Captured and Captivated- Pokémon SoulSilver Reviewed
After my 14 year Pokémon absence, I was more than just a little nostalgic when SoulSilver arrived at my office. I spent the remainder of my work day humming the title theme to the original Pokémon games and belted out the old cartoon intro on my drive home. I was lived on the cusp of being “too old” for Pokémon when it was first released for the GameBoy in 1996. After reading an article in Electronic Gaming Monthly about the coming PokéPhenomenon, a friend asked me “are you ever too old for a turtle with guns on his back?” I answered “no” and started the pre-holiday begging process to ensure a copy would rest under my non-denominational winter festive vegetation. I played Pokémon Blue until I caught all 150 Pocket Monsters and leveled my Blastoise (named “Shelby”) up to level 99, but by the time Pokémon Gold/Silver came out, I was burnt out on PokéMania, and decided not to revisit the series again for almost 15 years.
I was a little disappointed when I booted up SoulSilver and was not greeted by a familiar tune, but I remembered that most Pokéfans are returning to the game after an absence of only a year or so, so my nostalgia was probably not the target. However, once I met Professor Elm and chose my Totodile, I was 13 all over again. The game looks and plays like the direct descendent of a GameBoy Color game – the 3D environments mimic the tile-based maps from those early 8-Bit RPGs, the characters move one square at a time and every emotion is exaggerated enough to be apparent to an 8 year old holding a 2 inch screen. Even the unique and distinctive digitized calls of each of the over 400 pocket monsters hearken back to a more primitive period of sound design.
The battle system is instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever picked up a previous Pokémon title. When you wonder through the tall grass, you will be regularly accosted by wild monsters without a pocket to call home. You choose which of six pint-sized pets in your party will go toe-to-toe with the indigenous fauna and take turns attacking until one of them faints or you capture a new friend. Occasionally you will come across a battle against multiple Pokémon at once, but for the most part, the formula has remained untouched for the past six iterations. It wasn’t broken, so Game Freak didn’t attempt to fix it.
The big draw for HeartGold/SoulSilver is the PokéWalker. Once you have captured eight Pokémon, you can transfer one from your in-game PC Box to your Pokewalker to take with you everywhere you go. As you walk, do chores or tape your pedometer to a dryer, you gain “Watts” which can be used to find items, Pokémon or new paths to explore with your Poképals. Encounters with wild Pokémon on the Walker are watered-down covers of a proper Pokémon battle: you are presented with a choice to attack, evade or catch, and each fighter has only 4 HP. It is incredibly simplified and short enough to occupy the time it takes for the burger boy to get your fries. The PokéWalker can hold 3 Pokemon and 3 items, which can be uploaded to your DS at any time. My only gripe with the pedometer’s integration is that it never really crosses paths with the story mode. In order to interact with the walker, one needs to save, quit the game, reboot and interact through the title menu. Perhaps when Pokémon: LungSapphire/AppendixRuby is inevitably released in a year or so, they will let you use the in-game PCs rather than forcing a soft-reset.
I am an adult male, I have no children and I thoroughly enjoyed Pokémon SoulSilver. Nintendo was finally able to figure out how to let me play a game while I’m working – in fact, as I’m typing this I am tapping my foot to earn more watts for my Rapidash. Genius. I hope to see more companies and more games take similar approaches. Perhaps another portable game involving monsters might try something similar to let me farm while I am walking the dog? Until that day comes, my little red-and-white pedometer has found a permanent spot in my pocket.
Did you catch them all or even half of them, SNOLA?
You guys are hitting hard and heavy with all the DS reviews these days.
Do you guys consider Pokemon a RPG? I heard one podcast talking about that.
I’m just surprised to see so many adults playing this game.
I havent played Pokemon for years, last time I played BK was giving out the toys.
How many pokemon are there now?
Great review, Sean. My give me your FC, so we can trade the pokemans, K?
I buy every Pokemon game when they come out. Nintendo has me under their power. I cannot resist Squirtle.
Here’s an updated list of all the current Pokemon with a gallery. Check it out!
http://pokemondb.net/gallery
Still looking for my damn Machop. He’s my favorite.
“are you ever too old for a turtle with guns on his back?”
Fail. no Pokemon have guns on their back. There’s no guns in the Pokeverse.
Maybe if they had gunjs, Desert would play.
Wait, is that pokesoccer new? I’ve never played that before. Of course, I haven’t really played in a while.
Yes, Pokemon is an RPG, it’s got HP, leveling up, a party system, and turn based combat.
Good review. I’m playing right now? Did you hear the Pokemon discussion on 4 Guys 1 Up?
Hey kiddie, want to see my pokemans? I’ll show them to you…
Speaking on that show, I cant stand Jeremy Parrish as a host. He’s good for the more obscure stuff, but his hated for GoW3 was really annoying. Shouldn’t he try to be more objective as a gamer?
Only Nintendo can get adults to play a game like Pokemon. Its amazing how they can get such crossover appeal.
Every pokemon has its own growl? I didn’t know that.
I don’t see how you can give this game an A-. If you played recent Pokemon games, its way too similar. More like a B- if you ask me.
Snola, think Gamestop will make my $5 toward Pokémon: LungSapphire???
Good write up, NOLA.
No, but they might apply it to Kidney Crimson
Thanks, Sean for the review. I will probably pick it up soon.
Thanks for talking about the pokewalker. That sounds like its worth another playthrough just for that.
Not a game for me.
So what are the rare Pokemon with this one? Anyone know?
I think the battery is my pokewalker is already starting to die, I’ve only had the game for a week and a half. Is this normal?
Then what are those things on Blastoise’s back? Water cannons TOTALLY COUNT!
Well, like I said in the review, I haven’t played the recent games. Coming from a more-or-less clean slate, I think the game is fantastic when compared to its non-Pokemon contemporaries.
Haha, not even CLOSE! There are something like 8 bajillion Pokemon now! If I saw something I don’t already have on my way to the next gym, I caught it, but I never went out of my way to catch anything, so I wound up with about 100 pokemon. I was trying to make it to the end as fast as possible, but maybe I’ll go back and try to catch more.
I guess I could wait for a sale, but it’s never going to happen.
I always try to catch as many as I can before heading to the next gym.
What are the new activities in the game?
In one of the towns, there is a stadium where you can compete in a bunch of track-and-field minigames, like soccer, hurdle-jumping and block-breaking a-la “test your might.”
Yeah, that was weird. I know he was trying to keep the conversation going, but he seemed like he had it out for the game. My problem is he’s just too laid back for the show.
Back to Pokemon, I like the games but I get mad that it takes so long to 100% the games.
Good review. Do they sell the Pokewalkers separately? I know I’ll probably break mine.
You can trade online now? Or just in person?
Sounds cool. Do you button mash or it it turn based? Action seems out of place in the Pokemon world.
I’ve been playing it since last week. I love it, any DS owner will like it.
What Erin Andrews least favorite Pokemon?
Easy- Peek at chu!
Sorry, had to leave that for DE.
I know that Pokemon is short for Pocket Monsters. Can someone tell me know the accent mark got placed over the E, please.
Why is everybody getting SoulSilver over HeartGold?
DEagle got HeartGold. I actually wanted SoulSilver because I had heard that everyone was getting Gold, pre-release, but it does seem like there are a lot more people playing Silver now…
Deagle, your impressions, please!
I was going to do a duel review, but then SeanNOLA went ahead a created an epic Poké-review. The series is like the Pocket Monsters themselves, slowly growing stronger and evolving with each new iteration. Although HeartGold isn’t a wild departure from past entries in the series, it is amazingly accomplished with TONS of things to do.
I enjoy the way the title caters to different audiences-hardcore Pokefanatics will want to capture every last creature, while more casual gamers can slowly power-up their roster with a quick daily regimen. The Powewalker is an amazing accessory, I was surprised by the screen resolution (but not its accuracy, I don’t think I walk over 10,000 step in a day) and how well the device is integrated into the main game.
Like others have noted, Nintendo has a wonderful formula here- something that appeals to both kids and adults. It reaches into my subconscious, challenging me to “Catch ‘Em All” and yet obliges the short periods I spend playing. Anyone remotely interested in the game will find hours of amusement in either Silver or Gold.
See you could have done a duel review!
Is tapping your foot instead of walking cheating?