I’ve been walking a lot more lately. No, it’s not really for exercise (though I could probably do with that). My newly-gained enthusiasm for strolling is all down to the lump of plastic and Liquid Crystal Display that came with my copy of Pokémon SoulSilver.
This is still the Pokémon that we know and love – popular back in Junior school, though I never stopped being a fan – but with a much needed graphics and sound overhaul; and featuring bounteous new content – the main one being the Pokéwalker. A pedometer that’s packaged with the game and shaped like a Pokéball; you can download one of your captured critters (of which there are now 493!) on to it; and it automatically trains as you run across campus to your lectures. Bump into someone else with it on, and you’ll earn some new items. Finally you can live out that childhood dream and be the Pokémon Trainer!
As for the game itself, it’s singing an old tune. As the name of the game suggests, HeartGold and SoulSilver are DS re-workings of the old Game Boy Colour classics Pokémon Gold and Silver. If you’ve played those games, this update will definitely be a trip down memory lane; right down to an unlockable item that reverts the music to its 8-bit roots.
For those entirely new to the series (if you are, congratulations on escaping that rock you’ve been trapped under for the last 15 years), you play as an intrepid 10 year old, embarking on a journey of fame and self discovery. You achieve this by finding and catching adorable monsters with cool superpowers – the titular Pokémon – and then making them fight. With a team of ‘mon under your belt, you travel the regions of Johto and Kanto battling other Pokémon trainers, working your way up to the Elite 4, eventually becoming Champion. It’s a fun journey, but the main storyline itself isn’t too hard – you can breeze through it in about 30 hours. For many players, the real game starts once the main plot’s done and dusted.
Die-hard players who’ve done it all before – you know who you are – have extra mini games at the ridiculously-named Pokéathlon; a demanding challenge mode at the Battle Frontier; Gym Leaders looking for a rematch once you’ve bested them; and a very familiar Level 88 Pikachu to take on. If you’ve ever dismissed Pokémon as a long-gone part of your childhood, there’s nothing to lose in giving the new generation a try – you’ll be playing alongside hundreds of others.
Be the very best. Like no one ever was…
Pikachu is the cutest and my favortie among the Pokemons..,.