Are R/B still worth playing?

Started by Melua June 16th, 2013 3:00 PM
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Female
Seen June 21st, 2013
Posted June 18th, 2013
22 posts
9.9 Years
This is an actual question, not some kind of statement.
I don't know if I'm right but I think FR/LG are basically the same games as R/B from what I've read. Maybe there's something I've missed and Pokémon have different attacks in the new versions but I don't think so. Yes, there is the "nature" feature and other little thing such as Vs. Seeker (which I like a lot) but the Pokémon are the same.

That being said R/B has a retro feeling to it and nature doesn't get in the way of training. Sometimes I like to keep things simple and I have yet to understand what's so good about natures if you just want to catch a Pokémon and train it, not necessarily EV train it for the game.

I'd really like to start playing either R/B or the revamped versions tomorrow, though I don't know which one I'd like best. I have played both games before and while I love the Vs. Seeker, I found natures to be a big waste of time.
Maybe if I can take advantage of them I'll change my mind, but for now I'm wary about them.

I've also never really bothered with TMs so I wondered if there was a difference between the Blue and the LG TMs.

Sydian

fake your death.

Age 30
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Seen May 22nd, 2022
Posted November 29th, 2021
33,354 posts
15.2 Years
If you're a fan of older games and older music and graphic styles, you should definitely play RB. FRLG are updates of the games, and while I find that most fans prefer them to the originals, I'm one of those people that prefer the originals. I don't think FRLG did RB too much justice as a remake, but that's my opinion. Others will think otherwise, and that's fine. But I think for a more raw and original experience, RB is the way to go rather than FRLG.

If you're a big fan of Pokemon games and want to play as many as you can, then RB is the "must play" of the whole series.
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Sydian

fake your death.

Age 30
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Seen May 22nd, 2022
Posted November 29th, 2021
33,354 posts
15.2 Years
I'm gonna move this into PGC since it's about RB and FRLG. I'm not totally sure if you meant for this to be a discussion or you legit needed help choosing between them, but hey, I think this could turn into a nice discussion, and if you are looking for help, the answers you get from this thread will aide you in your decision. :)
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Pichu2Pikachu2Raichu

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Age 33
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Seen July 26th, 2013
Posted July 25th, 2013
309 posts
10.2 Years
Same. I love the plot in R/B and Yellow.

GBC, R/B games are the ones I love to play over again since the game is easy and uses GEN one starters.

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Hikamaru

Age 30
Female
Australia
Seen January 24th, 2019
Posted September 4th, 2018
50,214 posts
12.2 Years
I've never experienced these games myself, but I often see questions like this pop up.

In my personal opinion, if you like the old graphics and music, you know the classic stuff, then Red and Blue should be worth playing. Or otherwise FireRed & LeafGreen if you prefer the newer, updated stuff. It's basically the same as Red and Blue, but implemented with 3rd Generation mechanics.

It all depends on if you prefer the older or the newer stuff, but both are great games for those die-hard Kanto fans.
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Treecko

the princess without voice

Age 31
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Seen November 30th, 2021
Posted November 29th, 2021
6,311 posts
11.2 Years
Red was my first game and so playing it is really nostalgic. I play them every now and then on an emulator just to revive those memories. So to me, it's worth it for the nostalgia but I the remakes are better graphic and gameplay. If you want to play them for the nostalgic feels then I would play RB. If you just want the feel of the originals and Kanto with better graphics, then play FRLG. I would play both if it were myself, but that's my preference.

Eruption

Age 27
Male
North East England
Seen April 4th, 2020
Posted November 17th, 2017
6,316 posts
17 Years
I usually alternate when I fancy revisiting kanto which generation version I choose to complete and each have their merits.

R/B is obviously the ultimate nostalgia trip in the pokemon fandom, even as someone too young to play the games when they were actively played, appreciate the original games as I remember watching other people in my neighbourhood playing them. Other than that I think the only real positive is the bugs you classed as a negative, I personally think having fun with them can prolong the game time.

FR/LG are obviously better in terms of mechanics, even down to basic things such as bag compartments. Graphically they're obviously much prettier too and you'll never see anything like the odd sprites of some pokemon in r/b. I also think that for me personally, the remakes have started to create nostalgia if their own, which is amplified for me as gen 3 was the first I played.

Ultimately it's down to personal preference, but I personally think Fr/Lg are the better choice. It still won't stop me from playing the originals now and then though.
Seen February 26th, 2015
Posted February 8th, 2015
1,908 posts
10.3 Years
Depends on what you mean, buddy.

If you mean that if they are "worth" playing, then hell yeah. They are the main reason Pokémon became so famous, so why wouldn't they be?

Or if you mean that are they good enough to be played compared to the newer games, then I might say no. You'll be missing a lot of features, yes. I know this since I've beaten Blue already about three to four times. You won't have abilities, good moves (serious) and of course our graphical style.

But yes it is VERY addicting so I recommend popping it up on your GameBoy and start a game.

FR/LG and R/B's main difference is the Sevii Islands. Other than that the game turns much harder in FR/LG, PC Box is much more useful, addition of hold items, abilities, gender etc. But basically if you just want to play then yes, there's not much difference.
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Male
Seen June 10th, 2020
Posted November 16th, 2019
139 posts
10.8 Years
Personally i hate how many lock downs there are in Red/Blue/Yellow. But you can use the same lock downs against your NPCs. On another note, I like the Nature system and the EV/IV system; So i've grown attached to these gameplay enhancements so much that I have a hard time playing Red/Blue/Yellow despite them being my first pokemon game.
Nosolgia is really the only reason I'd ever pick it up again.
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Female
Seen June 21st, 2013
Posted June 18th, 2013
22 posts
9.9 Years
Thank you very much for sharing your opinions. I'm legit asking which game I should play because I have a limited amount of time to spend playing. I know they're all worth playing since I've played them before and I liked them. :)
I'm a sucker for better graphics, but I have a lot of good memories playing R/B/Y and my skill level as a trainer is very low so maybe I should avoid the "more complicated things" like nature for now.

Then again I know how important it is to get some hands-on practice to understand concepts better... so I really don't know what to do.

Whatever time I'll be saving by putting off studying natures and more complicated movesets, I'll be wasting it training on wild Pokémon (R/B/Y lacks the Vs. Seeker which is somewhat of a dealbreaker for me.)

I think I'll pick FR/LG for a more challenging game and full-color Pokémon.

BrandoSheriff

Has a tendency to figure things out

Age 28
Male
On an island with Hakaze
Seen February 8th, 2022
Posted June 6th, 2020
753 posts
15.9 Years
I'm actually replaying Blue Version right now. The reasons being the nostalgic feeling, and that I bought an N64 Transfer Pak to use with Pokemon Stadium, which I can't beat with rentals. I'm playing through it and building a good team for use in Stadium.

Either way, though FR/LG is an option, R/B/Y is a good play as well.

Gandhi Savage

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Age 27
Male
Ireland
Seen July 28th, 2022
Posted April 2nd, 2019
699 posts
12.3 Years
I think that Red/Blue are 100% worth playing. I genuinely love the old graphics-style and music. The nostalgia from playing these games is just so overwhelming and Blue will always be one of my favourite games. However, if you're playing it mainly for the game itself then definitely I would recommend either FR/LG as they're both excellent games.
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Arron13

Calm, Relaxed, but Competative

Age 28
Male
United States
Seen September 9th, 2014
Posted August 19th, 2014
44 posts
9.9 Years
really I just play the older games for the nostalgia feeling. I love going back to games I played when I was a child to experience what I felt when I was younger. Besides that, no. If you want better graphics, more pokemon, better sound, and some extra things put into the game, just stick with FRLG.
Male
Seen June 24th, 2013
Posted June 24th, 2013
3 posts
9.9 Years
The only downfall to playing the original R/B/Y is the battery inside the cartridge. Once the battery goes, you can no longer save and you'll lose your existing save file. However, since the DS cartridges are all flash memory, you will get thousands of saves from those :D. But thinking back, there's probably nothing I enjoyed more than the missingno, and the mew glitch. Definitely worth it, but if you're like me at all. It's really gonna suck when that battery goes.

Olli

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Male
Skyloft
Seen 6 Days Ago
Posted July 24th, 2021
2,583 posts
12.8 Years
I think pretty much every Pokemon game is worth playing, no matter which generation we're in, since we've been following the same formula with pretty much every main game so far, making the experience with the different games similar, but still unique with each. I guess it could kinda be argued that Firered and Leafgreen would be a better choice since they are remakes and have improved on loads of stuff that needed improvement in the originals (ie fixing the Psychic type so it wasn't as OP, adding the new typings, improving the graphics ofc., and additional small stuff), however the older games have a certain charm to them, that still makes them fun to play, even if there are supposed better alternatives :p I often shifted between my Blue and my Leafgreen whenever playing Pokemon (because it was the only games I had really), and despite essentially being the same games, I found both to be a different experience and equally fun. It's not certain that everyone would feel the same way, but I don't think R/B/G/Y are any less worth playing just because they're outdated.
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T!M

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Age 31
Male
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Seen May 20th, 2016
Posted April 25th, 2014
1,422 posts
14.4 Years
Blue was my first Gen 1 game. But since all of these newfangled elements in the current generations it clearly balances out everything that was truly broken in R/B/Y/G/S/C.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the origins and I'm as nostalgic as everyone else who started from Gen 1, but you truly appreciate the series far more when things are the way they are now.

To answer the thread's question: It's entirely up to the person who plays Pokémon. For me I would recommend playing R/B and then playing fR/lG to see how far we've come along. :)
Female
Ontario, Canada
Seen January 19th, 2014
Posted June 25th, 2013
6 posts
9.9 Years
I'd say just play fR/lG, as the plot is basically the same. Don't get me wrong, I love the originals as much as the next person, but I find I prefer playing the reboot that's improved upon the sloppy code from the original.

Again, though, if you have nothing better to do (Like me), why not?

Tsutarja

Age 28
he / him
Florida
Online now
Posted 6 Days Ago
27,325 posts
13.2 Years
R/B/Y are totally worth it, especially Yellow because it follows the first season anime to an extent. Last time I checked (which was a month ago), my Red and Blue versions still have their batteries working, but my Yellow is dead. However, my Blue Version is a newer copy because it has the newer style ESRB rating on it (the "E" is black instead of white), and my Red version has the older style ESRB rating on it.

As for the playing experience, it's not much different between FR/LG.. though I still play those games for nostalgic purposes. :)