A Wonderful Remaster of An Amazing Game
The first two generations of Pokemon will always have a special place in my heart. They hit me at the exact right age and I played them endlessly. My two choices were Pokemon Red and Pokemon Silver, in both cases I chose the fire-type starter. Everyone knows those games and what they're about so I don'
t need to elaborate. They were exactly what I wanted and needed. They also served as a great and clear continuation of a story that culminates with the pinnacle of Pokemon battles. Everything about them is iconic to me. Everybody has their generation, those are mine.
Jumping ahead to Generation IV where I had enjoyed Pearl version, I was missing something. Their had already been a fine Generation I remake on the GBA, but they had set a precedent that I needed to see continue. SoulSilver turned out to be everything I wanted. It gave great new life to the Johto region and helped it further distinguish itself from every other region with its style. They also made meaningful additions in the side material department, such as the Pokeathalon and the new Safari Zone. One of the biggest additions for me was the ability to have your lead Pokemon walk behind you in the field. This is absolutely at the top of the list of features I want to see brought back in future generations. It is simple, but it allows you as the player to have such a greater connection to your partners.
I beat the remake at the time, but I didn't actually 'beat' it because I did not defeat Red, the still champion of epic Pokemon battles. I just concluded another playthrough where I trained extensively using the gym leader rematches and finally beat Red. It was a great feeling and I actually felt pride in my team, because as part of my playing through older Pokemon games again, I try to use different teams than I would usually (with some exceptions). Typhlosion, Kingler, Sandslash, Exeggutor, Honchkrow, and Wigglytuff was my team and they were awesome. This quest drew me in like I hadn't felt in a Pokemon game for a very long time. I would heartily recommend it to any newer fan that hasn't had the chance to explore the history or a lapsed fan from back in the day.
