Question from a Old Pokemon Player

[Hero45]

Sorry if this question has been asked. Didn't think it would be mainly cause I would think most of the people here have been playing all along.

I played Pokemon R/B/Y when it first came out, I enjoyed it alot, but when the metal versions came out I was a little older and didn't feel the need to play them. Now sense they've redone R/B/Y for the GBA I was thinking for picking up that and S/R.

So I guess my question would be, should I bother playing the metal versions? And I guess what have I missed? I'm sure its alot, but I'm seeing a lot of different versions of the game, and I'm not sure how they connect. I've been reading the FAQs on Gamefaqs, and browsed serebii.net a bit, but nothing has really told me information that makes sense to me.

Other Misc Questions:
How does The metal versions relate to R/S, I'm not sure they do from what I've read?
How is Crystal Different from G/S?

Sorry to ask so much, and if any of this has been asked already, point me in the direction of the thread please.

 

[Mr Cat Dog]

The metal series is the best in my opinion, so I think it would be best for you to play them, simply because of the wide range of Pokemon, dozens of new features, and a brilliant storyline.
To be honest, there's not a lot of simlarities between the metal series and RSE. Both feature different regions, have different Pokemon, completely different storylines, everything!
Crystal is exactly like G/S only the roles of the legendary dog Suicune and the Unown are improved. There is also the opportunity to play as a girl for the first time.

 

[Emerald Queen]

Old you might be, Hero45, but not as old as some of us! :P

Oddly enough, I started out on Pokemon Crystal before I went to R/B/Y: Crystal was what converted me into a fan. So yeah, it'd be a good idea to get hold of a copy or copies of G/S/C to play.

The only relationship between G/S/C and R/S that I can see is that certain concepts put into G/S/C were refined in R/S. I'm thinking along the lines of Berries, and breeding pokemon. there were also mini games as well, such as the ruins of Alph to complete, and rare pokemon to hunt down.

Crystal is different from G/S only in the way you can get the three legendary dogs and the two legendary birds. In G/S once you'd completed the radio tower and freed the radio manager, you were given either a silver or rainbow wing, which allowed you to go for the version exclusive LB. Once you'd beaten the elite 4, you were given ticket to Kanto, and you eventually got the other wing, which allowed you to go for the other bird. The LD's were running around loose in the grass, and you encountered them at random.

In Crystal, your reward for freeing the radio manager was a clear bell which you had to use to reach the tower where Ho-oh and the dogs were. You were allowed to try for Suicune here. you then had to track down the other dogs, because catching them was the only way you'd get to ho-oh ( trading for the dogs didn't work). Again, once you beat the elite 4 you got a ticket to Kanto, and you'd eventually get the silver wing which would allow you to go for Lugia.

This is only a rough outline: no doubt I've forgotten a lot, and others will fill you in more.

 

[Trainer Kharl]

Go for Crystal!

i played and completed my pokedex in red. after that, i played (but unfortunately, didnt have the chance to finish) crystal. im now playing sapphire. of the three, crystal's my best bet. the storyline, the map, and tons of pokemon

it would be a spoiler if i tell you more so just try it. you'll be missing one great adventure if you wouldnt try crystal. take my word for it. ;)

 

[Kveran]

I played the first-gen games for six years before finally purchasing Silver. It's incredible- the graphics are a huge improvement, the storyline is much better (I loved the Lance subplot) and a lot of the in-game characters are amusing- especially a few in Celadon City, who break the fourth wall at every possible opportunity. The game also takes longer to beat- my average game time on the color generation was 50 hours before catching everything I could (I'm the only member of my local Pokemon fan club, so trading isn't really an option for me) but my current Silver time is around 76 hours and my 'dex completion is only 139/251! The battles on Silver also tend to be more difficult, though the final battle is somewhat anticlimatic (if anyone tries to tell you that you can't defeat Red with level-45s, smile, nod, and ignore them; type advantages are your friends.) (That said, the idea of sticking Red in there was wonderful, though it made me feel a bit schizophrenic and I kept wondering where my link cable was plugged in...)

If it came down to Silver or Gold, I'd definitely pick Silver; the range of Pokemon are better (Skarmory!) and though Ho-oh lacks his trademark attack Sacred Fire in Silver, he can make up for it with TMs. There is no replacement for Lugia's Aeroblast, which Lugia lacks in Gold.

My only quibble about this game is that the levels of wild Kanto Pokemon are the same as they were in the color generation, so even though you may have beaten the Elite Four and the Champion and are trying to train for the Kanto Leaders, you'll still run into level-four Rattata on the way to Pewter.