Pokémon SoulSilver Version (2009)

This is a bit of a tough one. Definitely really enjoyed this, it feels made with such passion and respect for what it is, it's full of different ideas to keep things fresh, with so many things to do. I had such a good time with it, I loved walking around with different pokemon, exploring the beautiful cities, and just enjoying the relaxing and occasionally adrenaline fueled typical Pokemon gameplay.

However this is the first Pokemon game I've played that isn't full of nostalgia for me. I had only played gen 1 and 3 before (as a kid and gen 1 again recently, gen 3 revisit soon), so this was the first time I played gen 2, and the first Pokemon game I played that didn't have me going through Ratatouille moments every 15 seconds because a specific song played. That also allowed me to give this a much more neutral and fair look. And honestly it's made me realize I do not fully love the Pokemon format. Yes it's incredibly addicting for me and full of charm, but it misses a bit when it comes to certain gameplay elements, progression, and story.

This game in particular had the most issues with progression and story imo. While I loved the difficulty increases in the latter half of the game, I feel like everything else just wasn't that fun. Most trainers you'd encounter were almost always weaker than you. Wild pokemon was so weak that it felt pointless to even fight them to train. Gym leaders were pretty inconsistent in terms of being difficult or not. It just felt all over the place for me.

Story wise, I feel like there wasn't much of a story here lol. It's more focused on the experience, which is fine, I mean I loved seeing Kanto after the credits roll for Johto, and fighting Red at the end of everything. It was incredible. But I feel like other Pokemon games have just felt like there is more going in the world. This one just has a quick team rocket side story, that feels very minimal, and then everything else is just running around and visiting each gym. Just feel like more could have been done with it. Even the rival, while having a really cool character growth moment, feels minimally used after everything is over. I'm sure this is just due to the original gen 2 games requiring so much memory to fit both Kanto and Johto that they just kind of let everything else slide.

Also I kinda disliked how many non-gen2/1 Pokemon trainers would have. I know it's meant to be a cool easter egg/adds freshness to the gameplay, but as someone trying to play these games in order, I would have preferred to have only seen the Pokemon that are actually native to the gen regions, at least until endgame. But that's just my silly opinion.

Anyway, all that being said, this is a great game, very fun and beautiful, and shows so much passion and love for the world that I can only hope to continue to see in the future.

I owned the original Pokemon Gold but never finished it. I didn't like the new pokemon, and I was kind of over Pokemon by the time it came out.

I've played other mainline Pokemon games over the years but I never completed any beyond Gen 1 and the Gen 1 remakes. I decided to sit down and finally give gen 2 a genuine chance and I'm glad I did. I appreciate the quality of life changes like rebalancing the Kanto gyms, Kanto trainers, and Elite four rematch. The item screen is well organized. I love the day/night cycles and the new types of pokeballs.

There are a LOT more legendary Pokemon in this game than in Gen 1. It's a joy to go through the Kanto region after finishing Johto. I can't believe how ignorant I was for not playing through the original back in 1999.

I am a pokemon fanatic, and an IRL Pokemon Professor. I love this series inside and out and absorb as much of it as humanly possible on a daily basis. If I had to choose two games of the series that I would want to play exclusively for the rest of time Pokemon Hearth Gold/Soul Silver would be one of them.

This game does such a great job at everything that it sets out to do. The music within the game is as iconic as the original Gold/Silver/Crystal games, and the visuals and slight changes are so effortlessly done that you would only recognize them if you were truly looking for them or you were in your 3rd or 4th playthrough. Lets start with how this game feels visually. It's one of the last 2D games released in the series. I would generously say the game is 2.5D but I digress. The sprites are so beautifully coloured that whether this were your first game in the series or you are opening your DS/Emulator of choice for another playthrough the monsters will stop you in your tracks to admire them. the cutscenes are stunning and give the world life unlike any game that came before and most games that came after. This game, I feel, truly sets the bar for Pokemon games.

The visuals are only ever then enhanced by the sounds and music. Each Pokémon's cry has the chiptune sound that is so synonymous with the early games and I truly, truly love it every time I throw out a mon. The music in each town in both regions invoke the nostalgia that a remake game should, as well as adding in music and sounds from other games in the series such as Ruby/Saphire/Emerald, and Diamond/Peal/Platinum with the radio card attachment for the PokeGear. Using these in game sounds would also have BENEFITS such as making specific Pokemon appear in the grass that were not available otherwise.

Lastly the games features. This was a time before battle based gimmicks took the forefront of Pokemon. While I wish I could Mega Evolve my Houndoom, whom I named Fluffy, It is now refreshing to go back to an older Pokemon game and not have to take into strategic account that a gym leader or my rival might spontaneously change the type of the pokemon they are using or unleash a powerful Z-Move. The menu layout is one of the least obtrusive, in my opinion, and it even evokes the look of the original GameBoy screen with the muted green color. This is just a straight up Pokemon Game and I couldn't want anything else from it.

As one of the best Pokemon main series games and remakes, Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver is a sequel that everyone should experience who loved FireRed/LeafGreen. It introduces us to a new protagonist who wanders through the land of Johto, meets his rival, fights against the injustices of Team Rocket and strides to be the very best by filling his Pokédex, catching legendaries, collecting Gym badges and challenging the Elite 4 and the Champion.

Sounds familiar? It should be. But the real twist comes after the league, as not only Johto, but the whole of Kanto becomes your playground. What's more, you can even add to your arsenal of Pocket Monsters from the third and fourth generations as well. And you will need the very best team, because the final boss of the game will be a real challenge.

And we are still only scratching the surface. There is a brand new Safari Zone with remastered mechanics, a Battle Frontier to challenge your team's limits, roaming legendaries, various contests and mini-games, side missions and rematches with every Gym Leader to beat their ultimate team or win the Pokemon League all over against a more competitive set of Pokémon.

So grab your HM slaves and set your clocks, because filling the National Pokédex won't be a walk in the park. You have to catch, evolve, breed, trade and make your Pokémon happy to accomplish this goal. (Or if you are playing on an emulator, like I did just use a bunch of action replay codes to even have the possibility to access the uncatchable little beasts).

Gotta catch 'em all!

Lana: I LOVE that pokemon follow you in the overworld in this game, honestly it's the best feature ever made in any pokemon game. Sad that BDSP ruined it with wrongly scaled pokemon, in this game theyre actually scaled right (a Gyarados or an Onix is way way bigger than the character in this one). Also the best OST (great for listening when you're studying as well!) and a pretty colorful overworld. Only a bit of a shame of the slow level curve in this game (pokemon in victory road literally being around level 34 is way too low imo). 8.5/10

Rodrigo: awesome soundtrack, great graphics, great story and awesome pokémon. What else do you need? This is everything BDSP wanted to be but never could. Looking at Lugia following us is one of the coolest things ever. Veeeeery good game, honestly on my top 2 of Pokémon. 9/10

p.s. Again, had to cross out the username we use every pokemon game for the trainer character since it's a bad word :(

p.p.s. This was such a clutch moment with forestfire!!! any hit and he would've been dead but he killed the dragonite with rollout of all things lol

Abbreviations:

HGSS-Heart Gold/Soul Silver

GS-Gold/Silver

RB-Red/Blue

RS-Ruby/Sapphire

DP-Diamond/Pearl

Though not my favorite of the Pokemon games, Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are without a doubt in my mind the best in the franchise.

If someone told me they never played a Pokemon game and are looking to get into the series, I would tell them to pick up one of these two masterpieces.

SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU HAVE PLAYED POKEMON BEFORE

For first-timers, Pokemon games are RPG's where there are many playable 
characters called Pokemon. You catch Pokemon by weakening them with your own 
Pokemon in a battle and capture them using a device called a Pokeball. Pokemon get stronger by using them in battles and when they become strong enough, some can evolve into a stronger form, sometimes twice. Pokemon and their attacks 
have a type or element that determines what types or elements they are strong 
against or weak against. For example, Fire-type Pokemon are weak to Water-type attacks and Fire-type attacks don't do much against Water-type Pokemon. Some 
Pokemon have two types. The player assumes the role of a young Pokemon Trainer whose goal is to catch and train Pokemon in order to defeat 8 Gym Leaders 
before challenging the Elite 4 and the Pokemon Champion, all while fighting an evil organization whose members wear matching outfits, making friends and 
rivals, trading and battling other trainers, filling the Pokemon encyclopedia
known as a Pokedex, and searching for powerful creatures known as 
legendary Pokemon. There are more details I can get into but those are the 
basics.

The question is why is are these the best when the newer games have updated graphics, more features, more story, etc. The answer is Content. HGSS has the most game content out of any of the Pokemon games. HGSS are remakes of the critically acclaimed Pokemon Gold and Silver games for the Gameboy that both introduce the player to the new region of Johto, which is home to 100 brand new Pokemon in addition to the original 151 from Pokemon Red and Blue.

What makes GS different from RB is that the Gym leader count is DOUBLED. After beating the Pokemon Champion the player unlocks the region of Kanto from RB with 8 new gym leaders who are all much more challenging than the Pokemon Champion.

This is important because no other Pokemon games other than HGSS and GS can the player visit 2 different lands.

Another thing that is important is that this makes the game much more difficult, which is great considering that most other Pokemon games are pretty easy. What makes the challenge even greater is that after all 16 gym leaders are defeated one last trial awaits the player and is by far the hardest fight in the whole game series.

GS made many changes that improved and added to the winning formula established by RB. GS introduced two new Pokemon-types to balance out the games: Steel and Dark. GS also introduced the concept of breeding, where two Pokemon can be left at a Daycare Center and leave an egg that the player can hatch into a new Pokemon.

A new stat was added called Special Defense to fix the broken "Special" stat from RB. The iconic and extremely rare color-swaps of Pokemon called "Shiny Pokemon" were added.

A day and night cycle was implemented, with different Pokemon being available at different times. The PokeGear item that worked as a cell phone and radio that allowed the player to rematch defeated trainers.

These additions and alterations and many more are what made GS a large step in Pokemon's evolution as a game series. HGSS takes the foundation that GS has laid and updated in a way that made it much better experience. Most obvious is the graphical overhaul with the changes to the sprite art and animations.

The next big step up was the platform the game is for: The Nintendo DS. Trading and battling can be done wirelessly and over the internet. The game is compatible with the last few games, including all of the new Pokemon that has been released since then. The two screens allowed for a more intuitive menu system. Gameplay-wise, the game is up to date and smarter. Moves are separated into Physical Moves and Special Moves like in DP and Pokemon Natures exist like in RS.

The depth is there for the competitive meta that the fourth generation of Pokemon games is known for. My favorite change is a small but super impactful one. The Pokemon that is first in your party follows you in the overworld and you can interact with it.

This feature was never seen again in Pokemon since (Let's Go doesn't count). Just having a partner behind you all the time was cute to see and brought a smile to my face every time. Another neat addition was the Pokeathlon: a competition that tested your Pokemon's athleticism in the form of fun little minigames.

Again, hasn't been included in a Pokemon game since. Pal Park was added and just like in DP, you can transfer Pokemon from Generation 3 Pokemon games to HGSS. The Safari Zone also changed, giving the player the ability to swap in and out different biomes to catch different kinds of Pokemon. One curious aspect of HGSS was the accessory it came with and that was a pedometer. Yeah, the little thing that your mom clips to her waistband to count her steps.

This was the PokeWalker and it allowed players to transfer a Pokemon from HGSS into the PokeWalker. When walking around with the Pokewalker, the Pokemon transferred would gain experience with the steps, wild Pokemon could be encountered, and items could be found and all put back into HGSS.

I lost mine pretty early on and don't remember using it all that often but I would lying if I said I didn't want a new one. The funniest thing about the PokeWalker is that it was researched at the time and discovered to be the most accurate pedometer the world has seen up to that point. VERY WEIRD. Other Features unique to GS made a comeback, like using Apricorns to craft PokeBalls and participating in the Bug Catching Contest in National Park every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

The only complaint I have with the game is the complaint that I have with most Pokemon games: the story is elementary. Granted, the story and characters are better than RB and it has great fanservice moments when you meet characters from RB and see how they've changed.

So overall it's still an improvement over RB. In conclusion, Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are the paragons of the Pokemon experience. They improve and update the series in meaningful ways while not falling into the traps that recent entries have by keeping the simplicity and charm of the original games intact.