After 16 years, Pokémon Gold and Silver are finally back

I think sequels get a lot of flak these days for being glorified games that merely build on the success of the original game. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing though, if said construction expands on those ideas and adds more to the concepts that made them so popular in the first place. Take Pokémon for example.

Every game in the series has stuck to its guns when it comes to battle: One Pocket monster, four attacks. Some fans say that such a setup limits Pokémon immensely, but when you factor in elemental match-ups and EV-training, then the field opens up even further. I’m not even discussing Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves or the use of items that have popped up over the years.

Point is, is that Pokémon Gold and Silver were the games that really explored the concept of pocket monsters. Whereas Pokémon Red and Blue were limited by the technology of the original Game Boy, Gold and Silver built on the foundation that Pokémon Yellow had started on the Game Boy Colour and improved on the formula massively.

There was a day and night cycle, a phone to call home on and a bank to store your Poke-Bucks in. There were new pocket monsters (Hot take: Cyndaquil and Chikorita are the worst starters of all time), Team Rocket was back in action and the idea of evolving certain Pokémon took a giant leap forward for new additions such as Scizor and Steelix.

More than that though, Gold and Silver was simply massive. The Johto region adventure would last you many hours, but once you’d done the Elite Four grind and become the champ? That’s when the adventure really began, as you hopped a ride and found yourself exploring the familiar sights and sounds of the Kanto landscape.

I’m waxing lyrical over here, but Gold and Silver managed to come a close second to my favourite games in the core series, Ruby and Sapphire. This was a phenomenal leap forward at the time, and even though 16 years have passed, Gold and Silver are just as playable today as they were back in an age where batteries for a handheld console couldn’t be recharged.

They’re available now on the Nintendo Virtual Console for the 3DS. Don’t miss out on reliving the glory days of a true classic.

Last Updated: September 28, 2017