"I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was, to catch them is my real quest, to train them is my cause..." and as the theme music continued to play and my card collection started to rise, the phenomenon that was Pokémon rapidly expanded, becoming my new favourite passtime. Of course, this was fourteen years ago and I’ve changed a lot since then as opposed to the concept of the Pokémon game itself. Since its initial release in February 1996, Pokémon has changed and evolved in many ways gracing three handheld consoles; the Gameboy Colour, the Gameboy Advance and the Nintendo DS. Game Freak and Nintendo’s latest releases however, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver sees a remake of the second generation games Gold and Silver, first released in 1999. At first I was a little skeptical, yet, strangely hopeful that this game would live up to my expectations and take me back to when I was just ten years old. So did it? Read on to find out.

In terms of plot, Pokémon HeartGold has not been majorly developed. Anybody familiar with the earlier Pokémon instalments will instantly recognise the structure of the game’s storyline and will become familiar almost immediately with the ultimate goal of the game. Fans may experience a lot of button mashing to begin with, skipping through various introductory paragraphs that have already been read in the previous games. This doesn’t detract from the overall experience and enjoyment of the game and it’s good that it welcomes players both new and familiar to the world of Pokémon with such a simple and concise beginning. Throughout the game you’ll come across familiar characters from the original Gold and Silver games as well as familiar locations; it was really nice to go back and to revisit places such as New Bark town, Azula town and the Safari Park. There are of course new areas which have been added to the region of Johto, which have many puzzles to offer and items to find. The newer locations really complement the game; without them (speaking as a fan and previous player) it wouldn’t have such a strong element of exploration; something that Pokémon really is all about. The game also introduces most of the original and second generation Pokémon, so expect to see familiar pocket monsters such as Pidgey, Growlith and Caterpie. Again, reverting back to the ‘older’ Pokémon has really done this game justice as I can play the game in peace without fear of running into a Munchlax or something worse. What Game Freak have done, however, is added some of the recent features from Diamond and Pearl and incorporated them back into this remake. For example, I was very pleased to see the introduction of accessories and potential ‘award winning competitions’ into which you can enter your Pokémon, in order to win certain ribbons and titles.

There are many new features to HeartGold, one of which being the ability to capture photos of you and your Pokémon at specific times throughout the game (note, that this is plot based and not something you can trigger with the camera on your DSi). I was very disappointed with the quality of the photos when I viewed them. I had expected to see (in standard quality), my character with all the Pokémon by my side, but the photo was so pixelated it was difficult to grasp which Pokémon was which at some points. With technology so far and advanced I came to the conclusion that maybe it was meant to look pixlated, but then found no reason as to why it would be. It’s not a major part of the game, so I didn’t worry too much, it would have just been nice to see full CGI characters, as you do when in battle.

The battle system is much the same, although a few moves of specific Pokémon are executed with much more sophistication. The texture of the environments has been improved, occasionally seeing gusts of wind, footprints in the sand and splashes of water when standing in the sea on a beach. It all contributes to the enhanced visual experience that Pokémon HeartGold has to offer. The game also allows you to travel with a Pokémon outside of the Pokéball; only ever having seen this in Pokemon Yellow, in which Pikachu would travel around with you, the advantage to this is that you can occasionally talk to your Pokémon (always the first in your party) and they’ll either be holding useful items for you or just generally doing something way too cute!

One down side to the game that I hoped would have been altered, are the Gameboy 8-bit sounds of the Pokémon when you enter battle. Again, this goes back to my earlier point about the ‘photos’, technology has evolved so much and so quickly and yet Pokémon seems to be strolling at a steady pace. The soundtrack is pleasant and cheery and offers that feeling of innocence and childhood all over again.

These releases are certainly going to appeal to fans of the Pokémon series, triggering that deja vu sensation, but new players may also enjoy the addictive and beautifully set versions without being in the dark with regards to what Pokémon is all about. The game certainly did take me back to my eleventh birthday when I recieved the originals and couldn't wait to play them on my Gameboy Colour. It was a wonderful revisit to my childhood.

The Pokéwalker

The Pokéwalker is a new bit of technology that comes with Heartgold and SoulSilver. It is a small pedometer shaped like a pokeball that, by way of infrared, connect to your saved data. It allows you to transfer one Pokémon from your game to your pedometer, transforming it into a Tamagotchi-esque virtual friend. Subsequently, the number of steps you walk is recorded and transferred into experience points for your Pokémon next time you send it back to your game. The connection speed is impressive. Almost instantly was my chosen Pokémon taken from my game and put on my new gadget. The pedometer can be a bit over-sensitive at times and often misleading; bad news for fitness fans, which of course, I am not. So I didn’t mind that much, it just so happened that my Butterfree gained a lot more well-deserved experience points. It was nice to see something different and to acknowledge that Nintendo are trying to make fitness fun (that’s not already been done, has it?), unless you just mindlessly sit there shaking the pedometer up and down; don’t do it kids, you’ll get fat. The Pokéwalker is intergrated perfectly with HeartGold and SoulSilver and also allows you to find secret items that will also be transferred to your bag next time connected.

Pokémon HeartGold uses the same engine that Diamond, Pearl and Platinum did. It has been modified, includes new Pokémon, new minigames and a longer plot, it gives you a new way of levelling your Pokémon up when you’re on the go and generally remains a fun, satisfying and addictive gaming experience. With exception to the 8-bit sounds and the pixelation as mentioned earlier, the game is graphically very good. Game Freak have also incorporated some three dimensional aspects, providing a fresher visual experience as well. Players of the recent games will also be aware that the Pokédex increased every time they saw a new Pokémon, well in this remake the system has now been reverted, making it more challenging to fill that nifty device. So, before we’re treated to some all new Pokémon goodness later this year, be sure to catch ‘em all!