Our Review of Pokemon Red (replay)
With all of the fuss about Pokemon GO recently, I thought I would go back and play through the original Pokemon Red version. Throughout the years I have played it on a variety of systems. From Gameboy, to emulators, and now the most recent digital download on Nintendo 3DS, I will say that this game still holds up. It’s no wonder that Pokemon has survived over 20 years. If you haven’t played a Pokemon game recently, outside of Pokemon GO, I suggest you do. They are very fun, and extremely addictive. From the original black and white Gameboy versions, to the new fully 3D games, there are many ways to experience this great universe.
What is Pokemon? This seems like a silly question, but just in case I thought I would answer it. Pokemon is an open world RPG. The primary objective is to scour the world finding and collecting every type of Pokemon. Pokemon are wild animal like monsters. They can be your friend, your opponent, and even your battle partner. A large part of the game is based around battling Pokemon. There is also a main story arc, and several side stories to play through. As you progress through the game, you can get new items and gain XP for your Pokemon. They become stronger, and they even evolve to new forms. In summary, Pokemon is a RPG collecting and battling game.
Bulbasaur I choose you!
In my most recent play through I chose to start with Bulbasaur. Even though I had played Pokemon Red several times, I had never actually beaten it. In my defense though, it’s quite a long game. This time however I was determined. Bulbasaur and I were in this to the end. As we traveled the Kanto region, we collected over 50 pokemon, including Pikachu, Articuno, Staryu, Eevee, Hitmonlee, and my personal favorite GYARADOS! But after collecting 6 gym badges, I found myself locked out of the 8th gym. I had somehow skipped over a badge. I quick google search told me where I went wrong. I quickly purchased some ice cold lemonade and shared it with a route guard. Doing so gained me access to my 7th gym battle and the rest is history. I quickly defeated Team Rocket, and moved on to the Elite Four.
There are several main objectives in Pokemon. Usually a player tries to collect all the different types of Pokemon, defeat the enemy team, and then battle the Elite Four. After doing so the game becomes a PokeMMO of sorts. Players can battle, trade, and train Pokemon. They can do all of these things with other real players too. One of the best parts about Pokemon games though, is the ability to transfer your Pokemon to new games. A good example would be moving your Pokemon from Red version to the newest game coming out this Fall. With the release of Pokemon Sun & Moon right around the corner, Pokemon Company has announced that players will be able to trade their digitally captured friends into the newest generation game.
If you have never played Pokemon, I suggest you give it a try. It is one of my favorite games to go back and replay. There are 6 generations of games to play through, and a new one coming out soon. If you would like to see some game play, swing by our Youtube channel here -> Half Full Reviews YouTube.
Rated: E
Price: $10 via Nintendo 3DS
