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Pokemon Silver Version (Game Boy Color) artwork

Pokemon Silver Version (Game Boy Color) review


"I really don't see how Pokemon got so much praise... It really doesn't deserve it. Sure, it's not terrible, but it needs a lot of work in terms of gameplay. It's just so repetitive that it becomes boring after a short period of playing. Really, this is only for people who really like to catch cute little monsters, or "

Introduction:

I've never been a fan of Pokemon. I always saw the franchise as just a big kiddy-toy company, and I saw the games as part of this. But for some reason, after hearing so much hype about the sequel(s) to the original Pokemon duo for GB, I figured I'd might as well pick this one up. I must say, I was slightly impressed, but this game sure didn't convert me into a Pokemon-worshipper.

Gameplay:

Probably the main area where Pokemon: Silver excels is in the department of gameplay. While there isn't a whole lot of substance to the game, there sure is a lot to do. You play the role of some Pokemon catcher who pretty much just catches Pokemon. The game doesn't have a storyline of some evil force or villain trying to destroy the world--Hell, it scarcely has a villain. The simple premise of the game is to catch a bunch of little monsters; around 250 to be exact.

The game plays much like your ordinary RPG--You go around a fantasy world, meeting new characters, fighting random battles, and, of course, collecting Pokemon. Silver uses the same turn-based battle system as most gamers should be accustomed to, but for some reason, it just doesn't seem as good as usual. It's ultra-simplified, and lacks any real variety. Sure, pokemon have different attacks, but...Not really. In the end, it feels like you're just playing a little kids game. For example, an enemy or Pokemon never dies, it faints. And you never see the Game Over screen--When all your Pokemon ''faint'' during battle, you just go back to your last save point.

To add another interesting spice to the game, it features an internal clock. You're prompted to enter the time when you start playing, and from then on, it accurately keeps track of the time and date. This is a cool feature, adding some more depth to the gameplay. Some pokemon can only be seen at night, or on certain days, and certain events happeon only on certain days. It really just adds another dimension to the game.

The game is filled with a lot of stuff to do, but sadly, most of it revolves around catching Pokemon, which is, all in all, just not that fun. Because of the lack of variety and diversity about the game, it seems like only children will be amused for more than 10 hours with this dummed-down RPG. Without much of a challenge, other than finding Pokemon (which isn't even really that much of a challenge), the game just isn't that fun.

Sound:

The sound is well...It's Game Boy. And even for Game Boy, it's nothing spectacular. Just a bunch of little upbeat songs and quirky noises. I guess it's ok, but nothing grand.

Graphics:

Once again, nothing to tell your neighbors about. Just standard Game Boy fare, and just barely. The colors look really bad on Game Boy Color, and there's nothing very interesting about the graphics. Some of the Pokemon have an interesting design, but that's about it.

During battle, animations are somewhat pathetic, but the effects are actually quite nice. All in all, the graphics work.

Storyline:

None, really. You walk around, collecting little monsters. Every now and then you come across some nameless villain, and then look for more Pokemon. Occasionally, you'll have some professor guy contact you through one of your devices, but all he usually says is to find some more Pokemon. Whatever.

Conclusion:


I really don't see how Pokemon got so much praise... It really doesn't deserve it. Sure, it's not terrible, but it needs a lot of work in terms of gameplay. It's just so repetitive that it becomes boring after a short period of playing. Really, this is only for people who really like to catch cute little monsters, or 8 year-olds. Seriously, there's not much here but a bunch of over-hyped repetition.

Breakdown:

Graphics: 6.5/10
Sound: 5/10
Gameplay: 6/10
Replay: 8/10



ender's avatar
Staff review by James Gordon (Date unavailable)

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