I love Pokémon, you love Pokémon, everybody loves Pokémon! It's just a simple fact really. Out of all the monster raising franchises to ever come out of Japan in the late 90's, none have survived as long -let alone have become a cultural phenomenon like Pokémon has.
What makes the latest pair of remakes in the series, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver any different than any of the previous games in the franchise's 14-year long history? You will be surprised to find out that the both titles are vast improvements on all the previous iterations in the series - Including the original Pokémon Gold and Silver on the Gameboy Color. To put it simply, the pair are simply one massive Poké-Opus that needs to be played.
If you're familiar with the original Gameboy Color titles, you know the story. 3 years after the events in Pokémon Red and Blue/FireRed and LeafGreen you play another aspiring Pokémon Trainer, this time in the neighboring region of Johto. You explore the region, catch wild Pokémon, foil the nefarious plans of the newly reformed Team Rocket and defeat 8 Gym Leaders, all on your quest to become a Pokémon Master. Eventually after defeating the Elite Four, you can travel across Kanto, the region from the original game and face all the Gym Leaders from the games as well.
It was Gold and Silver that introduced some of the series neater features like the internal clock, shiny Pokémon and the little blue bar that keeps track of your Experience Points. You'll be happy to know those are all still here, just as they were. The unique abilities that each Pokémon possess in later games have also made an appearance here. Some of the new features in the game include the ability to have one of your Pokémon follow you on the map, though nothing special, it is cool to see one of your favorites tagging along behind you. The game is full of simple little improvements, though not necessarily significant, they're fun to see.
Real men choose Chikorita as the starter.But probably the biggest update to the game so far is the Pokéwalker, but we'll talk about that later...
Yeah, we totally stole this off the internet.Apart from the minor improvements I mentioned, the gameplay is the same stuff you've come to expect from Pokémon. It's not necessarily a bad thing, this tried-and-true formula is what keeps the series interesting and the gameplay is still fun and fresh, even after 14 years.
Yes you do my friend, yes you do...The game also benefits from graphical and audio overhauls, thanks to the DS's capabilities. This once again gives the game that revitalizing feel.
Now, let's talk about the much discussed Pokéwalker. It can be seen as either a tack gimmick or a relatively cool feature. Fortunately, it's the latter. Think of it as the Pokémon answer to the Tamagotchi. You export a Pokémon from one of your boxes into the device. Then you walk around. Doing so boosts your watts, which are essentially currency in the Pokéwalker. You can either save your watts to unlock new paths to explore with the device or spend them on two other functions: The Poké Radar and the Dowsing Machine.
Now you can have a giant bird in your pocket! Hell yes!With the Poké Radar, you can get into a fight with a random Pokémon from the area, capture it and import it back into the game. There are several Pokémon that can only be aquired via the Pokéwalker so this can come in handy. The Dowsing Machine is a game of chance, you have two tries to locate an item in the bushes which you can then import into the game as well. Aside from those functions, you can increase the happiness of your companion Pokémon, which is integral for some evolutions. Your Pokémon also benefits from leveling up after every stroll as well.
Though it doesn't revolutionize Pokémon, per se. HeartGold and SoulSilver are probably the most fantastic Pokémon titles to be released since their original counterparts back in 2000. If you haven't already, go out and get one. Now.
- Kyle K.
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