Back when I was much younger I was a Pokémon addict. Not the cartoon series or anything like that, no, instead I was hooked on Pokémon Blue and Gold on my Gameboy. They were amazing at the time. Being able to collect hundreds of Pokémon (creatures basically) was just too compelling for my young mind. Somehow future instalments never hooked me in the same way. I guess it was all down to timing. Pearl and Diamond came along when I was already busy with other things. However now with the arrival of Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver I’m addicted all over again. Even if I am of an age where it’s a little embarrassing to pause in the middle of Asda to check how my Pokémon is doing on my Pokewalker. It doesn’t stop Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver being unmissable though. This really is an essential purchase for DS owners.
Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver at their heart are enhanced remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver. They’re more than that though with some fundamental additions. Sure the storyline is the same. You start out in New Bark Town and must travel across seven cities and three towns in order to beat eight gym leaders and eventually the Elite Four. It’s all extremely familiar stuff but it’s a warm sort of familiarity. The type that you get when you return to an old childhood love funnily enough.
HeartGold/SoulSilver is the most complete Pokémon game yet, an ultimate package if you will. All the Pokémon are there to collect from previous games, plus you can import Pokémon from the previous GBA games. There’s already plenty to do in the Johto region but once completing that side of things, players can then explore the Kanto region (from Pokémon Red and Blue) thus doubling the length of the game thanks to the addition of Kanto’s 8 gym leaders and even stronger Elite Four. Once that’s been completed, there’s the final battle against Red to fully complete the game. Oh and collecting all the Pokémon available and filling your Pokedex up. If there’s one thing that Pokémon knows how to do, it’s extending longevity. There really are hundreds of hours of gaming to be played here.
The actual concept of collecting up Pokémon is as simple as ever. You wander around an admittedly increasingly dated looking world, encountering various Pokémon and their trainers. Collect as many as you wish (it’s not essential to collect hundreds but it is more fun) and become the greatest Pokémon trainer of them all. To a newcomer to the series it might sound like a silly grind fest. In a way it is but it’s much more fun than any description can suggest.
Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver offers the perfect combination of all the best features of previous titles. There’s the revised Poketech in the form of PokeGear which keeps things like contact phone numbers for other trainers and professors in easy reach. There’s also an improved interface with the bottom DS screen providing a constant menu making things nicely streamlined. Features like the Safari Zone and Pal Park (enabling players to import Pokémon from the GBA games) are there too, making it perfect for the Pokémon connoisseur.
Then there’s the Pokewalker. When I first heard about this gadget I was worried it might be a little gimmicky but it actually works really well. It’s a pedometer basically which if nothing else will encourage myself and other Pokémon players to walk more frequently. You can send your collected Pokémon from the game to your Pokewalker and take it around with you for times when you can’t play on your DS. It’s a little like a Tamagotchi but fortunately much lower maintenance. As you walk around your Pokémon gains experience and gathers Watts. These Watts can then be used to unlock new Pokewalker routes as well as can be used in various mini games to collect new items. Along the way your Pokémon can also get into fights with wild Pokémon so that you can tame them via your Pokewalker. It’s a much simpler combat system than seen in the full game but it passes the time just fine. Plus there are a few Pokémon that can only be collected via the Pokewalker. Supposedly players will have to walk 1,000 miles to unlock all the available Pokewalker routes which is bound to make the most avid Pokémon fan at least vaguely fit. I found myself frequently setting up my Pokewalker ready for a long walk or a shift at work to make sure my Cyndaquil could gain a level while I was busy doing other things.
Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver is more of an evolution than revolution of the series. Excluding the excellent Pokewalker, all other additions to the game are more refinements than anything else. The majority of features have been seen before; it’s just that this time round they’re all together in one definitive package. That doesn’t stop Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver being an essential purchase for DS owners however. It’s a game that’s so wonderfully simple yet compelling that you won’t realise just how many hours you’ve invested into it until you start dreaming of Ekans and Charmanders.
VideogameUK verdict: 9/10
