4th Gen Write a review for HGSS!

[bobandbill]

A Gamers' Review

(Now over!)
Because Other Entertainment's "Write a Review" went along well, it was talked about by Hirro and I that we hold a writer's review ourselves. Only this time, the review will be held for what this section pertains to: HeartGold and SoulSilver. Consider it a fun competition to change things out of the usual routine.

Participants must place themselves in a rater's shoes and review the game as they thought it to be. A description of the game, what they thought about it, the good, the bad, and a rating will all be necessary. There will be only one winner of the competition (decided by me and Hirro), and he/she will earn a Writer's Review Emblem - something never seen. For everyone else, they will earn a Participation Emblem (along with the winner) for taking part in this grand event.

Competition Rules

→ Review must have at least 300 words or more. You can include pictures if you want!
→ Proper grammar (spelling, punctuation, etc.)
→ Written in English - just saying
→ Completed in paragraph form
→ Be creative and original
→ Write honestly
→ Speak from experience; give comparisons between other mainstream Pokémon games
→ Give a recap of the game without spoiling it for those who haven't finished it yet
→ Proofread, Proofread, Proofread ... and Proofread!
→ And just have fun.


Extra, Extra!

This isn't a requirement, but definitely something you may include in your game review. If you wish, you may also add in a review of the PokéWalker and/or the held events so far that revolve around HeartGold and SoulSilver if you've completed them already.

The Deadline OF DOOM!

You have a lot of time for this, so there's no need to rush it - in fact, you have until the end of September. How's that for a nice deadline? No extensions shall be made however, so be aware of that.


And with that, get writing!

Winner:

Elite Overlord LeSabre™



Other Entries:

Team Fail
SoulAura
Retribution
Totaldile
Fushigidane-Chan

 

[ltsang]

I'm not understanding the review here. So the whole point is write a topic about hg and ss and why is it entertaing. So it has be in 3 parts of a pargraph forum. Begining, middle, end and the conclusion.

 

[Zaroas]

Maybe I'll try to get to doing this sometime...

 

[Astinus]

I'm not understanding the review here. So the whole point is write a topic about hg and ss and why is it entertaing. So it has be in 3 parts of a pargraph forum. Begining, middle, end and the conclusion.

Pretty much.

What a review does is point out the good parts and/or (if you don't think there are any) bad parts of what you are reviewing. Reviews can have a set order of how they are written, but can cover a wide range of topics about the game. For instance, the graphics, the controls, the story, the side features, and so on. So long as you go in a semblance of order so that your review doesn't seem all over the place.

So what you're doing is writing your thoughts about the game. Liked the graphics and story, but not the controls? Talk about it, and what could have changed. Like the Follow Me feature, but found the PokeWalker pointless? Talk about it and why you think that. Like everything? Yeah, talk about it.

Really, just say what's good, what's bad, and why you think that. The latter part is most important, since that's what a good review does. Like "I think the PokeWalker wasn't a good addition because the leveling in it was difficult to do, and I didn't like how you couldn't teach Pokemon moves in it." Kind of like that.

Rambling, but I hope it helps with thinking about writing a review.

 

[seal]

Do we post the review here or do we PM it to someone and, if so ,who?

 

[bobandbill]

I'm not understanding the review here. So the whole point is write a topic about hg and ss and why is it entertaing. So it has be in 3 parts of a pargraph forum. Begining, middle, end and the conclusion.

I'm lazy so I'll just say 'what Astinus said' because that's basically everything about the nature of reviews and how to make a (generally) good one. =)

Do we post the review here or do we PM it to someone and, if so ,who?

Post it here (you can put it in a spoiler if you want, etc). In the case you REALLY don't want others to see it you can PM (to me I suppose, Hiiro is another) but that's no fun. =p

 

[Guy]

Post it here (you can put it in a spoiler if you want, etc). In the case you REALLY don't want others to see it you can PM (to me I suppose, Hirro is another) but that's no fun. =p

Boo. ):

I'm fine if you PM it to me, or even both of us so we know. Although, it's more advised you post it here, if you do feel the necessary need to PM it, then that's fine too. We'll just make sure to post that you or whoever else decides to PM it, made an entry so if one who did PM their submission does win, then people won't be like, "Who's that? Did they even enter?" n_n;

 

[Naikado]

Awright, I've reviewed games before.

I don't expect to win, but eh, might as well try. :3

 

[SoulAura]

~Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver Review~


The game
​

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver is basically a remake of Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal released in 1999. It goes along with the original storyline but adding quite a few additional features which will be covered later on in the review.

Storyline
​

The game's storyline is similar to the previous games. You start out going to the professor. He gives you a starter pokemon (Pick from Cyndaquil, Chikorita, or totodile) You're main goal is to obtain all eight gym badges in that current region, as usual.

Your Rival
​

As you start out the game you soon discover your rival isn't a buddy or a friendly childhood rival in the past games. Instead, he is a sinister character. He starts off stealing pokemon and he continues until you gradually show him the errors of his ways. Your rival gives you something to look forward to while progressing through the game as he constantly "follows you" through out the game from Cherrygrove to Dragon's Den wanting to challenge you every time.

Apricorns
​

Apricorns are a special fruit native to the Johto region. They appear to be related to berries and only appear in games focused on Johto. The major difference between an apricorn and a berry is that aricorns are way too hard for your pokemon to bite into. So what do we use them for if our pokemon cant eat them? Well you can just take them to Kurt who lives in Azalea Town with his granddaughter, Maisy. He can make a special kind of pokeball for catching pokemon. These pokeballs cannot be bought so they are usually valuable for any trainer to have.

Bug Catching Contest
​

The Bug-Catching contest is a competition held every Tuesday,Thursday, and Saturday in Johto's National Park with no entry fee. To complete, Trainers must catch the single best bug-type pokemon they can find within 20 minutes. Trainers are given 20 Sport Balls (similiar to Safari balls called "Park balls" in gen ll) and are only allowed to use one pokemon. There are certain rewards you can receive depending on what place your in. The bug catching contest can be fun but serves no purpose after completion of storyline as you no longer have any need for the prizes. But again, a nice, unique feature.

GTS
​

At the GTS (Global Trade Station) trainers can trade pokemon using wifi, review other's battle videos, and check out there PC boxes. This is one of the most favored feature in any pokemon game for it's Trading options.

Your Pokegear
​

You can obtain your pokegear from your in game mom at the start of your journey. In Heart Gold and Soul Silver, you use both screens for the pokegear. The Pokegear has several Functions which is why it is very handy later on. It has a useful map, A radio, and it can store phone numbers of trainers and gym leaders. All in all its a great tool that is never abandoned!

The Battle Frontier
​

The Battle Frontier is a place where trainers can bring in there toughest, strongest pokemon and compete against other strong trainers. It has many places in which one can participate in. The rules are different in each one. You will get points on completing the round of trainers. These points can be used at some of the stall owners.

Overall Review

All in all, Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are great remakes. You feel more connected to your pokemon now that your first pokemon in your party can walk with you! They even show expressions, now how cute is that! The game also has two regions, adding more gameplay. And with the Battle Frontier, you'll always have something to do once you defeat Red. However, there are some cons as well. First, it's basically the same storyline as the previous games, so if you already own one of them dont expect anything new. Also, when you get your pokemon to lvl 60ish and you have completed the storyline you're pretty much just grinding until you get to an appropriate level to defeat Red. After that you got the battle tower. If the battle tower doesnt amuse you then there isnt much to do anymore besides restart the game.

Rating 9/10
​

 

[bobandbill]

Bumping this to remind you that the end of the month is approaching, and so too the date limit on this! Get your reviews in before then!

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

I'm considering writing one, but I'd like to take a review I've previously written for Amazon, make some edits and additions, and submit it. Would this be allowed?

 

[Superjub]

EDIT: Nevermind, I've asked a bobandbill and Hiro and they both say it's fine. :)

Spoiler:

Pokémon HeartGold/Pokémon SoulSilver Review​

​

Introduction
Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver are two games that were anticipated for years! They are remakes of two other Pokémon games, named Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, which were released in Japan in 1999, Austrailia and North America in 2000 and Europe in 2001. Both Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver take place in the region of Johto, a region of ancient traditions and epic legends. If you choose Pokémon HeartGold, you'll meet Ho-Oh, a ancient bird-like Pokémon of many colours, found at the top of an ancient tower, which is known today as the Tin Tower. However, if you pick Pokémon SoulSilver, you'll meet the colossal, underwater Pokémon Lugia, found in a complex cave surrounded by vicious whirlpools. This place is known as the Whirl Islands. Also, how common and what Pokémon appear depends on which version you pick. For example, you can find Vulpix in Pokémon SoulSilver and Growlithe is absent. However, in Pokémon HeartGold, Growlithe is present while Vulpix is missing. This has been done to persude you to purchase both versions or trade with friends. While these games are similar to the originals, there are quite a few differences, such as updated graphics and some new characters like the rival/female playable character Lyra.

The main characters Lyra and Ethan.

The Storyline
The hero/heroine is about to obtain their very own Pokémon! The Professor of the Johto Region, known as Professor Elm, will give the player the fire Pokémon Cyndaquil, the water Pokémon Totodile or the grass Pokémon Chikorita. The rivel (who you get to name), gets (well, steals) the Pokémon that is stronger against yours (e.g. if you picked Chikorita, he'll pick Cyndaquil.) The hero then embarks on his journey, travelling through dark caves, Farfetch'd-filled forests, light-lacking lighthouses and the traditional Victory Road. The earlier parts of the game are quite boring with nothing important happening, and seeing similar Pokémon (Hoot-Hoot, Sentret, Ratata, Pidget etc.), however as you progress further into the game, the story unravels and it gets more interesting. If you picked Pokémon SoulSilver, you'll encounter the sea-dwelling Lugia. As it bursts out of the waterfall it lies waiting within, you know a challenge awaits. Similary, if you picked Pokémon HeartGold, Ho-Oh will be awaiting you at the top of the ancient and legendary Tin Tower. Ho-Oh flies galliantly to face you. In both games, the graceful Kimon Girls summon these ancient Pokémon.

Also, throughout your journey, you'll meet Team Rocket, the team who appeared in Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow, as well as their remakes (Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen respectively.) Amongst these grunts are four executives: Proton, Petrel, Ariana and Archer. Proton, an executive you first encounter at the Slowpoke Well, dresses in the traditional Team Rocket outfit and is known as the cruelest guy in Team Rocket. The Team Rocket grunts and Proton are immorally cutting off Slowpoke Tails and selling them for money. Later, after defeating the grunts and Proton at the well and progressing far enough into the game, you meet Proton at the Goldenrod Radio Tower, while it is taken over by Team Rocket. The next executive is Petrel, who likes disguising as different people, from the boss of Team Rocket, to the Golden Radio Tower Director. You battle him while at the Team Rocket HQ, and is diguised as Giovanni, the Rocket Boss. Also, you battle him later when he is digused as the Radio Tower Director. Ariana, the female executive of Team Rocket, is first encountered at the Team Rocket HQ. You battle her, as well as a Team Rocket Grunt while teaming up with the legendary dragon-tamer Lance. Later, you battle her at the Goldenrod Radio Tower. Finally, there is Archer, the strongest executive. You battle him at the top of the Radio Tower, and with the control of the strong Houndoom, they pose quite a threat. However, despite this, all of the executives are quite bland, and there is barely any backstory. For example, little is known about Archer, and even after destroying Team Rocket (yet again), you still don't know much about him. So despite being the strongest executive, he is the least memorable due to being so enigmatic. Also, in Pokémon SoulSilver, some scenes look quite wierd, such as the Kimono Girls being found in the grim, cold Whirl Islands.

The Rocket Executives!

New Features/Features absent in Pokémon Gold/Pokémon Silver
One of the new features, the Pokéathlon, is one of the best features in my opinion. The amount of mini-games and the quality of them are amazing, and the Pokéathlon easily beats the Pokémon Super Contests from the previous games Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl and Pokémon Platinum. Each Pokemon is assigned different stats, and the objective is to score the most points. After completing one of the several courses (Power, Speed, Stamina, Skill and Jump), you earn points depending on hw well you did. With these points, you can spend them on useful items, like Evolution Stones (Water Stone, Fire Stone etc.) What you can buy is also expanded when you obtain the National Dex. From snowball fights to football/soccer, from knocking Pokémon of a stage to jumping over hurdles, there is a good variety of mini-games. There could have been a Wi-Fi option to further enhance the Pokéathlon, but never-the-less, it is a good feature which sadly was not carried over to Pokémon Black and Pokémon White.

Another new feature is Pokémon being able to follow the player. While not completely new as it has appeared in Pokémon Yellow and briefly in Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl and Pokemon Platinum (although only briefly and it being limited to the Amity Square), it has been expanded now, The Pokémon react to the area they are at (e.g. a bug-type Pokémon will enjoy being at the second gym, which is a bug-type gym.) Also, occasionally, they will pick up accesories, which can be used to customise your Pokémon at the Goldenrod Underground.

Another new feature is The Safari Zone. Although not new to most Pokémon games, it was absent from Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver. In this Safari Zone, the player can change where each area is placed, which can allow the player to get to an area quicker and more easily. Also, you are able to place objects, which affect what Pokémon appear, and how often. The absence of the step feature, which limited the amount of time in the Safari Zone, is bad in my opinion, as the challenge which was present in previous games is lost.

Another new feature is the Game Corner game, which is known as Voltorb Flip. It is described as "a cross between picross and minesweeper", and relies on luck and strategy, unlike previous Game Corners, which had slot machines. The reason why this game is present and the slot machines are absent is because of recent gambling laws. While the game itself is satisfactory, the lack of the ability to buy coins is a bit
disappointing.

Finally, the PokéWalker is bundled with the game. It allows the buyer to take their Pokémon out and about, and you can also catch Pokémon in the PokéWalker, some that you would encounter later in the game, like Kangaskhan. Sadly, you are only allowed to gain one level per trip, so that is a bit disappointing. Also, one of the Key Items, the GB Sound, allows you to listen to the 8-bit music tracks, which increases the nostalgia. Sadly, you get the item right at the end of the game, so you have basically already completed it. Also, the old tracks used in Pokémon HeartGold/Pokémon SoulSilver aren't exactly 8-bit, so they aren't exactly like the original, which is a bit disappointing. Another feature is the Battle Frontier. While the Battle Tower was available in Pokémon Crystal, the Battle Frontier offers five facilities for the player to participate in. The bad thing about the Battle Frontier is that it is exactly like the one in Pokémon Platinum, which is a bit dissapointing.

Are your Pokémon ready for the Pokéathlon?

Conclusion
Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver tried to create something new, while keeping the nostalgia of the originals. Features like the GB Sound help improve the nostalgia, as well as characters like Red. Some features like the Battle Frontier straight from Pokémon Platinum might make you feel a it cheated and may make you not want to participate in it if, for example, you completed it in Pokémon Platinum. This game will impress both new fans and old! Due to the game being fairly boring at the beginning, and how bland and boring some of the new characters (Proton), and how annyoing others are (Joey is an example, as he constantly rings the player to tell them about how amazing his Ratata is...) and due to some of the errors and glitches (Lyra saying her Marill has evolved, when it hasn't), the game gets a 8/10.


Score: 8/10

 

[M4]

POKEMON HEARTGOLD AND SOULSILVER

OBTAIN 8 BADGES

CHALLENGE THE ELITE FOUR OMFG

NEW REGION? OMFG JIZZ

OBTAIN 8 MORE BADGES

REFIGHT THE ELITE FOUR!

FIGHT RED OVER AND OVER AGAIN

BLA BLA BLA

The game was finished in 18 hours (Legit Gameplay, no Cheats at all, no rare candies)

Boring...

6.5/10

Was intense when there were still Team Rocket, after that it went bs. The remake was good, however we wanted more of a storyline..

 

[bobandbill]

I'm considering writing one, but I'd like to take a review I've previously written for Amazon, make some edits and additions, and submit it. Would this be allowed?

Yes, that is fine.

And M4 I suggest trying a serious effort because we won't be judging submissions like your one there.

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

Here's my review, which is based on an earlier review I wrote for Amazon.com but with a few additions and tweaks. Also, no pictures, sorry.

Elite Overlord LeSabre™'s Heart Gold and Soul Silver Review of DOOM!

As you know, Heart Gold and Soul Silver are the remakes of the original second generation Pokemon games (Gold, Silver) with the expected current generation enhancements. Many players regard the second generation of Pokemon games to be the best. I am not one of those people. I enjoyed Gold, Silver, and Crystal, and they were easily superior to the third generation games set in Hoenn, but, truth be told, I enjoyed the fourth generation games (and the first-gen remakes) more. I really didn't care for the Mario-like design of the female playable heroine, so I held off on buying it (Soul Silver in my case) until I could get it at a deep discount, albeit without a PokeWalker included.

Story

The storyline is not so much different than other Pokemon games. You're an aspiring trainer seeking to be the best, and you have to prove yourself against trainers of varying skill levels. The Johto series games have always had the best "rival" character in the form of Silver, who is interesting because unlike other rivals, he's out to mop the floor with you and prove himself the ultimate trainer, by any means necessary - a fresh break from the "We've known each other since childhood" rivals of other games. And he has some pretty nice character development as the game progresses, due in large part to him wondering how you defeat him at every encounter.

However, HG/SS (as well as G/S/C) falter in terms of the criminal element involved in the game - you face a resurrected Team Rocket, but without Giovanni at the helm. And though the remakes give names and new appearances to the Executives in charge, little is done to develop the characters of these leaders or make the organization as a whole seem more terrifying (compare to Cyrus/Team Galactic in the Sinnoh series games). Team Rocket feels more disorganized here.

After proving yourself at the Pokemon League, you can move on to Kanto (where the first generation games and third generation remakes) took place and take on their trainers, including the one that the game claims is the "ultimate" trainer of Kanto - though once you meet his team (and especially if you've played the Kanto-based games), you might argue with this claim.

What's New

I have no qualms with the quality of the remakes themselves - given the original source material, the designers put out a game that was about as good as possible. Some of the cutscenes - including boarding the Magnet Train and the scene where Ho-Oh/Lugia (depending on your version) descends to challenge you - looked very impressive. The look of the overworld is on par with that of Platinum... not ground-breaking, but attractive. The PokeGear cell phone and radio make a comeback, which was one of my favorite features of the original games - the cell phone in particular allows you to feel like you're actively interacting with the trainers you've met. The remixed music is fine, though there is a feature you can get after beating the game that lets you enjoy the music exactly as it was in the originals.

They took the time to add some more trainers in Kanto and turn Seafoam Islands into a proper dungeon (in addition to Blaine's temp Gym), so the region doesn't seem as desolate as in the originals. Some of the Gym Leaders have had their levels adjusted... Falkner and Pryce have stronger Pokemon this time around. And some of the moves introduced since the original games make a few of the bosses tougher despite having the same Pokemon: Bugsy now has U-Turn on Scyther which makes it quite a challenge, and Lance can be a nightmare with new destructive moves like Outrage and Draco Meteor. There are legendaries from other regions in the game now, though it's not really explained why they're popping up here. It's definitely a richer experience than the originals.

I have not had the opportunity to try out some of the new additions such as the Pokeathlon or the Safari Zone, but they really didn't catch my interest and I doubt they would affect my enjoyment of the game one way or the other. The Safari Zone in particular is a weird customizing thing where you can partially control what Pokemon you see and even share them with other players. But in the end, it still boils down to the flawed "Throw Rock/Bait" system that has always made the Safari Zone in Pokemon games especially frustrating.

Your lead Pokemon now follows you in the overworld. It's a cute little addition, but to be honest I never paid it very much attention - particularly since I spent a lot of time on the bike and they don't appear when you're cycling.

The Not-So Good

A few flaws with the remakes, though... the PokeGear can store infinite phone numbers, but you can't delete any - frustrating when someone keeps calling you every five minutes to tell you that he couldn't defeat some random wild Pokemon or that his Pokemon is the best (I'm looking at you, Joey.) The menus and especially the PC Pokemon organizing system were more cumbersome for me to use than in Platinum. Mt. Silver, the final dungeon, was made extremely tedious to traverse, requiring one of the more useless moves from fourth generation - the HM Rock Climb. It's the main reason I've only beaten the final boss once: it's just not worth it to go through the dungeon again after you've beat Red once. The Battle Frontier is just a rehash of Platinum's, so if you've played through it on that game, there is nothing new here except for a few HG/SS-exclusive BP-traded moves.

But the bulk of the game's flaws is a direct result of the source material, meaning things that were inherent in the originals. The wild Pokemon levels are extremely low in comparison with the local gym leader's levels, especially in Kanto, where your Pokemon are in their 50's and you're running into Level 6 wild Pokemon. The lack of the Vs. Seeker is painfully evident here, as level grinding with the Pokegear is much more time-consuming. Having to wait until a certain day and time (or repeatedly adjusting your DS system's clock) to have a rematch battle with a specific trainer can be frustrating.

Red is still disappointing, with one extremely weak Pokemon on his team and with his absurdly high levels being the only remotely challenging thing about him (level-grind until you're within five levels of him and he'll be ridiculously easy to beat). I would have liked a feature where you could have your character and party from your Fire Red/Leaf Green cart serve as the final boss by use of the DS/DS Lite Dual Slot function (with Red perhaps as the default for DSi players and/or those without FR/LG) but sadly this was not implemented.

Conclusion

As a remake, HG/SS represent a mostly solid effort. Sadly, some questionable decisions regarding things such as menu and character design, as well as some omitted features that should have been implemented, bring the experience down a notch. Still, it is a solid, enjoyable game, and comes with my seal of approval.

My score: 7.5/10. Add a full point to this score if the original G/S/C games were your favorite generation.

 

[Totaldile]

Who remembers Gold, Silver, and Crystal from way back when? I certainly do. A new generation, with 150 new pokemon to catch, it was pretty exciting. Now, new pokemon are common and just not as cool anymore. But what really gets fans going are the remakes. Combine Red/Blue and Ruby/Sapphire and what do you get? Firered and Leafgreen. Two fantastic new games for the Gameboy Advance. So, what do you get when you combine Gold, Silver, and Crystal with Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum?

Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver.
The Review.​

Being a massive fan of the Pokemon franchise, I did backflips when I first heard these two remakes were coming out soon. And so did everyone else. Suddenly chat was booming, and news was being released left, front, and center. I, (and I'm sure many other pokemon fans) inhaled this information, hungry for more. When I got back from my school camp, my parents had picked up a copy of each for me. When I got home, I started up my DS, and this is what I saw.​

The Storyline.​

You start off in your room, nicely decorated yet so similar to the other games in this series. The plasma TV had me thinking woah. Then, the rather uninventive message it displayed didn't reveal any info, quite unlike R/S/E/Fr/Lg/D/P/Pt, "There's a TV here...". I went downstairs, got my Pokegear, and stepped outside, only to be assaulted by a marill, whose trainer, your rival, quickly comes and takes away. I remember to go to Professor Elm's laboratory for a job. The fun starts here. You have to go on a brief journey to visit a colleague of Prof. Elm, Mr. Pokemon. And, you get your own pokemon! You can choose either Cyndaquil, the fire echidna, Chickorita, the grass dinosaur, or Totodile, the water crocodile. By my name, I chose Totodile, obviously. Now, I could start my adventure.​

I started walking, to find myself being attacked by a wild Hoothoot! My Totodile, nicknamed Toto, quickly scratched it to death however, taking some damage in the process. I hastened my pace and came across Cherrygrove City, where a kindly old man gave me some running shoes. Afterwards I headed upwards, towards Violet City, only to find some trainers were blocking the only path, both of which rudely told me to go away. i followed anther path to find Mr. Pokemon's house, where I find Prof. Oak, who gives me a Pokedex, and Mr. Pokemon, who gives me an egg.
I dash back to Prof. Elm, who tells me to hurry back, a Pokemon has been stolen! Just walking out of Cherrygrove, and young boy with red hair challenges me. He has a chikorita, which is at Level 5. I quickly dispose of Chikorita, and run back, not before peeking at his Trainer Card.​

Back at the lab, I'm interviewed by the police, and hand the egg over. I'm now free to challenge the 8 gyms of the region! Woo-hoo!
The path to Violet City is now clear, so off I go. The first gym leaders, Falkner, uses flying types, a welcome change to the constant rock type-ness of Pokemon games. I dispatch his birds and head off towards Azalea town, only to find the famous Slowpoke Well has been taken over by the infamous Team Rocket! I learn they have returned after three years, with Johto now in their sights. However, they fail to tell me why exactly. Apparently their leader is missing...​

I meet Kurt (the pokeball-maker) and defeat Team Rocket, sending them running. I defeat Bugsy, a (obviously) Bug-type gym leader. Off to Goldenrod!​

At Goldenrod, I gain a bike, another gym badge and a new application for my Pokegear. No problem with Miltank strangely.​

Up Route 35, past the National Park and the bug-catching contest, all the way to Ecruteak, the burned tower looking quite nice. Beating Morty with Crunch and Feraligator, I skip ahead to Pryce, in hopes for a challenge. but alas, none found. I complete all storyline up in o trouble at all. Oh well.​

Back past Ecruteak, through Route 38, and down Route 39 brings me to Olivine City, a fantastic-looking city beside the sea. Still no challenge with Feraligator still sweeping all pokemon. I surf down to Cianwood to get a Secret Potion from the medicine shop, beating Chuck along the way for my sixth badge, surf all the way back up to Olivine, give the fat sheep it's medicine, and beat the crap out of Jasmine.​

Back at Mahogany, I can finally pass, and go on through ice cave, coming out at Blackthorn City. The gym puzzle is very, very cool, but a woop Clair all the same. I go into the dragens den to get my badge and leave. Off to catch Lugia. Very, very cool little sequence there, watching Lugia come out of the waterfall. +1 to you, Gamefreak. I use my masterball and ctach the white bird thingy and off to the league i go.​

First up, Will. Jingle will, jingle will, crunching all the way. Toto does away with those pesky psychic types.​

Next up is Koga. Extrasensory from Lugia does the trick.​

Now, Bruno. Hydro Pump, Extrasensory and Surf take out all of these guys.​

Karen. Didn't even have to use super-effective moves.​

Lance. Finally, a worthy opponent. The only person in the entire game i have the slightest bit of difficulty with. Still, I beat him with Toto's Ice Fang.​

So now I'm league champ? That was easy.​

Ratings​

Graphics - 8/10. I personally loved these graphics - every bit bar the fact that some sprites looked like morons, *coughcoughlugiacoughcough*, and some pixels clashed with the sceneery. Palkia must have been involved in the design of this game.​

Storyline - 6/10. These guys tried to stick way to close to the originals. I personally love Johto for it's pokemon, but it eventually got repetitive, unlike Platinum, my favourite game. There just wasn't enough in it. Not to mention it was so easy I could cry.​

Post-storyline - 7/10. Apart from Kanto, I enjoyed this alot. Kanto was more snippets rather than a post-storyline. It was tedious and boring, no fun there. The gyms were a joke, I finished all eight off in one day. And they just copied over the Battle Frontier from Platinum. However, the Pokeathlon was AWESOME. I had so much fun playing it. It was like Wii Sports but better. It didn't get old. Nice one.​

Overall - 7/10. You guys tried to stick too much to the originals, which is a major problem with remakes. You didn't leave enough space to improve and you left out a really good part - the Odd Egg. I missed that. You copied over the Battle frontier from Platinum. You had a very shallow sotryline. But overall, it was fun and maybe not quite worth the $90NZ I paid for it. You could have done better, but you could have done a LOT worse.​

 

[Fushigidane-Chan]

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver Review

Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver are perhaps the most anticipated Pokemon games yet. Remakes of the original Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver for the Game Boy Color, HeartGold and SoulSilver takes veteran fans back to Johto, while introducing the region to new and younger fans. Maintaining the beloved characters, locations, Pokemon, and stories of the originals, these games are quite the nostalgic dip. But are they as original and innovative as their namesakes? Has enough new content been added to justify these remake? And most importantly, have the flaws of the originals been fixed? Read on to find out.

The overall gameplay is nearly the same as it's always been. Pokemon engage each other in turn-based battles, using the various attacks and abilities at their disposal to win. Beneath the cutesy designs of the Pokemon lies some very complex depth in the fighting system, which has kept older fans hooked on to the franchise. HeartGold and SoulSilver take this a step further by including the Battle Frontier, which is extremely difficult to conquer even for veteran players (unfortunately, however, it is a mere port from the one included in Pokemon Platinum). The Pokeathlon, which replaces the Contests of previous games, is more engaging, exciting, and overall just way more fun, and a great addition. And for the first time since Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon actually follow you in the over world - and with no setbacks, either. All 493 Pokemon are capable of following you, and you can even interact with them and receive items they pick up on the ground. The brand new Safari Zone also distinguishes itself from its predecessors by the fact its completely customizable. Still, the core gameplay hasn't changed at all, which may be disappointing for some. Luckily, quite a few brand new additions have been included which somewhat make up for that fact.

As for the game's graphics? Johto looks beautiful, and HeartGold and SoulSilver have nearly pushed the DS to its limit in that respect. Unfortunately, we're still stuck with the same 2D slide-in slide-out sprites, and while they don't look "bad" in any way, the DS is capable of churning much better graphics. But even worse, Pokemon animations are still are composed of 2 frames along with a couple distortions, which look downright lazy. The fact the animations are worse than Pokemon Crystal's - a Game Boy Color game, mind you - leaves me very disappointed. We're dealing with remakes here, so while of course we shouldn't expect too much change in terms of graphics, GameFreak could've done much better. Luckily, however, audio fares much better. HeartGold and SoulSilver feature some fantastic, catchy remixes. The soundtrack is sincerely one of the best of all Pokemon games, as well as the most nostalgic. But all the same, some people will simply not enjoy the remixes. In that case - GameFreak actually included a device in the game which allows you to switch to the original 8-bit themes! No one can complain as far as audio goes, as GameFreak really went all out with the tunes here.

But now for the flaws. HeartGold and SoulSilver aren't perfect games. They aren't nearly as innovative as their predecessors, and in fact, the majority of the "new" content here is merely stuff which has been ported from Platinum - namely, the Battle Frontier and Global Trade Station, along with the concepts of Gym Leader and Elite Four rematches, which while I appreciate, aren't totally new. The VS Seeker was one addition I wouldn't have minded keeping - but it was dropped in favor of the PokeGear of the original games, which makes re-battling trainers much more difficult and much more annoying. Team Rocket return from the original games, but leaderless and guideless, they're a shadow of their former selves. They don't have a true goal aside from recruiting their former leader, which doesn't even work out in the end. They're left with an awful resolution, and are nowhere near as fun to battle as past evil teams were.

But the biggest problems these games face are the problems which were present in the original games. Johto is not the only region in the games, as after defeating the Champion the player can visit Kanto, the region from the original games. The concept sounds great, but the execution is downright awful. Johto is a tiny region as a result - incomparable to the likes of Sinnoh and Hoenn. The level curve is one of the game's biggest flaws as well. As the game's story essentially continues after defeating the Champion and extends into the Kanto region, all the trainers in the game are utterly weak and easy to beat. The wild Pokemon are also low-leveled as a result, which makes it impossible to train a Pokemon caught near the end of the game. Kanto has even less of a plot than Johto, and there's no motivation for exploring the region aside from defeating the very under-leveled Gym Leaders. For the first time, progressing through a region felt like a chore. And there's still a huge lack of things to do in both regions after completing the game in an ultimately underwhelming battle with the game's final trainer, who now isn't as challenging as he was in the originals.

Conclusively, HeartGold and SoulSilver are very entertaining installments of Pokemon, and undoubtedly one of the highest anticipated Pokemon games yet. But they aren't the pinnacle of the Pokemon series. They lack innovation, and the problems present in their namesakes haven't been fixed. But they're still among some of the greatest Pokemon games, and they're definitely worth a purchase. My overall score is 7.5/10.

 

[bobandbill]

Well it is October for most of the world, so closing. (If you have an entry within the next couple of hours and it is still September for you PM it to me).

The judging shall begin...sometime soon! Oh the tension! Oh the excitement! WHO WILL WIN! ;p Hopefully won't take too long.

 

[bobandbill]

And the results are in! Hurrah for all of you for participating, but there can be only one winner, and that winner is Elite Overlord LeSabre™! Congratulations!

Emblems just uploaded now, so there you go! I figure you might as well see what they look like though. Emblems made by Hiiro:

Spoiler:

You got Tododile dancing!
Your written review for HG/SS was beyond exceptional and earned you first prize. No wonder Totodile can't keep still!

Stepping up and taking flight!
You may not have placed first in the HG/SS Review Competition, but you spread your wings and flew to try.

Also am reopening the thread as you may wish to comment on the results/other reviews, etc for the next few days.

 

[Guy]

The emblems have been uploaded and handed out. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who participated and we hope you had fun in doing so. Congratulations to Elite Overload LeSabre™; I enjoyed reading your review!

To everyone else, good job! You may not have won, but you all did a great job! :]