Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (ORAS) brought back the Hoenn region, reintroducing beloved mechanics, and added exciting new features.
Whether you want to start fresh, hunt shinies, or attempt to catch legendary Pokemon once more, resetting your game is required.
There are two main types of resets in Pokemon ORAS: Hard Reset (to erase save data) and Soft Reset (to quickly restart without deleting progress). Below, we’ll guide you through both methods.
How To Hard Reset Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
A hard reset (also called a save file deletion) completely erases your current game data, allowing you to start from scratch.
If you want to reset your adventure, follow these steps:
- Boot up Pokemon Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire on your Nintendo 3DS.
- At the title screen, press and hold Up + B + X simultaneously.
- A prompt will appear asking if you want to delete your save file.
- Confirm the deletion by selecting Yes (this is irreversible).
- Your game will reset, allowing you to start a brand-new journey in Hoenn.
Since Pokemon games only allow one save file per cartridge, this method is the only way to fully restart the game.
If you want to keep your progress but still reset in certain situations (like shiny hunting), consider using a soft reset instead.
How To Soft Reset Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
A soft reset allows you to restart the game without deleting any progress. This is particularly useful for shiny hunting or resetting for legendary Pokemon with better stats.
To perform a soft reset in Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, simply:
- Press and hold L + R + Start (or Select) simultaneously.
- The game will immediately restart without needing to exit to the 3DS home screen.
- Repeat the process as needed if you’re shiny hunting or resetting for specific Pokemon.
Soft resets do not erase progress, so you can use this method as often as you need to reroll Pokemon encounters, starter choices, or gifts without worrying about losing data.
