Nintendo DS Pokemon SoulSilver/HeartGold First Impressions

The Pokemon franchise manages to keep itself alive after numerous years by ensnaring young players and bringing back doses of strategic nostalgia to its mature players. Just as I suck out the final breaths of my Pokemon Platinum video game, Nintendo manages to smack me across the face with its newest Pokemon game HeartGold and SoulSilver. Even if all the video games follow the same formula, I still find myself playing it because... well, I'm not really sure.

In typical Nintendo School of Innovation, this new Pokemon game is not actually a new game but is an updated rehash of an older Pokemon game for an older Nintendo gaming system. Not only does this save up on seeking new talent, it also guarantees older players will return to the newfangled update thanks to the dangling of a carrot on a string known as nostalgia. When initially released, Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver were known as Generation II in the franchise and featured innovative gameplay in the Pokemon world such as breeding, a sectioned bag for inventory, and new creatures to capture and battle. Now these features are standard in every generation of Pokemon, so the innovation factor has less of an impact.

But enough cynicism, time to see how the game fares.

First impressions upon opening the box were bad. Instead of seeing the game, I was treated to a newfangled Pokewalker accessory that was included in the game. It is essentially a pedometer, which I guess is Nintendo's community service punishment for turning generations of children into droning video game players. Players are able to transfer one of their PC-stored Pokemon to the Pokewalker, walk a bit to let the Pokemon gain experience or find items or locate other Pokemon to capture, then transfer it back to the game. None of this was actually explained during the few hours I played, so this device feels hastily tacked on and gimmicky. It does give a slight nostalgic feeling of the times when Pikachu pedometers were sold during the original Pokemon Gold/Silver games in the late 90s that pretty much did the same thing.

As I tried to make sense of the Pokewalker, it finally occurred to me that Pokemon SoulSilver/HeartGold was nothing more than a Nintendo conspiracy to sell eyeglass repair kits. For some idiotic reason the Pokewalker has both a flat battery cover and a separate belt clip battery cover. It is common sense to attach a pedometer via a clip so the flat batter cover is just wasted plastic and extra expense.

After breaking my game evaluation to drive to a drugstore to find the last eyeglass repair kit available and swapping out the battery cover, I finally got the game part of this video game. SoulSilver/HeartGold feels just like its original version. Like any Pokemon video game, players take on the role of a protagonist who travels the game world collecting little creatures called Pokemon for various reasons. Some want to raise and use them for battles. Some want to show off their large collection and compulsion to collect. And some probably want to eat them for lunch, though I never did get to see that feature in the game. One new feature is being able to see the sprite of the first Pokemon on the roster; a throwback from Pokemon Yellow when Pikachu would follow the protagonist. Along the journey, players will face off against some evil organization, interact with many other Pokemon players, and spend a lot of time playing the game until a new generation of Pokemon comes out to repeat the process.

Gameplay wise, the interface and graphics are a slightly updated version of Pokemon Platinum. The touch screen is now a major factor in playing, which is a relief since my numerous hours of Platinum is beginning to wear out the A button on my DS. It does make the game play better despite still feeling like a gimmick. Playing with one hand on the directional arrows while using the stylus or my finger on the other is a little tricky, but I can still wear out my buttons if I still want to.

The social aspect of SoulSilver/HeartGold is great with the DS technology. Trading Pokemon and battling with other players via wireless or the Internet is a lot easier. Exchanging gifts with the Pokewalker is a little fiddly and lacks the same features as the main game, but it is more convenient than whipping out the DS and waiting for each other to get to the venue. I guess the main question to ask before switching from Generation IV to this Generation II update is, "Is it fun?" And yes, the game is fun even if it is the same game with slightly revamped developments. Just try not to feel too shocked when Generation V makes SoulSilver/HeartGold obsolete again.

Intended for the Nintendo DS platform, Pokemon SoulSilver and Pokemon HeartGold are sold separately for about $39.99 each.