Waldy565 Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:21 pmThis is a real biggy for me, so this review MAY drag on, but I absolutely adore Pokemon, so here...we...go!
Firstly, this is NOT a new game. These two games are re-releases of the classic Pokemon Gold and Silver, released for the Game Boy and Game Boy Colour. Therefore, if you have played these (I had not) the locations will be very familiar. Let's really get into this review by talking about the "places", that is, the region.
Each new Pokemon title has been set in a different region, much like counties in our real-life world. Johto, the fantasy region in this game, is based off real-life Kansai and Western Chubu, in Japan. They are based off two real-life regions due to the other fictional region, Kanto, (based on the real-life Kanto in Japan, more specifically Kansai) opening up to you once you complete the main game in Johto. No doubt about it, this game is MASSIVE. Yet it should be, it is a RPG after all...!
You play as a young boy, or girl, who's quest is to be the best Trainer (A Pokemon Master, according to the anime...). A Trainers job is to catch creatures called Pokemon. Pokemon can range from little ferret-like creatures, such as Sentret, all the way up to massive dragon-like creatures, such as Charizard, or Rayquaza. Trainers have to raise these creatures to be powerful, so they can take on other powerful trainers. A main goal is to beat Gym Leaders, very powerful trainers who give out badges to trainers who defeat them. Collect all 8 badges in a particular region to take on that regions Elite 4, as the title kind of states, these are 4 elite trainers, and will take a lot of power and strategy to defeat. Once these are defeated, the trainer can take on the Champion. Once the Champion is defeated, that Trainer is the Champion him/herself.
Another quest the trainer goes on is to fill up the Pokedex, an item that records Pokemon's data. Filling up this Pokedex gives a special reward, and as so many titles had been released up to HG/SS, the Pokedex was quite the challenge. The Pokedex has two settings, Regional (i.e. the pokemon avaliable JUST in that region) and National (all available Pokemon ever created). The National Pokedex setting is only available after the player has defeated the Champion. With well over 400 pokemon to catch at the time, it was quite the fete! I know my friend managed to achieve it, but then again, he has a lot of time on his hands...
Catching Pokemon involves battling, which is explained here, in the controls. The player is controlled via the D-pad, with A to select and interact, and B to run (when the trainer has obtained Running Shoes, an item he/she gets early from his/her mother). X opens up the menu (where a trainer can see there Pokemon, Bag, Trainer Card and Options, and also how the trainer saves). Y is used to use a selected item, that is, an item in the bag that has been "registered", much like hot-keys in PC games.
Battling is a process much like rock-paper-scissores, in that each Pokemon has a type, and each move has a type. For example, naturally, Fire-types are weak to Water-types. Therefore, Water-type attacks deal twice the damage to Fire-types. However, Fire-types only deal half the damage to Water types. This is denoted by the game stating "It's super effective!" or "It's not very effective..." respectively. There is a lot more strategy then this, but this is the basics, for more, I refer you to Bulbapedia and Serebii, two Pokemon fan sites that are very welcoming and very informative.
Items in the game can range from understandable things such as Potions and Super Potions, to such things as TM's and HM's, which stand for Technical Machines and Hidden Machines respectively. The difference is TM's are one-use items (up to but not including Genereation 5, Pokemon Black and White and their sequels) that are actually attacks that can be used in battle and are used on the Pokemon to teach them. HM's are items that can be used over and over, and can be used outside of battle, such as Fly, which can be used to fast-track to placew you have all ready visited. There are lots of items that can be used strategically, so be sure to check them out when you get this game!
I would review the music, but just search Heartgold music in Youtube and you'll understand why it cannot be pu into words. Lastly, we have the story. The story is the only thing that is different in each game (everything outlined above is similar in each game). This story revolves around the nefarious Team Rocket, who want to take other peoples Pokemon and take over the world and summon that regions Legenday Pokemon, that is, the Pokemon who is on the cover of the games box... I know, not the most inventive story, but there you go, and you as the trainer has to defeat the evil team and they have normally summoned the Legendary Pokemon, so then you have a chance to battle it and catch it. There is however a few side-stories that involve the legendary Pokemon.
So yes, this game is absoloutley amazing and I encourage everyone to gives this game a go. You will pour hours upon hours into this fantastic game. A real stunner, 95%.
Firstly, this is NOT a new game. These two games are re-releases of the classic Pokemon Gold and Silver, released for the Game Boy and Game Boy Colour. Therefore, if you have played these (I had not) the locations will be very familiar. Let's really get into this review by talking about the "places", that is, the region.
Each new Pokemon title has been set in a different region, much like counties in our real-life world. Johto, the fantasy region in this game, is based off real-life Kansai and Western Chubu, in Japan. They are based off two real-life regions due to the other fictional region, Kanto, (based on the real-life Kanto in Japan, more specifically Kansai) opening up to you once you complete the main game in Johto. No doubt about it, this game is MASSIVE. Yet it should be, it is a RPG after all...!
You play as a young boy, or girl, who's quest is to be the best Trainer (A Pokemon Master, according to the anime...). A Trainers job is to catch creatures called Pokemon. Pokemon can range from little ferret-like creatures, such as Sentret, all the way up to massive dragon-like creatures, such as Charizard, or Rayquaza. Trainers have to raise these creatures to be powerful, so they can take on other powerful trainers. A main goal is to beat Gym Leaders, very powerful trainers who give out badges to trainers who defeat them. Collect all 8 badges in a particular region to take on that regions Elite 4, as the title kind of states, these are 4 elite trainers, and will take a lot of power and strategy to defeat. Once these are defeated, the trainer can take on the Champion. Once the Champion is defeated, that Trainer is the Champion him/herself.
Another quest the trainer goes on is to fill up the Pokedex, an item that records Pokemon's data. Filling up this Pokedex gives a special reward, and as so many titles had been released up to HG/SS, the Pokedex was quite the challenge. The Pokedex has two settings, Regional (i.e. the pokemon avaliable JUST in that region) and National (all available Pokemon ever created). The National Pokedex setting is only available after the player has defeated the Champion. With well over 400 pokemon to catch at the time, it was quite the fete! I know my friend managed to achieve it, but then again, he has a lot of time on his hands...
Catching Pokemon involves battling, which is explained here, in the controls. The player is controlled via the D-pad, with A to select and interact, and B to run (when the trainer has obtained Running Shoes, an item he/she gets early from his/her mother). X opens up the menu (where a trainer can see there Pokemon, Bag, Trainer Card and Options, and also how the trainer saves). Y is used to use a selected item, that is, an item in the bag that has been "registered", much like hot-keys in PC games.
Battling is a process much like rock-paper-scissores, in that each Pokemon has a type, and each move has a type. For example, naturally, Fire-types are weak to Water-types. Therefore, Water-type attacks deal twice the damage to Fire-types. However, Fire-types only deal half the damage to Water types. This is denoted by the game stating "It's super effective!" or "It's not very effective..." respectively. There is a lot more strategy then this, but this is the basics, for more, I refer you to Bulbapedia and Serebii, two Pokemon fan sites that are very welcoming and very informative.
Items in the game can range from understandable things such as Potions and Super Potions, to such things as TM's and HM's, which stand for Technical Machines and Hidden Machines respectively. The difference is TM's are one-use items (up to but not including Genereation 5, Pokemon Black and White and their sequels) that are actually attacks that can be used in battle and are used on the Pokemon to teach them. HM's are items that can be used over and over, and can be used outside of battle, such as Fly, which can be used to fast-track to placew you have all ready visited. There are lots of items that can be used strategically, so be sure to check them out when you get this game!
I would review the music, but just search Heartgold music in Youtube and you'll understand why it cannot be pu into words. Lastly, we have the story. The story is the only thing that is different in each game (everything outlined above is similar in each game). This story revolves around the nefarious Team Rocket, who want to take other peoples Pokemon and take over the world and summon that regions Legenday Pokemon, that is, the Pokemon who is on the cover of the games box... I know, not the most inventive story, but there you go, and you as the trainer has to defeat the evil team and they have normally summoned the Legendary Pokemon, so then you have a chance to battle it and catch it. There is however a few side-stories that involve the legendary Pokemon.
So yes, this game is absoloutley amazing and I encourage everyone to gives this game a go. You will pour hours upon hours into this fantastic game. A real stunner, 95%.
More for the pretty colours than anything else!