So for a while I had contenplated trying a Pokemon game. I am a Nintendo fan and it does feel somewhat wrong to be a fan and not at least try one of their biggest franchises if just to see what all the fuss is about. After asking some friends about a good one to cut my teeth on that I could play on my 3DS Heart Gold/Soul Silver was suggested which is of course the updated version of the origina Gold/Silver game remade for the DS. I will say, getting a copy of this one is tough. New copies on Amazon run upwards of $100 and used isn't much cheaper, especially if you want the Pokewalker that came with it. I finally by sheer luck found a used copy at Gamestop for $40 and figured I wasn't going to do much better given the rarity of it.

First off, I feel bad for anyone that did get this one used as it's a pain in the ass to delete the previous save file. Most games if you select new game, it asks to overwrite the data. This one doesn't do that. You have to go to the title screen and hit select, up and B at the same time and then it asks you several times if you're sure. Mainly because of the Pokewalker which I don't have so I don't care, but I guess this is good for those kids, who have annoying siblings who go around accidentally deleting save files. My nephews talk about this all the time. How many of you have had a kid brother erase that 100% save file on a game because either he couldn't read or wasn't paying attention? Also the file erase thing is not the easiest thing to do on the smaller model 3DS due to the select button.

So with THAT annoyance out of the way, I was ready to begin my Pokemon adventure. It is nice I can be a girl though my sprite looks funny with her pigtails. I got an email from my friend "Ethan" who says "I like Pokemon." Thank you William Shakespear. Anyway I get to Dr. Elm's lab and there's a creepy stalker outside his window. Ok. But my character decides not to tell Dr. Elm that a creepy person is spying on him and instead am told to go to Cherrygrove City to find Mr. Pokemon but not before getting my first Pokemon. I decide to go with Totodile who I name "Crocky." Yes I know, Cyndaquill is the best starter. Shut up and let me play!! OMG I move so slow and I don't get any Pokeballs to start which makes me mad as I wanted to catch stuff in the tall grass I was wading through but at least Crocky gets XP and I like that he follows me around and I can talk to him. With my bag filled with potions and a cell phone, I make my way to Cherrygrove City to find Mr. Pokemon.

And no sooner do I arrive than a creepy old man wants to show me around town and gives me running shoes to move faster. Thank God but seriously, why did I have to get shoes to run? Why couldn't that have been there from the start? I go to the store for Pokeballs and they're out. F*** but I buy some more potions, pick up an apricorn bag and eventually reach Mr. Pokemon's house to pick up an egg, then it's back to New Bark Town.

And along the way I meet up with the creepy stalker chick....wait..IT'S A DUDE? What the hell? But the hair...and.. oh never mind. He sics Chikorita on me and I take him out fairly easy. I return the egg to Dr. Elm and now is when I officially begin my Pokemon Trainer journey and my buddy Ethan gives me Pokeballs. Horray! I also decide to send money home to mom because, we're in deep with Tom Nook and the Racoon Mafia. Told her not to go to him for a home loan. So in no time I catch myself a Pidgey who a name Thunder and a Senstret who I name Fluffy. Sometime later I get a Kakuna and make my way to violet city. I fight a couple kids and some of the bug Pokemon enthusiasts. A fella in town says if I find a Bellsprout, he'll give me an Onyx and as luck would have it I wander into some grass shorly after and nab a Bellsprout and a Mareep. Stupid Crocky knocked out the Ekans before I could catch it but at least I could do my Onyx trade. This was around the place I stopped.

It's easy to see the appeal of this. You get into the action fairly quickly and it's not long before you're catching and leveling up Pokemon left and right. I'll probably stick around in the area because there's some ones like Ratatats and Hoothoots to catch and a cave to explore and I don't think I'm nearly ready to take on the first gym leader.

But I am getting into this game which is suprising because I didn't think I would.