by Peeps
Pokemon Heart Gold was used in this review, not too much different from Pokemon Soul Silver, aside from version exclusives and level swaps between certain “legendary” pokemon.
Time for another Pokemon game remake, however one with much for to offer than the Fire Red/ Leaf Green style attempt. Pokemon Heart Gold/ Soul Silver has a nostalgia factor that brought back some old fans of the series, as well as making very welcome changes to various game aspects, such as breeding, natures, and overall graphics/ sound quality.
Graphics. The new overhaul of the towns keeps most of the original placement of monumental buildings, such as pokecenters intact, but with a lovely new 3-D spin that brings places like Ecruteak City to its more intended rustic feel. The new graphics also bring out better looking character sprites and more smooth animations for the pokemon, as well as trainer animations and the look of the new “main character” trainer is updated as well. Along with some of the new sprite looks is something missed from the days of Pokemon Yellow, your lead (or if knocked-out, secondary) pokemon will now follow you, with a few exceptions. The graphics boost also puts forth a new bar of quality for event cutscenes, albeit they are few and far between.
Sound. The soundtrack is a remix of all of the old soundtrack from the original Pokemon Gold/ Silver games, with some new music due to new events, as well as a lovely option (pending completion of certain events) to change all of the in game music to the old style with the DS systems sound quality. The sound clarity in the pokemon sound effects such as individual cries and evolutions has also improved.
Gameplay & Control. The gameplay is still the standard turn paced rpg fare, but with some nice new interface features in the menu. The touchscreen is now used more than in the Pokemon Platinum/ Diamond/ Pearl installments with some pleasant improvements to the “Pokemon” menu. The new “Pokethalon” takes the place of the old contests and offers a fun twist to the multiplayer, along with offering in-game goodies that are otherwise difficult to obtain. There have been some changes to the “breeding” of pokemon, including the “shades” for the stats allowing for an easier understanding of natures, along with new egg moves, and a few changes to certain “move pools”. The Phone feature remains from the original Pokemon Gold/ Silver, but now allows for all numbers to be kept, this however can get out of hand at times with some calls being rather annoying constant calls from a few trainers repeating the same lines. The addition of the pokewalker is another new perk for this game that is something of a pedometer, but with some rewarding mini-games; the pokewalker will be used in several new events, but is also used to obtain certain pokemon not found in normal gameplay, as well as many helpful items. There are a few downsides to the gameplay, the main two being the issue of leveling at a good pace after the introduction of “Kanto”, but before unlocking a certain mountain, and the fact that the pokewalker does suffer from some technical issues, such as lost pokemon/ items, as well as occasional connection “hiccups”.
Overall. Pokemon Heart Gold/ Soul Silver has proven to be an excellent nostalgia trip with the same loved gameplay that has captured the hearts of so many fans. It has accessibility for new trainers, but nods to old games, as well as a bit more of a challenge than the originals due to new gameplay changes. Its updated graphics, sound, and gameplay should more than justify its purchase by any DS owner looking for a solid rpg, or even just a person wanting to give rpgs a bit of a try due to its simple, yet deep nature.
