Gamertell

Title: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Price: $39.99
System(s): DS
Release Date: March 14, 2010
Publisher (Developer): Nintendo (Game Freak)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Mild Cartoon Violence
Pros: Lots of pokemon to collect, clear crisp graphics, lots of little extras like apricorn collecting and pokewalker training, almost like two games in one (with Johto and Kanto), Pokeathlon is cute, Pokewalker is interesting for collecting extras, Platinum extras like Wi-Fi Plaza, Battle Frontier and Vs. Recorder appear, keeps track of time and date for special events, backwards compatible with Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, PokeGear and menus are clear and easy to navigate, apricorns can be used to make pokeballs, portable berry planter and hundreds of pokemon to collect.
Cons: Pokewalker is easy to fool, Pokewalker occasionally has issues synching up with the DS, and the premise is the exact same as all Pokemon games and you can’t battle trainers you meet in the Wi-Fi Plaza.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 95/100, A, * * * * 1/2 out of 5

In October, 2000, Nintendo released Pokemon Gold and Silver for the Game Boy Color in North America. Now, almost 10 years later, the games have been revived and reborn as Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver for the DS. It’s a welcome arrival, especially since many Pokemon fans may have missed out, and not even been old enough, to play the original incarnations.

Return to Johto to once again become a legendary trainer.

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver‘s story is a familiar one. A young boy or girl from a small town happens to live near a renowned pokemon professor, in this case Professor Elm, and loves pokemon. One day, he have the opportunity to assist this professor and get a pokemon of his very own. After completing a short errand for the professor, it is discovered that he has a talent for working with and training pokemon, and sets out to face all of the region’s eight gym leaders. Along the way there’ll also be bad guys to defeat (Team Rocket), a rival to trounce and finally the Elite Four to conquer.

However, HeartGold and SoulSilver are almost like two games in one. Once you’ve done all that good stuff above in the game’s main region, Johto, players will have the opportunity to return to Kanto, the region traversed in the original Pokemon games, to defeat the gym leaders there and find more pokemon. So you get double the adventure and entertainment!

Pokemon streamlined, smooth and stylish.

Basically, both Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are very similar to Pokemon Platinum. They feature the same graphics style and music ambiance, and have many of the same features. For example, the Wi-Fi Plaza, Battle Frontier and VS. Recorder all reappear. It keeps track of night and day, has special events on certain days, has an incredible number of pokemon to catch and recruit and is pretty much the most advanced Pokemon game out there. So instead of focusing on reviewing all the factors that return from Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, which is all spectacular and works perfectly as it does in all Pokemon games, let’s focus on what’s new.

The first thing you’ll see is that the first pokemon in your party walks alongside your character in most areas of HeartGold and SoulSilver. This helps boost affection with this pokemon, and also looks absolutely adorable. You can even turn around to talk to it, to check and see how it is doing. The only downside is that the first pokemon in your lineup is always the one out, which it is the one that will automatically summon first in battle. It would have been nice to have had an extra menu option in the pokemon screen so you could choose which one would walk with you.

HeartGold and SoulSilver also change how everything in the game is organized and presented. Everything has been streamlined and refined, so every menu interaction and Pokegear function and be easily navigated via the touch screen and stylus controls, if you so desire. (If you prefer to use face buttons, you can.) Every menu option is clearly displayed on the touch screen, along with tabs tp tap to make your character use items like the running shoes or bike. To do anything, you tap the fairly large, clearly marked button that applies to it. It’s all well organized and comfortable to use.

Finally, there are plenty of little extra diversions to participate in, if you don’t feel like journeying around Johto and Kanto, battling pokemon and other trainers. You can take part in sports-themed mini-games with your pokemon with the Pokeathlon. Its a series of cute little games, which can be quite fun and addicting on their own. (I’m surprised Nintendo didn’t decide to release a variation as a stand-alone DSiWare game.) You can also collect apricorns to make your own pokeballs, which adds a whole new collection element to the game. Plus, berry picking and collecting isn’t as tedious in HeartGold and SoulSilver, as you grow berries with you in a portable container, rather than having to wander around the environment looking for proper planting areas and watering.

Playing with the Pokewalker

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver introduces Pokemon fans to a new device called a Pokewalker. It’s a small pedometer that’s included with the game and also acts a bit like a virtual pet. It comes with a clip, which allows you to attach it to your belt, pants or bag. You transfer one of your box pokemon from your DS to the device, and then walk with it to earn watts. Watts can be saved to unlock new routes, or used on an item finder to find items or pokeradar to locate new pokemon to possibly catch. The pokemon you walk with gets a boost in affection and experience. It’s a good day to work on improving a pokemon you don’t necessarily want to bother with in your party.

I found the Pokewalker to be a handy supplemental feature, with only two downsides. First, it’s easy to fool the Pokewalker. You can hold it in your hand and shake it to earn watts. I even found that driving down a bumpy road would fool it. Second, it sometimes has issues syncing up with the DS. For some inexplicable reason, I’d occasionally get error notifications that the signal dropped. It’s easy to solve this issue though - just make sure both the DS and Pokewalker are on a flat, stable surface when syncing to avoid problems.

The perfect way, and time, to reintroduce and remake Pokemon Gold and Silver.

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best portable Pokemon games on the market. They have all of the features one has come to expect from an entry in the series, plus more. In addition, they revitalize games that totally reinvented the series back when they were originally released on the GBC. HeartGold and SoulSilver offer hours of play time in a beautiful, bright and engaging environment. Plus, they’re addicting and easy to pick up and play at any time.

If you own a DS, you’re doing yourself a great disservice if you don’t at least test out Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. After all, there’s a reason why so many people are ardant fans of the series. They are exceptional games on their own, and a wonderful addition to a beloved Nintendo series.

Site [Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver]