Hey, guys. Howsit going? I'm doing alright for the most part, just finished Resonance of Fate and I will eventually review that along with WarioWare DIY. Hope you guys enjoy my review for Pokemon HG and SS:

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To be honest, at this point, Pokemon is starting to falter for me. I was a longtime fan since Pokemon Red, and even though the core game's never been changed, I've always held on. It was when I played through Platinum that I experienced a sort of melancholy: the game was fun, but felt dated and overly familiar to Diamond and Pearl, which weren't exactly the best in the franchise.

This is why I was a little weary of HeartGold and SoulSilver, because I thought that GameFreak would merely take the first game, update the graphics, add some current generation features, and be done with it, insulting fans of the original. Many thought FireRed and LeafGreen were inferior, and while I don't share that sentiment, I worried if that would be true for HG and SS. So, since May of 2009, I had waited...and waited...for ten months until it finally came to the States in March 14 of this year, and I picked both versions up, played them, and never stopped for a full nine hours. I was astounded.

GameFreak has done what to me seemed impossible: they took a game, a fan favorite that is considered the best in the franchise, and made it better, so much so that it will be hard for even the most nit picky fans to complain (although there are certainly plenty out there).

Firstly, I will skip the story because if your cells perform osmosis on a regular basis, then you know what the story of Pokemon is, and by this time it is getting old, even for me, although I see that the reason why GameFreak omitted changing the story drastically was to remain faithful to the original game, although they certainly added things, such as the Eusine arch and adding in new sequences.

The game play's been the same as it's always been, and for the most part GameFreak, again, opted not to change much, although one particular neat addition is the Pokewalker. While I won't go much into it's function and how cool it is, I will say that it adds a good deal of depth and is actually an engaging device to use to level up your Pokemon. I do sort of protest to charging an extra $5 for it, even when Nintendo initially said it would ship with the game for free, but hey, business is business.

Other than the Pokewalker, things that weren't in the game before have been added, such as the fantastically fun Pokethelon, which is basically a series of sporting events that your Pokemon can compete in to win items like evolution stones and rare candies. The gyms have been revamped as well, with there being cool new puzzles to solve while facing the trainers.

Another thing about the game I liked was the ramped up difficulty; I personally felt the original games, while more challenging with the Johto Elite Four, were too much too easy, even for a kid. This has changed, as now even leveling up and grinding will not save you unless you strategize. I really appreciate this, as it added a sense of urgency and tension to the battles. Plus the game is still as addicting and utterly fun as you remember, and then some.

In terms of graphics, the battles are still static and not animated, although I don't care like many do. The cities you visit are absolutely beautiful and scream "quality." No to mention, there are two cutscenes in the game of Lugia and Ho-Oh that, graphically, trump anything out there on the handheld market, although it would have been nice to see more of them.

As for the music, many people will complain and whine, even when after you visit Kanto GameFreak themselves give the player a "GBsounds" item that converts the music to the original GameBoy music. I thought the music was utterly spectacular, and not just because I like Pokemon, but because these are damn well orchestrated renditions. From when you enter Violet City to fighting the first gym leader to facing your rival, and facing Lance, all the remixes are crisp and clear in quality and provide the perfect sense of atmosphere. I've got to even say they SURPASS the music of the original games.

Other than those things, other things I can name are the online capabilities, the ability for your Pokemon to follow you (a hollow but kind of cool addition) and the ability to revisit Kanto, which was also in the original game. It's a long game, as I took 70 hours beating most of what the game offered, including the two main adventures, not including time online, doing side quests, or filling up the Pokedex.

Upon visiting the GameFreak building in Celadon City and meeting the Game Director, I see GameFreak's understanding of their audience. They themselves, in the game, have said they understand they cannot satisfy everyone, and they want to innovate but satisfy the old fans, and from a player's perspective I can see how tough it must be to accomplish something like that. GameFreak, however, HAS accomplished this. They have crafted the best remake to one of the best Pokemon games out there (even though I still like Pokemon Yellow just a little more), creating one of the greatest DS games and maybe even one of the most entertaining, involving, and memorable experiences in gaming. They poured an amazing amount of heart and soul into HG and SS, and the final product really, really shows.

Gameplay: 9.5
Graphics: 9
Sound: 10
Replay Value: 10
Overall: 9.8

Good:
+Same addicting gameplay, with some cool new features and a cool Pokewalker
+Beautiful environments
+Memorable and very well produced score
+Tons upon tons of replay value, along with the game being 60+ hours
+Good pacing, balance, and good puzzles
+In general is a touching tribute to a great game

Bad:
+Change in Pokemon Black/White will be appreciated
+$5 extra for the PokeWalker is lame