screens rather than the simplicity of years past.

The good news is that while it’s not obvious how to restart Pokemon Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire, it’s also not actually that difficult to do. Here’s how to restart in Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, and what happens after it’s done.

How to start a new game in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Players can restart Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire by pressing up, X, and B at the same time on the game’s title screen.

After booting the game, a cinematic will show water dripping off a leaf, Latios and Latias flying around, and the trainer riding their bike. This is followed by the title screen. Instead of pressing start, if the player presses the X and B buttons alongside up on the control pad, it will bring up a new menu.

This menu gives the player the option of deleting the existing save data on the cartridge. If the player does so, it will allow the player to start a new game.

Players should carefully consider whether they actually want to delete their save data before committing. There is no official way to back up the games’ save data and it is unrecoverable once deleted. The good news is that players are able to transfer any Pokemon they want to keep onto another cartridge either by trading or by using Pokemon Bank. Pokemon on Pokemon Bank can be preserved and transferred to Pokemon HOME, allowing them to be moved to Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, or Legends: Arceus, depending on their species.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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