That TCG Blogger

Good day everyone, I have returned from my week long Hiatus from the blog due to Drumline state finals. If you were wondering we got third at state and it was an awesome final competition. Without further ado, let us wrap up what I started two weeks ago. Now that I have a copy of Pokemon Heart Gold in my hands, its time for a proper review for this excellent game. Don’t worry though, I’ll be heading back to the table-top stating tomorrow.

When I first opened up my package of Heart Gold, I had high expectations for this game; with all the hype I brought up with the blogs and in my personal life, this game had to be good. I must say, those expectations were met and then blown out of the water. First, I must admit that the last mainstream Pokemon game I played was Diamond; so I had no idea that the Battle Frontier and WiFi-Plaza existed and those were mind blowing enough. Anyway, I had turned on the game for the first time and watched the opening movie and drooled at the revamp that this game well deserved. Everything was simply beautiful visually: the music was so well re-orchestrated, the graphics were mind blowing compared to Diamond and Pearl, and the game itself is bigger than the others covering two regions rather than the one. Not to mention the brand new features such as the Pokethlon and the Pokewalker Device. This is the game that fans of the series have been waiting for, and the game that past fans can jump into easily.

One of the most astounding features in this game is the fact that all of the songs in the past Gold/Silver games have been re-mastered to the point where they are simply mind blowing. When you play the game its hard to believe that it is still on a handheld when you hear the music. One of my personal favorite additions to this game’s music is how the battle theme features about 80% mallet percussion (xylophone, etc), which I play in real life. One of the complaints I’ve read about the sound in this game is how the Pokemon still sound the same; and if Nintendo were to change that feature in the game of keeping the original Red/Blue voices, then that level of nostalgia would be killed. Even with that, the music and sound in this game is perfect.

Great sound would be nothing if there wasn’t anything to look at, and Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver do not disappoint. The graphics in this game made me think that it was an entirely new game in itself, rather than another Pokemon game. The Buildings are completely rendered past the point of Diamond and Pearl versions and there are points in the game where you see a ground level view of your character (in the lighthouse, on top of the tower, etc) which also looks brilliant. The Pokemon also have different poses than before: generations 3-4 have the same sprites as in Platinum and generations 1-2 have completely new sprites. One small visual change that blows my mind is how each individual gym leader (and major trainer) moves when you enter a battle with them, much like the Pokemon do which is very cool. The visuals in this game make it more than just a remake of an old game and turn it into something new.

One of the most prominent additions to this game is the Pokewalker device that comes with each copy of the game. It is a small Poke ball shaped Tamagotchi in which you wirelessly place a Pokemon into it through your cartridge and carry it around with you to collect items and Pokemon. The device itself is simple, but the idea is simply genius. Being able to finally bring the experience of training Pokemon into the real world has been what every die hard fan of the series wanted since the original 151. The device is easy to wear and makes as a good social device if you see a fellow trainer wearing one, you can easily connect with the world in this game now.

To say that this game is a remake is a complete understatement. Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are amazing games and truly innovate the series before we see the fifth generation released. Not to mention that it introduces the Pokewalker which I believe will be here for a long time to come in other games (maybe even updated more). If you are a fan of the series you will love this game, if you haven’t played in years then this is the perfect game to get started back into.

Gameplay: 9/10

Visuals: 10/10

Sound: 10/10

Multiplayer: 10/10

FINAL SCORE…….9.8/10!!!

-That TCG Blogger-

Got a question, comment, concern? Email me at Ecomicsinc@gmail.com!!

Also Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ThatTCGBlogger