Title: Pokémon Red/Blue
Developed By: Game Freak
Published By: Nintendo
Released: 1996 (Japan), 1998 (North America), 1999 (Europe)
Console: Game Boy
Background: If you actually need a background to this game series, then you are either too old to know it or have serious brain issues and thus should not be allowed outside without supervision. The late-90s and early 00s saw Pokémon become pretty much the biggest thing in the universe to kids. Children during this era had little interest in jumping on Goombas or running around a fantasy land dressed like Disney's version of Peter Pan. No, when it came to games, catching monsters in balls and training them to become fighting machines was our cup of tea. Anyone my age who did not like Pokémon is a liar or did not have the chance to play these games. These games started it all. Sometime a couple of weeks ago I had a nostalgia attack and decided to go on a mission to review as much Pokémon games as possible. Why am I cursed to be so stupid? However, I will try to uphold my promise, although I will try to review other games after each Pokémon game reviewed. So, the first Pokémon review of TWENTY-FOUR (however, depending on availability, it could be only twenty), and here it is: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue.
Story: Pokémon Red and Blue, both are the same game, but the differences will be talked about later, take place in the fictional land of Kanto. In this land are creatures called Pokémon, which vary from little birds to sea dragons. There are 151 species of Pokémon in this game (a number which would grow hugely in future generations of Pokémon). You control a boy from the little town called Pallet Town. Here you meet a Pokémon scientist called Professor Oak, who gives you and your rival their very first Pokémon. You can choose from Bulbasaur, who is a plant-type Pokémon, Charmander, a fire lizard and Squirtle, a turtle-like water Pokémon. Whatever one you choose, your rival will choose the type that opposes the type of your starter Pokémon. You are then given a Pokédex and told to go out and collect as much Pokémon as possible. After this there is not much of a story, you go around the cities, fighting for badges in Pokémon gyms in order to be able to use special abilities out of battle (these abilities are Cut, Fly, Surf, Strength and Flash). You will occasionally run into your rival while also running into the evil team of the game, Team Rocket. They get up to some evil doings like stealing a machine that allows a Pokémon to learn a move (in this case, the move Dig). Rebels. They are led by Giovanni, who the player has to defeat three times, the third to earn the final badge and to disband Team Rocket. You then take on the Elite Four and win and are crowned League Champion, except your rival beat them first (what a dick!) and you have to face him. You beat him Professor Oak shows up and offically crowns your character as the Pokémon Champion. Then you can go out and attempt to complete your Pokédex (which is only possible with the help of friends, as some Pokémon are exclusive to one of the versions).
Gameplay: The gameplay is basic turned based RPG stuff. You choose your move, the opponent chooses theirs, the Pokémon use the moves on each other and then repeat. There is, however, a lot of strategy involved with this game. Each Pokémon belongs to a type, such as Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Flying etc. Some types are weak against others, while some types are strong against others, for example, Water is strong against Fire, which is strong against Grass, which is strong against Water. In most cases it is common sense what is strong against what. After a while you should have a balanced party which allows you to be strong against nearly any Pokémon that you encounter. Outside of battle there is not much to say, you can walk or, after a certain part of the game, ride a bicycle everywhere. However, walking is slow so bike-riding is sometimes the most logical choice. After obtaining one of the HM (Hidden Machine), a re-useable version of a TM (Technical Machine) which allows you to teach a Pokémon a move. The gameplay is pretty decent, it is easy enough for children to understand it, but at the same time, has enough strategy for older players to appreciate.
Graphics/Sound: This is the part of the game that has aged so much. Graphics are not good, everything is either red or blue depending on which version you are using (and if you are using a Game Boy Colour or above). The Pokémon don't really look like they do in the animated series, which I remember complaining about back when I was seven. Each move has a little animation to go with it, but a lot of the time they are not very good. The music is occasionally good, but I have heard better on the Game Boy. Still, it is not that bad and can be quite catchy at times. But if you spent too long in an area then the repetitiveness of it will start to grate at your soul.
Other: Although I was really excited it do this, for nostalgia value for me personally, only one other game series can even contest with Pokémon in the memories it brings back. And in the end Pokémon wins by a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong shot. However, four hours into my new game my happiness slowly turned into fustration. Why? It's all because of a fictional caterpillar called Caterpie. I was using the Red version and Caterpie's are rarer in this version then they are in Blue. However, they are the most useful Pokémon in defeating the first Gym boss, who uses Rock Pokémon, as it's third stage of evolution, a butterfly called Butterfree, learned a Phychic move called Confusion, which was the only move any of my Pokémon knew that actually had normal effect on the Rock Pokémon, instead of being weak. TWO HOURS of pain followed, but as I was on the brink of giving up, up came a Caterpie, the first one to show up, and I managed to catch it. However, after that it was a struggle to bring back the glory period near the beginning of the game when I was simply having fun.
Overall: It is a decent enough game that has, sadly, not aged well at all. It is very hard to go back to this game after playing all the other versions (from Gold/Silver to Diamond/Pearl), thus highlighting the flaws of this game, a majority of which are now sorted out. However, it is quite a fun game and it is playable, but it is vastly inferior to the games that followed them.
Final Score: 7 Poké Balls out of 10.
Next Pokémon Review: It is a game, based off a card game...based off a game. I am talking about the Trading Card Game for the Game Boy, a game I have never played (yet used to pay the actual card game a fair amount).
Next Game Review: This is one of the games that made Sony a big player in the video game business, and continues to be praised as one of the best games ever released for the PS1. Tactical Espionage Action - no one does it better. This is, of course, Metal Gear Solid.
