Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions
- Pokémon Gold/Silver redirects here. For the book, see Pokémon Gold/Silver (book).
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This article is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this article to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Version history (Japan-only: 1.0 vs 1.1) |
| Pokémon Gold Version ポケットモンスター 金 | |
|---|---|
 Pokémon Gold Version's box art, depicting Ho-Oh. | |
| Pokémon Silver Version ポケットモンスター 銀 | |
 Pokémon Silver Version's box art, depicting Lugia. | |
Basic info
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| Platform: | Game Boy (enhanced for the Super Game Boy, Super Game Boy 2, and Game Boy Color) Game Boy Color (South Korea only) |
| Category: | RPG |
| Players: | 2 players simultaneous |
| Connectivity: | Game Link Cable, Infrared (Game Boy Color only) |
| Developer: | Game Freak |
| Publisher: | Nintendo Daewon (South Korea) |
| Part of: | Generation II core series |
Ratings
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| CERO: | Not applicable |
| ESRB: | E |
| ACB: | G |
| OFLC: | G8+ |
| PEGI: | 3 |
| GRAC: | ALL |
| GSRR: | N/A |
Release dates
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| Japan: | November 21, 1999[1] |
| North America: | October 15, 2000[2] |
| Australia: | October 13, 2000 |
| Europe: | April 6, 2001[3] |
| South Korea: | April 24, 2002[4] |
| Hong Kong: | N/A |
| Taiwan: | N/A |
Websites
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| Japanese: | Pokémon.co.jp Nintendo.co.jp |
| English: | Pokémon.com Nintendo.com (Gold) Nintendo.com (Silver) |
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Japanese boxart
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Pokémon Gold Version (Japanese: ポケットモンスター 金 Pocket Monsters: Gold) and Pokémon Silver Version (Japanese: ポケットモンスター 銀 Pocket Monsters: Silver) were the first core series games of Generation II for the Game Boy Color.
During development, the games had the tentative titles of Pocket Monsters 2 (Japanese: ポケットモンスター２)[5] or Pokémon 2 (Japanese: ポケモン２)[6] and Pocket Monsters 2: Gold & Silver (Japanese: ポケットモンスター2 金・銀),[5] along with a provisional release date of "late 1997".[5] The number 2 was dropped as of Nintendo Space World ’97 in November 1997.
Originally announced for a March 1998 release in Nintendo Space World '97,[7] the games had their launch date postponed, with Nintendo issuing a public apology where it is claimed that the developers are worn out but fully committed to the project and that they require more time to expand and improve the games further.[8] They were eventually released in Japan on November 21, 1999, in North America on October 15, 2000, and in Europe on April 6, 2001. In South Korea, Nintendo collaborated with Daewon to release the games in the country, which occurred on April 24, 2002; the Korean versions are solely compatible with the Game Boy Color, which was released there in 2000, also by Daewon.[9]
As Pokémon had become an international phenomenon already with the release of Pokémon Red and Blue and Pokémon Yellow in North America and other regions, the localized versions of these games were greatly expected. Much like Red and Green (Red and Blue overseas), Gold and Silver were followed shortly by a solitary version with minor changes, Pokémon Crystal, as well as remakes two generations later in the form of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver for the Nintendo DS.
Unlike earlier games, Pokémon Gold and Silver take place in the Johto region, west of the region that the original games take place in, Kanto. However, Kanto can be traveled to later in the games.
Plot
Main game
The player begins their journey from New Bark Town, running an errand for Professor Elm to Mr. Pokémon's house to discover what he was so excited about. Elm supplies the player with one of three Pokémon, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile, for this errand. After Mr. Pokémon's discovery turns out to be an Egg, the player returns to New Bark, only to find that a suspicious red-haired boy seen lurking outside of Elm's lab earlier has stolen one of Elm's Pokémon— the one that the player's choice is weak to, coincidentally. Upon defeating him and returning to New Bark, the player gives the name of the boy (the player can choose any name, provided it fits under the seven-character limit; his name defaults to SilverG or GoldS) to a police officer who has come to investigate the incident. Elm is amazed by the Egg and insists on studying it, allowing the player to keep the Pokémon they traveled with as a starter Pokémon. From here, he encourages the player to journey across Johto and challenge the eight Gym Leaders, Falkner, Bugsy, Whitney, Morty, Chuck, Jasmine, Pryce, and Clair, and eventually the Pokémon League (though this is a long way off). With the first Gym in nearby Violet City, the player heads off on their adventure.
After defeating Falkner for the Zephyr Badge, Elm's assistant appears to give the player the Egg, which will later hatch into a Togepi. Heading south towards Azalea Town by way of Route 32 and Union Cave, the player meets up with the villainous Team Rocket, formed again after it was disbanded three years prior in the neighboring Kanto region by a young Trainer. They are cutting off the tails of the Slowpoke that are legendary in Azalea, intending to sell them for a large profit. Kurt, a local maker of specialty Poké Balls, is greatly angered by this, and requests the player's help in chasing away Team Rocket and saving the Slowpoke. Though he falls into Slowpoke Well, hurting himself in the process, he begs the player to continue on to fight the organization with their Pokémon. After this has been done, and Team Rocket is chased away from Azalea, Kurt gives the player a Lure Ball and will make his specialty Poké Balls when brought any kind of Apricorn, one per day. After defeating Bugsy in the Azalea Gym for the Hive Badge and defeating the red-haired boy (Silver) once again, the player can journey into Ilex Forest to find the Charcoal maker's Farfetch'd and get HM01 (Cut). With this, Ilex Forest can be navigated through towards Route 34. On Route 34, a Pokémon Day Care is set up, however, unlike the one found in Kanto on Route 5, it is capable of raising two Pokémon at once. If these Pokémon are similar enough, and if a male and female have been put in together, a Pokémon Egg can be produced.
Venturing into Goldenrod City, the player's third Badge, the Plain Badge, awaits. After defeating Whitney and getting the Badge, receiving a SquirtBottle allows the player to move the strange tree blocking Route 36 to the north. If it is Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, the Bug-Catching Contest will be occurring at the National Park on Route 35, as well. In Ecruteak City, Bill, the developer of the PC Pokémon Storage System is performing repairs on the Time Capsule, and as the player arrives, he will finish, asking for them to come visit him in his parents' house in Goldenrod, where he will give away an Eevee. Another Gym is in Ecruteak, where the Ghost-type Leader Morty battles for the Fog Badge.
The player goes on through Route 38 and Route 39 to arrive in Olivine City. Once there, they learn from Silver that Jasmine, the Gym Leader, is not available at the moment, since she is taking care of the lighthouse's Ampharos and refuses to leave until the Pokémon is given a special medicine from Cianwood City. The player thus surfs their way through Route 40 and Route 41 to get to Cianwood. There, they encounter the Fighting-type Leader Chuck, who presents the player with the Storm Badge. They get the SecretPotion from the Cianwood Pharmacy and goes back to Olivine. Jasmine, relieved after getting her Ampharos's medicine, goes back to taking Gym challenges. Her Pokémon specialty is of the Steel type. When the player gets their sixth Badge, the Mineral Badge, they travel to Mahogany Town, through Route 42. The Gym is blocked by a man and the way to Route 44 and the Ice Path is blocked by another man trying to sell RageCandyBars.
The player heads north to Route 43 and the Lake of Rage. Upon entering the gate, two Rocket Grunts charge them $1000 to go through. When the player gets to the lake, they encounter the Red Gyarados. After the player defeats, catches or flees from it, they receive the Red Scale. A caped man named Lance appears on the shore and reveals Team Rocket's secret hideout to the player. The player goes back to Mahogany and goes through the hideout, along with Lance. Team Rocket's plan was to emit sound waves, inducing the Magikarp in the lake to evolve into Gyarados, which caused the effect of the Red Gyarados. Once the player defeats all the Rockets and disables the wave-emitting machine, they can challenge Pryce, the town's Ice-type Gym Leader.
Upon defeating the Gym Leader and obtaining the Glacier Badge, the player receives a phone call from Prof. Elm about a strange radio signal emitted by Team Rocket, trying to connect with their missing leader, Giovanni. The player goes to the Goldenrod Radio Tower to investigate. Once there, they find the Tower to be taken over by Team Rocket. When the player ascends to the top floor, they find the director of the Radio Tower, only to discover that he has been impersonated by a Rocket and that the real Director is actually locked in Goldenrod's basement. Once the player enters the basement, they are once again encountered by Silver, who intends to defeat Team Rocket all by himself. He still questions the way he treats his Pokémon. Once the player gets to the very bottom of the basement, they find the Tower's real Director. He gives the player the Card Key, so that they can access the higher floors of the Radio Tower.
After clearing all of the Rockets, effectively disbanding them, the player receives either a Rainbow Wing to encounter Ho-Oh or a Silver Wing to encounter Lugia, in the Gold and Silver versions respectively. The player can either go to the Tin Tower or the Whirl Islands at this point, to challenge Ho-Oh or Lugia, respectively; alternatively, they can go straight to Route 44, now unblocked, and through the Ice Path to get to Blackthorn City. There the player can challenge Clair, the Dragon-type Gym Leader. Before giving the player the Rising Badge, however, Clair requires the player go through a test to prove their worthiness. To complete this test, the player must enter the Dragon's Den and retrieve a Dragon Fang. When the player finds the item, they receive the Rising Badge from Clair. Having obtained all 8 Badges, the player returns to New Bark Town, traveling down Route 45 and Route 46.
Professor Elm contacts the player, and awards them with a Master Ball when visited. From New Bark, the path to the Pokémon League is to the east, across Route 27 and into Kanto, then across Route 26 and through Victory Road to Indigo Plateau. When the player reaches the exit of Victory Road, Silver appears again and battles the player.
The Elite Four awaits the player if they have collected all eight Badges. When the player enters the League, they must face all four in sequence. Will, who trains Psychic-type Pokémon, is first, followed by Koga, who specializes in Poison Pokémon. Following is Bruno, who uses Fighting-type Pokémon, and finally, Karen, who specializes in the Dark type. After defeating these four, the reigning Pokémon Champion, Lance, challenges the player to a final battle. After his defeat, Oak and his co-host on Pokémon Talk, DJ Mary, arrive and congratulate the player. Lance then takes the player to a back room and tells the player that they are admitted into the Hall of Fame. The credits roll.
Postgame
After the credits roll, the player ends up back in New Bark Town in their room; however, Professor Elm calls, requesting a favor. After visiting his lab, he gives the player an S.S. Ticket that allows access to the S.S. Aqua, a ship that travels to and from Kanto, the region that Elm wishes for them to explore. On the first entry into the S.S. Aqua, a man will bump into the player, and will ask them for help as he has lost his granddaughter on the ship. After locating her in the captain's cabin and reuniting her with his grandfather, the ship will arrive in Vermilion City, where the player will take their true first steps in Kanto.
At this point, the player is given free reign to travel throughout the (scaled-down) Kanto region, and collect the eight Badges from Generation I's Gym Leaders. The player can accomplish this in any order; however, certain events must be completed before some Leaders can be challenged. For example, a Team Rocket grunt has stolen a Machine Part from the Kanto Power Plant and hidden it inside Cerulean City's Gym; the grunt must be fought and the Machine Part restored to the Power Plant before Misty can be found at Cerulean Cape and persuaded to return to the Gym. Giovanni, the previous Leader of Viridian City, has now left, and former Indigo Champion Blue is now its Leader; however, Blue is at the site of Cinnabar Island, musing over its destruction by the local volcano's eruption. When found there, Blue will return to Viridian Gym to be battled. Blaine was the Leader of Cinnabar Gym; when the town was destroyed, he took refuge in one of the Seafoam Islands and can be fought there.
When the player has earned all eight Kanto Badges (and, therefore, all sixteen Badges in the game), Oak allows them to venture to Route 28 and, past it, Silver Cave, a location where only the greatest of Trainers can venture. Silver Cave is a grand set of open tunnels and passages which are riddled with powerful Pokémon, but the player continues to travel through to the end of the cave, where Red, now a Pokémon Master, stands alone to be fought. When Red is defeated, the credits roll again and, afterward, the player is deposited at Route 28's Pokémon Center, outside of Silver Cave.
Blurb
Enter a whole new world, with new Pokémon to capture, train and battle! Meet Professor Elm and get the all-new Poké Gear, including map, radio, cell phone and clock. Set the clock then watch as day turns to night and events take place in real time— and be sure to keep an eye out for Pokémon that come out only at night!
Connectivity
Players may trade Pokémon between two cartridges or battle with another cartridge using a Game Boy Game Link Cable. To take full advantage of this feature, several Pokémon are exclusive to each game of the pair or the Generation I games, and others require trading to evolve, making trading necessary to complete the Pokédex. The games can trade and battle with Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Using the Time Capsule, the Japanese versions can trade with Japanese versions of Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow; and the Western and Korean versions can trade with Western versions of Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow. Pokémon Gold and Silver are completely incompatible with games from Generation III onward.
Trades between Pokémon games in different languages are possible; however, a Japanese game cannot connect with a non-Japanese game without causing corruption. If a battle between a Japanese game and a non-Japanese game is attempted, the battle simply does not work, with the save files left unharmed. Korean games can trade and battle with Western language games; however, while the Korean games do support the Latin alphabet, the Western language games do not support Hangul, so the names and original Trainers of Pokémon from Korean games will use a variety of unrelated characters located at equivalent codepoints to display Korean names (potentially including control characters, which may cause a variety of issues).
Pokémon Gold and Silver are compatible with Pokémon Stadium 2. While link battles are not possible directly between Pokémon Gold and Silver and the Generation I games, a player may challenge a Generation I game using Pokémon Stadium 2. Japanese Pokémon Stadium 2 can communicate with Japanese Generation I and II core series games, but not other languages; Western Pokémon Stadium 2 can communicate with Western Generation I and II core series games, but it does not recognize Japanese games and cannot read the save file from Korean games.
Pokémon Gold and Silver are also compatible with the Game Boy Printer. It is possible to print Pokédex entries, the Diploma, Pokémon Storage System Boxes, Party Pokémon, Mail, and Alph Ruins Stamps.
Features
Gyms
There are eight Pokémon Gyms in Johto, each with their own type affiliation. The Gym Leaders are Falkner (Flying), Bugsy (Bug), Whitney (Normal), Morty (Ghost), Chuck (Fighting), Jasmine (Steel), Pryce (Ice) and Clair (Dragon). These Gyms notably feature the types not accounted for by Kanto Gyms, with the exception of the Dark type. Since Kanto is accessible after defeating the Elite Four, players can visit the eight Pokémon Gyms in the region, even though there have been some changes. The Gym Leaders are Brock (Rock), Misty (Water), Lt. Surge (Electric), Erika (Grass), Janine (Poison), Sabrina (Psychic), Blaine (Fire) and Blue (various).
Elite Four
Gold and Silver introduce a new Elite Four syndicate, though it is found at the same location as it previously was in the Red and Blue versions: Indigo Plateau. The Elite Trainers are Will (Psychic), Koga (Poison), Bruno (Fighting), and Karen (Dark); the Champion is Lance, who uses Dragon-type Pokémon. Lorelei and Agatha, who were part of the Elite Four in Generation I, do not appear in Generation II, nor are they mentioned.
Pokémon
The games feature 100 new Pokémon species, plus the 151 Pokémon of Generation I. Despite this, not all Pokémon are available to a single player, regardless of version; trades must occur between players in order to complete their Pokédex without the use of cheats or glitches. In addition, most Pokémon associated with events in Generation I, including the Kanto starters (discounting Pokémon Yellow's Pikachu), the Fossil Pokémon, the legendary birds, Mewtwo and Mew, are absent from all Generation II games and must be traded over. Celebi is the only Pokémon introduced in Gold and Silver that can only be legitimately acquired by attending a Nintendo event.
The Pokémon sprite designs also differ between the two games, a characteristic so far unique to this pair.
Game exclusives
For unknown reasons, two sets of game-exclusive Pokémon, Phanpy and its evolution Donphan, along with Teddiursa and its evolution Ursaring, were swapped between the Japanese and localized releases, with the former available in Japanese Gold and international Silver and with the latter available in Japanese Silver and international Gold. However, this situation did not occur with the remakes, HeartGold and SoulSilver.
The Korean versions of Gold and Silver do not have this change.
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- 1: Exclusive to Silver in the Japanese and Korean versions.
- 2: Exclusive to Gold in the Japanese and Korean versions.
Pokégear
The Pokégear is received at the beginning of the game from the protagonist's mother. It has several functions, some of which will need to be unlocked during the game by receiving special expansion cards. The Pokégear displays the day of the week and the time of day, entered at the beginning of the game, a map of Johto (and later Kanto) once the Map Card is obtained, a cellphone, allowing the user to make calls to people that they've traded phone numbers with, and a radio which allows the player to get tips from Professor Oak and DJ Mary on Oak's Pokémon Talk, affect how active wild Pokémon are by playing Pokémon March or Pokémon Lullaby on the Pokémon Music station, or listen to the Lucky Channel to keep track of the Radio Tower's lottery promotion.
Apricorns
More specialized Poké Balls were introduced in these games. A Lure Ball is more effective if used against a Pokémon caught with a fishing rod, a Heavy Ball is used to catch large, heavy Pokémon like Snorlax, and a Friend Ball will make a Pokémon more comfortable and friendly to its Trainer much more quickly. To obtain these Balls, Apricorns must be picked from special plants found throughout Johto, and Kurt in Azalea Town will fashion these into the different Balls based on their color. However, Kurt can only make one Ball at a time, and players must wait until the next day for Kurt to finish the Ball.
Kanto
After defeating Lance, and becoming the Pokémon Champion, players can travel to Kanto, the region introduced in Generation I, and see how things have changed over the past three years:
- Due to a power outage, a key is no longer required to open the door to Lt. Surge, and the garbage cans in his Gym are all empty (save for trash).
- A volcano has destroyed everything but the Pokémon Center on Cinnabar Island, leaving a rain-filled crater behind.
- Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are no longer found in Kanto, logically because they have already been caught in Generation I. The Cerulean Cave and Mewtwo are also gone, though a man near the cave ruins does mention the dungeon, and a hidden item called the Berserk Gene can be found in the water near its former entrance.
- Bill's house (Sea Cottage) is still present at the Cerulean Cape, but Bill is currently visiting his family in Johto's Goldenrod City. The house is being watched over by his grandfather.
- Blaine has moved his Gym to one of the Seafoam Islands due to Cinnabar's volcanic eruption. As a result, no wild Pokémon can be found in the Seafoam Islands.
- Blue (Green in the Japanese versions), the rival of Generation I, is now the leader of the Viridian City Gym. Giovanni is nowhere to be seen, though he is clearly mentioned many times, as Team Rocket aims to find him.
- Red, the Generation I protagonist, appears in Johto's Mt. Silver, serving as the game's true final challenge. His highest level Pokémon is a level 81 Pikachu. Red also has a Snorlax at level 75, a Blastoise, Venusaur, and Charizard, each at level 77, and a level 73 Espeon. The first five Pokémon are specially obtainable in Pokémon Yellow.
- The Copycat still lives in Saffron City, but has moved to another area of town. Her old house was demolished to make way for the Magnet Train station. As compensation, she received a free rail pass from a man at the station, which she gives away to the player after the return of her lost doll. According to her mother, this is the same doll that Red exchanged for TM31 (Mimic) in Generation I.
- Kanto Gym Leaders use Generation II Pokémon in addition to Generation I Pokémon.
- Remixes of most of the overworld and battle music from the Generation I games are used. Some notable exceptions include Cinnabar Island's music and the music from various Team Rocket hideouts.
- Most routes were shortened, but cities and towns generally remained the same size except Celadon City, which shrank slightly.
- Pokémon seen in the wild are different: many Generation II Pokémon can be found. Some Pokémon that were previously restricted to the Safari Zone can be caught in wild areas, such as Rhyhorn in Victory Road and Kangaskhan in Rock Tunnel.
- The entrance to Team Rocket's headquarters in the basement of the Celadon City Game Corner has been removed, although a man in Celadon's Pokémon Center alludes to it.
- The formerly-abandoned Kanto Power Plant is now used to power the new Magnet Train (which may have led to the departure of the Pokémon that once infested the plant in Generation I).
- The bike shop in Cerulean City is closed, and the owners have moved to Goldenrod City in Johto.
- The old man in Viridian City has now had his coffee, and says, "Hey, kid! I just had a double shot of espresso and I am wired!" He references the fact that in Generation I he taught the player how to catch Pokémon, and asks if the player believes him, but does not attempt to teach this time around.
- The Fighting Dojo's master is away training, so the Fighting Dojo only provides a Focus Band left behind. The master is training in Mt. Mortar in Johto. When found and defeated, he will give away a Tyrogue.
- The museum in Pewter City is closed for renovations.
- The other caverns and Viridian Forest all have the same layout as they did before (with the exceptions of Mt. Moon and the Seafoam Islands), but reduced in size.
- Koga, the former Gym Leader of Fuchsia City and now a member of the Elite Four, has been replaced by his daughter Janine.
- The Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town has been replaced by a Radio Tower, similar to the one in Goldenrod City. In turn, the Pokémon grave sites were moved into the newly added Soul House. Access to the upper floors of this Radio Tower is restricted, a safety precaution taken as a result of Team Rocket's takeover of Johto's Radio Tower.
- The Safari Zone is closed while the warden is on a vacation. Instead, the Bug-Catching Contest at the National Park takes its place.
- The Underground Path from Celadon City to Lavender Town has been sealed indefinitely, ostensibly due to vandalism. A sign cites local complaints about battles there and a local Biker Gang complains about it closing down because it was their base.
- Victory Road's length has been drastically shortened, and no longer includes the barriers, boulders, Trainers, and pressure sensors. Trainers can be found outside, but no longer in Victory Road itself.
- Viridian Forest has been reduced to shrubs, and wild Pokémon can only be caught in the grass of what used to be Route 2.
- Route 23 has been reduced to a short path leading between Victory Road's exit and Indigo Plateau.
- The Pokémon Center on Route 4, outside Mt. Moon, is no longer there, leaving the player to trek all the way to Pewter City to heal their Pokémon.
- The player can no longer enter Silph Co.'s upper levels due to increased security.
New features
Gold and Silver introduced a number of features to the Pokémon video game franchise, many of which set a new standard for every game in the series that followed. Gold and Silver introduced the concept of storing items such as healing items, Poké Balls, and Key Items in separate compartments in the Bag. The updated battle screen showed both how much experience points a Pokémon had until its next level and whether an encountered wild Pokémon's species has already been captured. Also, held items raised the bar for strategy, allowing players to outspeed opponents, heal ailments, restore HP in battle, boost the power of moves of a specific type, or increase the Pokémon's friendship, among other uses. All Trainers battled by the player had their own unique name, and some would be available for rematches later in the game.
A time system was also introduced. Throughout the game, Pokémon appearances are influenced by time of day: morning, day, and night. Hoothoot, for example, only appears at night (since it's an owl-like Pokémon). Certain events are also determined by the day of the week, like the Bug-Catching Contest which is held in Johto's National Park on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Depending on the day of the week, either "Pokémon March" or "Pokémon Lullaby" can be heard on the PokéGear radio. Pokémon March raises the chance of a Pokémon appearing when the player walks into the grass, while Pokémon Lullaby decreases that chance.
Breeding
With the introduction of breeding, all Pokémon belong to one or two Egg Groups. It is important to note that legendary Pokémon cannot be bred; they are genderless, and will not breed, even with a Ditto (which can breed with any Pokémon capable of breeding).
A baby Pokémon will be born when a male Pokémon and a female Pokémon that share at least one Egg Group are left at the Pokémon Day Care. In the case of Pokémon that are always male (Hitmontop, Nidoking, Tauros, etc.), or Pokémon who can breed but whose gender is unknown (Magnemite, Voltorb), the only way to produce a baby from these species is by breeding them with a Ditto.
A baby Pokémon will inherit the species of its mother (or non-Ditto parent in the case of a Ditto breeding) and inheritable moves from its father (when it's not a Ditto). Fathers always pass down TM moves that the baby's species could learn, which are valuable (since some are only obtainable one time). If both parents know a move that the baby's species learns by leveling up, the baby is born knowing that move as well. Fathers may also pass down special moves called "Egg moves" to the baby that it would not normally be able to learn by leveling up or evolving.
Shiny Pokémon
These games introduced Shiny Pokémon—Pokémon which have a different coloring than their species has normally, and which appear very rarely (a 1 in 8192 chance). In these games, Shiny Pokémon often have higher stats than regular Pokémon, but can never achieve maximum stats for that species (as Shininess is based on the Pokémon's IVs in this generation).
In this generation, the odds of an Egg hatching into a Shiny Pokémon can be significantly increased if one or both parents are Shiny.
There is one Pokémon guaranteed to be Shiny: a Red Gyarados can be found at the Lake of Rage. Since it is part of the storyline, it is impossible not to encounter this Pokémon as Shiny.
Pokérus
Pokérus (a portmanteau of "Pokémon" and "virus") was introduced. Encountering a Pokémon with the virus is even rarer than encountering a Shiny Pokémon, with the odds estimated to be somewhere around a 1 in 21,845 chance. Pokérus doubles the special experience (a concept adapted to later installments as effort values) that the player's Pokémon gain each time the infected Pokémon participates in battle (provided the battle is won and the infected Pokémon does not faint).
Type and stat changes
Two new types were introduced: Steel and Dark. These two types serve to balance the Psychic type, which previously was only weak to Bug-type moves. In addition, the Steel and Dark types also balanced the Fighting type, which was only super effective against Normal-, Ice-, and Rock-type Pokémon; Steel and Dark are both weak to Fighting-type moves. Steel-type Pokémon are known for their very high defense; they are highly resistant to many types and their moves are strong against Ice- and Rock-type Pokémon. Dark-type Pokémon are immune to Psychic-type moves and have moves with malicious-sounding names, such as Bite (previously Normal-type) and Thief, which are super-effective against Psychic-type Pokémon. Dark-type Pokémon are also strong against Ghost-type Pokémon, thus being the only type that has an attack advantage over Ghost-type Pokémon besides Ghost-type moves themselves. Dark-type Pokémon are also weak to Bug-type attacks.
Some type match-ups were changed as well. In Generation I Ghost-type moves had no effect on Psychic-type Pokémon; this was changed to super-effective as it was in the anime. Poison-type moves were previously super effective against Bug-type Pokémon, and Bug-type moves were super effective against Poison-type Pokémon; this was changed to Poison doing normal damage to Bug and Bug becoming not very effective against Poison, seriously limiting the effectiveness and usage of both types. Ice-type moves were also made not very effective against Fire-type Pokémon (previously doing normal damage). Four moves had their types changed: Gust, previously Normal-type, became a Flying-type move; Bite, previously Normal-type, became a Dark-type move; Karate Chop, previously Normal-type, became a Fighting-type move; Sand-Attack, previously Normal-type, became a Ground-type move. Two Pokémon, Magnemite and Magneton, changed from being Electric type to being Electric/Steel.
Another major change from the original games was the splitting of the Special stat into Special Attack and Special Defense. Again, this increased aspects of strategy, for Pokémon were now more specialized. Some were good special attackers, while others were better physical attackers; the same now held true for Defense and Special Defense. For example, Cloyster has a decent Special stat in Generation I, but in all later games, has a decent Special Attack, but low Special Defense.
Reception
The games were generally well received and in-turn received a "Masterful" 10/10 by IGN.[10] Craig Harris of that site states "after playing the game dozens of hours, I really can't think of a bad point to make about Pokémon Gold and Silver."[11]
Battery life
Copies of the Generation II games typically lose the ability to save in a shorter timeframe than copies of the Generation I games due to the battery maintaining both the saved game and real-time clock data, causing it to drain quicker.
The battery is replaceable with another one of the same kind (a CR2025), or a CR2032, which is slightly thicker and lasts longer. Since it powers the save file, interrupting the power by removing the battery will cause any current save file to be lost. Third party devices such as the GameShark may offer ways to backup and restore the save file.
A symptom of a battery running dry is the game's inability to keep track of the time correctly (the error message TIME NOT SET may also appear on the title screen).
Staff
- Main article: Staff of Pokémon Gold and Silver
Music
Pokémon Gold and Silver are the only paired versions which have not had any sort of official soundtrack release of the games' original tracks. The closest approximation to such a release is Disc 3 of Pokémon HeartGold & Pokémon SoulSilver: Super Music Collection, which is based on the GB Sounds item and the Pokémon Past Archive radio program of HeartGold and SoulSilver that is meant to emulate the style of chiptunes. However, not all of the old-style music is available on the CD. Additionally, Discs 1 and 2 of the aforementioned soundtrack contain remixes of the music originating from Pokémon Gold and Silver (and Crystal).
Development cycle
- Main article: Development of Pokémon Gold and Silver
Flyers
Dated September 20, 1999 (source)
Front
Back
Localization changes
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. |
Graphics
- In the Japanese and Korean versions, the Pokémon summary screens are vertically aligned in a similar fashion to the Generation III games. In the Western localizations, due to the space constraints, the layout was reverted to the horizontally-aligned one of the Generation I games.
- The amount of PC boxes in the Pokémon Storage System was changed from 9 to 14 in the localizations (including the Korean ones) due to the maximum number of Pokémon per box being decreased from 30 to 20.
- In the Japanese and Korean versions, the Pokémon in the Pokémon Storage System's layout is enclosed in a text-box frame and the Pokémon list appears in the background. In the Western localizations, there is no frame surrounding the Pokémon but the Pokémon list appears in a text-box frame.
- In the Japanese and Korean versions, the sign of Pokémon Centers in Johto have a Poké Ball drawing with the letters PC next to it. In the Western localizations, the sign was changed back to the one used in the Generation I games. The Pokémon Center signs in Kanto use the old design in all versions.
- In the Western localizations, the gender symbol for the Nidoran is shown twice during battles due to the gender symbol being placed next to the level indicator instead of next to the Pokémon's name as in the Japanese and Korean versions.
- In the Japanese and Korean versions, SonicBoom's animation is a shock wave hitting the opponent. For undisclosed reasons, it was changed to a tornado hitting the opponent in the Western localizations, making it very similar to Gust.
- Nineteen Pokémon, including Jynx, as well as certain Trainers, had their sprites changed between the Japanese and Western versions. The Korean versions use the same sprites as the Japanese versions. The changes made for Western versions were also taken into account for the Japanese and Western versions of Pokémon Crystal, although they were instead incorporated in the new sprites.
Gameplay
- In the Japanese and Korean versions, Phanpy and Donphan are found in the wild in Pokémon Gold while Teddiursa and Ursaring are found in the wild in Pokémon Silver. In the Western localizations, these were switched. This change was not replicated in the international versions of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
- The party of Pokéfan Alex, a Trainer found on Route 13, is made of Pokémon that have names ending in "king" (Japanese: キング). Due to Magikarp not sharing this trait in the Western releases (its Japanese name is コイキング Koiking), it was replaced by Seaking in order to stay true to the theme. Unlike Magikarp, which is level 58, the Seaking is level 29 like the rest of his team. In the Korean versions, his team is the same as in the Japanese versions since Magikarp's Korean name is 잉어킹 (Ingeoking) and both Nidoking and Slowking also have the word "king" (Korean: 킹) in their Korean names. This was also not redone for Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver since Alex still has a Magikarp in the localizations, which is now level 65.
- The Korean versions of the games can only be played on the Game Boy Color, due to the need for more memory in order to properly render the Korean characters.
Trivia
- Tsunekazu Ishihara, the current CEO of The Pokémon Company (at the time, the games' producer), originally thought that these games would be Game Freak's last Pokémon project and thus the company invested in the Trading Card Game and licensed various merchandise as means to assure the success of Gold and Silver as "the ultimate Pokémon titles".[12]
- These are the only pre-Generation IV Pokémon games ever released in and localized for South Korea prior to the foundation of both Nintendo of Korea and Pokémon Korea in 2006. Nevertheless, the Time Capsule is available in the Korean versions of Gold and Silver.
- The Japanese Super Game Boy border of Pokémon Gold (labeled POCKET MONSTERS GOLD VERSION), but not of Pokémon Silver, is present but unused in all releases of Pokémon Crystal. Similarly, in the Korean releases of Gold and Silver, the English Super Game Boy borders (respectively labeled POKéMON GOLD VERSION and POKéMON SILVER VERSION) are present but unused, since they only support the Game Boy Color.
- In the Korean versions, the credits are presented in English. The Japanese games would later replicate this in Generation V but only when character mode is set to kanji.
- Due to a possible oversight in the international versions, the Japanese quotation marks are used in certain parts of the dialogue, like in radio stations. This was corrected in Crystal.
- These games were the first to have legendary Pokémon as mascots and the use of precious stones or metals as title names.
- Gold and Silver, as well as their remakes, have the most types that have been specialized in by Gym Leaders, adding up to 15.
- If one includes the Elite Four, the Ground type is the only type that is not specialized in by an important Trainer in these games.
- None of the in-game trades in Gold and Silver feature the player trading away or receiving a Generation II Pokémon, making them the only games in which a player must link up with another player to trade Pokémon of that generation.
- Gold and Silver are the only versions where wild Pokémon battle music is different between day and night.
- The boxarts for Pokémon Red, Pokémon Yellow and Pokémon Silver are the only three instances where the English Pokémon logo is shown partially covered by some element (in this case, Lugia's crest).
In other languages
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See also
References
- ↑ Pokémon.co.jp
- ↑ Pokémon.com (US)
- ↑ Pokémon.com (UK)
- ↑ Dengeki Online (archive)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 ポケットモンスター2
- ↑ ポケモン２(仮)
- ↑ SPACEWORLD'97 出展 GAME BOYソフト
- ↑ ポケットモンスター金・銀発売延期のお知らせとお詫び
- ↑ 게임보이 발매 25주년 | Daum 루리웹 (archived copy)
- ↑ IGN: Pokemon Gold Version (Pokemon Gold) (retrieved December 21, 2009)
- ↑ IGN: Pokemon Gold Version Review (retrieved December 21, 2009)
- ↑ Iwata Asks : Pokémon HeartGold Version & SoulSilver Version : The King Of Portable Toys
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This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |
