Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver

Rating: E

Score: 10/10

Pokemon has long been a huge series for kids and adults alike. Not only is it a simple RPG to get into and enjoy immensely, you can look a lot deeper at the complex aspects for those willing, and it still remains enjoyable, yet on a different level. Pokemon Gold and Silver are seen as the turning point in the series, offering a lot of new features, and oddly add a lot to the experience. I don't see it as the turning point like most fans do, but Gold and Silver are still my personal favorite games available for the Gameboy 10 years ago. HeartGold and SoulSilver are their remakes. They were made to celebrate the success and enjoyment most gamers, old and new, felt for the series. Both games are exclusive to the Nintendo DS.

If you haven't memorized the Pokemon formula yet, let's recap: Two games are released side by side, each with slightly different Pokemon and storylines, but both being (in almost every sense) the same game. Why release two, then? To put emphasis on the "trading" of Pokemon. If you and your friend both bought the game, but each of you bought a different version, you can trade Pokemon and items that are otherwise unavailable on your own versions.

Story is standard stuff to anyone who ever played through Pokemon: You're a trainer who sets off on a journey of self-discovery and freedom using a team of six Pokemon (which are a species of pocket monster). Along the way you'll meet baddies, friends, and will rise to the top and be claimed champion (after dethroning the old one, of course). The extra that Gold and Silver tacked on before, and still holds true today in the remakes, is after you're crowned champion, there's much more to explore. How much more? Let's not spoil too much, so that'll be a secret. I will say this: thanks to that aspect in both the originals and the remakes, it is easily the longest Pokemon game to beat, which no matter how you say it gives you the most value for your dollar.

The gameplay is pretty much the same gameplay as every other generation (Pokemon series is renowned for extremely similar gameplay between generation, yet each is an inescapable black hole of fun). You possess one Pokemon to start, but you'll catch and train a lot more through your adventure. You can only carry six Pokemon at a time, so most others will be stored in your PC for safe and easy access. In battle, your goal is to make the other Pokemon faint (not die, they can be revived by a trip to the hospital or a quick potion). Usually you simply attack to make the other Pokemon faint, but some Pokemon may be immune or resistant to some attacks, or they might be effective in dealing with certain types. You can also take them out indirectly with status effects and different weather effects, so there's a lot of room to deal with each threat. This game also uses the second screen on the DS to full advantage: offering much quicker and easier navigation through the menu that you never thought you wanted, but would never play another one without.

The accessory that comes packaged with the game deserves a mention; it's worth the price of the full game yet cost nothing extra. It's called the PokeWalker, and it's simply a pedometer that can house your Pokemon. With each of your steps, your Pokemon gains happiness (as if this Pokemon is actually following you, much like the Pokemon in the front of the party in the actual game that follows the main character around). Each twenty steps gains you a "watt", and three watts will buy you a chance to win an item using an "Itemfinder" (as it's called in the games, Dowsing as it's called in the accessory). Ten watts buys you a chance to find and catch a Pokemon in a much simpler version of the actual game. You can hold up to three items and three Pokemon at once, then you can sent them back to the game wirelessly (where each item will be secured in your backpack and each Pokemon will be placed in your PC). It's not only a great way to get people walking for exercise, it's a great way to also enjoy the actual game more and a way to catch great Pokemon and items. Before you go for your stroll, you pick the course you want to stroll in, each with its own Pokemon and items to find. New courses are unlocked by walking, and new Pokemon are unlocked in each course by walking, so the key to catching new and exciting Pokemon is exercise!

For some of the Pokemon nerds that were sceptical at bringing their Pokemon over from Platinum because of the Battle Frontier being massive and so complete in Platinum (I'll admit, I'm a proud part of this group): fear not! The same Battle Frontier from Platinum is used in both HeartGold and SoulSilver as opposed to the simple Battle Tower in the originals. It truly is the most complete game to date, as it should be.

This is my first perfect score for a reason: it really has no flaws. If you are a Pokemon fan, or were at one point, or even want to be, this game needs to be next on your To-Buy list. From its brilliantly remixed tunes you probably haven't heard in a decade to the new areas in full color and new detailed environments (in Pokemon standards, Pokemon was never really beautiful on the handhelds), it's truly deserving of such a score. One thing is sure, this game was made with the due respect it deserves, and stands as tall today as it did back then.