The pinnacle of Pokémon design, story, and gameplay. A honest RPG with the grind to prove it with ties and lore so perfectly seeded over the years. A masterful remake and an unforgettable experience.
Warning
Spoilers below!
Stats
- Started Playing: 8/14/22
- Beat: 11/8/22
- Total Playtime:
- Johto on 10/8/22 at 31:32 total time
- Kanto/Red on 11/8/22 at 59:01 total time
Legacy
- How on Earth did Peter stay friends with me… (regarding BOPIIAC clip)
- Iwata
- It took me back. I was printing out webpages, writing strategies, using an iPad with a Tab Group. I was sucked back into my own childhood.
- An RPG for the ages. Tough, gritty grind in a world that feels alive and the victories are huge payoffs. In it’s prime—with everyone having a DS, online connectivity, and Pokéwalkers—this would have felt so engaging and real. Some design decisions make it difficult to access today, especially for adults, but it’s a game that players can get lost in. One that’s cozy, warm, and familiar.
Overall
- Quick start. No rival to name or speak of yet. Quick throw back with Oak. Interesting he starts the name / new game boot and not Elm.
- Am I out of touch with handheld gaming? Find it more difficult to focus. Wish I could play on my TV. Hm?
- Interesting that the credits roll before Kanto.
- So grind heavy. Certainly a bang for your buck as a kid.
- A rich world that feels alive and lived in. Schedules, calls, connection. It’s the perfect RPG to sink teeth and time into. As a kid. Needs to be on a big screen for adult Max.
- There’s a fun, RPG rush collecting gym leaders’ phone numbers and battling. Then the sheer grind hits like a wall and the repetition sucks the fun out.
- The emphasis on phone numbers and rematches makes the grind difficult. Entirely schedule-based. Does not age well or scale up to busy adults.
Graphics/Performance
- Makes me warm and fuzzy inside with its isometric 3D fused with 2D sprites
Gameplay
- Not a ton of new Pokémon at the start
- Most grinding so far
- Sure is more Pokémon mechanically. Has just enough extra gameplay in towns
- The battles outside of gyms, trainers are way lower than you. Makes grinding/leveling tedious
- Rebattling trainers via phone call
- Not clearly communicated. Would have to stumble across naturally by being enticed to go back and fight.
- Good world building to see trainers get better. Early concept of nemesis system
- Opens door to cheesing the grind
- The elite four struggle. Sheesh
- Interesting to start in the middle of Kanto and swirl out, counter clock.
- Apparently the phone call system was in the first game
Music/Sound Design
- Sound balance in stereo seems to favor left channel for music
- National Park piano is my kind of calm tune
- Ecruteak has a bop. Windy, old Japanese town strings
- Epic battle themes
World
- Curious to get a feel for Jhoto and see how it connects to Kanto.
- No flying between the two. Only walking or the train.
- Little stories connecting the areas. Keeps it engaging
- Slowpoke tails being chopped off and sold
- Farfetch’d lost in woods
- Now those little stories are slowing up progression. Now they feel like “one more step.”
- The Seaform Islands aren’t there?
Story
- Interesting to have the rival be a villain of sorts. Neat start.
- Stuck already though? How to start gym challenge?? How to get to Violet City?
- Very dense. A true “rival” character. Throwbacks to Red and Blue. Team Rocket and crime. I like it
- Probably the most direct sequel, after Black/White 2 (I assume). I like that.
- Love there is a real villain plot with Rocket again
- Love putting on Rocket uniform to infiltrate the radio tower
- So when down with Johto, Kanto seems to be just going to get badges? No Rocket. No Rival (yet)