Excellent, I've been looking forward to this!
• BGB complains that the ROM checksum fails, but it plays correctly. I patched the same Crystal 1.0 (UE) ROM that pokecrystal builds by default.
• The intro music and Sunset Bay music fit right in with the standard tracks. Kind of surprised there wasn't a custom title theme too.
• Changing your clothing color works perfectly! (The overworld part, at least; the trainer card doesn't update yet, nor does the Town Map icon.) I like how you fit in eight colors, with darker nighttime hues, and the change SFX are appropriate.
• I mixed up Cap'n Stern and his brother Abner; Mom said that Capn' Stern was looking for us, but then his brother is the one giving out Pokémon, and they're both doing so in lieu of Prof. Spruce from the intro. What about if their dialog started with "ABNER:" or "STERN:"?
• Cool physical/special split icons!
• I hope the lighthouse will be more explorable later.
• Thank you for making Berry trees tile-based since there's no PAL_OW_TREE.
• The guard complains I don't have a Pokégear and won't let me onto Route 1, but I always had one, along with a Map Card.
• Can you move the
day-of-week box to the very top-right corner?
• Tucking Berry trees into the very corners makes them less noticable; maybe
relocate them a bit?
• Glint City is beautifully designed. Not even by devamping later-gen tiles, just by using what already works in Gen 2.
• The NPCs are creatively done. It's neat how many of them have overworld Pokémon, and the dialog isn't just filler or copied from other games.
• The guy studying the tree who gives us a Library Card seems like he'd be a recurring character. Is that so? Will we learn his name? Edit: …oh, he's the Gym Leader. IMO this could be a more obvious connection. Like, he gives you his name when you first meet, or the librarian says you can't battle because the Leader's out studying, not because you need a Card. (The connection would also be clearer if we saw his front sprite in the grove, and then recognized him sitting in the Gym.)
• On the one hand, Gyms with extra functions are a neat concept from Gen 5. On the other hand, the standard Gym music sounds too rowdy for a library. A quiet remix would be great here. (Also, I like the library/Gym floor; a simple design, but still a refreshing change from the default tilesets.)
• All the Gym bookshelves have "Pokémon magazines". Seems like a good opportunity for custom book titles.
•
Smeargle's sprite is corrupt. Maybe an issue with how I patched it? (Those a great choices for a Normal gym, BTW.)
• Level 16 Dragon Rage makes battles too easy.
• Right after Gym 1 is unusually early to get Surf. I like it! Although it's usually used to block off early areas so backtracking will feel more rewarding. Will Waterfall play that role here?