The original Pokemon Gold and Silver were undoubtedly some of the best games put out by the franchise. Now, 10 years later (to the exact day), we see the release of their remakes; HeartGold and SoulSilver. While all the hardcore fans will be picking up this game regardless, the rest of you feeling the nostalgia kicking in are wondering whether you should take a trip back to Johto. Without being all fangirlish, the answer is simply yes.

 

 

 

Right off the bat, the graphics have dramatically improved from the originals and follow the similar two-dimensional style of Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. This, in combination with the vibrant colors and more realistic character designs, make the games much more appealing and fresh. Having your lead Pokemon follow you around is absolutely adorable! I think some of their reactions when you interact with them are so cute.

 

 

 

The music has also significantly improved to the current generation's standards, but to you old timers you'll still be able to recognize the old tunes as you're traveling through the towns and routes. The cries of the Pokemon themselves haven't improved that much, but you won't be hearing any complaints about that from me. As always, the difference between the two versions are mainly what Pokemon you can catch. For instance, those with HeartGold will be able to catch Ho-Oh at an earlier stage of the game and vice versa for SoulSilver with Lugia instead.

 

The gameplay itself still remains the same; you catch a bunch of Pokemon, travel across the land battling trainers, gym leaders, and eventually the Elite Four. You then hope over to Kanto, battle (most) of the original gym leaders from Red/Blue/Yellow, and then face the ultimate trainer - Red. You'll also be kicking Team Rocket's butt too here and there. Your Pokemon gain experience through battle, level up, evolve, learn new moves..I'm sure this is all fairly familiar to you. The battle system remains in essence the same, but it has been upgraded to reach generation IV standards. This includes an updated movepool, EVs/IVs, natures, and distinction of physical & special attacks. These upgrades cater to the competitive player as it allows for serious customization of a Pokemon's stats and movepool. However, the casual gamer can ignore all of these new features and still enjoy (and beat) the game. I still find the AI easy on the most part, although I will say that the difficulty is definitely a step up from the originals. Be wary of Lance, you have been warned...

 

 

 

Aside from the main quest, HeartGold and SoulSilver provide an unlimited amount of things to do. One of the most noticeable additions to be game would be the Pokewalker, a tamagotchi-like peripheral included in every purchased copy of the game. At first glance it might seem completely useless, but there's a reason why everyone is carrying theirs around with them. It works by picking a Pokemon to transfer over and then selecting a course for it to "walk" through. As you go about your day (i.e. walking/running all over the place), your Pokemon may encounter items and even wild Pokemon to battle/catch. After you're done, you gain a certain amount of 'Watts' which can be used to unlock more courses. This is a great way to catch new Pokemon otherwise inaccessible to the main game, and for your Pokemon to gain experience. Plus, it gives you a reason to put the game down once in awhile.

 

New additions to the side quests in the game include the Pokeathlon, which host several athletic competitions for your Pokemon to participate in. These events have huge integration with the DS touch screen, and is definitely a rewarding and satisfying experience.

 

 

 

The Safari Zone also makes a triumphant return, and brings with it the capability to customize the zones within the park. This allows players to catch different kinds of Pokemon depending on the areas they've selected. New additions brought over from Platinum include the Battle Frontier (to replace the Battle Tower), and the capability to trade/battle over Nintendo WiFi Connection. However, players can still familiarize themselves with the classic side quest activities such as the Bug Catching Contest, Game Corner, and numerous other daily events. This prevents the game from feeling stale and rewards players if they choose to take a break from battling or training.

 

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are definitely one of the best Pokemon games I've ever played, and one of the better games available for the DS. The developers have not only taken the original classics and drastically improved the graphics, but have also added so many layers of depth in terms of side quest activities that extend the gameplay far beyond beating Red. With WiFi capabilities, endless in-game activities, and the surprising usefulness of the Pokewalker, expect to find yourself playing for a very long time.