It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than fifteen years since the original Pokémon games were released in Japan. The franchise has gone from strength to strength so gracefully that it’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t know what a Pokémon was. With five generations of main series games, countless spin offs, a ridiculously long running anime and innumerable accessories, Pokémon has come a long way since its inception. Given the evolution of the series (no pun intended), a trip down nostalgia lane is certainly merited.
Pokémon began in the form of Red and Green in Japan, later being followed up by the third version- Blue. This version would form the basis for Pokémon Red and Blue in the rest of the world. These games may seem simple after playing the fifth generation behemoths Black and White, but they still have that unique Pokémon charm that sometimes feels diminished in the newer instalments. So what can we expect back in the age when “catching ‘em all” was a real possibility rather than a cruel taunt?
In terms of game play the first generation of Pokémon games look like a heavily stripped down and simplified version of the modern games. The core game play began here and has changed little in the fifteen years since; you’re a young Pokémon trainer setting out on an adventure to collect and hone a team of battle ready monsters ranging from the cute and cuddly to the beastly. On your travels you’ll catch new Pokémon, battle other trainers and foil evil criminal schemes. This adventure takes place in a sizable world made up of small towns connected by routes, caves, mountains and seas.
The list of additions made to the series since Pokémon Red and Blue is vast and so some may find these original games too bare. There are no beauty contests, competition mini games, night and day cycles or time specific events here. That said, the absence of these features puts the core game play in centre stage (I certainly don’t miss the beauty contests). The absence of night and day cycles is a shame but otherwise the game play is still superb. There are only one hundred and fifty one Pokémon to find but that’s part of the reason to return to this game isn’t it? The original Pokémon are some of the best.
One divisive quality of Pokémon Red and Blue is the highly dated graphics. Pokémon arrived towards the end of the Game Boy era and so these were black and white games. With the power of the Game Boy Colour or the Super Game Boy this can be changed to varying degrees but these original games are never going to feature all the colours of the rainbow. The sound is similarly dated, with an array of classic chiptune themes dotted throughout the game. Despite this aged sound, the themes themselves are still very memorable. While they show their age, the graphics and sound of Pokémon Red and Blue are potentially two of the main reasons to revisit these classics.
The power of nostalgia is strong enough the overcome aged graphics, sound and even game play elements. There is one thing, however, that nostalgia cannot compensate for; a lack of purpose. This is something that completely depends on the player and their mindset when engaging with Pokémon. If you can play through Red and Blue and enjoy them for the adventure that they provide then there is no problem here. If, however, you want to build a Pokémon team and use it in the modern games in conjunction with more up to date Pokémon then you’re out of luck. There is a cut off point after the second generation of Pokémon games through which Pokémon cannot be transferred, meaning that only Pokémon caught in the third generation and onwards can be moved forward to the most recent games. There is no way around this.
There is, however, an alternative. For those who own a Nintendo DS Classic or Lite, you could instead check out Pokémon Firered and Leafgreen. These games are remakes of the first generation with Game Boy Advance quality graphics and sound combined with the useful ability to transfer Pokémon from the GBA slot to fourth generation Pokémon games. If you want to bring your Pokémon all the way to fifth generation you’ll need a second DS to transfer from fourth to fifth wirelessly- this is rather a lot of effort just to get retro Pokémon to the front lines but for those with online battling in mind it maybe worth the time.
For anyone looking to revisit the beginnings of Pokémon, Red and Blue offer a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The aged graphics and chiptune sounds only augment the classic feel of these games; hearing the Viridian Forest theme again with its high pitched beeps is worth digging out the old Game Boy. That said, if you want to visit Kanto in the original adventure without the outdated look then you can tryout the more recent remakes which also offer the nifty ability to bring your caught and trained Pokémon forward to the most up to date games. Ultimately, given the enhanced nature of the newer games, new players will be wisest going for either a remake or a newer instalment in the series. Gamers looking to sate their nostalgia could do so by trying out Firered and Leafgreen or even Heartgold and Soul Silver. That said, if none of these hit the mark and you’re really craving that retro feel complete with all the famous glitches (we all remember MissingNo. fondly after all) then Red and Blue are more than worth the price of some new batteries for the Game Boy.
