Pokemon Crystal

It is crazy to think that Pokémon Crystal was released under a year later than Pokémon Gold and Silver were! That is just how popular Pokémon was (and still is) back in 2001. This is not a brand-new Pokémon game, instead, it is an enhanced version of what Gold and Silver offered. So, with that in mind if you do not have Silver or Gold, I would say this is the version to get. However, if you do have either of those games, I am not so sure this is worth getting as well.

I Like The Story…. But!

I really enjoyed the story that Pokémon Gold and Silver told. That is a good thing as the story is pretty much the same in Pokémon Crystal. You once again pick your starter Pokémon from Professor Elm. You once again have to choose between, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. You once again have a rival who stole a Pokémon from Professor Elm and you once again need to become the Pokémon grand champion. Now while that is all good (or not that good if you have beaten both Gold and Silver) it does add a few new subplots. One of which is about the Legendary Pokémon, Suicune which I thought was pretty cool. So, while for the most part, the story is the same, it does have a few new things here and there.

Hello Miss!

Pokémon Crystal was actually the first game in the series to allow you to be a girl. While this is the norm these days. In the original Pokémon games, you had no choice, but to play as a boy. So, Pokémon Crystal allowing you to play as a girl was a big deal for the huge female player base that Pokémon had.

Look At Them Move!

One thing that I feel is better in Pokémon Crystal is the visuals. The game does not look a million times better, but there is just a bit more polish to the whole game. While that is great, it is the animations that really blew people away. The Pokémon now have little animations which really do make them feel more lifelike. This is a feature that was so well received that it would become a staple for the series going forward. I know it does not sound like much, but back in 2001 this was actually a huge deal.

Do You Dare Enter The Battle Tower?

Pokémon Stadium on the Nintendo 64 was awesome and Pokémon Crystal actually has a mode that is rather similar to that. It is called The Battle Tower and it is freaking awesome! Here you can take part in epic battles which are a lot of fun and also a really cool way for a potential Pokémon champion to put their skills to the test.

If you have played Pokémon Gold and or Silver, you will know exactly what to expect here. It is an enhanced version of an already amazing game and if you did not jump in with Gold or Silver, this is the second-generation Pokémon game you want to play. I would say that if you are a massive Pokémon fan and had played through the other two games, it is actually still worth checking out.

8.5/10

Pros:

• The Pokémon animations look great
• The story does have a couple of new plots
• The Battle Tower is awesome
• It has the same epic story from Gold and Silver
• It is the best second-generation Pokémon game

Cons:

• Not a ton of new stuff here
• It was released less than a year after Gold and Silver!

Gold and Silver just weren't enough. Nintendo will release Pokemon Crystal in Japan on Dec. 14 to coincide with the release of the Mobile System GB adapter (see Press Start). The biggest addition in Crystal is the ability to trade/battle 'mons over a cell phone! Each monster has been given new entrance animations for battle, and there's a new "mystery" girl sporting silver/blue hair (shown at right) who could be a main character. Crystal will come to the U.S. in 2001. Nintendo is still figuring out how to implement the cell phone feature for the U.S. (it may use normal phone lines instead).