RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

Over the years there have been signs and portents of a remake of Pokemon Gold and Silver, fan favorites in the series due to its sheer size and the fact that it was the first game to expand the Pokemon universe beyond the confines of the Kanto region. The final result, Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, is every bit as fully featured and chock-full of Pokemon goodness as the originals, but unfortunately, they also carry over some of the less desireable quirks of Gold and Silver. Most serious of these are bothersome balance issues, and a plot which is flat even by Pokemon standards. On the whole, HG/SS isn’t a bad game, and makes some definite strides in the areas of sound and visuals, but it probably won’t be of much interest to anyone but fans of the series.

The traditional Pokemon combat system should be fairly recognizeable to most gamers by this point; a one-on-one or two-on-two turn based battle where turn order is determined by Speed, and the outcome of battle is largely a matter of levels and elemental rock-paper-scissors. There have been no major changes from the combat system seen in Pokemon Platinum, an unsurprising move given that changes to the basic formula of the series only really occur in between Pokemon generations. Regardless, this incarnation of the Pokemon combat system is the best balanced and most open in the series so far, and although HG/SS doesn’t make any major alterations to it, it remains extremely solid and well thought out.

The Rockets are back, but unfortunately, they don’t stick around long.

However, due to some problems with levels and Pokemon encounter placement, the one area where the game suffers the most is in the overall balance. Perhaps the best example of this is the Johto Safari Zone, which is unavailable for much of the first half of the game, and yet the trainers and wild Pokemon on the route leading to it tend to be around level 10 to 20. The second half of the game has a different problem however; thanks to a much more malleable structure, it is reasonably easy for players to wander into encounters with dangerously overleveled Gym Leaders. There are also places in the game where the difficulty spikes quite badly, most notably at the first run through of the Elite Four, and at the third Gym. Most of these problems are actually artifacts of the original Gold and Silver games, which really points to the fact that the difficulty curve simply hasn’t been properly smoothed out, but some are due to seemingly minor things, like the disappearance of the Vs. Seeker.

Story, however, is an area where HG/SS tends to fall far short. Granted that story has never been the main focus of the Pokemon series, particularly during the era that saw the release of Gold and Silver, but when the main character’s motivation for becoming the strongest Pokemon trainer in the land is, “Meh, why not,” things begin to take a turn for the worse. What little story there is revolves around the resurgence of Team Rocket, the Pokemon-napping, generalized evil-doing, mafia-esque group of Red and Blue. Though still missing a distinct leader, the nasty ol’ Rockets are back to their old tricks, stealing and abusing Pokemon for fun and profit. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much it for plot, and it completely gives up less than halfway through the game. For a title that lasts upwards of sixty hours, the directionless story and motiveless main character is a serious issue.

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver makes a major change to the way the interface is handled, moving the entire menu to the touch screen. Unfortunately, the end result is very hit and miss. For example, being able to save at any time with a simple touch of the screen is great, and very useful, and the new sorting method for the inventory is a welcome change. Being unable to move Pokemon around in bulk in the PC, however, is a definite step back, and adds far more steps to team management than is necessary. On average, the touch-intensive interface tends to speed things up a bit, but the new kinks it introduces to the setup really need to be smoothed out before it can reach the level of effectiveness that the old interface had already achieved.

The music and overall sound is the one area that has seen the greatest leap forward. Though there are still some awkward moments, most notably the continued inclusion of Game Boy and Game Boy Color-era sound effects for many Pokemon, the music has undergone a massive improvement in quality. Individual instruments are now easily distinguishable, and while the sound is just as modern as any other Pokemon soundtrack, the boost in sound quality can give it a more symphonic edge as needed. Overall, the music is a vast improvement.

Pokemon following behind you have a shocking variety of responses, which helps give them a bit more personality.

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver aren’t spectacularly different from Pokemon Platinum, visually speaking, but there have been a few minor tweaks. The game includes more 3D elements, a greater variety of small details on the field, and in particular, the team’s lead Pokemon following behind the player. This last item may seem frivolous and a waste of effort, but the variety of reactions each Pokemon has lends them a great deal of personality, especially given that these reactions are context-sensitive. Pokemon will show nervousness in a rickety old tower, for example, and calm determination in the face of a Gym Leader. On the whole, the visuals of HG/SS are not particularly spectacular, or as much of a jump in quality from the previous games as the sound is, but the new developments it brings to the table are a definite improvement.

Due to the aforementioned balance issues and the fact that some of the trainers are just plain stronger, HG/SS is actually a bit tougher than your average Pokemon game. The extra length, which should top out at between 60 and 80 hours, boosts the difficulty a little as well, but on the whole, it should still not present much difficulty for most gamers.

From the late-game option to use the original Game Boy soundtrack to the Pokemon following behind the player, HG/SS is something of a love letter to longtime fans of the series. Unfortunately, though chock-full of bonus content and fun minigames, the core game is not quite as strong as it could be. In particular, the frail story and balance cause the game issues, though without a doubt those longtime fans will be able to look past these issues. It’s become something of a mantra with Pokemon games, that new ones won’t change the minds of gamers who dislike the series, but Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are even less interested than most in changing perceptions of the series. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends entirely upon where you already stand on the series.

This game was played to completion and reviewed using a retail copy.