Preamble: This isn't a review. It doesn't contain critical analysis, just the subjective opinions of one person. The intent is to remember the games I've come across in my life and share the nostalgia, nothing more. And some of those games I didn't play in great depth.
Well, with StarCraft out of the way we can move on through memory lane unobstructed. I think the zero comments and rating of "1" says it all
Pokémon Gold/Silver
Developer: Game Freak Platform: Gameboy Release Year: 1999 Impact on my life: 8/10 Impact on the world: 8/10 Game rating: 7/10
==== Real men play Pokémon ====
Basic Plot
As with every other Pokémon game ever created, you start as a young boy who lives in a small town with your mum (mom if you're not from NZ). You then get given a Pokémon by a professor, and then (with the blessing of your mother) you venture out alone into the world with your Pokémon for the adventure of a life time.
You find, battle, catch and train Pokémon, battle other trainers, and uncover an evil plot by an organisation with the prefix "Team".
Eventually you battle the Elite Four and become Champion.
(This is literally the story of every Pokémon game).
In this particular generation (generation II) the game includes the new area of Johto as well as the original Kanto from Pokemon Blue and Pokemon Red. There are 109 new species of Pokemon to catch. The player starts in New Bark Town, and the villains are Team Rocket.
Gameplay
Pokémon is a blend of a role playing game with a collection game (like the card equivalent). The world is inhabited by hundreds of species of Pokémon who each have different types and moves, as well as a unique aesthetic and back story. Pokémon can be caught in the wild, or traded with other trainers.
The game pans out in two main views. There is a top town exploration view which most of the game is played out in, and then a special face to face view for battling other Pokémon and trainers.
A Pokemon battle.
A player can carry around a team of up to six Pokémon at a time. They use this team to engage in Pokémon battles, or to battle wild Pokémon (usually to try and catch them). They can also store a vast number of additional Pokémon in their computer system. That's one of the things about the game - Pokémon can be stored in little balls called Pokéballs, and can also be stored in a computer system. It doesn't really make sense and it breaks the laws of space and time but just go with it.
Pokémon have one or two "types". This essentially makes a Pokemon battle like a vastly complicated games of paper/scissors/rock. For example; a water type Pokémon takes less damage from a fire type attack, but will incur extra damage if a grass type move is use against them. There are many types including water, fire, grass, electric, ghost, psychic, rock, ground, bug, fighting, normal, dark to name a few. On top of that, some Pokémon have two types. For example; Bulbasaur is a dual type grass/poison Pokemon. The strengths and weaknesses are melded together.
It's not as simple as that, however. A Pokemon who tries to use a move which is not their type (for example a water Pokémon using a fire move) does the standard amount of damage for that move. But a Pokémon using a move of their type (for example a fire Pokemon using a fire move) does 50% additional damage.
Pokémon types are not all equal either. For example, the grass type is renowned for being impracticle and weak in the game as it is weak against a lot of types (fire, rock, ice, bug, flying...). In comparison the dragon type is only weak against ice type moves (EDIT: and Dragon type moves, thanks (The Doctor)).
Not all Pokémon are equal either. Pokémon have a certain number of attributes they can obtain by reaching level 100, and some Pokémon can attain much higher levels of these than others. This depends primarily on the species, but there is some random variation based on their "nature"(not introduced until Generation III - thanks xxpack09) and other effects which are decided when the Pokémon is first encountered (or bred).
Berries became quite a big mechanic in other games. I have always hated them.
Another important mechanic in the game is evolution. Many species of Pokémon have one or more evolutions, while some do not. For example; when Bulbasaur reaches level 16 he will evolve into Ivysaur who is like an ugly but stronger version of the original. Again when Ivysaur reaches level 32 he will evolve into Venusaur which is uglier but stronger again. You can stop a Pokémon from evolving if you want.
One of the things that makes the game addictive is the collection aspects. You are given a "Pokédex" which is a list of all the Pokémon you've found in the world. It's human nature to want to complete the list... to catch them all. Doing so, however, is exceptionally difficult, particularly due to the next point.
Another important thing is the concept of "event" and "legendary" Pokémon . Legendary Pokémon are one of a kind Pokémon that are often part of the game's story. You can catch them, but they're difficult to catch and often require breeding special Pokémon who have moves that assist you in the catch (moves that put other Pokémon to sleep, paralyse them, stop them escaping, etc). They are usually extraordinarily powerful and hard to find. Another kind of Pokémon is an "event" Pokémon , which you can't find in the game, but you can obtain by attending a Nintendo event. That is, going in person to a place where a staff member from Nintendo will transfer you the Pokémon. Nowdays they do events over wifi, but at the time of this game it was all in person.
(As a side note; I have a friend who has Pokémon White, and as of a few weeks ago he had traded or caught every single Pokémon ever released by Nintendo... insanity).
Another really interesting mechanic is the idea of "shiny" pokemon. They are Pokémon who are an unusual colour compared to most in the species. There is a very, very low chance of finding one, but if you do they can be a collector's dream come true.
Part of the story involves waking up this Snorlax. You can catch him too. - This is actually Slowpoke, silly me; thanks khaydarin9
Positives
The game is addictive. It has a good multiplayer aspect where you can trade and battle with your friends. From this game I remember there was another kind of interaction where you could use the infrared on your Gameboy to send a version of your current Pokémon team to your opponent, who could then battle you (as an NPC) once a day for experience. Very cool. The collection aspect keeps you playing well after the main story is finished.
The mystery of both event and shiny Pokémon is also a real winner for me. It's kind of cruel, to make this almost unattainable thing, but it also makes you want it so much more.
Negatives
The story is arse. It's cliché and childish, and repetitive. I literally skip past every conversation in every Pokémon game I've ever played. The first thing I do is put text speed to max.
The game itself becomes very repetitive. Training up Pokémon is just like grinding dungeons in World of Warcraft: it's not enjoyable at all, but you do it to obtain something, which is actually just part of a game, so it's pointless.
Memorable Moments
My brother and I both had Gameboy Colours. I had Pokemon Gold, he had Pokemon Silver. We traded, battled, and had a grand time.
My favourite Pokémon was my Kabutops.
What was your memorable moment from Pokémon Gold or Silver? (even Heart Gold or Soul Silver, as they're essentially the same game but updated).
You call yourself nostalgic for this game but you can't remember that natures weren't introduced until gen III???
I played the hell out of gen II when it came out--I was the perfect age to get really into it. Now, thankfully, the game has evolved competitively enough for gen IV/V to still be interesting to me now!
On August 29 2012 05:58 xxpack09 wrote: You call yourself nostalgic for this game but you can't remember that natures weren't introduced until gen III???
I played the hell out of gen II when it came out--I was the perfect age to get really into it. Now, thankfully, the game has evolved competitively enough for gen IV/V to still be interesting to me now!
Fuck the bug catching contest where it would take me literally an hour to find a pinsir/scyther and my friend 2 minutes and it would always run away/kill my poke before i could even catch it...
or when you do get one and you get 3rd place because the random computer generator says the 1st and 2nd place's scyther is much prettier than yours LOL
I feel obliged to point out that that is not the Snorlax that you have to catch T_T That is the Slowpoke, which was a subject of a whole different subplot. Details, details.
Also, wtf, get a Machop/Machoke, guys. Deals with the Normal Pokemon ezpz.
I remember everyone else complaining about the Miltank, but I never had any trouble with it. I must have got lucky with a crit or missed Rollouts or something the first time I faced her and thought nothing of it at the time.
Miltank was always one of my favourite Pokemon too.
always bellsprout never notbellsprout Pokemon Crystal was the first game I ever owned. I remember locking myself in the bathroom and playing for two hours in a row. My parents thought I was very constipated.
On August 29 2012 11:52 Mawi wrote: Remember getting entei shiny was like WAT the f*ck!!! all my friends were jelly I was the coolest kid at my school felt so good man.
YOU WHAT!?! That's INSANE! The chances are 1/8192 of finding a shiny in any encounter... and you happened to find it on a legendary? That's so awesome. I am really jealous! Shame you can't transfer from Generation II --> Generation III.
I've found two shiny's in my life; both in Pokemon Platinum. One was a shiny Shinx (becomes Luxray) who is golden, and is my favourite Pokemon of all time... the other was a Roselia... which is like the worst Pokemon ever. The Shinx was so exciting because I found it near the start of my game, and he stayed in my party right through the Elite Four, and beyond. He is in my party in Pokemon Black now.
On August 29 2012 08:14 FragKrag wrote: you were all fucking horrible at pokemon
Lol, think so too. I never had any problems beating any of the trainers or whatever...ok, I think I failed when I faced Blue(or Red(the guy in the cave)) for the first time.
On August 29 2012 08:14 FragKrag wrote: you were all fucking horrible at pokemon
Lol, think so too. I never had any problems beating any of the trainers or whatever...ok, I think I failed when I faced Blue(or Red(the guy in the cave)) for the first time.
Red's goddamn Snorlax. I almost always never train Fighting Pokemon. They look ugly as fuck, so whenever I come up against a beefy Normal-type, it's just brute force from me or non-STAB Fighting-type attacks.
Also love some of the flaws gamefaqs users thought up relating to the game:
Day 4268 - Roxanne (Pokemon) - The only first gym leader that can be at a type disadvantage regardless of starter chosen. / Tried to make Nosepass use Hyper Beam.
Day 4172 - Morty (Pokemon) - Didn't have the one new ghost pokemon of the region in his party.
Day 4171 - Falkner (Pokemon) - "No! my father's precious Pidgey and level 9 Pidgeotto!"
Day 4170 - Janine (Pokemon) - The only Kanto gym leader whose pokemon get weaker as you go forward into the game as opposed to higher compared to the previous gym leader, wut.
Day 4167 - Bugsy (Pokemon) - He looks so much like a girl that even in-universe people mistake him for one (Gold from Pokemon Special) / LEVEL 14 KAKUNA AND METAPOD? THEY DON'T LEARN ANY MOVES AFTER LEVEL 7. THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO LET THEM EVOLVE INTO BEEDRILL AND BUTTERFREE AT LEVEL 10. ARE YOU AND EVERY OTHER BUG CATCHER TRYING TO LOSE THE GAME?
Day 4166 - Agatha (Pokemon) - Has the misfortune of being a ghost type specialist in the generation where ghost only deals double damage against itself and all Ghost types are dual typed with poison making them easy targets for the unbalanced Psychic types.
Day 4165 - Bruno (Pokemon) - Completely genre blind. In a game where Psychic types were overpowered and every other pokemon could use Surf, his solution was to build a team of Fighting and Rock/Ground types. How did he even qualify to be elite anything with a team that any random 4 year old boy could destroy?
Day 4164 - Clair (Pokemon) - Sore loser.
Day 3997 - Starter Pokemon (Pokemon) - Fire, poor Fire, recycling that Fire/Fighting combo for 3 generations. At least Grass and Water change it up a bit. / Somehow always at a type disadvantage against your rival. / Fire/Fighting Water/Awesome Grass/Lamestats
Day 3908 - Pokeball (Pokemon) - Instead of using the technology to revolutionize transportation/shipping, putting people with terminal illnesses into stasis until a cure has been made, or any number of other uses turning mass into energy may entail, the technology is exclusively used for glorified cockfights./ Three years after its invention, Master Balls still aren't mass-produced. / A + B + DOWN / UP
...but it does nothing
Day 2882 - Metagross (Pokemon) - A whoppin' Catch Rate of 3 and what does everyone use it fo-EXPLOSION / To even get one you have to:
A: Beat R/S/E, a ~20 hour jRPG, get its discarded arm as a present, import it to whatever you're playing, and evolve the arm. B: Beat D/P/P. Fight its discarded arm that only knows how to do suicide tackles in a desert that constantly inflicts passive damage on your Pokemon. Oh, and it has the lowest existing catch rate, tying with Mewtwo and the other Pokemon near the end of the regional Pokedexes that took a crapton of Pokeballs to catch. And it's completely random whether or not they even start popping up in the desert, and it's only for a IRL day if they do. C: Beat HG/SS, put some specific crap in a specific area of the Safari Zone, wait an IRL month then deal with the catch rate thing but now you can't even weaken its two discarded arms taped together."
And the first one is the quickest one. Well, you can trade for a Fortress in HG/SS, but seriously, it's like they want you to go through as much **** as possible.
Day 2861 - Eevee (Pokemon) - Does not have a Dragon evolution... yet.... / Forever confusing beginner trainers when they're told to do EV training and come back with a team full of Eeveelutions.
Day 2819 - Lt. Surge (Pokemon) - Doesn't wear a flag on his head...in America / Didn't cameo in B&W, even though Unova is based on America / Doesn't have a theme that goes with everything / Didn't go home to be a family man.
Day 2432 - Johto Elite Four (Pokemon) - The Champion of Johto is 12 levels lower than the final Elite Four of Kanto.
AND IT'S THE SAME GUY!
Day 2335 - Jasmine (Pokemon) - Trained her Steelix to use Sunny Day...
HG/SS Special 1 - Lance - Gyarados, Aerodactyl, 3 Dragonite, and a Charizard. IT'S TIME FOR SOME STONE EDGE TARGET PRACTICE! / Has a Level 47 and level 50 Dragonite in Johto, when it evolves at 55. So in the transition from Kanto to Johto, he became a hacker. And made his Pokemon WEAKER as a result (his Dragonite was Level 62 in Kanto). He's either doing it wrong, or this is Nintendo's commentary on hackers.
HG/SS Special 2 - Arceus - Is a two-man paradox with Mew. Arceus is a pokemon that supposedly created the universe, yet all pokemon are said to have descended from Mew.
HG/SS Special 3 - Johto region - You fight yourself from versions Red/Blue only to realize how much the you from Red/Blue sucks.
Day 2187 - Brock's Father (Pokemon) - Couldn't cut it as a Pokemon Trainer so he turned to selling rocks to support his family.../Taught Pikachu how to damage ground Pokemon with electricity.
Therefore, his main purpose in the series was to teach kids to cheat.
Day 2183 - Celebi (Pokemon) - The rarest damn Pokemon in the game, seriously is there ANY way to get this guy without cheating?/Will be overshadowed by Dialga in terms of being a time traveler FOR ALL TIME
Day 1904 - Legendary Birds (Pokemon) - Their names blew millions of minds. / They were stupid and got captured by a guy who collects Pokemon cards.
Day 1891 - Magikarp (Pokemon) - "Magikarp, use Hyper Beam! What the **** you mean you don't know Hyper Beam? Well just use a Splash attack!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5-2fkHbCkY) / Because of the sheer survival of it's species despite being the weakest pokemon in existence makes it possible THE example of "Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass". Now if it only would stop hiding...
Day 1783 - Professor Oak (Pokemon) - He serves as nothing more than a dumping ground upon which young boys release the contents of their balls / http://www.vgcats.com/super/?strip_id=4 / He came when he heard that you beat the Pokemon League (http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/231/107847121108861.jpg)
Day 1698 - Kanto Pokemon League (Pokemon) - Elite Four? More like the Elite Four-gotten. / The greatest pokemon masters in the region, beaten by a ten year old from a no-name town who had been training pokemon for a few months. Twice. In a single day.
Day 1463 - Ho-Oh (Pokemon) - OT switched in Ho-Oh! Pointed stones dug into Ho-Oh. Ho-Oh lost 50% of it's health / GIANT FLAMING CHICKEN!
Day 1462 - Lugia (Pokemon) - Is Psychic and flying when the Psychic part makes almost no sense whatsoever and he learns like 4-5 water moves. / Almost got beat by a guy who collects Pokemon cards.
Day 1458 - Scizor (Pokemon) - Tried to finish it off with False Swipe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA8BnqjDB4Y)
Day 1210 - Giovanni (Pokemon) - Ground-themed gym without one Pokemon with Earthquake? Lol.
Day 1193 - Jigglypuff (Pokemon) - Only knows one song / Lost her awesome green bandana in Brawl. WTF Nintendo?! Sakurai: *laughs*
Day 858 - Brock (Pokemon) - He has a Nurse Joy fetish and sounds like Kaiba from Yugioh. Screw the rules, he has green hair / His Onix jobbed to a Pikachu. A thunder Pokemon. Onix is rock/ground... wut.
I remember playing all these games when I was younger, but I had no idea what I was doing other than linear progression. Didn't know about water types, grass, etc. All I remember is waking up Snorlax with a flute or something so I could go through the path with my bike.
Ah yes, this game will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember being really confused with the introduction of breeding in Gold/Silver--it seemed kind of sick that I could force my Pokemon, who were so near and dear to me, into producing offspring (until I figured out years later that you can breed for moves and moods that effect stats. Totally worth it).
Oh, and Dragon is also weak against Dragon! :D
Did anyone else, in their young and naive state, teach their Pokemon all the variants of a single-type move (ex: Blastoise had to know watergun, bubble, bubblebeam, and hydro pump, just like in the show!)?
On August 30 2012 06:50 (The Doctor) wrote: Ah yes, this game will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember being really confused with the introduction of breeding in Gold/Silver--it seemed kind of sick that I could force my Pokemon, who were so near and dear to me, into producing offspring (until I figured out years later that you can breed for moves and moods that effect stats. Totally worth it).
Oh, and Dragon is also weak against Dragon! :D
Did anyone else, in their young and naive state, teach their Pokemon all the variants of a single-type move (ex: Blastoise had to know watergun, bubble, bubblebeam, and hydro pump, just like in the show!)?
I never did that, but I know what you mean about the sentimentality of the game... sometimes I did things or chose Pokemon who were clearly not the strongest choice, but I'd grow an attachment to them. For example; my shiny Luxray in Pokemon Platinum; I EV trained him for Special Attack which is really a bad stat for him but I had this obsession with the Thunderbolt move because back in the day when I played Pokemon Blue I had a Raichu who used Thunderbolt and pwned everything.
EPT
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